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

I finally got my girly from USPS yesterday.

Here is my timeline for Airsure from London to "USPS first class international" North Carolina:

Inbound International Arrival, February 16, 2010, 3:00 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Arrival at Unit, March 01, 2010, 4:59 am, RALEIGH, NC
Delivered, March 01, 2010, 12:45 pm, RALEIGH, NC

I estimate a total of up to 10 days in customs

 

Wow, I am glad I found this thread. I have a head from the UK that arrived at Customs NY on the 28th and am getting twitchy. Anything I have gotten that is EMS came through Chicago and was there 24 hrs (except on weekends). I am hoping that all is well and he gets though there soon. I am at least glad that I bought from a friendly, communitive seller.

 

My last package from France spent 13 total days in customs. (NY customs)

 

I had one mailed from China EMS on Monday. It still has not even landed according to tracking.

 

Apparently USPS really doesn't like me. I package from the UK shipped out to me Monday and passed overseas the same day. Checking the tracking info it says that it's still preparing for dispatch while Royal Mail says it's come to the US.

 

Customs in the US has been unusual as of late. Last month (mid-month) I shipped a head to NY and it was in customs for about 3-4 days: a total of around 11 days via expedited. Toward the end of the month I shipped another head (this time to CA) and it was in customs for a few days: a total of 6 days via EMS. And just this week I shipped an entire doll to GA, and it was in customs for a blip: a total of four days via EMS. I think it definitely depends on which customs hub that your item arrives to.

 

I don't know what to think now about my package. It's updated to 'Your item arrived in the United States in ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)' as of the 9th but that's all it says. No further movement. It's not like it's a big item, just Ai antlers, and I'm only 3 hours away from NYC. What is going on ;_;

 

I've had tons of problems with customs in the past three months! I had one package take a full 1 1/2 months to get to a custom in Latvia, most packages are taking a month right now. Its really driving me and my customers nuts. Apparently customs is moving slow because of an up in security that came with the new customs forms. I've had to file several reports with the PO, but when I did, the package would show up around a week and a half later. So try filing an international inquiry to speed it up ^_^

 

After nine days in customs my package finally arrived in town and my postal carrier didn't bother to see if I was sitting here at home and just tossed a crumpled up 'Sorry we missed you' note in my drop box so I still need to wait a bit longer, but yay! It's in town!

 

Mine finally hit new york. it went back and she had to resend for some reason. wonder how long the wait will be now?

 

I'm on day 15 of a customs wait. Supposidly that's what it is. But usually it says arrived then entered customs, and it's arrived but hasn't 'entered customs'. Sigh.

-Anneke

 

Mine hit Customs yesterday morning at 11:30 and this afternoon when I was able to check it, it was in my town. Actually, the slip "We missed you" was in my mailbox since no one was home. It was the normal delay there...but weird how some are waiting and waiting!

 

I had a package from IH hit customs at JFK on wednesday and the tracking still says "inbound to customs." This is really weird for me, because I've never had anything sit in customs for so long. At first I thought they might have been backed up because of all the nasty weather the northeast got, but it doesn't explain why it's still there. Is anyone else having JFK prolems?

 

My package is at LAX, and on day 20 without an update of it's status.

Another package from over seas has already been sent and arrived in that time.

 

I have my Cuprit stuck in custom also, she was sent by Ems from China.
All I get is the status " inbound to custom " for two days already.

Well, atleast it arrive JFK.

I am worried because the sender told me alot of paggage has been sent back .

I will keeping my finger cross!!!

 

I ordered a wig from Ebay from a seller I had used before in China. The first time around, I received it about a month later. The second time, I really needed a white wig to go with an outfit for my Limwha. The order was placed in December, it came over here, in the US and stayed in Customs until I finally received it the first week of March. I couldn't get in touch with anyone in customs because when I called the USPS, I was given some numbers that didn't even work. It was so frustrating!!!!!!!

 

How bizarre. I got a package from China (Domuya) that cleared customs in Los Angeles in 4 1/2 hours. @_@

Somewhat doubly weird as my packages usually route through San Francisco. >.>;

 

I chose customs as my prefix because I am assuming thats where my package is.

