UK Customs

rare · 12 Jan 2013 at 23:45

Guys, do any of you have any experience with UK customs? I ordered a component from America via UPS which has been sitting in customs (according to UPS tracker) for over 10 days. How long does it generally take?

arknor · 12 Jan 2013 at 23:47

whose customs? ours? it probably takes until you recieve the customs letter explaining you owe charges

Jambo · 12 Jan 2013 at 23:47

rare said:
Guys, do any of you have any experience with UK customs? I ordered a component from America via UPS which has been sitting in customs (according to UPS tracker) for over 10 days. How long does it generally take?

Call them.

/thread

rare · 13 Jan 2013 at 00:45

Yeah ours. I figured you couldn't phone them. They must have thousands of parcels and all I have is the UPS shipment number.

redeye · 13 Jan 2013 at 02:13

rare said:
Yeah ours. I figured you couldn't phone them. They must have thousands of parcels and all I have is the UPS shipment number.

Normally it should go through very quickly (if electronically submitted data by shipper a few hrs tops, if not upto 24 hours), assuming all is in order.

Call UPS and they'll find out what the deal is and help you sort it, its what you paid them for

It could be waiting on several things from incomplete declaration to payment of vat or duty etc. http://www.ups.com/content/gb/en/contact/index.html

memyselfandi · 13 Jan 2013 at 09:12

They probably have a backlog of things after the Christmas period, I know I have had several things in the last few weeks that have taken a good 7-10 days to be processed through. As has been said talk to UPS and get them to find out what the hold up is.

Biohazard · 13 Jan 2013 at 09:28

Yes.

We like to sit on parcels for the lolz. Sometimes play football with them. Or open them up and laugh at the contents.

Then we parcel it up in 'Customs Examination' tape and charge you for it.

All the best.

Customs

x

Cosimo · 13 Jan 2013 at 09:31

Biohazard said:
Yes.

We like to sit on parcels for the lolz. Sometimes play football with them. Or open them up and laugh at the contents.

Then we parcel it up in 'Customs Examination' tape and charge you for it.

All the best.

Customs

x

Finally the truth.

svendenhowser · 13 Jan 2013 at 09:33

We just had a bad experience.. Just ordered some clothes from the US, got the customs card to pay the fees, paid the fees. Then get an email stating that there was some error on the form and to contact the post office to fix it (I think it was because I ordered the goods, but my partner paid the customs fees), called the post office the next day - items already shipped back to the US..

kayomani · 13 Jan 2013 at 09:57

2-10 days, if you get your parcel before you pay the fees depends on which company picks it up from customs.

Lopéz · 13 Jan 2013 at 10:05

Any decent courier should have a deferment account and also be an AEO, so if the item is being cleared under CFSP it should be in and out in a couple of days at the absolute maximum. I say "in", the parcel generally never sees an HMRC employee.

All this 10 days stuff is generally lazy or inefficient clearance staff at the courier's end, or a genuinely complex import. UK Customs clearance is not a slow process like it is in some countries (LOLRussia)

Transam · 13 Jan 2013 at 21:14

10 days in Customs for the last thing I ordered from the US - released on Friday for delivery tomorrow by Parcelforce.

memyselfandi · 13 Jan 2013 at 22:10

Lopéz said:
Any decent courier should have a deferment account and also be an AEO, so if the item is being cleared under CFSP it should be in and out in a couple of days at the absolute maximum. I say "in", the parcel generally never sees an HMRC employee.

All this 10 days stuff is generally lazy or inefficient clearance staff at the courier's end, or a genuinely complex import. UK Customs clearance is not a slow process like it is in some countries (LOLRussia)

Well the tracking on one of my recent ones showed ~10 days from hitting the UK to being released from Customs to go to the National Hub (this was Parcel Force).

waynesalmon · 18 Jan 2013 at 23:00

they are ******s

kitkat9933 · 19 Jan 2013 at 00:38

Its customs, what do you expect. They aren't known for there efficiency.

Reedy · 19 Jan 2013 at 02:50

From past experience, FedEx seem to deliver you the parcel, then send you an invoice a week or 2 later..

On Holiday · 19 Jan 2013 at 03:25

Parcels tend to take a month from Thailand, the majority of that wait being due to customs..

mysticsniper · 19 Jan 2013 at 03:42

Reedy said:
From past experience, FedEx seem to deliver you the parcel, then send you an invoice a week or 2 later..

Same here, happens every time I order some Limited edition Trainers from the US.

Destination · 19 Jan 2013 at 08:22

For ups to deliver you have to pay the, at he doorstep or pay them in advance online.

nutcase · 19 Jan 2013 at 12:56

Reedy said:
From past experience, FedEx seem to deliver you the parcel, then send you an invoice a week or 2 later..

Which is great as then you don't have to pay their fee - may even get out of the customs bit if you speak to the right person. Just have a good rant about how you've already charged the person for the part, you can't then go back demanding more money etc...