Shipping issues alert - all post items affected

[CSM101]

Heard a story that customs from the Berlin/Brandenburg area gone crazy. But only there. At the moment.

 

Uwe G.

[Teimei]

Florian did you have any help ideas for him or did you get it back after some time?

After 2 visits in person and a few angry phonecalls i could pick it up (after i paid the taxes of course). Took them 4 days. They told me it was checked by an "expert" of the ministry of culture, but the package was sealed and untouched . It probably never left the building. Long story short... stay calm and friendly and only talk directly with the chief of customs.

[Rivkin]

Well, I am not sure about this one, but it might be that some really bad things are coming to the US side and the free days are basically over. Or it might be just an aberration (hope so), so independent confirmation is very much needed. Or most likely we will just have to learn how to coexist with a problem.

 

To give certain background, I am selling off quite a few items, nothing really major coming from a dumpster diver like me. But I had a few people I know in Europe interested in the items.

Everything shipped before Dec. 1st arrived with no issues. 

Shipped after Dec. 1st - 50% rejection rate by airlines.

 

Maybe there is something as random as a new x-ray employee. But quite possibly new guidelines.

The statement I received is that x-ray requirements are now absolute in the sense that if there is any doubt - reject the package. No possibility to appeal as the law shields airline from damages for any rejections.

The items in package have to be CLEARLY visible to x-ray (not on top of each other), IDENTIFIABLE (??) and adhere to whatever airline internal requirements are. 

Result - armor rejected because the package's content was "shielded" and x-ray operator could not discern whether there was something undeneath the steel.

A package with a book and tsuka rejected for the same reason - the book "shielded" the tsuka.

Package with kozukas - rejected because x-ray operator could not figure out what these pieces were. Yes, non-identifiable contect is an option to be checked on rejection slip.

 

So now I have a neat collection of rejection slips from different airlines. They are different, which I guess makes things even more complicated as some are ok with carrying x, but others are not.

 

Kirill R.

[Ken-Hawaii]

That's crazy! No way could a book shield X-rays, & I doubt that a tsuka could, either. Kirill, can you please list those airlines? I have a number of items en route, & would like to check with the local head of customs. He's an old friend, thank goodness, and I'm sure he'll be straight with his answers.

[Alex A]

Was hoping to kick off the "shipping success" thread, but

 

Bought a sword in the US and looking at the tracking it didn't get much further

 

And as Elvis once said, returned to sender.

[Alex A]

Having a go with EMS, see how that goes.

 

Was just wondering what all the fakes, reproductions, etc get labelled as when they are sent?

 

Imagine the headache for customs if using antique/tariff 9706

[Ken-Hawaii]

Why the shipping problems in the UK? I've bought & sold there for years, with no glitches? What has changed?

[Alex A]

Hi Ken, not UK, I bought it from your end, US.

 

According to tracking my end, never left the country, from 3rd to 19th of this month.

 

Not sure exactly Ken, possibly something to do with what was said in 1st post, but hoping not.

[Bruce Pennington]

Any updates on shipping swords to the UK?

[16k]

Hi guys,

 

just this mail for sellers sending to France and French buyers. Here’s an update on my recent shipping history and my advices.

 

First, it still works!

 

...but...

 

... I would avoid EMS/Express shipping/Chronopost. There are great chances that your item will be held in customs even with all the papers present. If your lucky, it will eventually be released. If you stumble upon a certain lady (3 times out of 5 for me), well she’s a pain in the ass and will only release your item through a third party (transitaire). I had to find connections above her pay grade to release the items. So avoid at all cost now.

 

Fedex/DHL: no issues there. They do everything for you if the right papers (more later) are included. However, be prepared to pay in excess of $200 plus custom fees. But it’s a sure and fast way.

 

Regular shipping: best choice imho. They are less fast (roughly 15 days at the moment) but if the right papers are included, ça passe comme une lettre à la poste as we say in French.

 

Sooo, what do you need?

 

1/ PayPal or any other invoice

2/ a Proforma invoice (see attached document)

3/ a Certificate of Authenticity written by the seller in which the item description, age, tariff code and value is indicated. Must be dated and signed. I personally write it both in English and French and send it to the seller to print and sign

4/ not compulsory, but the more, the better. If you have a internet link to the original offer, add it on the COA as well as pictures of the item.

5/ all this is to be included in an envelope labeled “customs” taped securely to the box.

6/ of course the seller must also complete the appropriate custom papers with his post office.

 

Now, if your item gets blocked for whatever reason, send an (polite! ) email with a digital copy of all these documents to the following address. Entitle the email with your tracking number.

 

import.cei@laposte.fr

 

Hope this little post will help you guys!

 

JP

modele-de-facture-pro-forma.pdf

[Bruce Pennington]

Well, I just got this from Ebay International Shipping:

"Our shipping partners have notified us that the package cannot be delivered due to either the temporary suspension of service or custom prohibited regulations in the destination country. Please note that the item is being returned to you and, if it is not listed below, we will add tracking for the return shipment to the eBay transaction once it is available. We are sorry this has happened, and we want to make sure you are taken care of. You will be refunded the cost of the eBay international shipping label on your next invoice and will not be charged for the return shipping."

