Customs detained a parcel from Aliexpress: what to do? What to do if customs does not allow a parcel from Aliexpress to pass through: how to win a dispute? Thousands of parcels without tax identification number are stuck at Russian customs A parcel from China was detained by customs

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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

Today, many of us have at least once in our lives used the services of foreign online stores and ordered delivery of goods through various postal services. Any product purchased from a foreign online store, as well as parcels from relatives living in another country, undergoes high-quality customs control. As practice shows, not in all cases the cargo passes customs inspection without problems. Very often he is detained by customs officers. Therefore, quite a lot of people are interested in the question of what to do if a shipment is detained 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 it very often happens that the parcel is delayed at the border. In this case, many fall into despair, believing that the cargo is lost forever. However, if the parcel does not contain any prohibited goods required by law, then it is possible to receive your cargo.

Reasons for cargo delay by customs service

So, let's imagine the situation that you ordered a product from a foreign online store, but received a notification that the shipment was detained at the customs clearance point. What does it mean? It's very simple: you won't be able to receive the parcel.

This may happen for the following reasons:

  • if the cargo is imported into the country without filling out a declaration and paying customs duties, it may be detained if the value of the parcel exceeds 1,500 euros;
  • the total weight of the parcel exceeds 50 kg;
  • the parcel consists of a large number of goods of the same group;
  • any goods are prohibited for import into the Russian Federation.

These are the most common reasons why a shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point. What to do in this situation? This will be discussed further.

What to do if your parcel 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 various companies providing similar services. The largest international delivery company is EMS. All of them are very convenient because they deliver the parcel to the post office specified by the client. When the cargo arrives at its 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 about this.

If the purchased product is delivered by regular mail, then the client does not receive any notification, and he will have to independently find out the fate of the parcel. This requires quite a lot of time, since you will first need to go to the post office, then check the status of your order with the seller, and then submit a request to the customs service.

Contacting the customs service

Once you are really sure that the shipment is detained at the customs clearance point, you need to contact the control service.

For this you will need the following documents:

  1. An invoice from the seller confirming the fact of purchase of the goods.
  2. A document confirming payment for the goods.
  3. Passport.
  4. If the parcel contains goods of the same type that were ordered not only for yourself, but also for relatives, then photocopies of their passports will be needed.
  5. Photos of each product present in the parcel.

Also, the customs service will need to fill out a special form that lists all the goods present in the parcel, as well as their purpose. If the reason for the cargo delay is that the cost or weight limit is exceeded, then you can pick up the cargo after paying customs duties.

Storage periods for detained goods

If the shipment is detained at the customs clearance point, the cargo is placed in storage. The maximum period is two weeks, of which the first 5 days are free, and the rest are paid by the owner of the parcel. If the cargo was delivered by airmail, then in this case the storage period is extended to 30 calendar days.

What goods are prohibited from being imported into the Russian Federation?

In order to avoid problems when sending 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 that poses 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-themed materials;
  • jewelry and antiques;
  • radioactive substances.

If the parcel contains any of the goods of this category, there is no doubt that you will receive a message stating that the shipment was detained at the customs clearance point. How long will they be stored in this case? Any prohibited goods are subject to disposal, so they are not stored. In addition, attempting to import many prohibited goods may result in criminal liability, so it is better to immediately abandon the attempt to bring 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 to avoid problems with their delivery, it is best to use the services of logistics companies. One of the largest in Russia is 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 throughout Russia and abroad. Most clients choose it due to the wide range of services that the carrier provides to its clients.

Among them are the following:

  • fast delivery of parcels in Russia and abroad;
  • postal transportation;
  • courier services;
  • parcel packaging;
  • storage of goods;
  • notifying customers about delivery status;
  • the ability to track parcels online;
  • delivery of goods to the address at a time convenient for the client;
  • door-to-door cargo transportation.

The company works with both individuals and legal entities. If the shipment is delayed at the customs clearance point, SPSR will notify the client of the problem and help resolve it.

"SPSR-Express": delivery in the shortest possible time

Most consumers note the efficiency of the SPSR-Express company and very fast delivery, regardless of the region of the country. The time the package will be in transit may vary. It depends on the company or online store from which the goods were ordered, as well as on its distance from Russia. Within the country, delivery time takes no more than two days, and if the parcel comes from abroad, you will have to wait about a week. However, if you compare its speed with other companies, this courier service is truly one of the fastest in Russia.

Convenient notification system

The SPSR-Express company is very popular among many shopaholics who prefer to make purchases online, also thanks to its high-quality service. Customers receive SMS notifications about the status of their orders, and if any problems arise at the border, your order will be assigned the status: “Dispatch delayed at the customs clearance point,” about which you will be instantly notified.

