You check the status of your parcel every day, and oh no. You see the “Your parcel is delayed at customs” notification. Why did it happen? What should I do? How can I intervene, and should I? No panic!
In this post, our logistics experts explain a few commonly spread reasons why your parcel may be held by the custom officers.
A little spoiler: in most cases, you don’t need to intervene to release your package. As your international logistics services provider, we will handle almost all cases of parcels held at customs.
Missing or Poorly Completed Paperwork
Incorrectly completed or missing paperwork is one of the most common reasons your shipment may be delayed at customs. This can include undeclared values missing descriptions of the goods, or incorrectly entered recipient information. To avoid such issues, we recommend carefully entering your details when making purchases on marketplaces and online stores, and thoroughly checking the recipient’s information for C2C shipments.
Outstanding Fees and Duties
When trading within the EU, there are no customs duties thanks to the free movement of goods among member states. However, when importing into or exporting from the EU, customs duties may apply based on trade agreements between the countries.
In Ukraine, individual recipients benefit from a €150 duty-free allowance on parcels. For shipments valued above this threshold, customs duties and VAT are calculated only on the excess amount: a 10% customs duty plus a 20% VAT. For instance, on a €170 parcel, customs duty is €2 and VAT is €4.40, totaling €6.40.
Most online retailers, marketplaces, and sellers already include VAT in their prices, so no additional fees are usually required at checkout. If customs duties or VAT are due upon import, you’ll be notified via your personal account or the contact information you provided, and delivery will proceed only once payment is completed.
Additional Checks by Customs
Sometimes, customs officers may stop a truck and randomly inspect several parcels to check whether the actual contents match the description and if the declared value reflects the real one. This process can cause delays at customs. In case of customs checks no action is required from the recipient, provided everything is in order with their parcel.
Recipient Data Issues
This happens rarely, but it is still possible. Shipment customs officers may discover that the recipient of the parcel is subject to sanctions, or that your information matches that of a sanctioned individual. In such cases, you will receive a notification requesting you to verify your identity.
Dangerous or Prohibited Goods
Your parcel contains items prohibited for import into the destination country. In this case, the process is straightforward: the parcel will simply be returned to the sender.
As logistics services provider, at Meest, we partner with stores that specialize in selling everyday goods allowed for sale and import in most countries worldwide. However, if you’re receiving a parcel from a third party or sending one yourself, we recommend checking the list of prohibited items for the recipient’s country before shipping.
Every sender and recipient can track the status of their shipment through their personal account on our website or in the mobile app. If any action is needed, our team will notify you. Our mission is to make the delivery process as clear and transparent as possible.
Wrapping up, parcel delays at customs are fairly common and typically don’t require any action from the recipient. Customs inspections are a standard procedure to ensure that imported and exported goods are legal, properly declared, and that duties and taxes have been paid. It’s also a way to confirm that the recipient is not under international sanctions