What happens to parcels from China? Where are they delayed?

[Space_Chief]

Do you guys have your importers codes?

I found since I got mine a few years back that getting stuff through customs became so much easier.

I have and it doesn't help. No-one ever asks for it, then again I never import more than a handful of a single item.

The importer code is a ridiculous requirement though. What next? A little Yellow "I" armband and then perhaps a forced relocation to an importer's ghetto? Do Americans, Europeans, Japanese need importer's codes? No. Why do we? Well, because we inherited all these apartheid laws and the current powers love them.

Smaller government would be better, that's why real guys like Ron Paul will never win and why big government supporters like Romney and Obama will prevail in the US.

 

[DominionZA]

I have and it doesn't help. No-one ever asks for it, then again I never import more than a handful of a single item.

The importer code is a ridiculous requirement though. What next? A little Yellow "I" armband and then perhaps a forced relocation to an importer's ghetto? Do Americans, Europeans, Japanese need importer's codes? No. Why do we? Well, because we inherited all these apartheid laws and the current powers love them.

Smaller government would be better, that's why real guys like Ron Paul will never win and why big government supporters like Romney and Obama will prevail in the US.

Insist your importers code is put on the outside of the box with the shipping invoice. Customs see it straight away.
Never have issues doing it this way.

 

[Space_Chief]

Insist your importers code is put on the outside of the box with the shipping invoice. Customs see it straight away.
Never have issues doing it this way.

Mike,

I don't get issues either way. Most sellers / shippers don't put that sort of thing in. For example they use PayPal payment details VERBATIM and don't care for other stuff. It's not a realistic requirement from most online shops either. Items ship to Credit card or Paypal address on file. If you change that, the card transaction may get rejected.

The only issues I sometimes get are to forward proof of how much an item costs. They just don't believe correct declarations unless they come from proper companies. I've never had problems with such. An importer's code won't prevent that issue.

 

[fluffypony]

Ok - I run an import/export company, and have about 20 parcels at going through customs a day. Let me lay down the facts about China and Hong Kong post. NB: this is for Cape Town where we have an airport and an amazing customs department at Capemail. In Jhb YMMV.

1. The delay is rarely at customs. Even now during peak season, once something hits the Capemail hub, for example, customs process within a day or two, maybe three at worst.
2. The difference between expedited, priority, and first-class mail comes down to the tracking. The cheapest form of mail (first-class) is tracked until it leaves one of the country's sort facilities. Thereafter it is NOT tracked and can go missing (which happens, trust me). Once you get to expedited and priority mail it becomes more like EMS - tracking is all the way through, and the originator (eg. China Post) can tell you that it is stuck at customs or whatever. For small parcels, the difference is miniscule, but it matters to people like us who need to know why a parcel has gone awry.
3. Hong Kong airmail is fast - like blazingly fast. When one of our suppliers ships something via Hong Kong airmail, we get it in 12 - 17 days (actual days, not working days).
4. China airmail is slow because it bounces between sort facilities before being dispatched to SA. Often it goes overland to Dubai, and then via air to SA. Typically we expect surface mail deliveries from Hong Kong OR from China to take 5-8 weeks. From Hong Kong it comes STRAIGHT to SA.
5. 90% of the time for purchases under like $50 they will ship via surfacemail in an airmail envelope. HINT: the airmail sticker on the envelope means nothing. If the shipper did not pay the few extra $ for airmail, chances are it isn't airmail.
6. A reputable supplier will ship via Hong Kong airmail and you will get an HK tracking number (ie. RBxxxxxxxxxHK). If they give you a string of numbers, or an sxxxxxxxx number, that is surfacemail. There is no tracking on surfacemail.
7. Shipping from the US almost always takes 3 weeks, almost to the day. Sometimes it will take an extra week. If you have something coming in from the US and it has been a month, start panicking. Chances are it has been nicked at a sort facility.
8. DHL are horrible. Stay away from them. They are overpriced, ridiculous, and their customs handling fees (ie. what they charge you over and above what customs charge you) is utterly ludicrous. Berco is owned by Amarex, which is our favourite international courier. We <3 Amarex.

That's all, folks

 

[ld13]

Oooh, info to omnomnom. Thx fluffypony

Re: Topic
Two packages were sent out on ~7 October from China. I received the first one 20 days later on 27 October and the second one arrived ... today. That is one crazy delay.

 

[SlowInternet]

Once had a parcel that was delayed at SA customs for 3 weeks !!! China mail/post is slow....still waiting for a parcel that was send 3 months ago...was most probably stolen ! Have to agree that Hong Kong airmail is quick...fastest I received was 8 days from being posted in Hong Kong until it arrived at my local post office.

