What to do if the cargo is detained by customs? The cargo was detained at customs, what can be done? The goods are detained at customs, how to avoid payment.

The international post office (hereinafter referred to as MP) or customs, where private mail is usually detained, is located at Moscow, Varshavskoe sh., 37. This is Nagatinskaya metro station. From the metro, go towards the international post office (follow the signs), then go left along the tram tracks and in about five minutes you will reach the post office building.

Q: How can I tell if my parcel has been detained by customs?
A: If your parcel is detained by customs, then most often you will learn about this from a telegram that will come from the MP addressed to your name. If there is still no telegram, and according to the tracking number of the shipment, the last thing that is read is *transferred to customs - date*, then your parcel is almost certainly detained. Perhaps they simply did not have time or did not want to write out a telegram. You need to go to them as soon as possible and find out what’s wrong, otherwise, after the storage period expires, the parcel will be sent back. The telegram may never arrive.

Q: What should I do if my parcel is delayed?
A: On Varshavskoye Highway, take with you your passport, documents for the parcel (if any) and its tracking number.

Q: Where can I get tracking for my parcel?
A: Most often, when making purchases in online stores, tracking is reported automatically; if this does not happen, tracking must be clarified from the seller by writing a request to him.

Q: If the parcel was sent without tracking, but the telegram did not arrive, how can I understand that the parcel was delayed?
A: Unfortunately, this is impossible to understand without tracking or a telegram.

Q: If the package is supposedly delayed, but I don’t know the tracking, will they release the package to me at customs?
A: The tracking number will be indicated in the incoming telegram; if there is no telegram, then it is impossible to understand that the shipment has been delayed. It makes no sense to go to customs without data about the parcel, they only have a database of tracking information, they simply will not talk to you without this information.

Q: Is there a difference in calculating the duty between EMS items and items sent by regular state mail?
A: For EMS shipments and for shipments by regular mail, the customs limit is 1000 euros at the ruble to foreign currency exchange rate on the date of crossing the customs border of the Russian Federation. If the parcel is sent by regular state mail (not EMS), then the duty is usually cash on delivery, and you will simply need to pay the required amount at the post office upon receipt of the parcel. For EMC shipments, the duty must always be paid by arriving in person at the MP.

The duty-free limit for courier services (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.) is 5,000 rubles.

Q: Is delivery included in the 1000 euro limit and how often can I import goods worth this amount?
A: If the seller indicates delivery in a separate column on the box, then it is not included in the limit. 1000 euros per person can be imported once a week. An important point is that customs looks at the date of SHIPPING, and not at the date of crossing the customs border, i.e. if one parcel worth 1000 euros was sent from the USA a month ago, another for 1000 euros from England two weeks ago, and they arrived at customs at the same time, then they are not subject to duty, because The difference between shipping dates is two weeks.

Q: How exactly is the duty calculated?
A: Duty is imposed on goods worth more than 1000 euros. Let’s say you import goods worth 1900 euros, the duty on the goods will be taken not from 1900, but from 900, because It is these 900 that go beyond the duty-free limit.

Q: What documents are needed to receive the parcel?
A: First, you need your passport, a copy of the passport (just in case - you will need it if you have to pay a fee) and the tracking number of the parcel. Optionally (in short, it won’t hurt) you need an invoice from the seller and a bank statement of how much was paid for the parcel. A printed PayPal page will also work if the payment was made through PayPal. You need to print the page while in your PayPal account by clicking on the *print* button in your browser so that there is a link to your page below. Such a document is considered authentic. Just a printout (print-screen) is not a document for customs.

Q: How can I understand why my parcel was delayed?
A: There are only four options
1. You have exceeded the customs limit
2. Customs has suspicions about whether you are importing 50 sweaters for personal use.
3. Customs have become suspicious about whether the price on the box is real
4. They delayed the parcel just like that, as a random check.

Let's consider each option separately.

