Customs United States Customs Delay - packages being held for days!

I think it may just be the Christmas rush. I had a Fedex package that was supposed to only take 3 days from Hong Kong take over a week. Most of that time it spent chilling in customs.
A week does seem a little lengthy but it could be held because something else in the shipping container came up suspicious on customs radar. It means they will hold every package in the container and release them slowly, until they can find what set off their sensors. Unfortunately this means a super long wait for you.

 

My Beyla came over the Canadian border on the 12th and is supposedly still in New Jersey. I'm hoping that they just didn't scan her in and she'll arrive any moment, but it's frustrating. They didn't put the Jersey thing online until the 16th-she was in limbo before then. And USPS wonders why it's losing business...

 

I had a package which appeared to be stuck in Customs for about ten days, and then it was sent back to Korea. The reason? Luts wrote the wrong zip code, which is why it lingered in Customs while they tried to decipher the poor handwriting, then gave up and sent it back. I was calling all over the place in the USPS system to figure out the problem, but eventually it just got sent back. It caused a huge headache. You might want to start calling now, in the hopes you can rescue your package.

 

USPS has their own Customs agents. I called USPS directly, got transferred all over the place, and eventually talked to some helpful people.

 

I'm relieved (not glad, but relieved!) to hear that I'm not the only one in this predicament. My super-wonderful roomie sistinas bought me a Luts Dambi for Christmas; seller paid extra for "guaranteed Dec. 24th arrival" shipping, and we have confirmation that Dambi made it from Korea to NYC by the 19th, but he's been there ever since! waah!
I hope the seller can get some sort of refund... but at least I can breathe a bit easier with the information in this thread.
Thanks and I hope we all get our kids soon!

 

Yeah, the same thing happened here, too. XD; I had "Guaranteed Dec. 22nd arrival" for my Infiniti Doll Cori, and they tried delivering my package on the 24th, after inexplicably keeping the package in limbo for a week. I had gotten the doll shipped to my boyfriend's work because he's the one who receives the mail, but they were closed Christmas Eve -- which wouldn't have been a problem, if it had arrived when it was supposed to! D< We're off to try and rescue her from the P.O. right now, but I'm not holding my breath, given how stupid USPS has been with this whole situation. Bah!

Anyway, congrats, angelynx-prime, on your new Dambi! ^^ Such a lovely gift! (It's relieving to me knowing that others have had problems, too, even if it sucks all around!)

 

I'm currently playing the "waiting for Customs" game too; my Yder made it to the US on the 14th of February and has been in customs ever since. I know it's only 4 days, but customs makes me nervous as it is. It isn't a delay by any means-- I learned today Customs can hold your package for a month, so I'm okay with this period of time. But I'm glad to know what to do if it takes longer than it should.

 

I'm in the same boat right now, I'm so glad to see it's not just me! I had some Dollheart shoes enter US customs on the 8th of Febuary and they still haven't left yet.

 

Nope, not just you! I've had a package sitting in customs for about a week now, and I'm just sitting it out. Impatiently, lol.

 

My sister ordered a doll in January and he has been in customs since January 22nd. It hasn't been 30 days yet, so we are waiting and hoping that they'll release him soon.

 

Perhaps if you all call your PO, they'll release your stuff? It happened when I told them the doll was suppose to be at my home on July 14, and he arrived the next day.

 

Customs has had a package of mine since the 12th... Glad to hear I'm not the only one. Though I am a little curious as to what is holding them up so much in February. The only other time I've ever had to wait like this has been during the holidays.

 

Ah, I just got the update that my package is outbound from customs, hurray! I hope everyone here gets their package from customs soon. The timing is sporadic, I've noticed.

 

Looks like a lot of info is getting updated lately. I just sent out a package on the 12th and there wasn't any update in info until today (which only gave me info up to the 17th). O_O Driving me crazy!

 

I'm getting a little nutsy just because the postman has a bad habit of leaving packages on the porch and it has been snowing like mad here. I really want to know when the doll head will be here so I can make sure someone is home to get it...

And I'm bad at waiting....

 

Prehaps we need a waiting room just for Customs?

I luckily have never had that problem yet.

 

Hahaha! Sounds like a plan. The updating system for USPS was really freaking me out though. Luckily it arrived to the buyer today which was quicker than the time given to me by the post office.

