Packages Returning Without Explanation – Need Help! - CN 22 form?

[artealterada]

Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing an issue with packages being returned to me without explanation, and I'd appreciate some guidance. I'm based in Brazil and my customers are in the United States. The packages seem to be returning as soon as they arrive in the U.S., although some of them are delivered without any issues.

All the packages contain the same type of products (altered cards), and I fill out the shipping information in the same way each time. I've included an image to show how I package them. Am I doing something wrong with the shipping details? Has anyone else who sells to the U.S. faced this issue?

I’m using the CN 22 customs declaration form, but I’ve noticed that the version provided by the Brazilian postal service is a little different from what I've seen in other countries. Different countries seem to have slightly different forms, though the general principle appears to be the same. Is this normal, or could it be contributing to the problem?

I’m fairly new to eBay and currently on my third batch of sales. In the first batch of 10 auctions, I had one package returned, but in this third batch of 8 sales, 4 packages are being returned. The contents and shipping details are consistent across all shipments.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Image  from one of the labels I used here. Address and names blurred but correct 😉
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1camYWY67X10Q2ydyrl9t6dApRd5YS99e/view?usp=sharing

[fbusoni]

@artealterada 

Before I enrolled in the EIS program, I remember sending something to Europe once via USPS and had to fill out a customs form. 

There were very, very precise and strict rules for what sort of language and coding to use to describe the contents.

I was informed that my parcel would be returned if I did not label the customs form with the correct code.

I am unfamiliar with the situation in Brazil for shipping to the USA, but this is the first thing that pops into my mind.    

Is it possible that trading cards could fall into a few different categories?  Maybe 4901.00 is correct, depending on who is inspecting the package.    Then there is "gift, documents, commercial sample, other."  

Some will let it in the USA, others may decide the code is incorrect?  Just a guess, obviously.

Perhaps check the USPS website to see if there are certain explanations for differences in customs forms (Brazil vs. US) and if there is information on how to reconcile these.

[artealterada]

"Is it possible that trading cards could fall into a few different categories?  Maybe 4901.00 is correct, depending on who is inspecting the package.    Then there is "gift, documents, commercial sample, other."  

This seems plausible and could explain why some packages get through while others do not. I have several shipments to send out this upcoming Monday, and I will leave the customs code field blank, allowing the customs officer to assign the code they believe is most appropriate. This way, the acceptance or rejection of the package becomes entirely subjective to the officer's judgment. I hope that if any packages are returned, there will be some additional information provided.

Thanks!

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I can see the potential for some of your designs violating US law, as interpreted by a customs inspector.

That might include violations of PROTECT Act of 2003.

They may also violate the intellectual property rights of the original card's rightholder.

[artealterada]

Hello, nice to meet you.

The cards that are being returned are original cards, and the artwork applied on top of the them is also original. So i believe that's not the case here. But I understand your point, it does happen.

I modify the original cards, and in this case, the cards that are being returned make no reference to any intellectual property printing on paper and selling them. They are all original cards with altered arts. Here is the link to one of them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/315778053407

Counterfeiting and copyright infringement are indeed serious problems.

Thank you for your answer. 

[martin2001]

I can only speculate.

The reason that some of your packages go thru others do not may be caused by the different standards in use at the US points of entry. Although everything should be unified, in practice, it may not be, e.g you may go to two different post offices and get completely different answers to the same question.

You provided a screenshot of the customs form. This form is missing the principal category for your items, which is "merchandise." 

Finally, I did some research, US now requires a 10-digis HS code. You have six. I am in US, so obviously I don't use customs declaration but I sell a lot to Europe and the rest of the world. In the beginning, I was not very versed in this, so I used a 6-8 digit HS code. e.g. to Ireland. They were returned with a sticker that they couldn't be processed electronically. No other explanation. Once I started to use 10-digit codes, they have been "sailing"  thru customs.

[artealterada]

---

@martin2001 wrote:

"The reason that some of your packages go thru others do not may be caused by the different standards in use at the US points of entry. Although everything should be unified, in practice, it may not be, e.g you may go to two different post offices and get completely different answers to the same question."

If we think about it, we can even include special situations where returns exist due to climatic events like Hurricanes Helena and Milton. I read in another post that some places are returning merchandise without analysis. Looking at the tracking, the time between arrival and return is just a few minutes.

You provided a screenshot of the customs form. This form is missing the principal category for your items, which is "merchandise." 

This also caught my attention since other forms contain a 'goods for sale' option (just after the problem) . I plan to use one that has this option next Monday

Finally, I did some research, US now requires a 10-digis HS code. You have six. I am in US, so obviously I don't use customs declaration but I sell a lot to Europe and the rest of the world. In the beginning, I was not very versed in this, so I used a 6-8 digit HS code. e.g. to Ireland. They were returned with a sticker that they couldn't be processed electronically. No other explanation. Once I started to use 10-digit codes, they have been "sailing"  thru customs.

Thank you for informing me that now there are 10 digits; I found it strange at first, but regardless of this, I believe that this time I will not include the code, leaving it up to the customs agent to decide how to classify it. All forms say 'inform if known'.

Thank you very much for taking your time to help me see various possibilities of why this is happening."

---

[artealterada]

 @martin2001 , @tobaccocardyahoo  , @fbusoni 

Thank you for the feedback so far. I’ve removed all my listings without bids for safety and have already issued refunds for the returning packages.

Based on the information gathered up to this point, I’ve decided to make the following adjustments:

1. I added "merchandise" to the CN22 as the one we use here in Brazil didn't had the option and I also included fields for "Sender's Name" and "Sender's Address," based on the UK CN22 form.
2. I left the HS tariff and origin sections blank, allowing customs agents to fill in as they see fit.
3. I made the description more detailed this time.

