Australian Customs / My Parcel Stuck in Customs for 2 Weeks Now

olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 09:09
Last edited 19/06/2023 - 09:10

Seeing if anyone had a similar predicament to mine.

My parcel valued at $1100 AUD purchased via eBay is being held by the customs. The last tracking entry stated 4 Jun 2023 - Customs clearance delay

I have been in touch with the shipping company over the phone and via email where they asked me to provide the proof of purchase including the payment of the customs tax that I did. I contacted them number of times (I think that despite a local office - they are situated in US) and despite them promising looking into it, I don't seem to be getting close to the resolution of this issue.

My question being - Is it possible to contact Australian customs direct and see how this issue can be resolved? Or what else can be done? I don't want a refund from eBay - I would like to receive the package.

Many thanks in advance.

General Discussion

Related Stores

customs.gov.au
customs.gov.au

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 19/06/2023 - 09:12

    Who’s the shipper? Eg DHL?

    • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 09:13

      Asendia USA according to the tracking details

      • Cluster on 19/06/2023 - 11:46
        +3

        I had a package sent from the USA via Asendia. The service was very slow. Took almost four weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if their packages are last on the priority list to clear Customs.

  • jv on 19/06/2023 - 09:17
    -3

    Is it possible to contact Australian customs direct and see how this issue can be resolved?

    Just call Sam and tell 'em jv sent you….

  • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 09:33
    +1

    Thanks - I see in your link that - Goods valued over AUD1000

    If the goods you have imported have a declared or assessed value of over AUD1000, you will be sent a First Notice by Australia Post advising that you will need to lodge an Import Declaration with us for the goods.

    It has been two weeks already but I haven't received anything yet from them yet.

    • Idjit on 19/06/2023 - 09:55

      That's if coming in via Post/International Mail I believe. Speak to your shipper to see if they are lodging the Import Declaration on your behalf or if they are waiting for you to organise it - you might need to know who is handling the delivery/logistics in Australia for the final leg once here as you may need to liaise with them. If it's Australia Post have you tried contacting them about your First Notice?

      • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 10:08

        It is with Asendia USA and their local office is DAI Post that I have contacted. They asked me for the original purchase screenshot that I have sent and later followed up. They keep promising to chase it up/escalate but it doesn't seem happening. So I thought that maybe there is another avenue to contact Au customs direct.

        • Idjit on 19/06/2023 - 10:26
          +1

          Keep on them - ask about the payment of fees/taxes, maybe that's the step holding it up?

    • Protractor on 19/06/2023 - 09:57
      +3

      Customs is a bureaucracy. Ergo, not in a hurry.

    • Ocker on 19/06/2023 - 10:37
      +2

      If you purchased via eBay then it is most likely they will have already added 10% GST to the amount you paid.

      • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 10:38

        That is right. I think it was even greater than 10% for some reason. Copy of the purchase had been provided to the shipper when asked.

        • Ocker on 19/06/2023 - 10:54

          Do you know the port of entry into Australia for the goods - if not Sydney then this may be a factor in the delay.
          Sometimes, if the desired port of entry has a backlog of items awaiting clearance the item may be landed at a different capital city for clearance - typically Brisbane

          • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 11:02

            @Ocker: It is in Sydney according to where the delay in customs is.

        • c2pv1ru5 on 19/06/2023 - 10:57
          +1

          Import duty is in additional to GST. They are different. There is a import duty table somewhere online that allows you to calculate.

          • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 11:04

            @c2pv1ru5: I think it was all lumped up as one additional payment. And it stated that nothing else would be payable upon the arrival in Australia.

  • Hybroid on 19/06/2023 - 10:19
    +1

    I order quite a bit from the US and it's not uncommon to take several weeks with customs. Sometimes they release them within 2 days, sometimes takes 3 weeks.

    DAI Post you mentioned could be either passed to Aus Post or Aramex. If the latter, you're waiting another 1-2 weeks after customs release till they even pick it up for processing then delivery.

    • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 10:25

      Thanks for the reassurance. I am just concerned they will send it back to the sender if something like their attempts to contact me have fallen through cracks

      • Hybroid on 19/06/2023 - 10:28

        Have you tried inputting the DAI Post tracking number into AusPost? If so, you can add it to your AusPost account and have a direct contact route there.

        If AusPost doesn't recognise it then try Aramex or various other main couriers till you find one that works and contact that courier directly to see if they need any additional info from you.

        Hopefully the item in question isn't something customs will reject entry into Australia too.

        • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 10:36

          I have tried to no avail. It seems that it is with DAI post as they recognised the customs delay and said that they will try to resolve it. But it doesn't seem happening. I have read somewhere that the items can be send back to the sender after 30 days sitting in customs and that is concerning to me. It is just a watch that I bought from the US retailer so hardly a prohibited item.

          • Hybroid on 19/06/2023 - 10:38
            +1

            @olympicwiz: It may not have been released to local last-mile deliverers yet then.

            As long as you confirm DAI Post have your correct contact details, you'll be fine.

  • foxmulder on 19/06/2023 - 10:44
    +1

    DAI post have a contact form that you can fill so that they contact you. Try that.

  • Cluster on 19/06/2023 - 11:47
    +1

    I sent a package to Israel a couple of months ago. It sat there for three weeks awaiting Customs clearance after landing in Israel. Sometimes Customs offices can be glacially slow.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2023 - 13:40

      How dare you provide an anecdote of another country's customs service being snail paced?

      • elgrande on 19/06/2023 - 23:20
        +1

        I once cooked a cake. Oven was slow, took ages. Got hungry and ate something else. It can happen.

  • Drakesy on 19/06/2023 - 11:55

    It's customary of customs to infuriate the customer

    And then they charge you for the privilege!

  • apsilon on 19/06/2023 - 12:06
    +2

    You can contact customs direct but I'd bet your issue here is DAI. They are absolutely the worst carrier in existence. They saw what Aramex do and took it as a challenge to lower the bar.

    At a guess, ABF are waiting for DAI to contact you and do the customs clearance but DAI are simply incompetent. They probably have no idea what they need to do or that they need to do anything at all. I'd be surprised if they even knew the parcel exists.

    We've had similar issues with them before. Shipment of 4 boxes arrived in Aust, then nothing. A week later one of them gets delivered so we query what about the other 3 - no response. 3 more weeks go by with us chasing them up still with no answers until the sender contacts us to say they've received 2 of the boxes back (they were just dumped at their door, about $6k worth) so still one missing. 2 more weeks of chasing DAI before admit they have no idea where any of the boxes are and are surprised to hear we have 1 and 2 more were sent back to the sender. To top it all off they still want us to pay the customs clearance for all 4 to which we tell them what they can do with that suggestion.

  • PissLUR on 19/06/2023 - 12:59

    they have sent you a postal mail and its in transit.

  • omguleh on 19/06/2023 - 13:33

    Sounds like the seller/carrier didn't do the lodgment properly, in particular if there are tariff codes involved.
    I just ordered a piece of machinery at 1800USD, shipped via DHL and paperwork was all approved and GST and Duty invoice generated before it left their Singapore hub. Paid for it online and the parcel was at the door 1.5 days later.

    • foxmulder on 19/06/2023 - 13:51

      Same process with Fedex. Nice.

    • Cluster on 19/06/2023 - 15:19
      +1

      DHL/FedEx/UPS are a different level of service. When I've used them they were great. Asendia is one of the cheapest services available (cheaper than USPS). You get what you pay for.

      • olympicwiz on 20/06/2023 - 08:42

        I didn't pay for it - eBay Global shipping chosen provider. No other option was given.

        • Boomstick on 20/06/2023 - 10:36

          Then that’s the service you paid for. You did pay, you just didn’t have an option to select carriers.

