What to do when goods are detained at customs. Customs clearance failed in AliExpress - what does it mean? A parcel from China is stuck at customs

On December 7, the Federal Customs Service of Russia introduced new rules for delivery operators for processing parcels from foreign online stores. The problems started immediately.

Now, in order to receive the parcel, you will need to indicate your tax identification number and links to the purchased goods. On social networks, users complain about parcels stuck at customs, and delivery services say that until the Federal Customs Service signs an addition to the order on the list of those affected by it, the parcels will remain stuck.

Delivery services have already sent out warnings to their users that when making purchases in foreign online stores, they must indicate their tax identification number along with their passport data (the requirement applies only to Russian citizens) and links to the pages of the online store with a description of each product. This innovation will not affect parcels, delivery of which from the sender to the recipient is carried out through Russian Post.

Anastasia Solopeko writes on Facebook that her order from an English online store, placed on November 29, has been “stuck” at customs since December 1, and only after calling the delivery company did she find out that now it is impossible to receive the parcel without a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

“So if you ordered something and this “something” is not coming to you, call and figure it out. For some reason, they themselves do not send messages demanding that they fill out the customs form again,” she warns.

The Boxberry delivery service told the BBC Russian Service that the parcels will remain in a “frozen” state until the Federal Customs Service signs an addition to the order on the list of services for which it applies.
When asked when it will be signed, Operations Director Yaroslav Polishchuk found it difficult to answer. “We have no understanding, they don’t tell us anything,” he said.
Polishchuk said that about 25-28 thousand Boxberry orders are now at customs without a tax identification number. “It accumulated over three days,” he says.

The BBC Russian service was unable to promptly contact the Federal Customs Service with the question of when the additions would be signed - the press service's telephone numbers were unavailable all day.

At the same time, DPD services in Russia and SPSR Express have no delays with parcels from foreign online stores, the head of the international transport department, Evgeny Privalov, told the BBC Russian Service.
The Pony Express delivery service reported that on December 4 they began notifying customers about the need to provide a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), so they received “a fairly high response.” The company found it difficult to provide accurate data on “stuck” parcels.

Seven month experiment
Letters from delivery services say the new data is needed to “confirm the stated value of the goods.” The operators refer to the FCS order dated November 24. The requirements apply only to orders by individuals for personal use.
The press service of the Federal Customs Service told Kommersant that the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and references to goods are needed to determine their value and weight, as well as to reduce the risks of importing goods using dummies. This way, customs will check whether the duty-free import threshold is exceeded. Now it is no more than 1000 euros and 31 kg per month.
The BBC Russian service was unable to find the order published by the Federal Customs Service. A copy of it was posted on its website by the Boxberry delivery service.

According to the document, the innovations will be in effect until July 1, 2018; the initiative is called an “experiment.”

It follows from the text of the order that this experiment is being introduced to strengthen control over the accuracy of the documents provided in the customs declaration. The order establishes the need for the Federal Customs Service's main anti-smuggling department to conduct a quarterly analysis of passport data. Information about invalid passports must be submitted to the analytical department of the customs service.

So, no matter how sad it may sound, “let’s stock up on popcorn”...

08.12.2017 20:15:43 / 68769

To track your parcel you need to take a few simple steps.
1. Go to the main page
2. Enter the track code in the field with the heading "Track postal item"
3. Click on the "Track parcel" button located to the right of the field.
4. After a few seconds, the tracking result will be displayed.
5. Study the result, and especially carefully the latest status.
6. Forecasted delivery period is displayed in the track code information.

Try it, it's not difficult ;)

If you do not understand the movements between postal companies, click on the link with the text “Group by company”, which is located under the tracking statuses.

If you have any difficulties with the statuses in English, click on the link with the text “Translate into Russian”, which is located under the tracking statuses.

Carefully read the "Track Code Information" block, there you will find estimated delivery times and other useful information.

If, when tracking, a block is displayed in a red frame with the heading “Pay Attention!”, carefully read everything that is written in it.

In these information blocks you will find 90% of the answers to all your questions.

