Customs Canadian Customs - packages held in Customs for days!

I have been having lengthy custom delays for the past month. For example it took 7-9 days since arriving at customs for my items to get to me. This happened for around 3-4 parcels.

I tried to do research on why this delay was happening but I have found nothing.

 

I would not call 7-9 days a lengthy delay. That seems about average really in my experience. I've had items sit on the border for around 10 days usually. But since march 19th, that is nearly a month and does seem unusual. Perhaps missing paperwork. If you haven't already you might want to try calling customs about the delay.

 

It's lengthy compared to the original wait time for me personally. It used to be in and out of customs in 1-2 days.

Personally if a package has been at customs for more then 7 days I see no harm in calling to find out more information on the package.

 

My parcels are rarely in customs more than 1-3 days at a time. I agree with fragile, if it's been there more than 7 days, I'd be calling.

 

If it's been sitting there for so long it isn't normal. Call Canada Post and ask them what's wrong with your package, if they tell you it's because of Custom ask them to give you a number so you can directly talk to someone who will help you. Ask for his supervisor.

 

Registered mail always seems to take longer than untrackable mail. Express mail tends to be guaranteed for delivery within a short time, but other forms- since they have to be hand-checked and entered at each step along the way- take extra time. I have had packages from the last week or so be quite delayed because of all the recent holidays, but your older package I'd definately recommend checking on.

 

Generally for me I've discovered that anything from overseas that ends up delivered to Vancouver instead of Mississauga can take anywhere between 3-8 days longer to arrive to me in MB. Recently a friend of mine's package took several days longer to get here, but my migidoll order arrived perfectly on schedual (delivered to Ont). Definitely i'd suggest calling canpost for that march package though.

 

I think it also depends on where the item is coming from. My stuff from Japan gets here alot quicker than the flat artwork I bought from Mongolia - which customs opened to 'inspect'.

 

yesterday ... i checked on some geta i ordered and it said it was in customs (vancouver).... but... i got it today(vancouver/burnaby to YK is about 3-4 days or so)... i didnt check the number before i deleted and saved my notepad buy/sell i have going... but it doesnt always update in my case anyways.

i am accustomed to getting my stuff late since i live pretty far north. (all our express things take one more day than most other places in canada...like a 2day delivery thing takes us three days)

 

I noticed a package of mine sitting in customs longer than usual. (A bunch of stuff from some of Forbidden's GO's.) It's still sitting in Quebec after coming over the border just the past Monday. I will take Holiday Monday into account though. But if I see no movement after the weekend, I will be checking into it. But I will also be checking the post office on my way to work tomorrow, just because sometimes the tracking doesn't always update.

 

Unfortunately, Canada Post tracking is not really all that accurate. Like I mentioned above, sometimes it's not updated. Someone forgets or is too lazy to scan. The canada post website still says my package in Customs, but I got it today at the post office.

 

I also agree that tracking can be pretty unreliable, but customs can usually be counted on to take its sweet time with packages. I've had a doll spend more time in customs than it did to actually make it over the Pacific Ocean from Korea and into the country That said, spending a whole month in customs is definitely abnormal by any standard, although I've also heard of someone whose package was stuck for upward of 3 months. D: Not sure how that resolved itself, but I hope you can call customs to find out!

 

Customs and mail here is generally very unpredictable as others have mentioned. Even though I ordered items from China and within Canada at the same time, I received my items from China a week before. Conversely, the items I ordered from the US at the same time still have yet to arrive. Once it gets transferred over the Canada Post...it's anyone's guess as to when something will arrive.

 

does anyone know how high a price has to be to get charged? I want to buy my doll from one site and buy a wig that's like 24$ on another - I don't want to pay customs for the wig also ><

 

I'm having a similar problem here but so far it's only been two weeks from SOOM. I doubt this would have really been anything due to suspicious custom forms since I've had packages and such come in from them before just fine.

Also I'm located in Alberta and usually for customs overseas, they stop over in Vancouver. But this time it went all the way over my head and into Mississauga and has been there ever since.

Seeing as only the sender can do something, can I possibly get some advice as how to ask Soom for help? And also what number should I give them? Apparently I can't find anything that isn't a computer and for customs in Mississauga directly. ]:

 

Ah. Missisauga. Expect to pay a mint, that's the customs office that's very, very duty-charge happy. Seems like they inspect everything that goes in thoroughly. I found that recently customs have really started slowing down, taking a few days to a week to clear things. It comes in waves and I still haven't figured out a pattern.

