Problems With Us Customs?

[🪦 The Death Curse ●]

Hello, all.

Has anybody here ever had trouble with Customs in regards to receiving your package? IE: Holding it for an undisclosed amount of time, without sending a letter, and without notification of what happened or even a confirmation that they're holding or examining the item?!

I have had a pretty large resin bust in transit to me from Norway since March 4th. As of March 9th, the tracking number entered into the USPS.com website yielded the message "Inbound to US Customs" from USPS in NY, and from there the package just VANISHED...There have been zero updates since that time, and numerous phone calls to USPS's 1-800 line, US Customs, and even my local post office have only yielded this response: "Sorry, there's nothing anyone can do, including you and the seller. If it gets to you, great! If it doesn't, then you're screwed and we can't help you. Give it 30 to 45 days to process."....Many people also add, "Did you purchase with Paypal? You might want to preserve your dispute rights by filing a dispute around the 39th or 40th day if you still haven't received your package."

I'm going NUTS here, guys.....This item is one of a kind and one of my absolute holy grail pieces, but I am being forced to sit here and wait for something that never comes, or at least until I'm forced to file a Paypal dispute due to non-receipt of package. Can anyone offer some advice or insight that may help to locate, retrieve, return, or otherwise help me to change the course of this progressively depressing affair?!

Thanks for reading...

Ryan

[🪦 bornoffire ●]

I just received a bust from Germany that took roughly 5-6 weeks to receive. I also had a friend that received a item from Spain that took 45 days to receive. Both my friend and myself had the same status update as you and never got another update till the packages arrived. Don't worry, its coming.

[🪦 Earl ●]

I have this happen all the time. coustomers email me complaining that customs has been holding there package for 2 weeks.

[🪦 Mutilated ●]

Once it's in customs hands, what happens next is unknown. These Jackasses do whatever they want and don't tell you squat.

[🪦 stainboy ●]

I had a package from England take 4.5 weeks to arrive. All it was some little vintage wind-up toy that I ordered on eBay. I was furious that it took so long and complained incessantly to the seller. The British company told me that US Customs has been a nightmare lately.

It was horrid and I contemplate never ordering overseas again...

[🪦 The Death Curse ●]

I just received a bust from Germany that took roughly 5-6 weeks to receive. I also had a friend that received a item from Spain that took 45 days to receive. Both my friend and myself had the same status update as you and never got another update till the packages arrived. Don't worry, its coming.

HOLY CRAP, MAN! I'm very sorry to hear that. That time length is insane, especially when you're trying to work through a 45-day dispute window. I guess I could contact the seller to work out a plan in lieu of Paypal's "final resort dispute"...

I had a package from England take 4.5 weeks to arrive. All it was some little vintage wind-up toy that I ordered on eBay. I was furious that it took so long and complained incessantly to the seller. The British company told me that US Customs has been a nightmare lately.

It was horrid and I contemplate never ordering overseas again...

Stain, that's equally awful. How long ago was this?
Regardless, I am gonna go ahead and assume based on these two responses that my package will, at the very least, take 4 to 5 weeks from the date of departure to get here... :confused:

Thanks for chiming in, everyone. This has helped me to at least feel a bit more confident that my item may not be lost or destroyed. However, this is easily the most helpless shipping situation I've ever been in and it's more nerve-wracking every additional day that the box isn't sitting on my doorstep. I have no idea what to do next.

Cheers,

Ryan

[🪦 monteburns ●]

I can tell exactly how you feel & sweating it out sucks.
I do recommend that you file your Paypal clain if it is getting close to the 45 day period.

Canadian customs can be very painful especially when an item comes from UPS ground.
In Canada they mainly want the extra taxes/ fees that they like to add on.
They basically punish you for doing business outside the country.

If it is just a bust/mask you will eventually get it & you have to play the waiting game.

[🪦 travsall ●]

Yep, experienced this myself. I'm doing some work for Daz, and he sent some things over to me and it took an INSANE amount of time to get through customs, no reason at all, it was some sketches and designs on paper basically, and it still took nearly 2 months to get to me. It's inexcusable, but what can you do? It's customs fault, they're just given free reign. My postal carrier that delivers to me now used to be a customs agent, he quit because he thought it was brutal! They LOVE their fees up here in Canada, they tack on any amount that comes to mind pretty much when they ding you. I've found ways to avoid that completely, but man, when they were hitting me with the taxes, you never know what was coming, could be $8 could be $30. I asked my carrier when he was there, what they based the costs on, and he said he honestly couldn't tell me where the figures come from, there's no mathematical formula to get them, they really are just totally random.

Ryan, I know how much it sucks to be left in the dark completely, especially when it's a piece like that. I'm sure it will show up though, I've been hearing, and seeing, customs are getting worse lately, slower and slower, so it's not just you man. Let us know when you do get it!

[🪦 darko@totalgeek ●]

"All Articles over 500g and all ECI and EPI services will be subject to an additional $9 security surcharge and may face transit delays of up to 48 hours."

You can thank terrorism and U.S.customs for any delay and the extra surcharge.
From January 1, 2011 Australian Post has been required to collect the extra 9.00 which pays for the manual cheaking of all parcels over 500g. (at USA end)
This charge is over and above the standard shipping charges.


Standard AIRMAIL should ony take 7-10 business days plus the 2 days in customs.

[🪦 The Death Curse ●]

Yep, experienced this myself. I'm doing some work for Daz, and he sent some things over to me and it took an INSANE amount of time to get through customs, no reason at all, it was some sketches and designs on paper basically, and it still took nearly 2 months to get to me. It's inexcusable, but what can you do? It's customs fault, they're just given free reign. My postal carrier that delivers to me now used to be a customs agent, he quit because he thought it was brutal! They LOVE their fees up here in Canada, they tack on any amount that comes to mind pretty much when they ding you. I've found ways to avoid that completely, but man, when they were hitting me with the taxes, you never know what was coming, could be $8 could be $30. I asked my carrier when he was there, what they based the costs on, and he said he honestly couldn't tell me where the figures come from, there's no mathematical formula to get them, they really are just totally random.

Ryan, I know how much it sucks to be left in the dark completely, especially when it's a piece like that. I'm sure it will show up though, I've been hearing, and seeing, customs are getting worse lately, slower and slower, so it's not just you man. Let us know when you do get it!

Trav, that's just depressing. I'm going to try hard in the future not to order anything from overseas...I'm already pretty nervous about mailing things to overseas people, so I don't need this added worry on my mind.

On a lighter note, my package's status has finally updated on USPS.com!!!!! It now reads:

Status: Inbound Out of Customs

Your item cleared United States Customs at 4:44 am on March 29, 2011. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later.

I'm not sure what that means, but I'll be checking every day for it now. 'Keeping my fingers crossed that it shows up soon!

Cheers,

Ryan