1. A fairly simple situation, which you can most often assume in advance if you still have confirmation of payment, etc. You will need to drive up to Varshavka, pay the fee and pick up the parcel.
Probability of a positive outcome (you receive the package) - 100%

2. The situation is much more complicated than the first one, because Everything here depends on the human factor. On your ability to persuade, on the customs officer’s desire to meet you halfway and believe in your stories.
The probability of a positive outcome is 50/50.
Possible options:
- the customs officer takes your word for it, gives you the parcel and lets you go in peace
- the customs officer does not believe you, recognizes the parcel as a consignment and does not give you the parcel (a consignment can only be cleared through customs for a legal entity, but in this case it must be sent to a legal entity - so if he does not believe you, then it is obviously impassable option).

3. The situation is simpler than the second, but here you may have to fork out some money. If you do not have payment documents confirming the fact that you paid exactly $100 for the Stradivarius violin, as indicated on the packaging (documents: bank statement or PayPal page), then your chances of receiving the parcel duty-free again depend on your eloquence and the basic ability to win over a customs officer. If you did not succeed, then the duty will be calculated based on the customs classification of goods (each group of goods is subject to a certain duty), based on the customs tables used by the customs officer to evaluate a particular product. If in his table a Stradivali violin costs a hundred thousand bucks, then the likelihood of paying a duty based on this amount is very high.

4. The simplest option. You arrive, give tracking information and your passport, go to another window and receive the parcel.

In any case, you will have to spend at best an hour at customs.

Q: How to communicate with a customs officer to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome in problematic cases?
A: First, you need to clearly understand that it now depends on this person whether you receive your things or not. That it is not a service industry where you are a client who is always right. As is usual in our country, a person in authority (here it is a customs officer) can behave unpredictably, so you need to be prepared for any turn of events, accept them with dignity, without hysterics and scandals. Remember that customs officers are people too, most often (but unfortunately not always :)) they are men, with all that that implies. You have to understand that every day they see several dozen people like you who want to get something. 90% of people at customs, when problems arise, begin to behave inappropriately, swear, scream and get nervous. The customs officer already has a conditioned reflex to this - stop listening, delve into the person’s problem, and simply, in a fairly correct but harsh form, stop any conversations with him.

So, I described in a nutshell what not to do. Now how NECESSARY The minimum task is to win over the person with whom you are communicating. Everything is not difficult, first you really need to be aware of why you came there and what exactly the customs officer expects from you. I remember a case with a girl who was hysterical in front of the window that her parcel was definitely delayed because... According to tracking, it's been *imported* for two weeks now. At first, the customs officer politely explained to her that the parcel had not even been inspected yet, so she was not detained. The girl clearly didn’t understand the difference between import and customs inspection, so she continued to attack him with questions about what she should do, what she should do, and what the hell, she paid money for the parcel! In the end, as was to be expected, she was sent. However, there is no need to be overly knowledgeable. That is, there is no need to go to him with the words *my parcel was delayed, the duty is 250 rubles, I have already paid it at Sberbank, here is the check, give me the form, I will fill it out and go get everything at the fifth window*. It's annoying. We need to let the person work :)) Therefore, go to the window, smile (smile confusedly - you can practice in front of the mirror in advance :)), hand over your passport and say *here is the parcel tracking, it seems to have been delayed, I don’t even know what happened, could you You check*. At the same time batting his eyes and continuing to smile. Next, the customs officer tells you what the essence of the question is (see options above) and you begin to tell him the story of your relationship with the sender of the parcel based on the situation. If the customs officer, despite all your efforts, does not believe you, do not resist. No need to be hysterical, it will only get worse. Therefore, you further ask him with an upset look *what should I do in my situation then? I just have no experience at all in such matters..*. He answers you HOW, for example, to pay a duty of thirty thousand rubles)) If the amount of the duty is small and, in principle, high, then it is easier not to fight further, but to pay it, even if in your opinion it is calculated unreasonably (it can be calculated unreasonably only if if you cannot prove your words and the amount you paid with any documents). If the amount is too large (as it was for me at Gymboree - almost 9,000 rubles per box), then with an upset look say that this amount is too large for you (everything is said extremely politely and correctly) and what to do next. He tells you that then it is better to send it back and blah blah blah.