 

I bought the shipping lable from ebay, to be shipped through USPS. But it turns out that ebay has their own international contract with someone in Redondo beach, who has obviously refused this sword. I sold it to a guy in Montreal, through ebay. Now they're sending it back to me! Last time I will use their shipping labels for international. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[16k]

I think eBay uses Pitney Bowes for international shipping, at least towards Europe they do. But in the end, it doesn’t really make a difference because I think PB only coordinates the transport through the local services (in this case USPS and whatever the Canadian post is called). They also collect taxes and make sure the parcel goes through customs. So if they couldn’t deliver this one, the issue is more likely some sort of issue with the customs, i.e. too many parcel at the moment stored because of Covid. I think we’d better wait a few weeks before shipping international again. The French post is just starting to work okay again, Japan is still a clusterxxxx, USPS doesn’t move parcels for days... etc.

[Brian]

Sorry Bruce, but if you used eBay's International Shipping Program, you deserve it.
I have warned about that before. They overcharge a huge amount, and PB is pathetic with their rules. Anything they don't like, they just return. And they don't like anything. A sword..no ways.
I refuse to bid on any item that uses that program. Ship yourself, and save your buyers the hassle. It won't be customs. It will be PB interpreting laws as they see fit and declining anything they don't like.
If you didn't use that program, then hope this is a warning to others not to use it.

[16k]

That is true, as a buyer, I hate PB. When you buy small items via eBay, the Global Shipping Program almost doubles the price of the item by adding shipping AND taxes. Using the local post for smaller items usually keeps prices lower as there are so many parcels in customs Thant the liabilities of yours being inspected or taxed is quite low. Since PB does the declaration, you always pay the taxes.

 

Now, for a sword, I don’t think there’s any way to skip them but at least, things seem to work fine with USPS. As I said in one of my posts above, the key is documentation. Services that do the work for you are supposed to be facilitators, but that isn’t always true.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks guys. This time, they've used "MAPCARGO", 2501 Redondo Beach, CA.

 

I got the same response from the buyer. He's a collector and says he's had a dozen swords shipped to him, some from the USA, in the past year with not trouble.

 

Maybe it's just the COVID backlog and whatever carrier they tried to use is just maxed out.

 

I've given him the choice to wait for it to return to me, and I'll pay to ship it myself, or he can have a refund.

[16k]

Just an update on shipping internationally from the US. At the moment, I have 3 parcels coming from the USA that are have been stuck in a warehouse one for more than 15 days. No updates, no movement, nothing!

 

One is in Chicago,

One is in NY,

One is in Florida,

 

My point is, if anyone here has stuff to send, don’t do it now. It’s a mess at the moment.

[Bruce Pennington]

That’s a good point JP.

 

Just got this back from eBay’s MAPCARGO:

“Hi Bruce,

DHL can not deliver blades over 5 inch , so this sword is classified as dangerous good

 

If you would like to ship other blades over 5 inch again, please choose different service not eISD

 

Best regards

Niko Nikolov

eISD”

[Brian]

As expected. They are talking nonsense of course. But anyone who is asked "will you ship a long sword" will always say no. It is easier to err on the side of caution.
Get it back, and ship it yourself, and never use them again.

[Alex A]

Any updates on shipping swords to the UK?

 

Only just noticed this. All i can say Bruce is they get here eventually.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Last tracking update from USPS was 2nd of May in Saint Paul Minnesota, must be taking the great lakes route to OZ......

[16k]

Yeah, I have three if not more parcels on the way from the USA. Probably taking a row boat to get there...

[Grey Doffin]

In checking on a package going to a customer in Europe I have learned that at least one northern European country has told USPS to delay shipments to them at the moment.  Since the US leads the world in covid infections (by a long shot) this isn't necessarily unexpected.  Grey

[vajo]

Post job Australia to Germany - mission accomplished. It needs from March until today. But most of the time it layes around on Frankfurt Airport. 

In the end all is fine.

 

John put a decleration outside the package (age, worth and signature) and the customs could make the import correctley. I think we should put this in a how-to to avoid any complications with customs. The DHL sent it directly to my house and i paid the tax.

 

That was perfect.

[PNSSHOGUN]

A sword from the US took well over a month via USPS, most of that time was stuck in Minnesota, once it started moving it was here within a week or so. Another update from Buyee, DHL will not ship swords, despite my item being a Koshirae. I was given two reasons:

 

1: it was too long

2: Prohibited item "sword"

 

I will have to wait until EMS resumes shipping.

[Bruce Pennington]

Yup, that's what happened to me.

 

So Emirates and DHL, neither will ship swords.

[Oshy]

Note from AOI says EMS is down too so only sea mail is an option for the US for a while which can take months...

[Ken-Hawaii]

Don't do Sea Mail! Lost one blade, & another was damaged (bent!). Never was able to collect on the second one.

[Bugyotsuji]

Of three small packages sent from the UK to Japan in mid-April, only one has arrived so far, and that was in late May. Movement to France and Germany seems to work, though, one small EMS package taking only a week to France.