Aliexpress - Failed to clear at import customs?

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tchart

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#306177 3-Jul-2023 11:26

Anyone ever encountered the "Failed to clear at import customs" shipping status from AliExpress?

I ordered a Bluetooth battery monitor which was shipped pretty fast and arrived in NZ within a week.

Then I got a tracking update saying "Failed to clear at import customs" and its been stuck like that for a week now.

Given the non-suspicious nature of the package and the fact that the gadget is only worth $25 I dont see why it would be held at customs or could it be a false tracking update?

Not sure if I should just order another or just wait it out?

Thanks

PS nothing useful came up when I googled this, seems common enough but no mention of any meaningful resolution.

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Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#3098918 3-Jul-2023 11:35

Contact customs.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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tchart

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#3098945 3-Jul-2023 12:06

xpd:
Contact customs.

Thanks but hardly worth the bother for $25 gadget. Besides usually if there is an actual issue they contact you.

I’ll let the delivery time expire and request a refund.

I’ve ordered another.

GV27

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#3098949 3-Jul-2023 12:20

I'd want to know why something I'd ordered had been knocked back by Customs, lest someone had slipped something into it that they shouldn't have and created some interest in who I am and what I do by association.

boosacnoodle

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#3098954 3-Jul-2023 12:24

Experienced something similar recently. Customs will ask you to contact your shipper in the first instance. Good luck with that with a no-name shipper from China!

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#3098964 3-Jul-2023 12:41

And if that one gets held up as well.... then you're out by $50. Your choice :)

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Dratsab

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#3099027 3-Jul-2023 13:11

It's not stuck at Customs. It's a ~~scam~~ fake entry and those goods will never arrive. I've struck this quite a few times now and have had my money refunded for each one. I've stopped using AliExpress.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#3099039 3-Jul-2023 13:32

Dratsab:

It's not stuck at Customs. It's a scam fake entry and those goods will never arrive. I've struck this quite a few times now and have had my money refunded for each one. I've stopped using AliExpress.

Many of us have placed hundreds of orders with AliExpress and never experienced such issues. Some tracked services are a little bit suspect, possibly progressing shipments based on time passed rather than actual scans, but never have I had any claiming items failed to obtain entry clearance.

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tchart

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#3099042 3-Jul-2023 13:38

Dratsab:

It's not stuck at Customs. It's a scam fake entry and those goods will never arrive. I've struck this quite a few times now and have had my money refunded for each one. I've stopped using AliExpress.

I wouldnt be surprised and suspected this. The item was free shipping and landed in NZ within 4 days which was suspicious from the get go.

tchart

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#3099044 3-Jul-2023 13:42

xpd:

And if that one gets held up as well.... then you're out by $50. Your choice :)

Ive probably ordered close to 100 things on AliExpress and never encountered this.

Ordered from a different seller second time round, so will see how that goes.

AliExpress are usually pretty good about refunding for non-delivery so I'll take the gamble.

tchart

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#3099049 3-Jul-2023 13:45

boosacnoodle:

Experienced something similar recently. Customs will ask you to contact your shipper in the first instance. Good luck with that with a no-name shipper from China!

Yeah Ive had this with a laptop I purchased through Amazon so am familiar with the process. In that instance I was contacted directly (by DHL I think).

I think customs have more important things than stopping my $25 gadget from AliExpress so Im 99% sure its not stuck in customs.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#3099051 3-Jul-2023 13:47

tchart:

I wouldnt be surprised and suspected this. The item was free shipping and landed in NZ within 4 days which was suspicious from the get go.

Which shipping method did you use? I've had quite a few packages arrive in NZ in a few days lately. I mainly use AliExpress Standard.

I received one package this morning. The total time from acceptance to delivery was six days, and tracking shows it arrived in the country last Thursday.

Rushmere

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#3099052 3-Jul-2023 13:50

I've had this.

I was expecting to be contacted by the shipping company asking for GST (which had already been paid to AliExpress), but the parcel turned up a couple of weeks later without any further action by me.

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#3099055 3-Jul-2023 13:55

Unlike some of the experiences above, I have seen the same on an AliExpress shipping status. My items (a tyre for my e-scooter) was paid shipping (about $8) and had a kosher tracking number. NZ Post status said it was indeed in the country but needed an MPI Import Declaration.

The whole thing was a cluster mess from there, status on NZ Post tracking said I would receive an email asking for more detail, this never arrived.

NZ Post Contact centre tried to be helpful but were unsuccessful in contacting the NZ Post eCommerce team who were supposed to be getting in touch with me (but never did).

Also asked me to get in touch with the seller so as to provide a better description of the item. Tried this, seller never even read my message. Then got told to declare it lost and file a claim with AliExpress for a refund and for them to claim it from NZPost, was declined by AE.

After about a month received two emails, one to say it was cleared and on its way, the other to ring MPI on 0800 something to provide the declaration. Rung that number, selected the most likely correct option on the IVR (none of them really matched what I wanted to achieve), noone answered. Received a phonecall that saem day from NZPost Contact Centre saying item had cleared and was on its way to me.

It was finally delivered three days later........f***ing thing didn't fit🙁.

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surfisup1000

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#3099063 3-Jul-2023 14:21

This happened to me 4 weeks ago.

NZ Post are probably the local postal agent, call NZ post and explain the situation and give them your tracking info. NZ Post told me this has been an increasing problem with aliexpress, and it happens because the shipper does not accurately describe the goods, or , they are writing the import documentation in chinese and customs cannot read it.

In my case, i emailed the online invoice to NZ post, they emailed it to customs, who then released my goods about a week later.

Wasn't a big deal in the end.

MikeAqua

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#3099064 3-Jul-2023 14:21

I had one with Banggood, they eventually refunded me and I reordered the items, but from a different vendor.

Mike

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