Does Customs Hold your stuff?

Post by **lost_within** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:25 am

Inbound International Arrival, May 17, 2008, 7:10 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY (USPS)
Origin Post is Preparing Shipment

I recently ordered 2 things...1 from japan i had it in my hands in 3 days...i ordered it 1 day after the above order which came from the uk. This thing has been sitting in ny for a week now. with no update no nothing.

Has this ever happend to you? How long did customes hold your stuff?

Post by **racketboy** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:40 am

Half of my order are sent internationally.
Some things take up to three weeks.
Others may be only a week and a half.
It's really hit or miss.

3 days from Japan is incredible.

Have you checked to see if there is a duty fee due on the one?
I've had that happen to me a couple times

Post by **lost_within** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:08 am

japan shipping was 15$ but i had it in 3 days...was very surprised.

-Inbound International Arrival, May 17, 2008, 7:10 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY (USPS)

-Origin Post is Preparing Shipment

As far as anything i have to pay...those are the ONLY 2 updates on there...if i track it on royalmail.com it says it was shipped and arrived to american on blah blah blah

its just been sitting...and i have no idea why...or if i can contact anyone.

Post by **Bev** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:26 am

I'm in the UK and I remember a while back importing something from the US. I tracked it using the USPS website and once it got into England the status changed to "Attempted delivery - held at London hub", despite the fact there was no indication anyone had been to my house whatsoever. I had no contact details but through searching online found out that once the shipment arrives in this country Parcelforce take over and it's them that you have to contact. Usually when I import things there's no problem, it's sent directly to my house but this particular one was really clumsy.

I'm not sure how the process works the other way round but if I were you I would contact USPS with your tracking number and see if they can help you out with it.

Post by **lost_within** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:54 am

i actually spoke to a lady here at the usps she said its nothing i could really do...that customes do what they do then they send it. No telling how long it could take...but that sounds like bs to me.

Post by **racketboy** » Fri May 23, 2008 11:26 am

lost_within wrote:i actually spoke to a lady here at the usps she said its nothing i could really do...that customes do what they do then they send it. No telling how long it could take...but that sounds like bs to me.

No, that's actually the way it works.
Customs can take their sweet time if they feel like it

I'm serious.

just be glad you aren't in India. I hear sometimes they hold shipments for over a month.

Post by **ImportBoy** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:05 pm

Unfortunate but it does happen sometimes, hopefully you'll get it soon. I've never had any problems with customs before. Perhaps your seller marked it strangely or something on the form?

I've gotten some orders in from Japan in 3 days via EMS including some really big ones. Usually from Kansai to Newark, I think it helped in those cases the seller uses the post office in airport (or one very close to it in Osaka). Very fast from drop off there to on a plane.

Post by **lost_within** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:10 pm

yes yes YES EMS...awesome.

Royalmail...sucks lol. no offence to anyone lol.

All it is...is a dreamcast mod chip. I wonder if they think its a chip with the code to take down someone big or some shit lol. I JUST WANT MY CHIP...the bootdisk works but damnit...i want ONE that is region free

Post by **Ack** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:38 pm

What with some of the crackdowns on the mod chip community, perhaps they're wondering what to do with it? At least it's not what they used to do with absinthe.

Post by **pompeyparsons** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:46 pm

I both import and export quite a few packages internationally and this is just the way it works for whatever reason. Seems to me the packages are just picked at random.

Case in point. I buy quite a bit from a JP Megadrive dealer over in the Netherlands. Sometimes his packages will arrive without a hitch, others just like what happened with you customs will hold them. Guess they have to do what they have to do.

I wonder how much customs actually matters though especially with the amount of containers that come through our ports that are uninspected. Seems like they should let the man have his modchip.