 

[Space_Chief]

7. Shipping from the US almost always takes 3 weeks, almost to the day. Sometimes it will take an extra week. If you have something coming in from the US and it has been a month, start panicking. Chances are it has been nicked at a sort facility.

From my own experience:

It depends on the shipping method. USPS Priority Airmail usually takes 10-14 working days. USPS First Class airmail takes longer. Drop shipping can take longer too. With a company like BROKERS WORLDWIDE the duration is usually 3-4 weeks.

The fastest mail I've ever received was EMS from Japan. It used to take shipped on Monday and delivery to door Thursday or Friday. But customs have slacked off or gotten greedy recently and now takes 5 working days.

China registered airmail is SLOW, correct. China Post EMS is as fast as USPS Express Mail, but slower than EMS from Japan. For some reason also Korea cannot ship EMS to SA and use TNT.

What also sucks is that Japanese law forbids shipping of Li Ion batteries by postal mail so if you order electronics, it has to go with FedEx or some other courier. It also becomes a big deal to ship like that, and the shipper usually requires a CHEM TREC subscription. They offer a 24h international telephone support service for shippers, the battery containing shipment needs reference to their support number in case of trouble: http://www.chemtrec.com/

USPS for a while also blocked shipping of Li ion batteries but has now resumed.

 

[fluffypony]

From my own experience:

It depends on the shipping method. USPS Priority Airmail usually takes 10-14 working days. USPS First Class airmail takes longer. Drop shipping can take longer too. With a company like BROKERS WORLDWIDE the duration is usually 3-4 weeks.

Not entirely true - see the USPS table here: http://pe.usps.com/businessmail101/classes/welcome.htm - that explains the difference. They are ALL the same "speed", the difference is only in the way the sort facilities deal with them and thus how easy it is to track them. That is not to say that a sort facility (the Jamaica, NY sort facility, for example) won't prioritise mail of a certain class during sorting, but they go on the same planes and they may be delayed by the same problems. By means of an example of First Class mail: here are two dispatches from two different suppliers in different parts of the US. They were both sent to us on Nov 30th. This one: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input?origTrackNum=LN369024282US - arrived at our local post office after going through customs on Friday, Dec 14th - 2 weeks on the nose. This one: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input?origTrackNum=LK158509245US was delayed in the USA and will likely only arrive next week or even the week thereafter. It only left the sort facility in the US for our shores on Dec 14th! Then there's this shipment: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input?origTrackNum=LJ681618336US - that is now 5 weeks since shipment, and it has basically disappeared. Because it's first class mail, USPS have no idea where it is, SAPO have idea where it is. If it was Priority or Express we could track it to its last known location.

The fastest mail I've ever received was EMS from Japan. It used to take shipped on Monday and delivery to door Thursday or Friday. But customs have slacked off or gotten greedy recently and now takes 5 working days.

China registered airmail is SLOW, correct. China Post EMS is as fast as USPS Express Mail, but slower than EMS from Japan. For some reason also Korea cannot ship EMS to SA and use TNT.

EMS is NOT regular post. It started off as an express service bolted on to regular post, and as a testament to its lineage it is supported by over 80% of the postal operators around the world. But it is a courier service, by the popular use of the term, and they will only deliver an EMS parcel to a physical address in South Africa and not to a postal address. EMS isn't bad, about 12-14 days end-to-end, but an accelerated service like Aramex will outperform it. We do Aramex from a supplier in Shenzhen, China, and it arrives in 3 working days. Part of that speed is the fact that Aramex owns Berco, so it's almost all in-house, whereas EMS is operated locally by the post office, but a local courier (normally Berco) still needs to do the final delivery. Still, don't confuse EMS with regular post (regardless of whether it is priority, first class, expedited, express, etc.) - there's a bit of the history of EMS and the operators manning the service here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Express_mail

What also sucks is that Japanese law forbids shipping of Li Ion batteries by postal mail so if you order electronics, it has to go with FedEx or some other courier. It also becomes a big deal to ship like that, and the shipper usually requires a CHEM TREC subscription. They offer a 24h international telephone support service for shippers, the battery containing shipment needs reference to their support number in case of trouble: http://www.chemtrec.com/

USPS for a while also blocked shipping of Li ion batteries but has now resumed.

Thanks for the info - we actually ship a stack of NiMH batteries in and haven't had issues, I had no idea that LiONs were such an issue!

 

[Space_Chief]

Not entirely true...