If in the block "Pay Attention!" it is written that the track code is not tracked in the destination country, in this case, tracking the parcel becomes impossible after the parcel is sent to the destination country / after arriving at the Moscow Distribution Center / Item Arrived at Pulkovo / Arrived in Pulkovo / Left Luxembourg / Left Helsinki / Sending to the Russian Federation or after a long pause of 1 - 2 weeks, it is impossible to track the location of the parcel. No, and nowhere. Not at all =)
In this case, you need to wait for a notification from your post office.

To calculate delivery times in Russia (for example, after export, from Moscow to your city), use the "Delivery Time Calculator"

If the seller promised that the parcel would arrive in two weeks, but the parcel takes more than two weeks, this is normal, the sellers are interested in sales, and that’s why they are misleading.

If less than 7 - 14 days have passed since the receipt of the track code, and the parcel is not tracked, or the seller claims that he sent the parcel, and the status of the parcel “the item pre-advised” / “Email notification received” does not change for several days, this is normal, You can read more by following the link: .

If the status of the mail item does not change for 7 - 20 days, do not worry, this is normal for international mail items.

If your previous orders arrived in 2-3 weeks, and the new parcel takes more than a month, this is normal, because... Parcels go on different routes, in different ways, they can wait for 1 day to be sent by plane, or maybe even a week.

If the parcel has left the sorting center, customs, intermediate point and there are no new statuses within 7 - 20 days, do not worry, the parcel is not a courier who is delivering the parcel from one city to your home. In order for a new status to appear, the parcel must arrive, unload, scan, etc. at the next sorting point or post office, and this takes much more time than just getting from one city to another.

If you do not understand the meaning of such statuses as Reception / Export / Import / Arrived at the place of delivery, etc., you can look at the breakdown of the main statuses of international mail:

If the parcel is not delivered to your post office 5 days before the end of the protection period, you have the right to open a dispute.

If, based on the above, you do not understand anything, read these instructions again, and again, until you are completely clear;)

At the moment, the coronavirus is actively spreading in China and throughout the world, for this reason air exchange is severely limited and parcel delivery is slower than usual, but as of March 1, 2020, postal exchange with no country has been (completely) suspended.

Don't worry if the status of the mail/order does not change for 1-2 weeks and is in the following condition:

• Treatment
• Waiting to be sent
• Sent to destination country
• Export/Export international mail
• Import / Import of international mail

If the package has already been sent and is on its way, it will most likely be delivered.
While the protection is in effect, wait and don’t worry, if the order is not in a hurry, you can even extend the protection period.
Keep an eye on the order protection counter, and if the parcel does not arrive within the time specified in the order details, extend the protection period or open a dispute.

P.S. Do you have anything to add to this section? Write to support@site

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Despite the fact that sending purchases by mail has long been a standard delivery method, it is nevertheless not without numerous disadvantages. Quite often it happens that at one of the stages of processing your parcel various kinds of problems arise. This happens for several reasons:

What to do if there is a delivery delay? Where and how to contact? Is there any hope of still receiving my order? We tried to answer all these questions in the form of specific practical recommendations that will help you outline an action plan.

The statement should indicate that you did not receive the parcel - “The shipment (transfer) was not received.” All fields must be filled out up to the tear-off coupon line. Example of filling.

With the invoice, printed application and passport, contact your post office. The department manager or authorized officer must complete the tear-off slip, separate it from the rest of the application, and hand it to you.

According to postal rules, your application must be answered in writing within 60 days, but it is better to hear the results by telephone within a week or two after submission. In most cases, such a statement initiates an intensive search for your package, and it begins to move faster. A written response, as a rule, arrives after delivery of the parcel with the general meaning that everything has been delivered and the Post has fulfilled its obligations.

Parcel stuck at import stage

The scheme of actions in the event that the parcel arrived on the territory of Russia, but froze for a long time at the import stage, completely repeats the sequence of actions from the previous part.