I suggest that if your parcel doesn't show up within the next few days, call up Canada Post and give them your tracking number - if they can't answer your question they should probably know what you should do instead. I've had some luck calling the customs office before, though unfortunately it was for a different reason so I can't really help with a phone number; they were very helpful and courteous. I found all information on the internet.

 

I ordered a pair of eyes here on DoA at the beginning of last month that was shipped by registered airmail from China. The eyes arrived at customs on the 11th and has been in customs since then. What was odd, my doll arrived the day after and cleared customs in 2 days, but my eyes are yet still there. I had never had problems with Canada customs before when I ordered my first doll and eyes from the same person. Both cleared customs within 3 days max.

Now its the first of December, and the eyes haven't cleared customs. I'm starting to worried they lost them or taking their sweet time clearing a small package. I don't know if I should order another pair of eyes, or just wait it out and hope it clears before xmas rush.

Is there anyway I can find out what is going on?

 

Registered mail generally takes longer to clear customs. The latest batch I had sent to me through registered mail from China spent 7 days in customs (this was at the beginning of November before the holiday rush from the US). Many things can take twice as long as they normally might around Christmas. If it's registered mail from China, it can be around 20-30 business days from the mailing destination to you. Canada Customs is sometimes inconsistent.

 

Ironically, I checked the mail today and found my package in the mail box. I found it odd that I didn't have to sign for like the last pair (I had get my brother to sign for it at the postal since the mail lady failed to knock on the door that day) and part of customs sicker on the envelop was ripped off >.>


Anyways, thank you for heads up on registered mail from China. I will keep that in note next time.

 

In all honesty, sometimes Canada Post can be flakey depending on your postman. >__< That might be why you didn't have to sign for it.

 

My small parcel (containing tiny head) has already arrived at Canada on Jan13 and its status has been " International item arrived in Canada and will be reviewed by Customs" since then. Anyone know what's going on?

 

I would say that's not really a "long" wait particularly for just after the holidays. Customs here is usually pretty busy from October to February. The customs waits (depending on the point of entry) can be anywhere from 2 - 10 business days. Technically it's only been about 4 business days (depending on the actual time of day that it made it to customs), so I would just be patient.

 

There are unsually long holds now with the holidays having just passed. you should have it soon. USA however has huge problems with anything over a pound being allowed in. I would just give it time it will clear soon

 

Thank you, masala_chai_tea & shaDrouet! My parcel has finally arrived safely at the faceup artist's house!

 

Hi.
Please don't string me up by my toes for asking!
How long should I expect a package coming from the US to be at customs? I've received plenty of packages and they are never more then a couple of days. My particular package has been there 4 days. I've read people having even 15 day wait. Can they do that? What could be the delay? I'm just surprised they can just hold onto a package even if postage has been paid for it to be here within a certain time period. Thoughts, advice?

 

Customs doesn't care about the postage or that it's supposed to be 3 days delivery. I think they randomly pick packages to hold, charge fees etc. I usually have to wait 4 - 7 days especially if it ends up in BC customs and not Ontario. I find Quebec customs to be the fastest and usually no fees. I also figured they charge fees on every other package to me, I paid fees on $325 and not on $675. They are a law unto themselves.

 

In my experience Vancouver customs is slow. I don't think I've had anything go through there faster than four days. I suspect they just don't have the staff, because the item often won't get scanned either -- it sometimes tracks as arrived in the country, but doesn't even say it's in customs for days.

 

Odd I find Vancouver custom faster for me. They held one my dolls in there 4 days max, and my CD doll about 2 days same with a doll head. However, they did hold a pair of eyes from China about a month

 

I find that the turnover on EMS packages is about 1-2 days in customs but I had a registered airmail package from Korea take 14 days in customs before getting to me! >__<"

 

Anything coming through Toronto goes through in a couple of hours, a day max, I never have a problem with them. Vancouver on the other hand usually takes a week or more.

 

Vancouver customs have always been fabulous for me. I had stuff pass through in under an hour on some days. There were delays some time last march though, I remember that, but on average my packages take one day and under to clear customs. Then again, Toronto customs did a pretty good job too.

 

Never have problems when it comes to customs only sometimes in regards with the fee, but the turnaround time from the EMS shipping like say in Korea takes around 4-6 days. so that's kinda weird.

but be patient. If you haven't heard any word from customs within another week or so. then there might be a problem.

Good luck

 

It's generally pretty random, four days seems like it would be getting to the tail end of the wait, though. I've had packages sit there for days, and other times, they were literally there an hour or so.