Orders from abroad

I ordered some goods from amazon in the UK in early December last year. I had hoped to have them here in time for Christmas. They did not arrive, and in mid January, I asked for a replacement. This has been sent, but we are now two weeks beyond the expected arrival date and there is no sign of it. I had wanted it as a present for my wife. It cost me over R800, and as I have already had a replacement, they will not send another. Is the Post Office still trying to clear its backlog? Can anything be done to trace it? Or should I simply accept these as lost/******? More seriously, is there any point in sending items through the mail, or can their arrival not be guaranteed?