If the parcel is completely lost and this happens on the territory of Russia, then Russian Post will have to pay the sender a small compensation (the sender, by agreement, can refuse it in your favor). According to the rules, this must happen within 10 days after the official recognition of the loss. If this does not happen, then you need to write in 2 copies demanding payment of compensation.

Sample text of the application.

FSUE Russian Post
from __________
your address ___________
your phone number ________

Claim

“___”__________ 20__ I used the services of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian Post” for sending international items. The parcel was sent from the post office to the address: ___________________. Shipping cost ___________________, shipping number ______________. The parcel arrived in Russia on "___"__________ 20__.
Services were not provided in full (delivery deadline was missed). My parcel has been in _________ for more than ______________ days (indicate the last point where the parcel was recorded using the track number) and has not yet been delivered to me. This is confirmed by a link to tracking postal items https://pochta.ru/. As of today, shipment status: ________
(We print and attach a screenshot of the parcel’s route using the track number)
I suffered the following losses:
shipping cost _________________;
postage cost_________________.
In this regard, I demand that, within the period established by law, they consider and respond to my claim, find and deliver the parcel to me, or pay compensation.
Sincerely, ______________
"___"__________ 20__

With these documents, visit your post office again and give them to your boss. You must put a mark on one copy of the application indicating that the claim has been registered and take it for yourself.

To ensure that your application is not lost, an electronic copy of this application can be sent to the Russian Post email address for working with customer applications: [email protected]

If for a long time there is no response from the Russian Post, then Roskomnadzor can be involved in solving the problem. To contact this government agency, you can use the online form, where in the subject of the request, select “Provision of communication services (Internet, mobile communications, mail, telegraph, TV, radio, etc.).”

An example of filling out this form.

Moscow and the Moscow region should be chosen as the place of consideration. It is better to choose a written form as a response method - this way you will have an official document in your hands, which will be useful if you want to go to court. If not, simply choose to reply via email.

It should be something like this.

Claim

On 02/11/2015, a registered international postal item (hereinafter referred to as IPO) with tracking number RO946250***CN was sent from China to me, ________________.
On 02/14/2015, shipment RO946250***CN left the territory of China and was sent to the territory of the Russian Federation.
As of March 14, 2015, shipment RO946250***CN was registered in the Russian Federation at the “Import” stage.
As of April 14, 2015, the shipment RO946250***CN was not delivered to me.
Taking into account the failure to comply with the delivery time of MPO RO946250***CN, carried out by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Post" and based on the above, guided by Art. 12 of the Federal Law of May 2, 2006 N 59-FZ “On the procedure for considering appeals from citizens of the Russian Federation”,

1. Establish the reason for the delay of MPO RO946250***CN on the territory of the Russian Federation.
2. Oblige the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian Post” to carry out actions to search for MPO RO946250***CN and send an official written response to me about the results.
3. In case of loss of MPO RO946250***CN, make full payment of compensation in the manner prescribed by law.

Such appeals sometimes have a miraculous effect on acceleration. During a major traffic jam at the post office in 2013, mass complaints from citizens using a similar pattern forced the management of the Russian Post to significantly speed up the process of processing correspondence.

The parcel is stuck at the customs clearance stage

If your parcel is stuck at the customs inspection stage, and you do not receive any notifications from this service, then it is time to contact the customs authorities yourself to find out the fate of the parcel. You must contact customs even if the parcel has been there for more than 1 day, since this is the standard period for customs clearance.

You can also contact customs authorities through the online form. An example of filling out the fields.

About the next one.

My registered package from China with track code RO946250***CN arrived at customs on 02/12/2015 and has not been handed over to Russian Post for more than __ working days.
The specified period exceeds the accepted standards for customs inspection of IPOs.

I beg
1. Indicate the reason for the delay.
2. Provide explanations regarding the violation of the deadlines for processing and checking the MPO.
3. Provide me with information about the actual location of my shipment.
4. Explain the procedure required of me.

To get the money back.

We wish you never to lose your parcels and always receive them on time!

06.09.18 112 614 25

Instructions from a person who goes to customs like going to work

In July, I spent 12 hours at Moscow customs, snatching my parcels from abroad from them.

