Anyone got a parcel stuck at a border recently?

Joined
10 May 2004
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Sunny Stafford
My German friend and I send gifts to each other a few times a year including Christmas. The services involved are Royal Mail and DHL as they use the same tracking system. She has received my parcel ok on 19th December in time for Christmas. However, the one she's sending to me has been stuck on the German border (export parcel centre) for the past 2 weeks. When she queried it with DHL, they said (in German obv): "right now, you are not able to send boxes to UK and Ireland".

I'm thinking that it's due to the new covid-20 strain and various countries shutting their borders to the UK.

Have anyone else got parcels stuck at a border atm? It's not high value (below the £30 customs threshold) but it's still annoying as it was meant to be for Christmas. Plus, she bakes stuff for Christmas which will obviously go off in a few weeks time.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
14,660
My German friend and I send gifts to each other a few times a year including Christmas. The services involved are Royal Mail and DHL as they use the same tracking system. She has received my parcel ok on 19th December in time for Christmas. However, the one she's sending to me has been stuck on the German border (export parcel centre) for the past 2 weeks. When she queried it with DHL, they said (in German obv): "right now, you are not able to send boxes to UK and Ireland".

I'm thinking that it's due to the new covid-20 strain and various countries shutting their borders to the UK.

Have anyone else got parcels stuck at a border atm? It's not high value (below the £30 customs threshold) but it's still annoying as it was meant to be for Christmas. Plus, she bakes stuff for Christmas which will obviously go off in a few weeks time.

We had stuff arrive from Germany in early December and we posted some stuff out there on the 12th which arrived on the 23rd.

We weren’t actually allowed to post the home-made food we had made for the German family. Not sure if the restrictions are the same from DE to UK but Royal Mail wouldn’t accept home-made food.

I was in the post office a couple of days ago and they have a sign up saying they aren’t taking any parcels for Europe at the moment so it looks like we were lucky with the cutoff and maybe you’ve just missed out (or the fresh food is an issue).
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Oct 2006
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12,456
Location
Sufferlandria
I ordered stuff from a german site a few days before Christmas. It was turned back at the border and I got this explanation:
Thank you for your order XXXXXXX. We’re sure you’ve been waiting for your parcel with anticipation.

Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that due to the COVID-19 UK-France border closure your parcel cannot be delivered and will be returned to our logistics. As soon as your parcel is returned to us, you will receive an e-mail.

Once it is processed by our logistics, approximately 2-3 working days, we will issue a full refund of your order back to the same account as your original method of payment.

Again, we are very sorry for this inconvenience.
We do our very best to make sure each order is delivered, unfortunately some things remain out of our control. Particularly in light of COVID-19 and the busy holiday shopping season.
Thank you very much and kind regards
 
Soldato
OP
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Sunny Stafford
Thanks fellas :)

Looks like it is to do with the new covid strain. I have received food (homemade) every Christmas since 2006, and so the other reason is random checks and I just got unlucky this time. I never realised it is a rule. I have sent food to her too but not homemade. Things like Cadbury's Créme Eggs as they don't have them in Germany.

Thanks again. I'll just keep an eye on the tracking page.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Jun 2006
Posts
38,372
My German friend and I send gifts to each other a few times a year including Christmas. The services involved are Royal Mail and DHL as they use the same tracking system. She has received my parcel ok on 19th December in time for Christmas. However, the one she's sending to me has been stuck on the German border (export parcel centre) for the past 2 weeks. When she queried it with DHL, they said (in German obv): "right now, you are not able to send boxes to UK and Ireland".

I'm thinking that it's due to the new covid-20 strain and various countries shutting their borders to the UK.

Have anyone else got parcels stuck at a border atm? It's not high value (below the £30 customs threshold) but it's still annoying as it was meant to be for Christmas. Plus, she bakes stuff for Christmas which will obviously go off in a few weeks time.

I ordered a razer panthera Evo from their site and it was shipped from Japan by DHL to Germany and then from Germany to the UK.

It arrived in crazy stupid fast time. I think it took 1 day to go from Japan to Germany and then to the UK.

razer
DELIVERY STATUS
Tuesday
DECEMBER
29
Trying to find your package?

Delivered
29 DEC
18:26
Delivered - Signed for by Glasgow
29 DEC
13:12
With delivery courier Glasgow
29 DEC
08:38
Shipment on hold Glasgow
29 DEC
08:36
Arrived at Sort Facility GLASGOW-GBR Glasgow
29 DEC
08:35
Arrived at Delivery Facility in GLASGOW-GBR Glasgow
29 DEC
08:15
Departed Facility in EDINBURGH-GBR Edinburgh
29 DEC
08:12
Transferred through EDINBURGH-GBR Edinburgh
29 DEC
05:47
Departed Facility in EAST MIDLANDS-GBR East midlands
29 DEC
05:47
Transferred through EAST MIDLANDS-GBR East midlands
29 DEC
03:42
Departed Facility in LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
29 DEC
01:24
Processed at LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
29 DEC
00:25
Clearance processing complete at LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
29 DEC
00:06
Customs status updated Leipzig
28 DEC
23:34
Arrived at Sort Facility LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
28 DEC
18:34
Departed Facility in HONG KONG-HKG Hong kong
28 DEC
16:24
Processed at HONG KONG-HKG Hong kong
28 DEC
15:47
Arrived at Sort Facility HONG KONG-HKG Hong kong
28 DEC
13:43
Shipment picked up Hong kong


The package I ordered from China 3-4 weeks ago still hasn't arrived but that's been shipped using China mail. Which takes months at the best if times.
 
