Incoming package from Europe stuck in Mississauga Customs for a week and counting...anyone else?

[fergua3]

Wondering if anyone else is experiencing long Customs delays at Mississauga, Ontario?   Very unusual....usually have packages go through Customs there in a few hours, a day tops.  Anyone hear anything about a slowdown?

Should have nothing to do with tariffs since the package is from Germany and coming into Canada directly from there.

[reallynicestamps]

What is the last estimated date for delivery?

Are any of the packages past that date?

You can open an Item Not Received claim if they actually are late.

I suspect that between confusion about the US tariffs on imports to the USA, a steep learning curve on Canadian retaliatory tariffs on US imports to Canada, and perhaps some "work to rule" actions from some workers, there may be delays rising.

The best advice about tracking is that it is a Seller Protection against unwarranted Not Received claims.

Tracking does nothing to protect the buyer. Tracked shipments do not move faster nor are they treated more gently.

Mark the last date for arrival on your calendar and don't watch tracking until then.

[fergua3]

It's  now 10 days and nothing has changed.  Package is still stuck in Customs.  I can find no evidence of any slowdowns at Mississauga Customs.  So how long do i wait before taking some kind of action and what action do i take?  There is no option for me to contact Canada Customs to find out what is going on with my package and Canada Post can't/won't do anything about it.  Package was to have been delivered 2 days ago.

Seller is in Germany so i don't see what he can do about it.  Seems unfair to open a dispute and get my money refunded but there is a few hundred dollars involved.

[marnotom!]

Did you get a really good deal on the item? You’ve probably heard this story before, but for the sake of context, in the early days of eBay, my wife bought an antique pocket watch from a US seller that assessed by the CBSA for market value rather than the declared value because whoever inspected the package didn’t believe the declared value (selling price) on the customs form. Your item may be delayed because of some sort of review of the declared value.

You might want to try looking up the tracking on the Parcelsapp site. Sometimes it will display scan events that you won’t find on the Canada Post or Deutsche Post sites.

[john_koenig99]

Didn't you have a similar issue, back in January?

Incoming package from US stuck for days at Mississ... - The eBay Canada Community

What happened with that package, in the end?

Other than the one order from India I mentioned on that thread, that took almost 2 months to finally arrive to my door (of course, factoring the strike in, and everthing) I had another one last year (from the Netherlands) that showed stuck in Customs for almost two weeks, until finally was realeased and delivered.

Why CP won't help you? Did you contact them?

[fergua3]

It says right on CP's website that they can't and won't intervene when a package is stuck in Customs.  They recommend contacting the seller.  Big help.  The problem in January was with Canada Post......the package had been released by Customs but then just sat untouched by CP.  I eventually got it but it took a long while.  That may have been post strike related however.

marnotom! : no the deal wasn't especially good, it was ok but certainly nothing that would raise eyebrows at Customs.  I've ordered from this seller several times in the past without issue at Customs or anywhere else.   I've checked parcelsapp on a regular basis and it shows the same as the CP tracking: presented to Customs on April 30 in the am and nothing since.

[reallynicestamps]

What is the last estimated date for delivery eBay gave you?

Has that date passed?

If it has you can open a Claim as Item Not Received.

[john_koenig99]

@fergua3 Any updates?

Now I have an order from Japan that may be in the same boat...No progress since it arrived in Canada a week ago. 

[fergua3]

No updates.  13 days and no movement.  Still in Customs since April 30.

Is you package at Mississauga Customs?

[john_koenig99]

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@fergua3 wrote:

No updates.  13 days and no movement.  Still in Customs since April 30.

Is you package at Mississauga Customs?

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It's actually in Vancouver. At least according to the JP Post tracking. 

[reallynicestamps]

At the risk of being repetitive:

What is the last estimated date for delivery?

Are any of the packages past that date?

You can open an Item Not Received claim if they actually are late.

...

The best advice about tracking is that it is a Seller Protection against unwarranted Not Received claims.

Tracking does nothing to protect the buyer. Tracked shipments do not move faster nor are they treated more gently.

Mark the last date for arrival on your calendar and don't watch tracking until then.

[john_koenig99]

Factually, you are correct.

However, I can see @fergua3 point of being worried after the parcel has been tracked to Customs in Mississauga, and then...Nada. Two weeks of crickets.

Yes, the money back program is on the buyer's favour, but the seller will be frustrated, for sure. With no item and no money to show for. 

[fergua3]

Right.  Being a seller myself i think it very premature to request my money back, especially without knowing what is causing the problem.  Even if the seller did not submit complete or correct paperwork and that is the cause of the delay, i should at least give him time to correct the situation.  And the delay may have nothing to do with the seller, who i have purchased from a few times before without issue.

Eventually i will request a refund if i don't get my merchandise, but until then i am frustrated by the long delay and my imability to do anything about it.  As a citizen of this country i feel rather powerless and i feel Canada Customs needs to be more transparent and reachable in situations like this, instead of being a big stone wall.

[marnotom!]

Don't forget that it's not necessarily game over for the seller if they refund, though.  If the item arrives after you receive your refund, it's just a matter of you arranging for a second payment.

[fergua3]

True.  But i don't want to damage my relationship with the seller either.  This could spook them and they will not sell to me anymore, especially if they have done nothing wrong.

I emailed the seller and told them of the problem and asked them to contact the shipping company to see if they can get more information.  This is what i was advised to do but the seller barely speaks english so i don't know how good the advise is.

I have also found a phone number for the CBSA but none of the options on the phone menu come even close to being about a package delayed in Customs.  They are about larger issues so i don't know how useful the number will be.  But it is over 2 weeks now, i can find no evidence of widespread delays at Customs in Mississauga, so it  appears to be a problem just with my package.  It is also possible it has simply been misplaced or even stolen.

[marnotom!]

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@fergua3 wrote:

I emailed the seller and told them of the problem and asked them to contact the shipping company to see if they can get more information. . . .

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Hmm.  I was assuming that this was a standard shipment sent through the postal system, but now that you're making a reference to "the shipping company," my mind is starting to go in other directions.  What shipping company did the seller use?  Have they used it in the past, and if so, who handled the item once it was in Canada?

[fergua3]

he used DHL which handed off to Canada Post.  CP handed it over to Cusoms, where it still sits 15 days later.  I doubt the seller contacting DHL will result in any action but i had to start doing somthing and i have few choices.

[marnotom!]

What DHL service was used? Specifically, I’m wondering if it’s a DDP (Delivered Duties [and taxes] Paid, which seems unlikely) or DDU (Delivered Duties [and taxes] Unpaid) service.

I’m thinking there might be some uncertainty about whether or not the item should be assessed and charged taxes and duty and it’s been sitting as a result.

[fergua3]

DHL Paket.   Same service used on previous orders.  Never a delay before.

[marnotom!]

First time for everything, though. Perhaps a CBSA greenhorn processed your item this time around.

Hate to be a broken record, but this is why I say that tracking is largely useless for buyers. If your shipment didn’t have tracking, you’d be in just about the same boat except you wouldn’t know that your parcel had made it as far as CBSA.

How were the taxes dealt with on your previous purchases from this seller, or were they valued below the tax-free threshold?