Maxim Ilyakhov

former chief editor of T-Zh

I already know the local inspectors by sight, I come well prepared and can resolve issues, if not quickly, then at least the first time. Here's what I learned about getting packages through Russian customs: Read this if you're ordering anything from abroad.

What will you learn

How are parcels and customs related?

To get to Russia, parcels from abroad must go through customs: this is a special service that monitors the import and export of goods across the border. There are customs offices at airports, seaports, and post offices. When you arrive in Russia and walk along the “green corridor” at the airport, this is also customs.

When an international parcel arrives in Russia, it also goes through customs. This applies to all parcels without exception, even those sent by courier services. The customs officer checks the contents of the parcel (using an X-ray, using documents and sometimes even in person) and if everything is in order, he allows the parcel to continue into the country. In most cases, this happens unnoticed by us: we simply receive the package in the form in which it was sent. We don't even know she got through customs.

Why are customs delaying parcels?

Customs has many reasons to delay a parcel, but in our case, most likely, it will be one of four:

1. the customs officer suspects that the goods are commercial, although they are declared as a private purchase;
2. the recipient has used up the monthly limit on duty-free purchases abroad - in 2019 this is 500 € per month or 31 kg;
3. the customs officer did not understand what was in the parcel, he needs an explanation;
4. The customs officer decided that there was something prohibited in the parcel.

In these cases, the recipient will be invited to the local customs office to provide clarification and pay duties.

If you suspect that you have exceeded the limit, check whether the store or courier knows your Taxpayer Identification Number. At the time of writing this article, customs considers purchase limits only for those parcels for which the recipient’s TIN is requested: usually these are parcels from courier services. If the courier service does not know your TIN, they will send you a letter: “Indicate your TIN.” Courier services know these features of Russian legislation and no longer even send parcels without knowing the recipient’s TIN.

If you order something that comes via regular mail and doesn't require your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), it's likely that customs won't count the item in the limit. But this is now. They will introduce some kind of control system, and then everything will be counted.

How to understand that a parcel has been detained at customs

If customs holds your package, two things will happen:

1. The track number of your parcel will show that it is ready for delivery, but not where you usually receive it, but in some unfamiliar place. In Moscow, this is a branch of the international post office at Varshavskoye Shosse, 37. But there is no need to go there yet, it will be a waste of time. Alternatively, the parcel tracking will say “Sent with customs notification.”
2. Customs will send you a registered letter to the place where the parcel was delivered. In the envelope there will be a template letter from customs, they say, come, dear. The reasons for the delay will most likely not be indicated - the letter is template and vague, but it may be different in different customs departments. A notification of receipt of the parcel with its track, weight and shelf life will be attached to the letter.

If you receive a registered letter, collect your documents and get ready to take time off from work.

It's bad: the track shows that customs in St. Petersburg sent my parcel to Moscow with a notification. One of these days I will receive a letter...

Pay attention to the shelf life of the parcel: if it is about to expire, you need to arrive as soon as possible. There is a danger that 2-3 days will pass between the first arrival at customs and the actual release of the parcel - you will have to collect some additional documents or they will not have time to accept you on the first day. During this time, the storage period may expire and the parcel will be sent back.

Do not receive a letter if you are not going to customs

By the notification in your mailbox you will understand that the letter has arrived from the main post office.

If you understand that you will not go to customs for economic reasons (read about this below), you can simply ignore the letter. Then the parcel will return in two weeks, and you will be able to order this product again after some time, for example, when the duty-free import limit is reset.

What to take with you to customs

Since we don’t yet know why customs detained the parcel, we need to prepare for the worst. Here's what to take with you from the documents.

The letter and notification that was sent to you. This is the basis for the customs officer to talk to you. You will need to give the letter, and upon notification you will be given a package if everything goes well.

Passport copies: first page and registration. You'll only need one copy, but it doesn't hurt to have a few on hand. When you order goods from the Internet, it can be difficult to stop. In Varshavka there is a photocopier right at the post office, 15 R per copy.

