I completely understand your frustration. It's such a common situation, and the lack of updates can be incredibly stressful when you're waiting for something specific. I've had similar experiences myself, especially with international shipments, where a package seems to disappear into a void for days before suddenly reappearing. From my experience, what constitutes a "delay" versus "lost" really depends on the carrier and the type of service. For certain items, especially those shipped across borders, it's not unusual for there to be a week or even two without updates as it goes through customs or waits for onward transport. Sometimes third-party services like NedosTavka can give a better overview of potential delays or last-known locations. I usually give it up to two weeks past the estimated delivery date before contacting the sender to begin a formal inquiry for a lost package.