eBay

kathlblos · ‎09-13-2018

On July 9, I sent out an item to go to Germany. It still hasn't arrived. As you can see from the tracking information below, it is "Held in Customs" and has been for two months now. I don't know who to contact about this and if it is lost; I've never had a problem with international shipping before. Can anyone help?

July 14, 2018, 5:33 pm
Held in Customs
FRANKFURT/FLUGHAFEN, GERMANY
Your item is being held in Customs at 5:33 pm on July 14, 2018 in FRANKFURT/FLUGHAFEN, GERMANY.

July 14, 2018, 5:33 pm
Processed Through Facility
GERMANY

July 14, 2018, 8:08 am
Departed
FRANKFURT, GERMANY

July 14, 2018, 1:01 am
Departed
COLOGNE, GERMANY

July 13, 2018, 11:29 pm
Departed
COLOGNE, GERMANY

July 13, 2018, 10:25 pm
Departed
PARIS, FRANCE

July 13, 2018, 1:52 pm
Departed
PARIS, FRANCE

July 13, 2018, 7:52 am
Departed
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES

July 12, 2018, 1:51 am
Arrived
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

July 11, 2018, 3:24 pm
Processed Through Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 11, 2018, 12:28 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 11, 2018, 12:28 pm
Arrived at Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 10, 2018, 9:44 am
Departed USPS Facility
GUILFORD, CT 06437

July 10, 2018, 6:48 am
Arrived at Unit
GUILFORD, CT 06437

July 10, 2018, 6:39 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
GUILFORD, CT 06437

July 10, 2018, 5:48 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
SOUTHERN CT DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 10, 2018, 4:32 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
SOUTHERN CT DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 10, 2018, 3:24 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
SPRINGFIELD MA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 10, 2018, 12:27 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
SPRINGFIELD MA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

July 9, 2018, 12:18 pm
USPS in possession of item
GUILFORD, CT 06437

July 9, 2018, 11:37 am
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
GUILFORD, CT 06437

July 9, 2018
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS

lewisburggold · ‎09-13-2018

Most of the time when it hangs out that long in customs means the buyer did not want to pay the taxes for the item to enter the country. We waited three months for a item to get back. Then we gave the buyer a refund. Most cases we have had the buyer puts a request in for item not recieved. When that happen we had to call and get it right. Best regards

emerald40 · ‎09-13-2018

What is the item?

Could it be something not allowed to enter Germany/

southern*sweet*tea · ‎09-13-2018

Have you heard from the buyer? Don't contact them at this point. It's possible they have their item already - a pickup scan could have been missed. The time to contact them would have been in July.

If your buyer is concerned, you'll hear from them.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

kathlblos · ‎09-13-2018

The item was just a pack of Pokemon cards, nothing hazardous. Including shipping, the total was $44.

kathlblos · ‎09-13-2018

The buyer did message me recently because he had noticed it hadn't moved.

emerald40 · ‎09-13-2018

Has your buyer complained to you or put through a item not received claim.

I agree with the above poster, sounds like he might have already received it and the scan just never updated.

I woud just let it be if and until buyer contacts you that he does not have it.

kathlblos · ‎09-13-2018

The buyer did contact me saying it has not arrived.

emerald40 · ‎09-13-2018

What carrier did you use.

Did you ask your buyer to go to customs to claim the package.

baydistributionllc · ‎09-13-2018

The people who said taxes are probably right.

Buyer never want to pay the import taxes. Good thing you did USPS instead of FedEx. FedEx would deliver you package and the bill you three weeks later for the taxes.

These issues are why GSP was created and why it great.

For everything that happens conditions exist such that nothing else could have happened.

emerald40 · ‎09-13-2018

OP, you need to be careful.

Some buyers scam and claim they did not get it, knowing it is holed up in custom for taxes, and then when you refund, they run to customs and claim it.

That is why I suggested you tell her to go to customs and claim it. For $44, I just feel in this instance it is stuck in customs for some reason and buyer needs to go there, pay vat, and retrieve it.

tiramisu41 · ‎09-13-2018

@kathlblos - You could try contacting USPS and ask them to open an investigation, though usually all they will tell you is what the Tracking Info shows -- that the package is waiting at Customs in Germany.

You could also try emailing here: poststelle@hzaf-fhf.bfinv.de That's the Main Customs Office at the Frankfurt Airport. (FLUGHAFEN is German for airport).

Here's also phone/FAX info for imported items:

Clearance of Goods Courier
(Monday - Friday: 06 a.m. - 06 p.m. German time)

Tel.: +49 (0) 69 - 690 78372 (Import)
Fax: +49 (0) 69 - 690 25801 (Import)

When dealing with the above, make sure you provide all Tracking #'s associated with the package and let them know all other relevant details like it was mailed via USPS (First Class International?), dates, etc. You could probably also send them a copy of the scan info you posted up-thread.

All that aside, my guess is that your buyer was sent a notification from the Customs Office saying that the item has arrived but in order for it to be delivered he/she needs to pay "X" dollars in duty before it will be delivered. Sometimes people overlook such notifications or they get lost in the shuffle. You might also ask them to check with their local post office (Deutsche Post) and see if they have any record of a package being held for them pending payment of Customs duties.

Finally, you could try and see if you can get any tracking info from Deutsche Post. Here's a link to their wesbite: https://www.deutschepost.de/en/home.html Not sure that will work, but you can try putting in the alpha-numeric Tracking # that you were given my USPS. Sometimes it will work, sometimes not. But, worth a try!

Hope this helps. Good luck!

kathlblos · ‎09-13-2018

Thank you all for the help.

I have talked to my local post office and they also suggested it may be because the buyer hasn't paid the tax. I've sent a message to the buyer telling him to go to his post office.

kathlblos · ‎09-19-2018

Well, it's escalated.

The buyer has opened a case against me. I'm thinking I should just accept the loss and give a refund now. I've neither had a case opened against me ever before nor lost an item in shipping.

Given that the package is international, is there anything else I can do with the post office?