 

Ugghh I'm in the same boat. I had a head sent to me from England, and it's supposidly still in customs in ny>.< going on two weeks

 

God bless this thread. I'm freaking out. I've been in the hobby for years, and have probably had well over 100 packages sent by EMS to me over those years, and this has NEVER happened. I ALWAYS got my stuff within 3-5 days. My poor little YoSD Eddie from Singapore hit his one-week mark today. I'm just freaking out. T____T

 

This is like a customs waiting room. I'm waiting on a package from Australia that, according to USPS.com, has been in California since the 17th and hasn't even found its way to customs yet. What's it been doing for almost a week if it's not in customs?!

 

Going to customs? I dunno just a guess.

I'm currently following this thread because this is the first time i've actually recieved a package from out of the country where i've actually had a tracking number to follow. Leeke was lazy and just said "we shipped" so maybe that was better for my heart. I'm still waiting on my update but i'm hoping my package at least hit customs by today.

 

man. I have to chime in with my frustration as well. I had started to freak out and call. And honestly, calling USPS has not been helpful at all.

I have a tracked package coming to me from England, and just yesterday they FINALLY updated that they received the package in CUSTOMS on the 16th. That means it took them over 6 days just to SCAN the package? It only took 1 day from London the NYC.

What on earth is going on?!?!?

Here is hoping all of us in the "customs waiting room" will breathing some relief soon.

 

I've not had any packages get held up in customs but I have had them just not be scanned. My most recent delivery was airmail from Spain and it was scanned when it left Spain, scanned when it was inbound into US customs, and never scanned again. Tracking only updated it as being on "inbound into US customs" SIX DAYS after it hit customs. It was delivered a week ago and as far as I know it's STILL showing as inbound into customs. Same thing happened with a pair of eyes I got a week before that -- tracking updated either up to a week late or not at all.

I'm not sure if it's a sudden rash of postal laziness or something wrong with the tracking system, but things simply are not updating, so where tracking says your package is may not be where it actually is.

 

Right now I have a package that hasn't been updated for a few days and it took a whole day just to travel from what would take me 20 minutes to drive.

 

My bet is that it's only gonna get worse... People are very concerned about national security right now. Consider the recent and very publicized breaches of security at the airports (ie., the shoe bomb and the guy who got thru security at Newark). I'm thinking Customs is currently under a lot of pressure to double and triple check every package that comes into the country.

 

THANK GOD! T_T I was freaking out reading about how some of these take a month. Of course Eddie might still have a few more adventures getting here, because he'll probably be bounced around between my two post offices.

A prime example of this would be my MD Ai that just showed up. SOOM shipped it five days ago and the tracking number they gave me said "no record" the entire time. I've had that happen before though.

 

Does anyone know if this is primarily an east coast point of entry situation or are there peeps waiting for their items that are coming through west coast points too???

I'm waiting on something coming from Europe, and I think it might be stuck in customs, which would make it an east coast point of entry holdup (NY).

Thought I'd ask, and yay for this thread!! I thought my item had simply been lost or stolen. Mine was shipped Feb 8th.

Raven

 

Hmmmmm. I'm also waiting for something--it shipped by regular airmail from a 100% reliable Japanese seller on Feb. 3, and I've never known airmail from Japan to the US to be this slow. If this is a USPS or Customs holdup, the problem would either be on the West Coast or in Chicago, more likely Chicago.

 

My item did arrive, after about a week. Mine showed being stuck in NYC until it was released, finally. Dunno if that helps.

 

Don't know if this is of any use because i read through it and it was SO jargon-ish but it's some important matters dealing with customs. I think it says contact them after 15 days of being at customs, if i read that right. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/internet_purchases.xml

I guess mine must be at customs now, even though it doesn't say, because it left the country yesterday and it didn't have very far to go.

 

That could also just be Soom's bad. I have had doll companies give me tracking numbers that never worked due to typos a really improbably high number of times.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've recently received a number of packages cleared through Customs in Chicago, and there has been no delay at all. I actually had a package from Korea sail through Customs so quickly last week that it arrived a mere two days after shipment (shipped from Korea on the 17th, and arrived to me on the 19th).

 

I've only had one problem with Chicago customs and it was a teeny tiny box
from CCC/netherlands & it seems that it actually got lost due to it's size.
Fortunately after calling customs twice (?) it was found!
But normal EMS packages seem to speed through customs here. From my
experience things going through NY takes A LOT longer.
I'm currently waiting for my huge Soom box which just made it into customs.
She had a delivery date of the 27th but my Chrom only took 3 days.

 

I was going to make a new thread with my question, but then I found this one, unfortunately I think I'm in the same boat as many of you!

