Late shipment from Canada to Netherlands - insurance claim?

[rdemaree]

I sold an item worth around $400 from Canada to the Netherlands a few weeks ago and it has been sitting in Netherlands customs since last week with no new info. The item was a handmade oil paint set for artists. (nontoxic, non hazardous). I had a proper label as well as proper invoice attached to the package and everything was properly declared.

The delivery standard was May 16th and it is now May 21st. It was xpresspost.

The customer has reached out for more info but I have none and just told them to wai until the weekend to see if it is delivered or if it moves to see what we will do. Currently there are no import fees due on the package according to Canada Post tracking and when I put the tracking number into a universal tracking system no duties show up or the Netherlands postal system nothing at all shows up.

I am curious what I should do at this point and what recourse do I have a seller to be reimbursed if I end up having to refund my buyer?

Do I bring the complaint/ reimbursement request to ebay? Canada Post ? Canada Post through Ebay? who?

and when?

My only assumptions are that maybe the postal service is running behind and not updating the tracking properly or that a postal worker is mishandling the packages, this or there are fees due and this (very sloppily and lazily) hasnt been indicated in the tracking on any website that it is searchable on.

All info is greatly appreciated.

[john_koenig99]

Sometimes parcels can sit in customs for more than a week (at least in my experience, both as buyer and seller). 

If it is actually in customs, the seller has no reason to file an INR claim (at least, this was mentioned in another thread). 

[recped]

@rdemaree 

Have you tried tracking on PostNL? You might see some additional info there

https://postnl.post/

[reallynicestamps]

If the buyer does file a Claim, enter the tracking number to show that it is in the Netherlands and has not yet been picked up.

Without being suspicious of your buyer, there is a well-known "customs scam" where the buyer files the Claim, gets a refund, then goes to the customs office and picks up the purchase paying only the import fees.

One of the Seller Protections of eIS/GSP or shipping to a forwarder, is that eBay accepts the acceptance at the plant address as being Delivered and the customs scam cannot work.

Do NOT believe eBay knows the tracking number.

Enter it yourself. Manually.

[dinomitesales]

If tracking clearly indicates that it's in customs, you won't get any help from Canada Post. You won't get any insurance payout and Xpresspost delivery guarantees don't apply if the delay is due to customs. 

Still, it doesn't hurt to open a ticket with Canada Post on the parcel anyway (if you haven't already). Might shake something loose, you never know.

As for eBay you just have to keep reassuring the buyer that it's on the way but just delayed in customs - they can reach out to their national customs office or postal service for more details if they wish. Try to keep them from opening an INR. In the event that they do open an INR then reach out to eBay customer support and see if they can extend the INR deadline. Worst case scenario you'll have to refund the buyer (and hopefully they're kind enough to repay you when it eventually arrives, or refuses it and it gets returned to you).

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@dinomitesales wrote:

If tracking clearly indicates that it's in customs, you won't get any help from Canada Post. You won't get any insurance payout and Xpresspost delivery guarantees don't apply if the delay is due to customs. 

Still, it doesn't hurt to open a ticket with Canada Post on the parcel anyway (if you haven't already). Might shake something loose, you never know.

As for eBay you just have to keep reassuring the buyer that it's on the way but just delayed in customs - they can reach out to their national customs office or postal service for more details if they wish. Try to keep them from opening an INR. In the event that they do open an INR then reach out to eBay customer support and see if they can extend the INR deadline. Worst case scenario you'll have to refund the buyer (and hopefully they're kind enough to repay you when it eventually arrives, or refuses it and it gets returned to you).

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If an email address was provided for the NL buyer, Customs will email the buyer if duties are owed. Stallion has my email attached to packages I send, so I often get these emails and have to forward them to the buyer so they can pay the duties. I presume if there's no email address the notice will come by mail. If there's a delay at customs, I would think it's because duties are owed. NL customs will collect duty on a $20 item.

C.

[dinomitesales]

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@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:

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If an email address was provided for the NL buyer, Customs will email the buyer if duties are owed. Stallion has my email attached to packages I send, so I often get these emails and have to forward them to the buyer so they can pay the duties. I presume if there's no email address the notice will come by mail. If there's a delay at customs, I would think it's because duties are owed. NL customs will collect duty on a $20 item.

C.

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This was an eBay sale, and eBay doesn't provide us with buyer emails, so it's safe to assume there was not any email attached to the shipment. 

[recped]

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@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:

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If there's a delay at customs, I would think it's because duties are owed. NL customs will collect duty on a $20 item.

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The OP's shipment was apparently valued at CA$400, import duties would apply as well as VAT (eBay generally does not collect EU VAT on shipments over 150 Euro).

Your $20 number is NOT correct, while VAT is payable from Dollar one, import duties do not apply unless the value exceeds 150 Euro.

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@recped wrote:

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@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:

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If there's a delay at customs, I would think it's because duties are owed. NL customs will collect duty on a $20 item.

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The OP's shipment was apparently valued at CA$400, import duties would apply as well as VAT (eBay generally does not collect EU VAT on shipments over 150 Euro).

Your $20 number is NOT correct, while VAT is payable from Dollar one, import duties do not apply unless the value exceeds 150 Euro.

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The buyer had to pay a fee, I didn't know what it was for. Just that he paid VAT when he purchased my item, and then had to pay again when it arrived in the Netherlands.

C.

[recped]

Sellers who know what they are doing would provide their own email address for any international shipment. I have done this since the day eBay started masking buyer email addresses. In addition, invoices should be included on the outside of these packages and should include value, CoO and IOSS (or equivalent) for any shipment where eBay has collected VAT.

[rdemaree]

Package is back on the move. Turns out there were duties to be paid. Thanks for all the contributions!