I bought a doll chest from a lady in Poland. She was a fantastic seller, the doll chest arrived via registered mail in New York in only 3 days from Poland. But now it is sitting there, sitting and sitting.

This is the detailed results:
Detailed Results:
Inbound International Arrival, March 20, 2010, 4:45 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Origin Post is Preparing Shipment

And this is their "updated" information:
Your item arrived in the United States in ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) at 4:45 PM on March 20, 2010. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later.

Ok, my question is, is this a normal amount of time for it to be sitting there or do you think there's some problem? Should I do something or call somewhere or should I just be patient and wait?

Thanks for your time

 

What the hell! Customs is holding everyone's (except tygati apparently) stuff for such an unreasonable amount of time recently! I ordered some beautiful clothing from STACY's Pink Ocean and the package left China on 2010-03-08. It arrived in the US on 2010-03-12. And the date today is March 29! 17 days in customs! Not even my DIM body back in the Christmas rush was held up this long. I'm not even that far from the airport it is at.

 

Well, I sent a package to Canada via EMS, and the status is still 'notified to expect shipment' even though I dropped it directly at the PO! This was almost eight days ago...the person should have received their items already. What is up with the USPS right now?!?!? Bah!

 

Hmm... This is a bit worrying as I'm awaiting a package sent from Canada about 4 days ago. :/

 

No idea what is going on, as mine flew through...now I have my Ai incoming, so hopefully she won't sit forever as well.

 

Did anybody's stuff from the New York delay roll in? Because now my simple articles of clothing has now been at JFK for a month. This is bullshit.

Does anybody know how I can inquire about the package? Like, contacting the airport or the USPS or something, but not through the China EMS site because that's... I feel like something will get lost in translation there.

 

Lol. This is pretty bad. My doll is stuck in limbo after it managed to get out of Canada about a couple of days ago. And the tracking on USPS is never updated. =______=

This is vaguely worrying. :/

 

Ok, mine was there a couple of days but I think you can call your local PO and ask them, and if they don't, go to the main one for your county. They would be able to help more.

 

I did inquire about that when I had a previous package MIA for a while but all they could tell me was that the tracking info I see is the same one they see too. BUT if it's Priority INT or even First Class INT they can conduct a "search & find" on it.

Odd, huh?

 

That is odd...is the doll coing EMS or something like that?

 

Yep, or what I believe to be equivalent to EMS.

This is the most a package has ever been held up for me. Maybe I should give it about a week more before I start panicking... xD;

 

try to Friday then bother them.

 

Even if it's been sent via Xpresspost and you're located in the north eastern portion of the US (e.g. NY), prepare for a longer wait than the western portion of the US (e.g. WA, CA; 2 - 6 days). Mind you, I sent something to Georgia which appears to have a much faster clearing time than most places in the US (4 days from my house to Georgia). If it's sent from Canada even express, it can take up to two weeks because of customs. Expedited shipping can take longer than express (e.g. to NY it took approximately 11 business days).

 

Yeah... But that's what's kind of worrying. I estimated maybe about a week or two at most and it's been little over a week with no updated tracking at all. It would help me sleep a bit better at night if the USPS man pressed that update button (is that how it goes over there? Iunno... xD)

ATM, I feel like a wife who never gets calls from a hubby away on a business trip. D:

 

I definitely feel your pain! I'm waiting for three things via registered mail and, similarly, once it reaches here you can't track it anymore. So I have no idea how much longer I'll be waiting for the items.

As for tracking, was it updated up until it reached the US? I found that all my shipments to the US were updated regularly until they reached the border, then when they made it into US Customs they dropped off the radar for a long while. Then at some point (sometimes later than the actual drop-off time) they would update to say it was delivered.

 

ISc New york received my package from Beijing, 21st sent out received March 23rd, I just now have notice that my package is here, but not until after I had posted it stolen so they would actually look for it.

 

Contacting the local post office is the best thing to do for this ostensibly long wait time for my package? Or should I try to antagonize the airport that the tracking says it arrived in... on MARCH 12TH.

 

Well, you can contact the main post office, where your mail goes before it reaches your local one.