Copies of documents of relatives. If the parcel contains a lot of goods that you ordered for family members, you will need copies of their passports to prove that you ordered the goods not for sale, but for your relatives. It should be clear from the copies that these are your relatives. If it is not clear - copies of documents that establish relationship: marriage certificates, birth certificates.

Purchase Confirmation- invoice from the online store and confirmation of payment. The invoice is usually downloaded on the store’s website, and the receipt is downloaded from the Internet bank. It should be clear from the invoice and receipt that you paid for the goods.

Descriptions of what is in the package. You need to be prepared to explain to the customs officer what is in the parcel, with pictures. Photos of the product from the website and printouts of online store pages are suitable. If there are a lot of different things in the parcel, documents are needed for everything: the customs officer may have questions about a specific item. The last time I went to customs, I had a dozen photographs of the goods in the parcel, the customs officer studied them with great interest, asking, “What is this? And here? How does this work? The photos helped a lot.

14 days

shelf life of the parcel at customs

Cash to pay the fee: if the value limit has been exceeded - 30% of the value exceeding the limit; if you exceeded the weight - 4 € for each kilogram of excess. Everything is converted into rubles. In Moscow, Varshavka does not accept cards, but there is one Pochta Bank ATM. Whether it will work and whether there will be money in it is unknown.

Here's something else worth taking from household items.

Thermos of tea and snack. You can easily spend 5-7 hours in line to see the inspector. You can go out, you can drink coffee from the machine at the post office, but I prefer to take my own.

A set of bright Post-its stickers and a fancy marker. You will be surprised why they are useful. For now, just throw it in your bag.

In Varshavka, according to my observations, mobile Internet reception is poor. If you planned to watch TV series via the Internet, it is better to download them to your tablet in advance. If you work with Google Docs, install the Chrome extension to work without the Internet.

Pay attention to customs opening days and opening hours. In Moscow, Varshavka does not accept individuals on Monday, and Saturday is a short day. It is better to arrive from Tuesday to Friday right at nine in the morning, or even at half past seven.

What to do in line

Different customs offices work differently: in some places it is complete hell, in others it is a civilized place. I’ll tell you about the customs office on Warsaw Highway, 37, where parcels are received by those who ordered them to Moscow. My best years were spent there.

The customs office on Varshavka is a dozen windows, of which at best two were working in my time - they say there is not enough staff. The line moves slowly. There are signs with an electronic queue, but they don’t work, so every time I was there, I had to stand in a live queue.

The peculiarity of the live queue at this customs office is that it moves monstrously slowly (in my case, 3-4 people passed through two windows per hour), and people often leave without waiting. Decent people leave, having previously introduced those behind them to those in front of them. But it happens that 2-3 people from the middle of the line silently give up, and then you can’t find out who was behind whom. Screams, hysterics and waving of arms begin.

500 €

limit on duty-free purchases abroad per month

Advice. Bring along a set of brightly colored Post-its and a brightly colored marker. If there is a queue at your customs, write numbers on these bright pieces of paper and hand them out to everyone as if it were an electronic queue.

You are not obligated to do this, but with this gesture you will make life much easier for everyone, especially for yourself. When a person has a bright piece of paper with a number in his hands, he feels calm in the queue, no one asks: “Girl, who are you following?”, there is no problem that “There was a young man behind me, but he left, but you are holding on.” here are the women in red.” Be the person who cleans up the queue. You won't be thanked, but you will spend the next 3-4 hours in peace. If not you, then who?

If it's stuffy. If you are in Varshavka and feel stuffy, look for an air conditioning panel near the information stand. She works. Press the button - everyone will feel better.

What to do with the inspector

When it’s your turn, give the inspector a notice. He finds your business and starts working with you. He will ask questions and ask for clarification about the items in the package. Show him all the documents that you have prepared in advance.

The inspector does not have any parcels; he has never seen them and will never see them. He only looks at the documents. Therefore, inviting the inspector to open the parcel and see for himself will not work. The parcel itself lies somewhere in a warehouse two floors below; completely different people will give it to you.

