Clear customs....

[jozer]

So i purchased a snowboarding helmet from the UK and it got shipped out on feb 2nd but every time i check my order with the tracking number i get a message from the shipping company "Royal Mail" saying that the helmet has been passed to the overseas postal service for delivery. When i read this i was like WTF does this mean... i then went to the USPS website and punched in my tracking number and bamm my order showed up. One thing that confused me was that "Royal Mail" from the UK says my shipment has shipped over seas but when i go to USPS's website it says my shipment is still in the UK. I called USPS customer service and they said, "oh we cant track it because its an international shipment". They also said it may be stuck in customs. I asked the lady over the phone how in the hell can i get my helmet? She replied saying to me "i dont know". My question to you guys is what should i do next? How can i fix this problem? The helmet was supposed to have been delivered in 3-4 days...

 

[EdinKali]

This is the main reason I don't ship anything I sell internationally. It can get stuck in customs for 6 weeks and up. Sometimes disappearing totally with no explanation and no way to track where it went. Sometimes things are seized for something as petty as the item wasn't licensed for sale in the country it is being shipped to.

 

[NSXclear]

I'm not sure with Royal Postal, but most of the time the USPS will show on the USPS website handed over to US Customs if it is with customs.

It normally takes about a day to clear US Customs if it goes smoothly, no holidays, and not busy. It make take up to 3-4 days to pass customs without an inspection. If they inspect it, who knows when you'll get your package.

 

[warrenw]

I have had a bunch of trouble cross border shipping, but only into the US.

The other way... from the US to Canada, there is about a 2 day delay for Canadian Customs. (usually it is just a broker, tax situation.)

My most recent episode shipping to the US: I shipped my Grom iPOD interface back to Grom for a firmware update. The US customs siezed it as a "suspicious package". YUP...Homeland security....
4 weeks later, it arrived at Grom with the unit cracked open.

 

[jozer]

Well.... atleast we dont have to worry about receiving anthrax or explosives from terrorist.... Good ol' U.S of A watching our back....

 

[Vega$ NSX]

Ok, raise your hand if you clicked on this link expecting pictures/description on custom clear corner lenses for cars.

*raises hand* :tongue:

 

[UnhuZ]

Hi,

i think it has something to do with how royal mail site interacts with USPS site when tracking the same package..

what i can tell is that the Portuguese Post office site interactions with USPS site are awesome... when i buy something in US, i can use the USPS tracking number in USPS site AND in CTT (portuguese post office site)... and through the USPS site i know when it enters the main Customs warehouse, and then when it moves to local customs warehouse... it is usual like this:

- acceptance in US
- 2 to 7 days - leave US (it sometimes takes a bit to leave US soil)
- 3 days after it leaves US soil it enters main Customs warehouse
- 1 to 24h it moves from main to local customs warehouse and can pick it up sometimes in the same day.

so, usually, after it leaves US soil, i have it in my hands in 4 to 5 business days... with every move tracked in the USPS site, even the ones within Portuguese borders.

if i not follow online, i got to wait for a letter noticing me to pick it up... that letter takes about 1 to 2 weeks to reacj my hands since the package enters the Local Warehouse.

it's been about 5 years and more than 100 orders with no problems (i had a problem with something Racerjiglx sent me, but it was due post office delivery guy messing things up).

Thanks,
Nuno