Customs officers always told me what, in THEIR opinion, was better to do so as not to pay a lot of money. In the Gymboree situation, the inspector advised me to arrange re-export, because 9000 is really a lot. To my question *would he, as an exception, be able to meet me halfway and give me a box?*, he smilingly replied that he personally would be happy to meet me halfway, but he has higher authorities who will not understand him :) And also They always took copies of my passport there (usually people go to another room and photocopy my passport for money if they didn’t bring a copy with them, but the customs officer always took my passport with a smile and photocopied it for themselves).

If the communication does not work out, he behaves aggressively or the customs officer is a woman))), then your task is not to win over the person at most, but not to irritate him or make him nervous, so you need to merge with the landscape as much as possible, answering only questions posed directly, with agreeing with everyone and expressing maximum readiness to meet halfway.

In general, there are a lot of communication techniques, I just gave an example; here, in fact, knowledge of human psychology and the ability to communicate with different people should be used. Naturally, no one is immune from the fact that nothing will work and you will get a spanking, but with the right approach, the probability of a spanking tends to zero. At MP everything is quite Soviet-style and there you can encounter rudeness at every step. Even the barmaids are rude)) But if you don’t react to this and don’t get worked up, then the hassle is much less.

Q: How does customs work?
A: They say constant nonsense on the phone, in fact they work from 9.00 to 18.00 on weekdays and until 16.45 on Fridays. Saturday-Sunday closed. Lunch from 13 to 14.

Q: If customs has released the parcel, but I cannot carry it home myself, what should I do?
A: If the parcel was originally sent by EMS, then you can simply write by hand on the form *please deliver* and the parcel will be delivered to the specified address. With regular mail, you will have to receive the box right there and carry it yourself.

Q: What will most likely not be available at customs?
A: Most likely, customs will turn around parcels with chemicals (paints, etc.), medicines or cosmetics that are not certified in the Russian Federation, especially if you decide to import them on an industrial scale.

Surely every person who has at least once used the service of delivering goods from abroad has heard about such an unpleasant but obligatory thing as customs. It is through the Federal Customs Service that our parcels may be delayed an additional 5-10 days on the way from the online store to the buyer. In fact, the customs service works only for the benefit of people; by doing so they catch dangerous goods, which very often try to enter the territory of our country. You know 100% that the product you ordered cannot in any way harm anyone and at the same time does not violate any law on the movement of goods in international mail, but it was detained, what to do and why are customs delaying parcels?

First, you should know about some reasons that customs often pay attention to and then delay. So:

1. Cost and weight of parcels

If the cost of goods that pass through customs in one month is over 1000 euros with a total weight of over 31 kilograms, then in this case it will be necessary to pay a customs duty in the amount of 30% of the value of the goods, but not less than four euros per 1 kg of its weight. (You can read in more detail Here.)

2.The parcel contains several similar products.

In such situations, the customs service assumes that a parcel of this kind is commercial, so in the end you will need to clearly explain why you need, for example, 10 smartphones.

3. The parcel contains goods that are prohibited or restricted by law for shipments using international mail.

Important!!! Information that every shopaholic who orders goods abroad should know:

The parcel was detained by customs, what should I do?

Here it is, an unpleasant moment - instead of the expected parcel, you receive a notification that the parcel intended for you has been detained at customs. But don't worry or panic. It is best to take a copy of the customs declaration that was received at the post office, as well as the notification itself, then find the correct address of the customs service in your city and go there immediately.

What to take with you?