I purchased a SD sized doll from the Marketplace. She was shipped from Spain on the 16th via USPS Priority, and I got pretty regular updates until quite recently when she hit NYC customs. The tracking information states Inbound Out of Customs, February 20, 2010, 7:48 am.
Which I assume means she cleared and is on her way to me in California?

But since then, the 20th that is, there have been no updates at all.

 

Good to know! All I meant by "more likely Chicago" is that that's the normal port of entry for packages heading my way. I'm afraid this package has run away to join the circus--if Chicago Customs isn't slow this month, then that dashes one more wishful explanation for the delay.

 

so my call to usps came up with a grumpy but informative lecture from the guy on the phone.

Mainly he told me that even though it shipped Airsure with a tracking number, that tracking number is worthless once the package is checked in to customs, and they treat Airsure like First Class. Looks like I'll be waiting for a while in the dark afterall.

In other words, Royal Mail's estimate of 5 days for Airsure international is not very accurate when it comes to how the US thinks about it.

 

That's basically what you get from the US customs pre-recorded message regarding late packages. Truth is I got the impression that customs doesn't treat any packages as having priority, regardless of shipping method, if they decide to hold something. These people might as well just say "sucks to be you!" and hang up for all they're willing to help.

 

Chicago is where my package has been since the 12th. I've been waiting for two and a half weeks for something shipping from a place I could drive to in 12 hours...

I'm going to call the post office tomorrow and see if I can find anything out.

 

That was exactly the attitude of the guy I was talking with. I was sorely annoyed with being talked down to like I hadn't scoured all of the postal information and details for royal mail and USPS (so many times before). When he started telling me about the whole GB code, I had to jump in and tell him that I know darn well that means what country it comes from. I called to get a bit more information, otherwise, I can read the online tracking quite well. =_=

I just thought it was a bit insulting to royal mail for this guy to imply that anything they give for package tracking doesn't mean diddly squat to the all mighty usps.

He was also VERY adamant about reminding me that customs can hold a package for up to 45 days.

 

Urgh, I have a package held in customs at the moment, although I don't know if its US customs or Australian Customs. It had a missfire once, and the label and box were wrecked. So hopefully if I give it another week it will arrive.

 

I was afraid mine was gonna get delayed. But tracking it, I says:

Inbound Out of Customs, February 24, 2010, 1:33 pm
Inbound Into Customs
Inbound International Arrival, February 24, 2010, 11:16 am, ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)
Foreign International Dispatch, February 24, 2010, 1:20 am, SEOUL INTERNATIONAL POST OFFICE, KOREA

So that means that it got posted, flown, and out of customs all within 24 hours...right? Hard to beleive.

 

Well it's a relief to me to know LA might still be working normally?? Hope Springs Eternal...

But I'm very worried about Customs beginning to hold packages longer. This portends ill for sellers in the way of Paypal claims and such being filed at 45 days.

And what's with USPS and/or foreign post offices claiming the tracking means nothing? Why have it then? The longer I have been buying and selling online, the less the institutions accept responsibility for the services they sell. And yet shipping and insurance prices skyrocket nevertheless!

Raven

 

I think that's what it means LuvPetdolls. I'm glad you posted that because now i know what to look for.

I'm very perturbed with the way tracking is updated with USPS. I had better luck with Canada tracking and they were even slow to update anything. I'm wondering where my package is because clearly it doesn't take 2 days to ship from Toronto to the US.

Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
Foreign International Dispatch, February 23, 2010, 1:27 pm, TORONTO-A, CANADA
Foreign Acceptance, February 20, 2010, 12:40 pm, CANADA

I kinda freak out when something is in limbo. I just like to know where it is you know. I'm just really hoping it's in Customs and that lazy bunch forgot to scan it.

 

I'm not waiting on anything, but I thought I would chime in with some info that might be useful: the USPS is massively understaffed at the moment, nationwide. My town's office has only half as many employees as it should, and it's a similar case in many of the towns around me. Between poor management and not many people looking to work for the post office anymore, there simply aren't enough people to get the mail out as quickly as they used to.

 

Via Royal Mail Website:

"We track all Airsure® items until they leave the UK and then the item is handed over to the destination country's postal service as a priority item. In most circumstances you will also be able to get electronic confirmation of delivery via Track & Trace."

I'm still baffled as to how USPS takes that and turns it into the slowest and least amount of priority shipping outside of bulk mail/parcel shipping

I really don't think it's the EMS packages that are being delayed, but the priority and first class shipping items. What this ends up doing is FORCING people to pay for the highest possible service to get any delivery guarentee and accurate tracking AT ALL.

