Package sent to USA now stuck in US Customs since March 6th
Summary: peterkat2020 sent a package to the USA, which has been stuck in customs since March 5th, raising concerns about whether it was delayed due to missing an HS code on the label. Several participants shared similar experiences, highlighting the issues with customs and tracking delays. edubb101 suggested being proactive by communicating with buyers, while others like byto253 and msau4301 reassured peterkat2020 that such delays are common and often resolve without incident. femmefan1946 and hansatrade advised not to over-monitor tracking, as many such delays eventually sort themselves out. Eventually, peterkat2020 updated that the package was delivered on March 28th, despite earlier tracking issues. In a separate response, johnstonc1982 shared a challenging experience with a lost package involving high costs and eBay issues.
Hello,
I sent a package using Tracked Packet to the USA mailed on March 4th, USPS tracking shows it arrived in NY USPS facility on March 5th at 9:43 pm and then into customs but has been there ever since. I am tracking the package on USPS site but has not moved at all. The last delivery date on Ebay is March 15 to final destination which is in the state of New York. The package is only $8 CAD, celebrity clippings from magazines and newspapers. I am wondering if it is stuck in customs because I did not enter an HS Code on the label, my mistake and will enter it in the future. I will have to refund the buyer if it doesn't move and get delivered on time but I will wait for them to contact me first. Anyone else have a similar problem?
Thanks for any help.
johnstonc1982
·2 years agoI sent a very expensive Purse to the USA from Vancouver Canada and it disappeared last March 17 2023, I ususally go to the CPC and get my own label, but I went through eBays site instead. The buyer put in a claim I had to refund her the full $1000.00 plus I am out the fees that eBay charged me for the sale of $323.00 not to mention I originally paid $1400.00... I got no where with eBay they were not helpful, I had the package fully insured, but because it went into US Customs that doesn't count as being "lost" it is now 18 months later I have contacted Canada Post /USPS and USA Customs several times and I get no where... I refuse to sell anything on eBay again.. I took down all of my items that I listed for sale.
recped
·2 years agoWhy are you blaming eBay for something done by Canada Post / USPS?
If eBay did not refund your fees then you must have declined the refund and forced eBay to make the refund on your behalf.
It's not clear why you were unable to successfully file a lost package claim with Canada Post, without a Delivery scan it should have been a slam dunk.
dinomitesales
·2 years agoIt's not, unfortunately. If the tracking indicates that the package has entered customs and then disappears then Canada Post passes the blame onto customs and will refuse any missing package insurance claim. I've seen it happen to people (not me, thankfully) several times. They will only consider the package "lost" if the last scan is in the hands of a postal service and there has been no updates for a predetermined period of time.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoI've been selling by mail order since the late 70s.
In my experience, it takes about 21 to 30 days for delivery from anywhere in the USA to anywhere in Canada and vice versa.
This has not changed in 40 years.
We are confused because some online merchants have multiple warehouses across the continent and can ship faster from their plant two hours from your house than an eBay seller can ship from Texas to Nunavut.
I was returning from Victoria airport last week and counted 10 AZ trucks between me and the next stoplight. (There is an AZ plant in Sydney by the Sea)
lotzofuniquegoodies
·2 years agoNot sure if this will make you feel better or worse but just had a small letter parcel coming to me in the same province, 200 km away take 11 total days to arrive. With the state of affairs with the mail, always a good idea to try to remain patient. Mail gets hung up or not scanned for all kinds of reasons. Most likely what has happened to yours.
-Lotzofuniquegoodies...on the way...will be there....eventually!!!
peterkat2020
OP2 years agoI have an update the buyer finally received the package March 28. The tracking only shows delivery nothing else after March 5th.
Latest Update
Your item was delivered at the front door or porch at 2:16 pm on March 28, 2024 in WOODSIDE, NY 11377.
Delivered
Delivered, Front Door/Porch
WOODSIDE, NY 11377
March 28, 2024, 2:16 pm
Inbound Into Customs
Processed Through USPS Facility
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
March 5, 2024, 9:43 pm
Processed Through Facility
MONTREAL, CANADA
March 5, 2024, 2:59 am
Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
Acceptance
CANADA
March 4, 2024, 8:05 pm
fergua3
·2 years agoi've had weird stuff like this happen too.
The worst was during the pandemic when a $170US item sat at ICS Chicago for over 6 weeks without a tracking update. The buyer finally ran out of patience and demanded a refund, which i gave after he opened a case.
Literally the next day, the package started moving and was delivered 2 days later (the buyer lived in Chicago).
I never heard from the buyer again and he never reimbursed me.
marnotom!
·2 years agoIf I had a toonie for every shipment I received from the US that had only an initial "scan" event in the tracking, I'd be able to buy a decent A&W burger combo.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoHas the customer complained?
Don't poke the bear until they do.
hansatrade
·2 years agoHere is an advice from an experienced seller - NEVER EVER check tracking! There is ONE AND ONLY case you should do - you got an INR complaint from a buyer.
msau4301
·2 years agoSometimes the delivery scan was missed and it's possible it has been delivered. I've received feedback for items that weren't even yet shown as delivered. A few weeks back I had one where positive feedback was left and then about a week later it showed as delivered! If you haven't heard from buyer, just leave it be.
femmefan1946
·2 years agoIt's not due until the 15th.