 

That's exactly what happened. :<

I find that it occurs quite often; tracking for items never being updated until it actually reaches me. I didn't mind that so much because it was just for small items insofar but with this time the package being a doll and the whole issue with customs... I feel that the situation I'm stuck in is a bit... nerve-wracking. ;A;

Hey, it's like the first doll experience all over again, haha.

 

Awww! Yeah, I've been feeling all frantic with the dolls I've been sending over to the US and the non-updated tracking. Like an overprotective mother hen! XD But I understand the frustration for sure. If it seems like it's taking more than two weeks, definitely inquire though.

 

Well, looks like I'm not the only one still having issues. o.O The USPS website says my package arrived in NY on March 25th... nothing else. And it's not even a doll, just a little box with clothes! I don't understand this at all... I could understand that maybe over the holidays they had some delays and such, but now? I wonder what's going on there.

 

Actually, guess who rolled in today??

That was pretty shocking as my last thought before I feel asleep yesterday was "It'd be pretty funny if my doll came tomorrow." And it did! What the heck?? xDD I'm so relieved that words to express it don't feel adequate enough... so I won't.

 

I think this is going to make me ill....
I have one package that is coming in (hardware for a carrier I am making) and two more to be shipped soon (doll bits)... and the first package is already way over due. I am just glad this thread is here so I am not freaking out thinking that things are lost.

 

If it helps any, my package (EMS from Korea) positively flew through NYC and customs. Tracking indicated it arrived in NYC on the evening of the 7th and the package arrived on the 9th.

I hope those of you who are experiencing delays get their dolls and other items very soon!

 

Just updating that I sent a parcel via expedited (which usually takes from 8-12 business days) to the southern US and it made it from here to its US home in 5 days total (including customs). Let's hope it will be a trend!

 

Bah... my airmail package sent to me from Hong Kong on the 19th is still not here.
Sure its only a six dollar item (hence the airmail), but I kinda need that stuff to make my doll carrier...

I hope this does not end up like this package I got form Canada... it got lost for nearly FOUR MONTHS before finally arriving.

 

My package from China is still out... it arrived in NY on March 25th, so it's been there for three weeks now. I called USPS, but they weren't helpful at all (all they could/would do was give me the same information that the tracking on the usps website gave me). They couldn't/wouldn't give me any information about why customs has been having all these delays lately, either. Useless.

They told me I could contact the sender, and have them contact their postal service, and have their postal service contact USPS to send an "inquiry" about the package. Screw that.

At least it's Registered Mail, so it'd be a step harder for it to get lost... but still, this is ridiculous. What are they doing with all these packages? Their warehouses must be overflowing.

 

Packages from mainland China have been notoriously slow even when sent by EMS because of their outbound customs regulations. As for HK, it seems to be hit and miss for wait-times. I've found that I tend to get stuff from Taiwan much faster than either mainland China or HK.

 

I think my stuff goes through Chicago, at least all my EMS packages go through Chicago, airmail may be different though.

I just cannot imagine what the hold up is... I would be a little more patient if we were given a reason behind the delays, but it just molds my cheese to have them not be able to tell us anything at all!

 

Well, my package finally made it here yesterday. After three weeks in Customs. Mazeltov. -____-

Tonboko: I know, the way the guy on the phone would just absolutely not answer my questions was more than a little frustrating.

 

Argh! This is crazy! I have a little package from Estonia that has been sitting at JFK since April 9th, and my poor Soom guy is has been sitting in customs since Friday with no updates at all...what is the holdup for crying out loud?!?!? My phone number is on the freaking shipping labels...call me if there's a problem! Sheesh

 

Well, they say "misery loves company" and I need a shoulder to cry on!!!

I have bought many dolls that have been shipped to me in Los Angeles area, from Korea, China, and Thailand ... and they arrive usually in 3-4 days... I'm very amazed at how fast EMS service is !!

EXCEPT, currently I am waiting for a doll shipped EMS on June 19th from Bangkok THAILAND, from the Suvarnabhumi Mail Center.
The only updates on the Thai EMS and USPS web sites are that it left Thailand... no landing in the USA at all. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!

I'D LOVE TO SEE IT LAND IN THE USA and be stuck in CUSTOMS!!! At least I'd know where my doll was, and she was on US soil !!

So, see guys... it could be worse!! Hang in there!!