Safety

Every person who has ordered an expensive item from a foreign online store wants to receive it safe and sound, 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, since the company takes its responsibilities very seriously, as evidenced by consumer reviews. According to customers, all parcels arrive exactly 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 a parcel is a very convenient service that should be provided by any self-respecting company providing logistics services. SPSR-Express, being a national leader, provides its clients with such an 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 a shipment is delayed at a customs clearance point, SPSR will update this information and you will be notified in time. Also, after the cargo arrives at the post office indicated by the client, an SMS notification is received informing that the parcel can be received. It is worth noting that due to some system failures, delays in timely updating of information may occur, but such situations occur extremely rarely.

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 price issue has become very relevant in recent years. This is due to the fact that due to the devaluation of the ruble, there was a significant increase in the price of all groups of goods when purchased in national currency. Therefore, every person tries to save on everything possible. In particular, this concerns the cost of delivering goods from the seller to the buyer.

As for the cost of the 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, many people order smartphones from foreign stores. When ordered through a logistics company, they will cost significantly less including delivery, compared to the regular postal service. If the shipment is detained at the customs clearance point, and LeEco smartphones, say, or products from another manufacturer have not passed the inspection, then the logistics company will immediately notify the recipient.

Thus, given the 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 parcel in transit, and also minimize the associated hassle associated with delivery and customs clearance.

How nice it is to receive a parcel! But international parcels are not easy. 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 the 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Many people have encountered the customs service in their lives. After all, all commercial goods and parcels from abroad enter our country through customs. But the cargo does not always pass without problems. It often happens that cargo is detained at customs by employees. What to do if the cargo is delayed, how to properly “win back” your parcel?

Before entering, all goods, parcels, and commercial cargo undergo preliminary control and inspection at the Federal Customs Service, or, more simply, at customs or at the border. But quite often people are faced with a situation where cargo is delayed at the initiative of service employees. If the cargo is delayed, this does not mean that it cannot be received. It is quite possible to pick it up if the cargo does not contain goods and products prohibited for import. The main thing is to be patient and find out the reason for the delay of the cargo.

What to do if cargo is detained?

Frequently, individuals who order goods for personal use from different countries, including China, experience cargo delays. Their transportation is carried out by various services and organizations. The most famous is EMS. It differs from regular mail in that when the parcel arrives at the post office at the sending address, the customer receives a notification letter or SMS on his mobile phone that the parcel has been delivered and the customer can pick it up.

If the parcel was sent through this delivery channel, then the situation becomes somewhat simpler. The customer will receive a letter about the delay. If the parcel was sent by regular mail, then the customer himself will have to find out where it went. This takes a lot of time, because initially you need to visit the post office, then contact the sender, submit an application to customs to clarify the delay of the cargo.

If the cargo was sent via systems such as Regular Air Mai or EMS or regular mail, then you can check whether it was delayed using the following. When visiting this site, you will need to enter the declaration and parcel number. If “transferred to customs” is displayed, then you should call the company to confirm the delay and go to the customs service.

Once it has become clear that the cargo is actually detained and is not on the way, it is worth visiting the customs service in your city.

When you go to the customs service, you must have the following documents with you:

  1. An invoice from a store confirming that the purchase was made at that store.
  2. An extract or form from the bank confirming payment for the ordered goods.
  3. Civil passport (original and copy).
  4. Copies of civil passports of relatives. They are required only if the cargo was delayed due to the presence of a similar product. The customs service will need to explain that these goods were purchased for friends, relatives, acquaintances, etc.
  5. Photo of the goods that are in the parcel.

After presenting all these documents, you will need to fill out an explanatory form, which describes in detail the name and purpose of all the goods that are in the parcel.

If the goods were detained due to exceeding the weight limit and total cost, then you will need to pay a duty on it. The amount of duty directly depends on the estimated value of the goods being transported and the country. The customer is required to pay 30 percent of the amount exceeding the limit if the goods arrived from China. But it is worth considering that the cost of one kilogram of goods cannot be less than 4 euros.

Customs detained the parcel from China.


If the goods, for example, arrived from the United States of America, then the amount of duty will range from 10 to 30 percent, depending on the goods that are in the parcel.

Customs duties are paid in banks with a TIN code (citizen identification code) and a passport. After payment, the person is given a receipt. By providing a receipt to the customs service, a person will be able to pick up his parcel.

However, before the parcel is returned, it is opened by customs officers for additional inspection. The customer must check the availability of all goods according to the declaration.

Storage periods for detained goods

According to current legislation, the goods may be missing from the customs service for no more than 14 days from the date of notification to the potential owner of the parcel. It is worth considering that the first five days are free. But you will have to pay for the subsequent days of storage. If the parcel was sent by airmail, the storage period increases to 30 days.