Do you think it’s advisable to mention that the sale is from eBay in the description? The buyers have already paid the import taxes upon purchase, right?

Here’s the new CN22 that I printed 🙂
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OXXdELlhXAXgLYVVnhbeaXiVHBKEHmJb/view?usp=sharing

I hope the post remains open until the return of the packages so I can provide feedback afterward.

Cheers!

[tobaccocardyahoo]

US buyers do not usually prepay import taxes, duty or customs clearance fees. This is one of the reasons why many US buyers do not buy from foreign sellers, they do not know the total cost.

[artealterada]

---

@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

US buyers do not usually prepay import taxes, duty or customs clearance fees. This is one of the reasons why many US buyers do not buy from foreign sellers, they do not know the total cost.

---

So the fees charged by eBay don't include import taxes, is that it? Got it, thanks for letting me know.

Currently, 50% of my buyers are repeat customers, so they must be aware of that as well. I hope that with this new CN 22 format, I won't have any more issues.

Cheers!

[martin2001]

The customs forms looks good, but you MUST include the HS code. Customs officers are not authorized to do this. If you mail anything to EU (or elsewhere) without the HS it would most likely be returned, delayed or disposed of.

[lacemaker3]

---

@artealterada wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing an issue with packages being returned to me without explanation, and I'd appreciate some guidance. I'm based in Brazil and my customers are in the United States. The packages seem to be returning as soon as they arrive in the U.S., although some of them are delivered without any issues.

All the packages contain the same type of products (altered cards), and I fill out the shipping information in the same way each time. I've included an image to show how I package them. Am I doing something wrong with the shipping details? Has anyone else who sells to the U.S. faced this issue?

I’m using the CN 22 customs declaration form, but I’ve noticed that the version provided by the Brazilian postal service is a little different from what I've seen in other countries. Different countries seem to have slightly different forms, though the general principle appears to be the same. Is this normal, or could it be contributing to the problem?

I’m fairly new to eBay and currently on my third batch of sales. In the first batch of 10 auctions, I had one package returned, but in this third batch of 8 sales, 4 packages are being returned. The contents and shipping details are consistent across all shipments.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Image  from one of the labels I used here. Address and names blurred but correct 😉
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1camYWY67X10Q2ydyrl9t6dApRd5YS99e/view?usp=sharing

---

Where did you get the Form CN22 that you are using? I looks like you based this combined address/CN22 form on the official form from the Brazil Post Office Correios, but there's a problem with the address part that you added.

You have the "To" and "From" addresses in the wrong places. For USPS  mail, the "From" address should be on the top, and the "To" address should be on the bottom. This is standard practice for mail, and this alone could explain why your packages were being returned, because USPS uses optical readers to sort most mail and packages. They start at the bottom of the label and scan upwards, and stop when they have enough information to send the package to the next place it needs to go. They don't pay any attention to labels like "From" or "To", it all depends on where the addresses are located on the label.

You can tick/check "Other" but then you need to specify what "Other" means, so you should add the word "Merchandise" in that area to make it clear.

It is better to include the up-to-date HS tariff code, which I believe is now 10 digits, and the country of origin. If you produce these cards yourself, that would be Brazil.

Also, you need to fill in your name and address, in the "Designated operator" section at the top of the Form CN22, as it says at the bottom where you sign it.

[artealterada]

I still don’t have a registered business, and the alterations are individual on each card. I was concerned that filling out the HS in form incorrectly could have caused the returns, so I left it blank this time, especially since I only saw your message after returning from the post office 😞 ;I had a deadline to meet 🙂 But I will definitely keep an eye on it.

I wasn’t too worried about not providing HS because the document stated to provide information only if I knew it.

Thanks again !

[artealterada]

---

@lacemaker3 wrote:

---

---

"Where did you get the Form CN22 that you are using? I looks like you based this combined address/CN22 form on the official form from the Brazil Post Office Correios, but there's a problem with the address part that you added.   I printed the Brazilian form along with my address and the recipient's address on the same sheet."

I printed the Brazilian form along with my address and the recipient's address on the same sheet. 😬

"You have the "To" and "From" addresses in the wrong places. For USPS  mail, the "From" address should be on the top, and the "To" address should be on the bottom. This is standard practice for mail, and this alone could explain why your packages were being returned, because USPS uses optical readers to sort most mail and packages. They start at the bottom of the label and scan upwards, and stop when they have enough information to send the package to the next place it needs to go. They don't pay any attention to labels like "From" or "To", it all depends on where the addresses are located on the label."

This information is very important; thank you so much. Luckily, I changed the CN 22 in these last shipments. I put the sender's address only on the CN 22 and on the back of the package. I’m not sure if you saw the new photo yet. By the way, how do you manage to insert images directly into the post? I’m still using my Google Drive. 🙂

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OXXdELlhXAXgLYVVnhbeaXiVHBKEHmJb/view?usp=sharing

"You can tick/check "Other" but then you need to specify what "Other" means, so you should add the word "Merchandise" in that area to make it clear."

Merchandise added in the form 🙂

"It is better to include the up-to-date HS tariff code, which I believe is now 10 digits, and the country of origin. If you produce these cards yourself, that would be Brazil. "

HS code only next time, as I’ve just returned from the post office. The card was originally bought from an American company that produces it with a company in Belgium. I bought the card, modified it, and am now sending it back to the U.S. Country of origin: USA? I think so, right?

"Also, you need to fill in your name and address, in the "Designated operator" section at the top of the Form CN22, as it says at the bottom where you sign it."  

There is now a specific place in the new CN 22, which is based on the UK’s CN 22.

Cheers!!

---