I'd just like to add, for future reference, that "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment" does not mean that the item is still with the sender. It means the item is already in the U.S. or about to be in the U.s. and is being prepared to be forwarded to a U.S. mailing agent. Items arrive in cargo of planes, ships, whatever, and are then scanned, processed, and forwarded to the destination shipping agency. Here's a reply from a postal worker:
"It means that the origin Post is preparing a shipment for dispatch. basically manifesting packages heading for the US. Most often, a foreign post will merge all of the packages going to one country and list a manifest of each individual package and their tracking numbers, if applicable.
Once the container is full enough, it is passed to be dispatched. When the container is scanned, the status of all of the packages on the manifest will update.
...
Source: 26 year Postal Worker"
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110204123822AAQDPjlFor example, right now, I'm waiting for a package from Korea. Here's the tracking:
December 18, 2013 , 3:16 am Processed Through Sort Facility ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Origin Post is Preparing ShipmentDecember 17, 2013 , 1:02 am Processed Through Sort Facility SEOUL INTERNATIONAL POST OFFICE, KOREA REPUBLIC OF
December 16, 2013 , 11:12 pm Processed Through Sort Facility KOREA REPUBLIC OF
December 16, 2013 , 6:41 pm Acceptance KOREA REPUBLIC OF
As you see, the package has landed on the U.S. soil and is being passed to USPS by EMS.