          Either organise the refund, contact customs directly or through your local member or wait for it to be cleared with whatever time it takes.

          • olympicwiz on 20/06/2023 - 11:44

            @Boomstick: Do Australian customs offer better/faster clearing service if the item was sent with DHL/FedEx/UPS rather than with Asendia?

  • apple2016 on 19/06/2023 - 13:46

    purchased via eBay

    This is your problem. You buy from ebay , deal with ebay. why not get a refund from ebay and buy direct?

    • USER DC on 19/06/2023 - 15:41

      IDK may be he bought it from eBay in US (as in ebay.com - ship to a US address of freight forwarding company ?? to get his parcel here- perhaps combined in single package ??)

      • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 15:54

        Purchased from ebay.com.au

    • olympicwiz on 19/06/2023 - 15:54

      As I said above, I am not interested in the refund as I need this item as a gift. The item was available via eBay as the sellers method of selling their items internationally. I am ok with paying whatever import duties deem necessary if only I could get the bill to do so.

  • hasher22 on 19/06/2023 - 15:45

    Last year my item overseas was stuck in customs for 1 month then one day the tracking updated. That item was valued at around $500USD.

    its such a hit and miss with customs, sometimes they clear it within the day or few days, sometimes weeks….. its random. And if your package has been targeted for suspected drugs and they need to fully open your parcel and check it ontop of other parcels. I got a few parcels with the customs sticker stating customs had to open it due to security reasons.

  • 2esc on 20/06/2023 - 08:52

    At least you know where it is.

  • aboza on 20/06/2023 - 11:11

    My item (ebay purchase approx the same value $1500) was stuck in Customs from May 12 till June 16 - received it yesterday. I was told (by Aus Post) that there is a 2 to 4 week backlog at Customs

    • olympicwiz on 20/06/2023 - 11:13

      Thanks for the info - was it at Sydney and did it have " Customs clearance delay " on tracking?

  • dmbminaret on 20/06/2023 - 20:59
    +1

    This is getting all too common. I'm in my second episode now with Australia Post and stalled mail. Bottom line is they are the administrator of the goods from when it hits the tarmac until it hits your letterbox unless it's coming through a dedicated company eg DHL etc.

    They consistently blame customs and state there is nothing they can do. This is bullshit and they need to be reminded of their obligations as the caretaker of your mail. Customs don't just walk around taking whatever they want and disappearing into a basement…they request Australia Post to provide items and then if needed, request Australia Post to open the mail for them.

    The fact that they state that customs has your goods, relays that they have zero intention of providing any level of service besides dishonesty.

    The Commonwealth ombudsman is your best bet to get things proceeding. Here is some useful starting points:

    https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/screening-int…

    Australia Post receives international mail at one of four offices of exchange (referred to as gateway facilities) located in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.5 The border agencies inform Australia Post of their targeting priorities, and Australia Post is required to present requested mail for screening.

    Mail that is screened and assessed as compliant is cleared for delivery by Australia Post, and mail assessed as potentially containing prohibited imports or quarantine risk material undergoes further ‘examination’. The examination process involves the opening of mail by Australia Post so that its contents can be checked by the relevant border agency.

    https://www.abf.gov.au/buying-online/importing-by-post-or-ma…

    Australia Post is the carrier of international mail and has sole responsibility for delivery of your postal article. For enquiries regarding the delivery of your parcel, contact Australia Post on 13 13 18.

    We worry about theft from our front porch when we're not home, but here is the biggest bunch of thieves going around.

  • MERGY on 28/04/2024 - 22:53

    Hi there,

    I've recently ordered an item over $1000AUD and its been in customs for 3 weeks.
    What happened to your package?
    Did it arrive in the end?
    Did you ever have to complete an import declaration?

    If you could let me know that would be great!

    • foxmulder on 29/04/2024 - 23:27

      If shipment was either by DHL or Fedex they should have contacted you to provide proof of purchase and or payment receipt. Checkout your spam folder just in case you miss an email.

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