The US post office is the same. I sent a computer to my brother in England and they told me that their tracking system only worked in the USA and that the moment it left US shores then they wouldn't know where it was.
I used FedEx instead who could track it all the way, but it cost 4 times as much.
You get what you pay for.
From the U.S. you can get tracking if you use Express Mail International, but it's almost twice Priority Mail International. Most U.S. mail just saw a rate hike, to top it all off.
Between Oz, US, and most of Europe things seem pretty even (as far as getting things - price is another story). I tend to like DHL a bit over the rest, all things considered.
I, too, have been using the mail for buying and selling for about 25 years - I qualify as another old fart :hammer:.