All the inspectors I encountered were calm, methodical and friendly. They worked slowly but carefully. If there was something unclear, everything was explained to me. When they were rude and snapped at because of the long wait, they threw up their hands in resignation. I didn’t encounter any hellish scoop or rudeness, although people in line constantly complained about rule changes and inaccurate instructions.

Here you need to understand that we are dealing with people who, in turn, deal with papers and regulations. They must comply with all formalities and rules, this is their task. If the inspector breaks something or makes a mistake with the papers, he will be punished for it. However, he is human and can make mistakes. But in the end, we don't need him to do everything right - we need to understand what specific actions this particular inspector expects from us in order to release our particular package.

Advice. Try to do as much as possible on the spot, without moving the work to the next day. For example, the inspector may ask you to write some kind of explanation. Agree that you will come back without a queue in 10 minutes.

If you postpone the matter until tomorrow, then you may come across another inspector, and instead of clarification, he may ask for another document or even send you to some mysterious department that no one has ever heard of. All the people who returned the next day with me always started the proceedings from the beginning and were very annoyed that each new inspector demanded some new things from them.

What not to do at customs

Don't mention the words "for sale". The inspector will decide that this is a commercial shipment and you are not paying duties.

You should not use the words “surveillance”, “tracker”, “hidden audio recording”, “encryption”. All encryption tools must undergo special inspection by the authorities. If, for example, you ordered a computer or microcontroller from abroad, keep quiet about the fact that something can be encrypted on it or something can be monitored.

Don't joke about guns and drugs. Imagine how many times the inspector heard this joke.

Don't freak out and get hysterical. The inspector works according to regulations and sits behind glass. He doesn't care about all our crazy people. But if your proceedings with the inspector drag on, your colleagues in turn will see that you are slowing down the whole process - they can arrange a people's court.

Payment of duty

A likely development of events is if you ordered something expensive from the Internet and exceeded the duty-free import limit, which is now 31 kg and 500 € per month. In case of excess, you will have to pay an additional duty of 30% of the value exceeding the limit, or 4 € for each kilogram of excess. Most likely, even with this additional payment, the purchase will be cheaper than in Russia.

The fee is paid by postal money order, which can be issued immediately at the post office. They take a commission.

To pay, you will need a passport and a duty invoice, which will be issued by the inspector. The post office operator will accept the money and issue a check. With the check, you need to return to the inspector and get his blessing to release the parcel.

What if you don't go

If you don’t go to customs before the parcel’s shelf life expires, it will most likely be sent back to the store. Most often, stores refund the cost of the product, but keep the shipping cost. Perhaps this makes economic sense, look.

Let's say you ordered a product for 490 €, but it so happens that this month you have already bought goods for 500 € and have exceeded the duty-free import threshold. You will need to pay an additional fee of 150 € and spend time at customs.

Five hours at customs costs you some money. Let's say you earn 500 rubles per hour. A trip to customs, not counting transport and overhead costs, will cost you 2-3 thousand rubles. But the goods will be available immediately.

On the other hand, you can ignore the product, wait for it to return to the store, get a refund, and order it again when the limits are reset. The goods will arrive in 1.5-2 months, but they will immediately appear at the post office near the house.

Two saving options

Go to customs and pay the duty:

• −150 € duties;
• −2500 R per time;
• −5 hours of life.

Total:−23,200 R, −5 hours of life, goods immediately.

Do not go to customs, re-order the goods:

• −60 € for return shipping;
• −60 € for re-delivery;
• +5 hours of life.

Total:−8600 R, goods in two months.

How to keep your sanity at customs

1. If you are waiting for an expensive parcel from abroad, add its track to your personal account on the Russian Post website to be aware of the fate of that parcel. This way you won’t miss the moment when it gets stuck at customs.
2. Don't worry until you receive an official letter from customs. Go there without a letter only if the parcel's shelf life is about to expire. Currently the shelf life is 14 days.
3. Take a copy of your passport, cash, and all imaginable documents about the purchase, including a bank statement about the purchase. Photos of the product, screenshots from the website - print everything out.
4. Collect as many documents as possible to resolve shipping issues in one trip. It’s better to print ten extra pages than spend ten extra days visiting inspectors.
5. Prepare for 5 hours in line. Organize a live queue yourself so that no one freaks out.
6. First study what is prohibited for import into Russia, and if possible, do not provoke the customs officer with these words.
7. If the problem is duties, consider what is more profitable: pick up the goods at customs now or re-order it in a month or two.

