Back in the day ( before the internet) it was not as easy, no QRZ.com, no manager list on line, no OQRS, no PayPal, no LoTw, no eQSL...and on and on. It was Bureau, direct, or manager but finding the manager was a list published in CQ magazine so you sometimes had to wait a month or two. The Bureau was just as slow then as it is now, IRCs were more readily accepted and your green stamps were stolen about as often as today.
With that being said some DX stations, and many US stations are just bad at sending QSL cards. I will only go into detail on a couple in the recent past we will pass on the many in the past 40 years.
The big DXpeditions are great logs uploaded to see if your contact was good, EZ QSL routs and so on. But lets take the case of the guys trying to get those cards from maybe not so rare places but none the less needed .
WAS : This is the award most of us get first, now you can get eWAS, and LoTw (ARRL) WAS and you can get cards ( I like cards ) but even with that many don't upload to eQSL or LoTw.....and many don't return mail cards....it is just how it is....Yes you may have to work a state three times to get a card, I don't get it but it is true, like you I send a receive QSL with great pleasure...so what is wrong with the others ? Got me !!
I have a couple of QSL stories most of you can relate to, I should use there calls but won't as I am a nice guy....mostly. I have many more rare DX stations in my QSL box than Jamaica, but the station I worked there was the only one I had he was a vacationing VE....very long story short....sent $$ and SAE ..... sent PayPal payment couple of years later and today...yes today... got a card in the mail four years later at a cost of $7 dollars...but I did get it !! So I guess this is the don't give up story.
The other is a station in N. Ireland not that rare at all but once again the only one I have....His QRZ page says...I do not collect cards but if you send me $3 US and an SAE with your QSO information I will send a card.....Well after two such letters being sent, and two email requests to see what happened to my $6 no reply ....none. It is true some guys are just taking our money.
LoTw: I am a new comber to LoTw in the past couple of years...it is a great tool but just remember this...I have uploaded 2500 contacts in that time and have 1100 QSLs so less than 50% it could be better. I have a pile of not in log requests like many of you have sent multiple requests for that elusive last state for 6M WAS ....and some will never come, NEVER ....but don't give up most guys will QSL and you will get most of the ones you need, but some you will have to work again it is just how it is....
Get on have fun and enjoy what you have and QSL always...73 Jim K7JAN
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