 

Last I heard they were 8bn in the red, which may account for them not hiring more employees? But who knows, I heard it from some disgruntled older men in line at USPS one day, so we should probably take that with a big grain of salt. FWIW, I haven't seen any "We're Hiring" signs at my local in ages. They used to advertise often for seasonal work and for permanent employment. I guess we can chalk it up to the bad economy...

Raven

 

They haven't advertised for positions around here, either- that debt is a major contributor. The move to electronic payment for a lot of bills, and customers going to private competitors hasn't helped, either. When there's less mail in general, they tend to do sweeping cutbacks without looking at each individual office to see what's best, so places that need the extra bodies are forced to let them go. My stepfather is a disgruntled USPS employee, so I've been hearing about the downward slide for years and years.

My point, though, was that while I can understand that it's nerve-wracking and frustrating to see your dolls "just sitting" at Customs, they probably weren't flagged and aren't likely to be handled differently than they have been in the past- they just have fewer hands to get things done, and more restricting protocols thanks to heightened security.

 

Well, I just checked the tracking number for my package today not expecting to see anything new, but to my delight it updated and the package is on my neighborhood's mail truck now! So I think what people have said about NYC customs being a little slow is right. I've also heard some people say that it's normal for USPS to have no tracking updates at all after the package leaves customs and gets to your state/town. This seems true.

I'm just so excited that my girl is going to be home today!

 

I had two packages shipped on the same day at the exact same time, one in China and the other from Singapore... The one from China arrived today but it looks like the one from Singapore is still stuck in customs... in New York
-Pandora-

 

Thanks to the comments everyone has made. They have certainly made me understand the postal service better. The only package I have recieved from overseas was from EMS so that's all I have had to go by. I have sent letters to Canada and sometimes they take over a week. Last time i recieved a package from Canada it took about 2 weeks but that was in December so i just assumed "Holiday rush".

I know they have talked about closing down some of the offices where i live but haven't yet. It's really sad that the postal service has been going down in rapid decline since the 80s.

 

Well, tracking now says "arrival at unit" for my city. I'm hoping that this means that it's at the local post office, because the mail hasn't even been delivered to my house yet, today.

edit: yes it did! package just came in the mail!!

 

Eddie was at my post office today. I just switched to a box so the forwarding service was also successful. I somehow doubt that this will be my last run-in with customs though, for all the ordering I do in this hobby.

 

Found out finally that my doll arrived in NY Customs on Wednesday morning. But since no doll has arrived on my doorstep and the updating seems to be 4 days late hopefully before next weekend.

I'm posting in here though i wasn't going to until my doll cleared customs but since usps is so delayed in their updates i guess I just don't know if i'm delayed in customs or not. So far i'd say 4 days in customs. Like i said unless i'm wrong. And i'd give them a little with the storm and all.

EDIT 03/01/2010: 6 Days in Customs

I decided to edit in my custom wait since i've noticed some ppl on her did not return to say that their items were released from customs. So i have decided to let everyone on here know my wait so they can take into account theres if they need to

 

i'm really anxious that i had a package shipped EMS on the 24th of february and no one can tell me where it is. i just want to know where it is - i've never had a problem with EMS before, things from japan only take about 3 days to get here, and it's been almost six x.x maybe i'm overreacting, but if my doll is chilling out in customs, i want to know.

...i hate usps. their tracking sucks. T___T

 

I got an update that my doll is in my hometown as of 5 am this morning. So in the long run I have no idea how long she was in customs because they didn't edit it to reflect her time from NY to FL. Considering it takes anywhere from 2-3 days from NY to FL when shipped quickly I will assume that she might have been in customs around 3 days. I guess that might mean that NY customs is speeding up now.

Good luck to anyone still expecting a package and I hope that everyone else after me has a quick and speedy delivery.

Anyway I paid for estimated shipping of 5 days and it seems it took around 8 days (not including sundays).

 

I've been waiting for a registered mail from France that was shipped on February 15th. It arrived in New York on the 18th and hasn't updated since then. (the least the tracking could do is tell me it is in customs..jeez) One of my friends bought a wig from someone in New Zealand and shipped it to me and it arrived today...shipped a week after my eyes from France. the only difference between the two (besides where it was shipped from) is that one was shipped registered with 150 euros in value, with the other one only a $30 value.

At least if its in customs and it leaves, its only about a day from then but this is getting ridiculous.