According to postal rules, it is considered that until the parcel is delivered to the recipient, it belongs to the sender. Therefore, all responsibility for correctly filling out postal documents, searching for loss, receiving compensation for theft, etc. lies on the shoulders of the seller.

Plus, on Aliexpress, according to the buyer protection rules, if the buyer has not received the parcel, he can get back the entire amount he paid for the order. Moreover, buyers who no longer needed the product could simply not pick up the parcel from the post office and after 30 days it would go back to China, and the buyer would open a dispute and return the money. Moreover, there were no problems if suddenly the parcel did not pass through customs. And it didn’t matter for what reasons: be it goods prohibited for import, or stolen goods, or the need to pay customs duties. Previously, you could easily open a dispute, attach a screenshot of the tracking system, where it was clear that the parcel did not pass customs and went to the seller. In almost 100% of cases, the dispute was resolved in favor of the buyer. After all, he did not receive the parcel.

But recently, problems have begun for those whose parcels were turned away at customs or if the buyer does not want to pay the duty. When opening a dispute due to "Problems with customs" you will see a list of reasons why customs usually delays packages. Reasons such as: lack of invoice, licenses or certificates, undervaluation of goods, counterfeit goods are the responsibility of the seller. And goods prohibited for import and the need to pay customs duties lie on the shoulders of the buyer. That is, now, if you are not ready to do customs clearance and pay the duty, then you will be refunded the money minus the cost of delivery of the goods.

If you escalate the dispute due to "Problems with customs", then most likely the Aliexpress administration will ask you to provide documents within 7 days stating that the parcel did not pass customs due to the fault of the seller.

The buyer receives a message with the following content:

“Please confirm with your local customs and provide official documents from them to clarify the exact suspended reason to AliExpress within 7 calendar days.

If we haven’treceived the official document from customs during this time, we would assume that you’re responsible for the shipping fee and compensate seller for the freight.”

(Please contact your customs office and provide official documents within 7 days explaining the reason for the detention of the package. If we do not receive official documents from customs within this time, we will consider you responsible for the cost of shipping the goods and compensate to its seller"

But this requirement is very difficult to fulfill within 7 days. Since the standard time frame for registering a request for a document is 3 business days. And the document itself can be prepared by customs officers within 30 days. That is, it is extremely difficult to meet the allotted deadline and the result depends not on the buyer, but on other persons.

Moreover, the fault may be entirely the seller’s. There were situations when the seller forgot to fill out a customs declaration, when he accidentally wrote in the cost of the shipment an amount that was one order of magnitude more than the real cost and the goods did not fit into the norms and it was necessary to pay a significant duty. There have been cases when the seller sent copies of tablets and phones that did not pass customs due to the fact that they were counterfeit. Or he significantly underestimated the cost of the goods, which was clearly visible at customs.

Unfortunately, over the past few weeks we have not yet seen a single positive outcome of the aggravated dispute due to "Problems with customs". In all these cases, when opening a dispute, buyers attached screenshots of the tracking service, where it was clear that the parcel was going back to the seller. And they described the situation in detail, that it was not their fault. Unfortunately, mediators require a signed and stamped document.

Outcomes of the dispute due to “the goods did not pass customs”

In the letter, the mediators say that if there is no evidence that the parcel did not pass customs due to the fault of the seller, the buyer will receive a refund minus the costs of delivering the goods.

But there are also situations when the money goes completely to the seller, although the buyer has not received the goods. Most often, if the goods are detained by customs or customs duties must be paid.

That is, buyers are ultimately left without money and without goods. Which is very disappointing.

How to open a dispute due to “Problems with customs”.