You won’t be able to simply pick up the parcel from customs. Therefore, it is worth preparing the following documents in advance:

An invoice from an online store indicating that a purchase of goods was made.

Bank account statement.

A copy of your own passport, as well as copies of the passports of all relatives and special copies of documents that will confirm your relationship (this is in case the parcel contains several identical goods, because you ordered all these goods for them, right?)

Photo of the product, printed from the online store website.

Finally, you are at customs!

After presenting your passport, notification and a copy of the declaration, you will receive an application form for customs control, as well as an explanation form in which you will have to write everything in detail, for whom and what goods are in the parcel.

If the customs service suspects that one of the goods in the parcel is included in the list of restricted items for import, then the goods will have to be submitted for a special examination.

One should not forget about an important fact: if the value of the goods in the parcel is valued at more than €1000, then you will have to pay a duty, which will be equal to 30% of the exceeded threshold of €1000. And also if the parcel is considered commercial, you will have to pay a duty, the amount of which will be 30% of the total amount of the parcel.

After payment, you will need to go to the payments department with a TIN certificate, passport, and a payment receipt. Do not forget to make copies of the listed documents ahead of time.

After which you will be given a customs receipt order and a stamped notification that the parcel is allowed for release. At the post office you will need to open the parcel again and compare its contents with the declaration, after which you will return home with a relieved feeling.

All parcels are delivered from China. Accordingly, there are many features that everyone should know about. Some users may have problems with customs for various reasons and have to. Let's find out in what cases this is worth doing and how not to end up losing.

In what cases should you open a dispute on Aliexpress if there are problems with customs?

When should you open a dispute on Aliexpress?

According to postal rules, until the parcel is received, it is considered the property of the sender. Accordingly, all responsibility regarding paperwork, search in case of loss, and so on, rests with the seller.

Moreover, according to the rules, if the client never received the goods, then he has the right to demand a full refund. Also, if the ordered item is no longer needed, then after 30 days the post office will send the purchase to the sender, and the buyer can return it via . Previously, there were no problems if the goods did not pass control at customs, it didn’t even matter for what reason. It was enough to send a screenshot that the parcel was returned and Aliexpress transferred money.

Although more often certain difficulties began to arise for those whose parcel was sent back or who do not want to pay the duty. If you open a dispute due to problems with customs, then you will have to choose one of the possible reasons.

For example, if a purchase does not have an invoice, license, certificate, it is a counterfeit or the price of the product is greatly reduced, then the seller is responsible for this. But the buyer must ensure that the goods are permitted for import and, if necessary, pay state duty. Thus, if you do not want to pay duty or fill out documents at customs, then the money can be returned to you, but they will only deduct shipping costs.

If you decide, then you will have to collect evidence within seven days that the parcel could not pass control due to the fault of the seller.

Street notes that it is very difficult to collect the necessary documents during this time, because only the request is registered within three days, and the documents themselves can take up to 30 days to prepare. That is, it is extremely difficult to fit into the framework and it is not even the fault of the buyer.

However, it is not a fact that the seller had nothing to do with it. It happened that the seller did not fill out the customs declaration or accidentally indicated the cost of the goods significantly higher and the purchase went beyond the limits and had to pay a large state duty. In addition, it also happens that the seller sends a copy of the brand, for example, a smartphone, but customs does not let it through, since it is counterfeit. Or the cost may be greatly underestimated, which is obvious to customs officials.

Unfortunately, practice shows that buyers are less and less likely to win disputes when returning goods from customs to the seller. Basically, when a dispute escalates, people attach a screenshot that the goods are going to the seller and write that it is not their fault. But the mediators stand their ground and ask for a document with a seal.

The emails state that if the required evidence is not available, a refund will be given but the shipping cost will be deducted. Although it also happens that the seller receives the funds in full, even if the purchase was detained at customs or a state duty must be paid for it. In the end, people are left without a purchase and without money, which is quite sad.

How to open a dispute on Aliexpress due to “Problems with customs”?