UPDATE: Finally, June 30, 2010 My doll is in Customs at LAX (Los Angeles).... guess she had been sitting in THAILAND AIRPORT MAIL CENTRE for all this time.

UPDATE:
My doll arrived, finally, but had the dreaded US CUSTOMS GREEN TAPE around her box!! They had to open her up. I just prayed that she was not damaged in any way!! She was very expensive and i'm sure that although the box was marked FRAGILE, Customs agents could care less!! Thank goodness only my doll's eyelash was off, and I found it inside of her foam cusions!

 

I have right now a doll face plate that took just a few days like 4 to get from Singapore to USA has even left customs according to tracking. That was June 17th. It was in CA & I am in IL. Yet no news. No updates and no face plate. It even says it's a Priority Mail International package. So why after 19 days is it not in my hands? I have had packages take time even 3 months from one country, but it wasn't even in USA according to tracking. This is crazy!!

 

This is the first time I've ever had a package delayed due to customs. >< I bought a pair of doll shoes from Hong Kong about 3 weeks ago, it took about a week for them to go out in the mail, and they only took a few days to arrive in the US. But they have been in NY since June 29th and they are still there.

I talked to the guy at the post office and he said that it could be there for up to a month and if I don't see them within a month, to come back to the post office. He said customs could just be getting "picky". Ugghh!! Its just a tiny pair of LittleFee shoes!!! ><

Ok, sorry for my rant. ^^;

 

I just got ordered packages, 1 from Hong Kong and the other from Singapore, and they both got here in less than a week. And the shoes I ordered from Hong Kong weeks ago are still in NY. . . this is frustrating. ><

 

I'm having a similar issue for the very first time. I have had numerous packages from Featherfall over the years arrive usually within a week -- but this one has been sitting in Seattle since the 24th. I called my local office and was told that it hadn't even reached the postal system yet (except that their site says it's in Seattle (USPS) ).

Clueless as to what I should do next! Seriously, with the hundreds of items I've ordered from abroad over the past 10+ years this is the first time EVER!

 

It finally arrived on the a week after I last posted in this thread. It was funny because I had numerous packages from other countries come in at the same time but that one tiny package took forever. 0_o Ah well, I'm just glad it finally showed up. =o)

 

USPS is rarely helpful, at least that's my experience....
my suggestion if usps "can't" help is to always try contacting your local customs.
Personally I've only had one problem with my local customs and it was because the
box was sooo tiny it pretty much fell in a crack, fortunately they looked/found it after
I called Chicago customs. NY customs is another story, but I guess they have a lot of
traffic so things definitely take longer.
My EMS packages rarely take more than 3 days from flight to landing to door-bell.
But my last doll that came from Spiritdoll (China) took over a week, but most of that
time was spent in China's sorting facility.......once it reached my airport it only took 3
days. I've been receiving EMS packages for at least 4 years and 3 days has been the
normal amount of time. One of the many reasons I love living here XD

 

I should update to say that my package did indeed arrive not long after I started freaking out... Nothing on the "radar" until boom! "Out for delivery."

Which is awesome. But one wonders then why we have the tracking system in the first place...

 

Well I have a doll shipped from Poland waiting in us customs. He's been there a week now and the only
Update I got was inbound into customs new York. He was the first doll to ship when I paid them all off. He sat in polish customs for a week and now in us customs. It's rather annoying considering he's the most anticipated out of the three. hopefully he gets released on monday he's shipped EMS too. Normally it takes 2 or 3 days so two weeks has me a tad worried

 

I just got an update on my kalix he is now outboud out of customs which is nice to know hopefully he'll vet here this week

 

What should I do about this? People from USPS, are being soooo helpful *not*
It came from Sweden to the Us on the 25th, then went right to Customs on the 28th.
I would really love some help about this.

 

There have been a couple instances in the past year that you may or may not have heard of such as bombs being mailed from Yemen and other countries through European countries. Because of this there are quite a few delays. There is a thread about package delays from the EU around here somewhere. There is really nothing you can do unfortunetly, lately packages can get stuck in customs up to a month. My grandmother(in DE) sent my sister a birthday present that took about 2 weeks to get here it was stuck in customs for 1.5weeks.