Hi I was merely referencing my experience. In the past I was virtually guaranteed to receive US airmail in exactly 2 weeks. It has become a little longer recently but now it's more trackable. First class is not trackable, but Priority is.

EMS is NOT regular post. It started off as an express service bolted on to regular post, and as a testament to its lineage it is supported by over 80% of the postal operators around the world. But it is a courier service, by the popular use of the term, and they will only deliver an EMS parcel to a physical address in South Africa and not to a postal address. EMS isn't bad, about 12-14 days end-to-end, but an accelerated service like Aramex will outperform it. We do Aramex from a supplier in Shenzhen, China, and it arrives in 3 working days. Part of that speed is the fact that Aramex owns Berco, so it's almost all in-house, whereas EMS is operated locally by the post office, but a local courier (normally Berco) still needs to do the final delivery. Still, don't confuse EMS with regular post (regardless of whether it is priority, first class, expedited, express, etc.) - there's a bit of the history of EMS and the operators manning the service here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Express_mail

Thanks for the info.
EMS is not regular post but is handled by the postal services of each originator, transit and receiving country. It's not a courier service in the sense that it's operated by the government / public sector post offices and often the same postal employees and not a dedicated company and their infrastructure like DHL or TNT. It gets priority customs clearance too but uses the same people and costs the same to clear. EMS is also funny. As mentioned although Korea is officially listed, SA to Korea EMS is impossible. Everyone denies it and one has to go through TNT.

Thanks for the info - we actually ship a stack of NiMH batteries in and haven't had issues, I had no idea that LiONs were such an issue!

Yes it was for Li ion as well, i.e. laptop, handheld console batteries. USPS relaxed that recently.

Any ideas how these freight forwarders work?
http://www.brokersworldwide.com/
Have you dealt with them or similar companies?
Some US businesses use them and they are slower, significantly cheaper and as reliable as USPS.

Also do you work with SAL sometimes? That's Surface Air Lifted.

 

[fluffypony]

Any ideas how these freight forwarders work?
http://www.brokersworldwide.com/
Have you dealt with them or similar companies?
Some US businesses use them and they are slower, significantly cheaper and as reliable as USPS.

Also do you work with SAL sometimes? That's Surface Air Lifted.

I find freight forwarders a VERY mixed bag. We've had some success with the smaller freight forwarders in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and we've met with them and they understand our business. Having a good local freight forwarder is invaluable - when there is an issue with a supplier we've had one of our freight forwarders go find a replacement. So it's definitely a YMMV situation. The larger online freight forwarders are always a mixed bag - sometimes they are a boon because they're handling so many shipments to a particular area, and sometimes they're just a waste.

 

[Sunnshyn]

New mini-importer. Please help!

Its my first time importing little 'gifts' from China.
I would like to know:
1) which is the cheapest, fastest and safest form of shipping? From discussions i can see that HK is cheaper and faster as compared to CPAM.
2)I heard that i cant get more than 2 'gifts' in a year, please how true is this?

Advice me generally please. Thank you.

 

[fluffypony]

Its my first time importing little 'gifts' from China.
I would like to know:
1) which is the cheapest, fastest and safest form of shipping? From discussions i can see that HK is cheaper and faster as compared to CPAM.
2)I heard that i cant get more than 2 'gifts' in a year, please how true is this?

Advice me generally please. Thank you.

1. Airmail without a tracking number is the cheapest; with a tracking number is a little more but considerably safer.

2. You can get a billion gifts a year, but you'll be paying customs on most of them You'll get a slip in your mailbox from customs asking you to fax (or bring in person) the invoice for the goods. You'll present the invoice, pay VAT and customs, and get your goods. It is VERY difficult to argue that an item from China is a gift unless you're Chinese and it has a handwritten label on it - rather suck it up and pay the customs instead of trying to defraud Customs.

 

[Sunnshyn]

1. Airmail without a tracking number is the cheapest; with a tracking number is a little more but considerably safer.

2. You can get a billion gifts a year, but you'll be paying customs on most of them You'll get a slip in your mailbox from customs asking you to fax (or bring in person) the invoice for the goods. You'll present the invoice, pay VAT and customs, and get your goods. It is VERY difficult to argue that an item from China is a gift unless you're Chinese and it has a handwritten label on it - rather suck it up and pay the customs instead of trying to defraud Customs.

Aww, Thank you very much for your reply.

Let me tell you what I have done so far, i have so far paid for a wristwatch for $11.18 from a seller and shipping method CPAM, another watch for $1.23 shipping method CPAM, Another for $9.99 CPAM. I am just buying stuffs for christmas. Please advise me. How much would customs charge for these little goods and how much VAT?