Associate
Joined
20 Nov 2008
Posts
1,040
Due to the border closures last week a lot of hauliers stopped their economy services to and from the UK due to backlogs. You could only send on express as that takes the air route.

We have just received notification from TNT that they have reinstated their economy routes from today so hopefully DHL will follow suite for you :)

Another thing to note, due to brexit the goods will require a commercial/pro-forma invoice for customs. If this has not been supplied to DHL they will not ship the goods.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2006
Posts
15,940
one of the wife's Xmas present is stuck from Germany - ordered 17th December - should have been here 22nd - but still no sign.

Tue, December 29, 2020, 4:10 p.m. The shipment was sorted in the Hermes logistics center.
Sat, December 19, 2020, 12:40 a.m. The shipment was sorted in the Hermes logistics center.
Fri, December 18, 2020, 4:35 p.m. The shipment was sorted in the Hermes logistics center.
Thursday, December 17, 2020, 3:58 p.m. The program was announced electronically to Hermes.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Mar 2007
Posts
13,442
Location
South Yorkshire
We had an item get stuck in the Netherlands for over a week, it went from Ireland to Netherlands then to the UK for delivery.

I ordered a cable from Corsair and that came next working day from Netherlands :confused:
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Jan 2016
Posts
8,757
Location
Oldham
I ordered an extra dect phone via Amazon on the 27th. I found out via an email its coming from a German company and they dispatched it on the 28th.

According to Amazon its supposed to arrive between the 5th and 8th of January.

I'll update this post if it arrives on time, or doesn't.
 
Soldato
Joined
24 Dec 2002
Posts
2,661
Location
Barton upon Humber
I ordered a part for a coffee machine from Australia on 10th December and latest update is its still waiting to leave Aus on the 23rd, dread to think how long it's going to take to arrive after new year if it gets stuck in customs in the UK too :(
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Jul 2006
Posts
2,737
I ordered a razer panthera Evo from their site and it was shipped from Japan by DHL to Germany and then from Germany to the UK.

It arrived in crazy stupid fast time. I think it took 1 day to go from Japan to Germany and then to the UK.

razer
DELIVERY STATUS
Tuesday
DECEMBER
29
Trying to find your package?

Delivered
29 DEC
18:26
Delivered - Signed for by Glasgow
29 DEC
13:12
With delivery courier Glasgow
29 DEC
08:38
Shipment on hold Glasgow
29 DEC
08:36
Arrived at Sort Facility GLASGOW-GBR Glasgow
29 DEC
08:35
Arrived at Delivery Facility in GLASGOW-GBR Glasgow
29 DEC
08:15
Departed Facility in EDINBURGH-GBR Edinburgh
29 DEC
08:12
Transferred through EDINBURGH-GBR Edinburgh
29 DEC
05:47
Departed Facility in EAST MIDLANDS-GBR East midlands
29 DEC
05:47
Transferred through EAST MIDLANDS-GBR East midlands
29 DEC
03:42
Departed Facility in LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
29 DEC
01:24
Processed at LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
29 DEC
00:25
Clearance processing complete at LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
29 DEC
00:06
Customs status updated Leipzig
28 DEC
23:34
Arrived at Sort Facility LEIPZIG-DEU Leipzig
28 DEC
18:34
Departed Facility in HONG KONG-HKG Hong kong
28 DEC
16:24
Processed at HONG KONG-HKG Hong kong
28 DEC
15:47
Arrived at Sort Facility HONG KONG-HKG Hong kong
28 DEC
13:43
Shipment picked up Hong kong


The package I ordered from China 3-4 weeks ago still hasn't arrived but that's been shipped using China mail. Which takes months at the best if times.

Do you think Hong Kong is in Japan Sonny?
 
Associate
Joined
25 Jan 2009
Posts
712
The Christmas cards I sent to France before christmas have still not arrived there, used to be a couple of days.
 
Associate
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Posts
680
Location
Stoke
Anyone noticed that from 1st Jan items from China will be subject to VAT and the £15 gift thing is being scrapped.( I can't remember where I read this)
I have items ordered back in December yet to be delivered I don't know what will happen to them.

Also had an item stuck in NL for about 3 weeks but did get here in the end.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 May 2011
Posts
5,995
Location
Aberdeen, Scotland
Anyone noticed that from 1st Jan items from China will be subject to VAT and the £15 gift thing is being scrapped.( I can't remember where I read this)
I have items ordered back in December yet to be delivered I don't know what will happen to them.

Also had an item stuck in NL for about 3 weeks but did get here in the end.

That was something the HMRC proposed mid last year but I can see no recent articles on it.
 
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