First of all, you do not need to rush to open a dispute. Wait until the parcel arrives in China. Then the seller will see that he will now receive his goods back and it will be easier for him to agree to a return.

Secondly, do not rush to escalate the dispute. Try to negotiate with the seller for a refund first. If the reason is clearly yours, then agree to a refund minus the cost of delivery of the goods.

If the reason is the seller, then you can request in advance, even before opening a dispute, a document stating that the parcel was unwrapped through no fault of yours. Then you will definitely be able to meet the required 7 days to provide evidence of the reason for the detention of the parcel.

Status on Aliexpress “Customs clearance failed”

Since the end of April 2018, strange statuses began to appear in parcel tracking on the Aliexpress website, indicating that “Customs clearance failed.” Of course, buyers are very worried when they see that their package has been detained at customs.

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Such messages are often seen by AliExpress buyers who are waiting for their parcel and tracking its progress. in your AliExpress account. But this information is often incorrect!

How and where to properly track a parcel from AliExpress? After purchasing a product on the official AliExpress.com section My orders – All orders there is a button on the right side of the screen Check tracking.

When you click on this button, the user is taken to the parcel tracking page, where he can see information about when the parcel was sent, tracking number, name of the logistics company, as well as information about the order number, recipient's address and the name of the store where the product was purchased.

What is the most important information for us? This Tracking Number And Logistics company name.

As a parcel moves from one logistics warehouse to the next, the status of the parcel is updated and items in the list are added. Examples: “Awaiting collection by carrier”, “Accepted by air carrier”, “Left country of origin”, etc.

So day after day passes, the parcel happily moves to its owner, the buyer is happy, waiting for the parcel.
But one day, logging into the user account on the official website AliExpress.com, the buyer sees the status of the parcel: “ Parcel detained at customs Please contact customs or seller" or "". How so? After all, the goods are cheap, fit into customs requirements and are cheaper than 150 euros, and are allowed for shipment. Why is the product detained at customs?

And the whole point is that The AliExpress website provides inaccurate information on the movement of parcels!

Take a close look at your package tracking page and find information about which service will deliver your package to your country.
Click on the active link or find your delivery service through a search engine and see the status of your parcel on the official site. Or we also recommend looking at 17track.

In Ukraine, most often the delivery service will be UkrPoshta. In Russia – Russian Post.

The data that you see in the official AliExpress account is “pulled” from the website of a Chinese logistics company Cainiao, which is part of the Alibaba Group. Due to some technical reasons and imperfect translation in your account on Ali and on the website Cainiao you may see erroneous information.

Phrases: “The parcel was detained at customs. Please contact customs or seller.” and “Customs clearance failed” should not be taken literally! Perhaps the parcel has already cleared customs and is at your post office!

The parcel was detained at customs- this often means that the parcel is simply at customs, lying in a warehouse and waiting for clearance. You need to start worrying only if the parcel does not change status for more than 7 days.

– the same thing, no need to panic and worry. Go to the official website of the delivery service (UkrPoshta, Nova Poshta, BelPochta, Russian Post, etc.) and check the status.

Please contact customs or seller– you don’t need to contact anyone, or print out the AliExpress page and go to customs until you go to the official website of UkrPoshta, Nova Poshta, Belposhta, Russian Post, etc. and look at the official information on your parcel! Do not open a dispute long before the end of protection until you find out where the parcel is, otherwise you may be blocked. A new algorithm for blocking users on Aliexpress.com has now been launched.

In summer, parcels clear customs in 2-3 hours. In autumn and winter from 1 day to a week.

The information in this article concerns parcels with tracking numbers that are tracked. Trackless parcels and parcels that are tracked only in China also undergo customs control, but the status of customs clearance is given to the buyer not visible.

In Ukraine, when you check the parcel track on the UkrPoshta website, you will see completely normal statuses for each foreign parcel: “Transferred for military control”, “Being at the police station: check presented to the police inspector”, “Returned for military control”. Usually the time corresponds to Chinese information, which supposedly the parcel is detained by customs or customs clearance has not been completed.