Thank you so much.

 

[fluffypony]

Aww, Thank you very much for your reply.

Let me tell you what I have done so far, i have so far paid for a wristwatch for $11.18 from a seller and shipping method CPAM, another watch for $1.23 shipping method CPAM, Another for $9.99 CPAM. I am just buying stuffs for christmas. Please advise me. How much would customs charge for these little goods and how much VAT?

Thank you so much.

Vat is charged at the cost of the item (excluding shipping) + 10%. So the $11.18 watch is about R111.80, +10% is R122.98, 14% of that is R17.22. There is no excise or duties on watches (they're zero rated) so you just pay the VAT. Bear in mind that CPAM will take anything from 30-60 days to arrive.

 

[Sunnshyn]

Vat is charged at the cost of the item (excluding shipping) + 10%. So the $11.18 watch is about R111.80, +10% is R122.98, 14% of that is R17.22. There is no excise or duties on watches (they're zero rated) so you just pay the VAT. Bear in mind that CPAM will take anything from 30-60 days to arrive.

Oh thank you...very detailed.

I contacted a supplier earlier and she told me not to worry, that she would devalue the cost of the items just incase customs raises its head, i wouldn't pay so much. How's that?

 

[fluffypony]

Oh thank you...very detailed.

I contacted a supplier earlier and she told me not to worry, that she would devalue the cost of the items just incase customs raises its head, i would pay so much. How's that?

Doesn't matter, it means that she wrote $2 as the value of the goods on the green sticker on the parcel. Customs ignore what the Chinese write on the green sticker and ask you for the invoice. Typically our invoices are 5-10x what is written on the customs declaration (for parcels from China). Parcels from the UK and US are considered to be more trustworthy by Customs, and typically come with the invoice in the document pouch (a practice the Chinese haven't cottoned on to when shipping via China Post).

 

[Sunnshyn]

Doesn't matter, it means that she wrote $2 as the value of the goods on the green sticker on the parcel. Customs ignore what the Chinese write on the green sticker and ask you for the invoice. Typically our invoices are 5-10x what is written on the customs declaration (for parcels from China). Parcels from the UK and US are considered to be more trustworthy by Customs, and typically come with the invoice in the document pouch (a practice the Chinese haven't cottoned on to when shipping via China Post).

Ok now i understand. We'll see how it goes. From henceforth no more shipping for me by CPAM, no HK no buying. I really do appreciate your explanations. Thank you.

When i receive my little gifts, I'll come back here to say!

 

[Nazhene]

Ok now i understand. We'll see how it goes. From henceforth no more shipping for me by CPAM, no HK no buying. I really do appreciate your explanations. Thank you.

When i receive my little gifts, I'll come back here to say!

i have just on 27/9 ordered something form china on ebay. its send with free int'l shipping. chian post. they say it will be delivered between 28/10 and 5/11. will keep you guys updated. just hope i receive this in time. last time i used a company called importitall to get my goods that i ordered from USA last year. it took only a month for the goods to arrive at my door. but it was more expensive through them. I decided to see if i can do this on my own. will see how it goes.

 

[AchmatK]

Also ordered a few items on eBay recently coming from China with free international shipping. They sent me a tracking number for Toll Global Express (www.tollgroup.com).

Currently it seem the items are being held up in Joburg.

Date Time Location/Supplied via Activity
09 Oct 13 10:16 Johannesburg - SOUTH AFRICA Sorted to Destination
09 Oct 13 09:29 Johannesburg - SOUTH AFRICA Arrived Hub
08 Oct 13 23:50 HONG KONG In Transit to Destination
08 Oct 13 18:47 HONG KONG Sorted to Destination
08 Oct 13 14:53 HONG KONG Arrived Hub
08 Oct 13 06:00 Shenzhen (guangdong) - CHINA In Transit to Destination
07 Oct 13 22:00 Shenzhen (guangdong) - CHINA Collection

 

[ld13]

Currently it seem the items are being held up in Joburg.

The above does not qualify as "being held up" in my opinion. I've seen worse:

2013/09/18, 12:01, At Office, First Notification to recipient
2013/09/17, 19:19, In transit, CAPEMAIL (HUB)
2013/09/16, 15:41, From Customs, CAPEMAIL (HUB)
2013/09/13, 18:13, In transit, JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)
2013/09/13, 06:47, From Customs, JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)
2013/09/12, 05:50, To Customs, JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)
2013/09/10, 01:57, Incomming International, JHB INT MAIL CENTRE (HUB)

Takes even longer should it not be cleared by customs right away.