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Q: is it common to have lost mail in China
I sent my GF a gold braclet for her birthday and a nice card. I allowed 20 days for the packet to be delivered and 3 months have gone by and it still has not shown up. I put 'toy' on the customs tag to better the packets chances...I actually worked for the Post Office here and it is usually real 3rd world countries that have mail problems..How often do your things go missing.??. I wonder if my GF thinks I just said I sent something and cheaped out and blamed the post office. Now anytime I say I will send something , she says no, look what happens, not safe.. 
My son sent me something... It's been 7 weeks... Still nothing
Mail gets lost in every country in the world, i send a lot of gifts to my sister in the UK always register, never lost one in 5 years. Lived in the USA for many years that is no exeption they loose stuff also
If there possibly might be something of value in a package sent to or from China, it WILL be opened and stolen, especially if it's from a foreign country or a foreigner in China.
Unfortunately, lost mail is more common in China. Not even the Chinese trust valuable things sent by mail. My gf would rather catch a train and hand deliver. And if you are sending something from another country, watch out. They do open packages and "inspect". I feel more secure with Fedex or DHL.
Ted:
I am receiving from USA almost one package per month. Mostly things I need and buy on Internet, my B in law receives them and when he has a box full, he sends them to me.
There are things you can safely send, and things that if you send, will never arrive. Among the ones that will be lost in transit are cash, jewerly, iPhones, iPads, etc. Anything valuable do not send Postal Services, use UPS, Fed Ex or similar instead. They have documentation all the way, and harder to get "lost".
There are a few simple rules to follow to insure a package with the proper legal items inside will arrive safely, and they are:
1.- Write the destinatary name and address in Chinese characters. If you do it in English, it will lay in a Postal Service Office for days or weeks waiting for someone to translate it to Mandarin, more chances of getting "lost". But a warning, do write "CHINA" in English for the benefit of those in USA and in transit who do not read Chinese.
2.- On Custom Declaration Form, do write truly what's inside. To send a gold bracelet and write "toys" is reason enough for getting the box confiscated as contraband. Now, the truth can be a bit "elastic", and will illustrate with an example. Say you are sending one of those creams to prevent wrinkles in ladies' faces, worth $ 50 USD there. I will write "sample facial cream" and under cost will say $ 5 USD. Get the idea? But list this way everything inside box, even a letter if it is included.
3.- Do not affix postage stamps to the box, pretty stamps attract attention to box, and gets the box
lost" to have the stamps. Insist on metered tape only ! Remember, every box I have received here has been opened and checked, and then resealed.
Use common sense and your packages will arrive. Following the rules above will increse chances of arrival. Things get lost in mail everywhere, so be one step ahead of potential thieves when mailing items.
I have given up on sending things home to mom. It's been years and I don't even try anymore. The first few times I sent cards and small packages, and just 1 in 5 was received. No more. I have told my family back home to not bother either. Not worth the hassle. Skype is the only way I connect with my family now.
I got that package back, took seven months, address was right, guess no one could ever read my English. Bracelt still inside.