Aliexpress dispute - “problems with customs”

First of all, take your time. Please wait for the item to return to China first. Then the seller Aliexpress he will see that the package is coming to him and it will be much easier for him to agree to return the money.

Also, don't rush. It is better to try to resolve the situation directly with the seller. If you are sure that the package is being returned because of you, then agree to a return without shipping costs.

If the seller is at fault, then send a request in advance for a document that the goods didn't miss it through your fault and only then start. This way you can meet the allotted seven-day period to obtain proof of the seller’s guilt.

How to win a dispute on Aliexpress if there are problems at customs?

How to win a dispute on Aliexpress?

On one of the forums, a visitor claims that he won a dispute on Aliexpress in the following way:

To begin with, he sent a letter to the mediators saying that he lived very far away and would have to wait a month for an official response. Moreover, according to the World Postal Convention, until the order is received, all responsibility rests with the sender, and customs and postal agents did not notify the return in any way.
Additionally, screenshots were attached:

Order from your personal account with a dedicated address
Information from the tracking service, which shows that the purchase was detained at customs
Also, a screenshot of Google maps was additionally attached, where the distance of the city of customs and the city of residence is marked

As a result, the aggravated dispute was won and no additional documents had to be provided. Remember, if you find yourself in a difficult situation and you do not have the opportunity to request the necessary documents, then try to repeat a similar scheme.

Video: Dispute on AliExpress - how to GUARANTEED TO WIN? Examples of disputes from experience

How nice it is to receive a parcel! But international parcels do not follow an easy path. On its way from China, it overcomes one very important stage, which will be discussed in this article. This is customs.

As you know, any parcel crossing the state border (be it export or import) undergoes mandatory inspection. X-rays, opening and inspection of the contents of the parcel are carried out in order to control the transportation of anything illegal.

Customs detained the parcel

What needs to be taken into account to prevent this from happening!

Customs inspection of international mail takes into account the nature of the product, its consumer properties, the quantity of goods in one shipment, and the frequency of shipment. In this case, special attention is paid to the list of goods that are prohibited for shipment, as well as a certain limit on cost and weight. Moreover, the cost limit does not include delivery costs.

According to the official website, the following are prohibited from shipment:

any types of weapons
narcotic substances
flammable substances
plants and animals
hazardous waste
audio and video materials of a pornographic, terrorist, Nazi nature
technical means for secretly obtaining information
human organs and tissues
alcohol
radioactive materials
cultural values
jewelry.

Goods for personal use that have restrictions for international shipment include:

encryption tools
radio-electronic and high-frequency equipment for civil purposes.

You can send goods only in quantities that are suitable for personal use. As soon as the parcel is recognized as commercial cargo, it will be described and required to pay customs duty, the amount of which depends on the value of the goods.

The parcel is subject to customs clearance if the amount of goods exceeded 1000 euros, the weight of the parcel exceeded 31 kg, and the contents were recognized as a commercial consignment. In this case customs will delay the parcel, the recipient will be notified by customs and will be required to pay the duty within 15 days.

If payment is not made on time, then penalties will be charged for each day the parcel remains at customs.

In order to avoid problems with customs regulations, do not allow delays of your parcel at customs, additional payments, or even a return shipment, you must follow the following tips:

Firstly, underestimate the cost of the parcel in the declaration, indicating that the goods being sent are a gift. All this can be easily agreed upon with the seller during the process of placing your order.
Secondly, if you need to order a product of one type in large quantities, it is better to split it into several parcels sent to different addresses. This way, you will avoid recognizing your parcel as a consignment.
Thirdly, pay attention to the contents of the invoice. The process will be speeded up by the correct wording, which will indicate the quantity of the product in the name indicating the number of sets. For example, not 50 pairs of socks, but 1 set consisting of 50 pairs.

Have you received a notification: “Customs detained the parcel”?

