Today, many of us have used the services of foreign online stores at least once in our lives and ordered delivery of goods through various postal services. Any goods purchased in a foreign online store, as well as parcels from relatives living in another country, undergo quality customs control. As practice shows, not in all cases the cargo passes the customs check without problems. Very often customs officers detain him. Therefore, enough people are interested in the question of what to do if the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point.
general information
Any private or commercial cargo that is imported into the Russian Federation from any other country undergoes customs control. And everything would be fine, but very often it happens that the parcel is delayed at the border. In this case, many fall into despair, believing that the cargo is lost forever. Nevertheless, if the package does not contain any prohibited goods prescribed by law, then it is possible to receive your goods.
Reasons for delay in cargo by customs
So, let's imagine the situation that you ordered some goods in a foreign online store, but received a notification that the shipment was delayed at the customs clearance point. What does it mean? Everything is very simple: you cannot receive the parcel.
This may occur for the following reasons:
- if the goods are imported into the country without filing a declaration and paying customs duty, then it can be delayed if the cost of the parcel exceeds 1,500 euros;
- total package weight exceeds 50 kg;
- the parcel consists of a large number of goods of one group;
- any goods are prohibited for import into the Russian Federation.
These are the most common reasons why a shipment is delayed at a customs clearance point. What to do in this situation? This will be discussed later.
What to do if the package is delayed?
Most often, this problem is faced by ordinary citizens who, in order to save money or purchase exclusive goods, prefer to make purchases in foreign online stores. Delivery can be carried out by regular mail or by various companies providing such services. The largest international shipping company is EMS. All of them are very convenient, because they deliver the parcel to the post office specified by the client. When the goods arrive at their destination, the buyer is informed about this by SMS or registered mail. In addition, if the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, you will also be notified.
If the purchased goods are delivered by regular mail, the client does not receive any notification, and he will have to independently determine the fate of the parcel. This takes quite a lot of time, because first it will be necessary to go to the post office, after which you should check the status of your order with the seller, and then submit a request to the customs service.
Appeal to the customs service
After you are really sure that the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, you must contact the control service.
This will require the following documents:
- The invoice from the seller, confirming the fact of the purchase of goods.
- A document confirming the payment of the goods.
- Passport.
- If the package contains the same type of goods that were ordered not only for themselves, but also for relatives, then photocopies of their passports will be needed.
- Photos of each item in the package.
Also, the customs service will need to fill out a special form, which lists all the goods present in the package, as well as their purpose. If the reason for the delay in the cargo is the excess of the cost or weight limit, then you can pick up the cargo after paying the customs duty.
Shelf life of delayed goods
If the shipment is delayed at the point of customs clearance, the goods are stored. The maximum period is two weeks, of which the first 5 days are free, and the rest are paid by the package owner. If the delivery of cargo was carried out by airmail, then in this case the storage period is extended to 30 calendar days.
What goods are forbidden to be imported into the territory of the Russian Federation?
In order not to encounter problems when transporting goods, you need to know which groups of goods are prohibited from being transported across the border of our country.
These include:
- weapons and ammunition;
- narcotic substances;
- flammable and explosive substances;
- plants and animals;
- waste representing a potential threat to the environment, as well as human life and health;
- materials promoting terrorism and containing pornography;
- alcoholic drinks;
- devices for collecting information;
- cultural heritage values;
- human organs;
- any Nazi-related materials;
- jewelry and antiques;
- radioactive substances.
If there will be any of the goods in this category in the parcel, there can be no doubt that a message will come that the shipment has been delayed at the customs clearance point. How long will they be stored in this case? Any prohibited items must be disposed of, so they are not placed in storage. In addition, criminal liability may follow for an attempt to import many prohibited goods, therefore it is better to immediately abandon the attempt to carry them across the border.
How to avoid problems when shopping abroad?
If you plan to regularly order various goods from China, America, Europe or any other countries, then in order to avoid problems with their delivery, it is best to use the services of logistics companies. One of the largest in Russia is the SPSR, which operates not only throughout the country, but also far beyond its borders. Thus, if your shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, SPSR-Express will solve all the problems for you, provided that you have used the services of this courier service.
What services does SPSR provide?
The SPSR-Express company has become one of the national leaders in the field of cargo delivery in Russia and abroad. Most customers choose it because of the wide range of services that the carrier provides to its customers.
Among them are the following:
- fast delivery of parcels in Russia and abroad;
- postal transportation;
- courier services;
- parcel packaging;
- storage of goods;
- Notification of customers about delivery status;
- the ability to track the package online;
- delivery of goods to the address at a convenient time for the client;
- door-to-door cargo transportation.
The company works with both private and legal entities. If at the same time the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, SPSR will notify the client of the problem and will help in solving it.
"SPSR-Express": delivery in the shortest possible time
Most consumers note the speed of the SPSR-Express company and very fast delivery, regardless of the region of the country. The time that the package will be in transit may be different. It depends on the company or online store in which the goods were ordered, as well as on its remoteness from Russia. Within the country, the delivery time takes no more than two days, and if the parcel comes from abroad, you will have to wait about a week. Nevertheless, if we compare its speed with other companies, this courier service is indeed one of the fastest in Russia.
Convenient notification system
The company "SPSR-Express" is very popular among many shopaholics who prefer to make purchases on the network, also due to the high-quality service. Clients receive SMS notifications about the status of their orders, and if any problems arise at the border, your order will be given the status: “Shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point”, which you will be immediately notified.
Security
Every person who ordered an expensive item in a foreign online store wants to receive it intact, as well as in the shortest possible time. If the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, SPSR will resolve the issue very quickly, as the company takes its responsibilities very responsibly, as evidenced by consumer reviews. According to customers, all parcels arrive on time, and there are never any problems with their safety. Not only the product itself is intact, but also its packaging.
Cargo tracking
The ability to track the location of the parcel is a very convenient service, which should be provided by any self-respecting company that provides logistics services. SPSR-Express, being a national leader, provides its customers with this opportunity. Having access to the Internet, you can always look at the order number on the company's website, where your cargo is currently located. If the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, SPSR will update this information and you will be informed about it in time. Also, after the goods arrive at the post office indicated by the client, an SMS notification arrives informing you that you can receive the parcel. It is worth noting that due to some system failures, delays in timely updating of information may occur, however, such situations are extremely rare.
Cost of services
The cost of logistics services has always been of great importance to consumers when choosing a particular courier delivery service. Especially the issue price has become very relevant in recent years. This is due to the fact that due to the devaluation of the ruble, there has been a significant rise in price for all groups of goods when buying in national currency. Therefore, each person tries to save on everything that is possible. In particular, this applies to the cost of delivery of goods from seller to buyer.
Regarding the cost of services of the SPSR-Express company, although they cannot be called the cheapest, they are nevertheless one of the most attractive on the market. Today, for example, a lot of people order smartphones in foreign stores. When ordering through a logistics company, they will cost significantly less, taking into account delivery, compared with a conventional postal service. If the shipment is delayed at the point of customs clearance, and LeEco-smartphones, say, or products of another manufacturer have not passed verification, the logistics company will immediately notify the recipient.
Thus, taking into account relatively low prices, high-quality service, fast delivery and a convenient notification system about the status of the order, it makes sense to buy goods in foreign online stores and deliver them to Russia through the SPSR company. In this case, consumers receive a full guarantee of the safety of the package along the way, and also minimize the associated chores associated with the delivery and customs clearance.