If your customer is upset, remind them of that.
If your customer is not upset, stop watching tracking.
Is the 15th the first or last estimated date for delivery?
fergua3
·2 years agoLooking at your tracking history, i think it may have already cleared customs and be en route to the next distribution facility. The 'Processed Through USPS Facility' scan doesn't happen until after a package is released by Customs. The fact that the Inbound Into Customs scan occurs after that doesn't mean much...i often see scans out of sequence with how they occurred in real time. And the 'Inbound Out of Customs' scan could simply have been missed, which also happens a lot.
If it is still in Customs there could be a zillion reasons why, almost none of which are serious. NY is especially slow in Customs clearance at times.
I worry about slow tracking updates too but i've learned it virtually always works out ok.
peterkat2020
OP2 years agoEbay's ETA is March 7th to March 15 and final destination is Woodside, NY. I think it should have been delivered by now if it was not in customs. I have not heard anything from the customer so I will keep waiting hoping it will be released from customs and delivered or possibly it is already released but hasn't been scanned.
byto253
·2 years agoHave you checked the tracking number directly on the USPS site?
peterkat2020
OP2 years agoYes I have been checking tracking on USPS site it has not changed since March 5, all it says is in customs.
Customs Transit
Inbound Into Customs
Processed Through USPS Facility
ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
March 5, 2024, 9:43 pm
Processed Through Facility
MONTREAL, CANADA
March 5, 2024, 2:59 am
Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
Acceptance
CANADA
March 4, 2024, 8:05 pm
byto253
·2 years agoCould just be a lag in tracking. I shipped 2 items tracked packet in February before shutting down for a couple of months and the tracking is odd.
One I shipped on Feb. 2 to California, and it showed it made it to San Francisco from New York on Feb. 10. On the 19th it showed no progress and I sent a message that it is on track and hopefully would be there soon. He messaged back right away that he receieved it and thanks. Fast forward to yesterday and the tracking shows it was delivered March 14th and has ton of tracking steps in March - the buyer messaged me asking if I had shipped him something else. And I do not think he got his deliveried mixed up, just weird tracking.
The other was a shipment to Hilo, Hawaii sent on Feb. 14 and it showed it made it to San Francisco from New York on Feb. 20 and nothing other than "In Transit" since yesterday when it showed "Arrival at unit" on March 14. This would have gone to Hawaii by air, so that is a long hang time.
I would not assume that your item is in customs, tracking can just be weird and bizarre. It is out of your hands anyways, and it will get there.
peterkat2020
OP2 years agoI tracked it again this morning on USPS and it shows the same info from March 5th that item is in customs and it is being processed by US customs. At some point yesterday the USPS site was down and was unable to track it so I thought maybe their site is not updating. Today is the last Ebay delivery date, I have not heard from the buyer. I am hoping it was deliverd but was never scanned. I have sent this type of package many times before and never had an issue. It is low value only $8 CAD flat envlope 33cm x 26cm less than 250 grams used tracked packet so don't know why it was pulled aside. Maybe because I did not put the HS code or the description on label is an issue, I put "magazine article" in description since it is pages from a magazine, celebrity clippings.
brettjet38
·2 years agoHas the Buyer contacted you?
No.
Then why worry, tracking updates are unpredictable and most Buyers are honest.
No news is good news...
fergua3
·2 years agoit's quite possible that because it looked like a piece of lettermail it didn't get scanned. It's also possible that it's unusual dimensions (for a package) are making it difficult to scan so it's missed a bunch.
As everyone has said, don't contact the buyer, just let it be and see what happens. There is a decent chance it has been delivered. It's not unheard of for tracked packages to not get tracking updates.
peterkat2020
OP2 years agoJust an update,I received a message from the buyer she never received the package so it is still stuck in customs. I asked her to open an INR and will send her a full refund.
I sent another package last week to USA and it is moving through their system as normal so I guess it was a one off package getting stuck and possibly forgotten in customs.
byto253
·2 years agoFrom my experience, very much a one off.
brettjet38
·2 years agoMaybe the fact you asked her to open an INR and that you would refund her, will work in reverse if she ends up finally receiving the item she may gladly repay for the item.
msau4301
·2 years agoThere have been many times I've sent packages out Tracked Packet USA and they were held in customs for extended period (but always eventually made it through!) I find if you do the tracking from the actual USPS site it sometimes updates more (and/or faster) than if you are looking from the eBay here or Canada Post site.
I always also choose the option they have on their site to "receive updates" so at least I get an email when it moves at all (instead of being tempted to keep checking!)
edubb101
·2 years agoHello,
It could have been selected for customs inspection. If this happens than your parcel simply could be waiting in a bin to be inspected. I had something coming the other way into Canada and it was with Canadian customs for an extended period of time before being released.
Another possibility is that it could have missed the scan. I've had something arrive to my customer via tracked packet USA without any scans before.
You could also try calling USPS to see if they can possibly share any insight
This might be a good time to be pro active and contact the customer. A lot of customers are patient and don't open INRs right away if there is an active communication flow and there is tracking available.
Hope all works out