Take your passport and its photocopy with you:

home page and registration
invoice from the seller, printout of the order confirmation email
a bank statement about the transaction completed, a printout of the page with the ordered item and the postal item number.

You will have to deal with customs inspectors, pay state fees, and fill out the paperwork again. Therefore, just in case, study Customs Code of the Russian Federation.

Sooner or later, the average buyer of foreign online stores (individual) is faced with a situation where he has to communicate directly with the customs service. This does not happen quite often, but if it does happen, then such a situation needs to be resolved.

Questions from the customs service most often arise for the following reasons:

The customs value of the goods exceeds the duty-free limit and payment of duties and other fees (VAT, excise tax) is required. Or the inspector has doubts about the authenticity of the amount declared in the customs declaration or the declaration is not filled out completely (not filled out at all, etc.).
The contents of the parcel clearly exceed the needs of an individual and can be characterized as “cargo for commercial use”. For example, a large number of identical things (15 jackets, 10 pairs of shoes, 5 GPS navigators, 3 laptops), or an excessive amount that clearly exceeds the needs of one person (10 kg of tea, etc.).
The parcel contains goods prohibited for shipment.

So, you have been invited by the customs service on a matter related to a parcel received from abroad. This is usually done by telegram, but can be called either by telephone or by regular letter.

First of all, don’t be nervous when using phrases like “the parcel was detained by customs.” Yes, that’s true, but she didn’t arrest her, did she? You just need to stock up on a charge of positive energy and properly prepare for the upcoming visit by collecting the necessary documents.

You will need:

Parcel data: received telegram or letter (if any), tracking number via the Internet, etc.
Original internal civil passport and its photocopy (all pages with photos, registration). A driver's license or foreign passport will not replace it. Residents of Ukraine will need a tax payer identification code and a copy of it.
Prepare materials that can confirm the cost of the goods in the parcel (if you know what is there, of course). This could be: a printout of a page from an online store, a lot on eBay, etc. To be more confident that you are right, you can make printouts of products from different sites.
The cost can be confirmed by the fact of payment, so make a printout of transactions from Internet banking or order a statement of payment card transactions from the bank. Also make a printout of transactions in Paypal or any other payment system with which you paid for the goods.

Now here's what you need to remember:

In addition to documents, you must prepare to give clear answers to the questions asked. Therefore, you must have comprehensive information about the contents of the parcel and what is indicated in the customs declaration. For example, if you have several units of a particular product, you can explain that these are for gifts, but if there are dozens of such units, then you should not put on a “good face on a bad game” and try to cheat. It is better to say that the sender did this on his own initiative.
It is better not to say that you are not aware of what is in the parcel and who sent it. Then there will be very little leverage left in your hands to influence the situation.
As an argument to determine the value, the customs inspector cannot use the price of a particular product on the domestic market. This is usually prohibited by the instructions, but if he tries to do this, feel free to parry. Here the truth is on your side.
You can refuse to receive the parcel. But you need to do this right away, while the papers have not yet been filled out and you have not signed anything.
If the customs declaration indicates “gift”, then this does not carry any semantic meaning and does not affect anything in practical terms. If the duty-free limit is exceeded by such mail, all fees will be required to be paid. It can also be defined as “cargo for commercial use” (large number of units of a similar product, etc.).
If the cargo in the parcel is obviously prohibited for shipment (bladed weapons, firearms), etc., then you should not waste your time and ask to give it back - it is useless, it will be confiscated.
Be friendly and polite. Remember that everyone is human and everyone has their own job. You definitely shouldn’t be rude, demand, etc. There is no need to say that once upon a time (someone) a similar product or parcel was passed through without any problems. The human factor plays a major role in the further development of events. So behave accordingly.
Don't even think about offering a bribe. It will not solve problems, but it can easily create new, much more serious ones. Even if you have heard a lot that customs is completely corrupt. It is unlikely that someone will take something from people “from the outside,” especially within the walls of an institution, especially a small amount.