Newbie-- question on customs

B

bisousx

O.G.
Jan 3, 2008
12,692
12,300
#1
Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I did a search and I have never bought anything from out of the country before.

I bought a Chanel bag on ebay about 2 weeks ago. It shipped out from Germany on the 20th, and the seller contacted her post office-- they said it already arrived in NY and is probably in customs.

I spoke to USPS and they said after customs receives it, they can't track the package. I still have not gotten the package, so what should I do? Often times I hear about paying customs fees but the seller never mentioned that to me. She seems to be new on ebay so I am worried about my package.

(Also, seller says her post office doesn't track the package after it leaves the country)
 
#4
Do you have any customs declaration numbers or barcoded numbers?

Do you know if it was insured?

When I post things from Australia to the US it takes at most 10 business days (for regular airmail).
 
#5
bellacherie said:
Do you have any customs declaration numbers or barcoded numbers?

Do you know if it was insured?

When I post things from Australia to the US it takes at most 10 business days (for regular airmail).
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I was given a customs number from the seller. USPS confirmed that it was a customs number but they couldn't give me any more info on it.

yes it was insured, but I have no idea where it is now.

can anyone help? I just want to know what would happen if the package got lost...

the seller informed me that she is not responsible for anything once it's shipped out.. so then if the package is lost, what am I supposed to do? :shrugs:

(this is kind of hypothetical.. maybe I'm being paranoid because the bag is so expensive..)
 
#6
bisousx said:
I was given a customs number from the seller. USPS confirmed that it was a customs number but they couldn't give me any more info on it.

yes it was insured, but I have no idea where it is now.

can anyone help? I just want to know what would happen if the package got lost...

the seller informed me that she is not responsible for anything once it's shipped out.. so then if the package is lost, what am I supposed to do? :shrugs:

(this is kind of hypothetical.. maybe I'm being paranoid because the bag is so expensive..)
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Don't worry about the seller telling you she's not responsible for the package. According to PayP she is responsible to get your item to you. Period. If it is truly lost, you can file an item not received claim. The seller would then need to provide PayP with proof of delivery, and given that it's a Chanel bag, I'll assume the transaction totaled more than $250, which means she'd need to show signature confirmation. Obviously, if you haven't received the bag, she won't have signature confirmation proving delivery, which means she is responsible. She'll need to refund your money and then file a claim with the insurance carrier to recoup the value of the lost bag.

That being said, hopefully the bag is not lost. Don't be overly concerned about USPS not being able to tell you anything. Their tracking is quite awful. I would think that the bag is probably being processed by US Customs. Give it another day or so and then call the PO again and see if you can get an update. Good luck!
 
#7
choo_girl123 said:
Don't worry about the seller telling you she's not responsible for the package. According to PayP she is responsible to get your item to you. Period. If it is truly lost, you can file an item not received claim. The seller would then need to provide PayP with proof of delivery, and given that it's a Chanel bag, I'll assume the transaction totaled more than $250, which means she'd need to show signature confirmation. Obviously, if you haven't received the bag, she won't have signature confirmation proving delivery, which means she is responsible. She'll need to refund your money and then file a claim with the insurance carrier to recoup the value of the lost bag.

That being said, hopefully the bag is not lost. Don't be overly concerned about USPS not being able to tell you anything. Their tracking is quite awful. I would think that the bag is probably being processed by US Customs. Give it another day or so and then call the PO again and see if you can get an update. Good luck!
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Thank you!!
 
#8
One more question, don't I have to file a claim within 30 days of buying the item?

If the item really is going to take 4-5 weeks like another poster said, I guess I should open up a claim just in case...
 
#10
I think you have 45 days to file a PayP claim, but yes - file a claim for INR before the deadline. As Sinul Indulgences says, you can always cancel the claim when the bag arrives. Better safe than sorry!
 
#11
What service did the seller use? If DHL International Packet (costs 32Euros or 48Euros for the Express method) it should be fully trackable via

http://www.dhl.de/dhl?tab=1&skin=hi&check=yes&lang=de_EN&xmlFile=4037

Did she give you a 12 digit number? If yes, try it on that website under "Track&Trace". I am located in Germany, btw. If you want to you can pm me that number and I'll see what I can find out.

I ship quite frequently to the US and must say that shipments tend to be slower and slower (it doesn't even matter anymore whether you use the regular or the express version). Most packages I have send took about 3 weeks :tdown: and the biggest chunk of time mainly is sitting in customs. ugh.

Do you know how the seller declared the item? Value? Gift or merchandise? I usually declare as gift but put down full value and never had anybody getting taxed (even on items up to 1500$) I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!
 
#12
Kittie LaRoche said:
What service did the seller use? If DHL International Packet (costs 32Euros or 48Euros for the Express method) it should be fully trackable via

http://www.dhl.de/dhl?tab=1&skin=hi&check=yes&lang=de_EN&xmlFile=4037

Did she give you a 12 digit number? If yes, try it on that website under "Track&Trace". I am located in Germany, btw. If you want to you can pm me that number and I'll see what I can find out.

I ship quite frequently to the US and must say that shipments tend to be slower and slower (it doesn't even matter anymore whether you use the regular or the express version). Most packages I have send took about 3 weeks :tdown: and the biggest chunk of time mainly is sitting in customs. ugh.

Do you know how the seller declared the item? Value? Gift or merchandise? I usually declare as gift but put down full value and never had anybody getting taxed (even on items up to 1500$) I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!
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She used DHL--- I don't know what she declared the item as... she is a new seller. The last thing it says was that it left Germany, and that was on the 19th. I'll PM you the number anyways...

I have already opened a dispute just for my protection. I have a feeling the seller is going to be offended, but I'd rather be safe and besides, how am I supposed to feel safe when I can't even track the package once it gets to the US?


Anyways, thank you guys for the responses. I will just have to wait and see now that I've opened a dispute.
 
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