New Customs form for all international destinations

[rcsigs51]

I am only a occational seller on ebay. I went to my regular postal outlet today, January 07. (By the way I was there Friday and no problems.) Today I am told I must now fill out a customs form online, mobile or through text message.

So I go home and go online and yes there is the form. The big thing with this form is that a requirement for completeing the form is the buyers phone number.  Without it you can not complete the form. Now I have had to send messages to the US buyers to get their phone numbers.

So now I wait for a reply to complete the forms.

[mrdutch1001]

There is a work around buyer's phone numbers, you can use your own phone # or use 0000000000. I have been using Zeros from the very beginning of the requirement and have had No issues.

[ricarmic]

I always put in my own phone number, have also been doing this since day 1 for those without phone numbers with no problems.

I was under the understanding that the manual white small packet forms were going to remain acceptable until December 2020, my PM hasn't advised of any changes to that, but I haven't asked either. I was using them yesterday with no problems.

This might be happening because the postal outlets might be having a hard time acquiring them anymore (like happened with the greenies CN22s ). Fortunately I've got a large backstock of them (white ones) here just incase!!!

[kawartha-ephemera]

If you open up the sale order details the buyer's phone number is usually shown there along with their username and email address.

Should the customer phone number not be provided in the sales record an alternative is to just use your own phone number to fill out the customs form.

Clicking on that big long invoice number generated by ebay will open the order details.

[reallynicestamps]

I sent a shipment to the UK last week and the post office clerk attached one of the white sticky Small Packet labels.

For a long time after the little green labels were "no longer acceptable" they were still available at post offices and accepted with no problems.

If you are printing your labels on line, there is no reason to go into the PO at all, just drop your package into the red mailbox outside.

[ricarmic]

rcsigs it would be good to know what kind of outlet, is it a real PO or a shoppers style outlet? That might also help explain the "why"...

[kawartha-ephemera]

General comment.

I've wondered for some time if there were any circumstance that could possibly arise that would cause customs to pick up the phone and call someone. I'm doubtful unless it is to call law enforcement.

[mrdutch1001]

 I purchase all my labels through PayPal online shipping and drop off parcels at the Shopper's Drug Mart Postal Outlet. I also get the packages scanned right away.

[brettjet38]

0-000-000-0000

Works just fine...

[teenytrinkets]

I just used a white customs form yesterday, and knowing these changes were coming, I asked for another stack of them so i can complete the forms at home.

If they're still accepted until Dec 2020, we should be able to continue to use them if we have our own supply, but what if your counter person has been told they can no longer accept them? Can anyone find anything in writing stating how long the post office should be accepting them for?

[cumos55]

Buyers can be asked to provide a telephone number

(1) Start on the Overview page.

(2) Under Shortcuts... go to the Site Preferences page.

(3) Find Shipping Preferences .....  These preferences have been moved..... 

.........   click to the "moved" page for Shipping Preferences.

(4) Respond to...  Always ask Buyers for phone number....  Yes....

[rcsigs51]

It was at a Shoppers Drugmart in Brampton "Ontario

[hlmacdon]

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@kawartha-ephemera wrote:
General comment.

I've wondered for some time if there were any circumstance that could possibly arise that would cause customs to pick up the phone and call someone. I'm doubtful unless it is to call law enforcement.

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Correspondence with customs is via mail, although you can call them after receiving a notice. Phone numbers are relevant if the post office wants to contact the recipient, but I've had international packages returned as undeliverable that had phone numbers on them. As a general practice I include them but they are not necessary.