Held in Customs received from USPS tracking

[teacherclaire]

  I've ordered a two in two exhaust for my bike and tracking the parcel, via USPS shows that it's currently "held in customs."

 

    Shortly before I received the message Customs Clearance Thailand at 09.51. Is that the normal procedure, or is there something wrong? 

   

      The held in customs message was written today, at 10.25 am. 

 

      Does anybody here have an idea how they usually handle it? 

[canthai55]

Look at the value, assess customs duties, send you the bill.

Good luck - horror stories abound

[samtam]

If the USPS has an agent in Thailand, they will clear it for you, after you pay the duty.

I'm basing this reply on what courier companies do.

Did you receive a form from Customs? (Usually typed in green.) It tells yo how to clear the goods. 

[NanLaew]

It's Sunday. It hasn't cleared Customs yet. Don't panic.

 

As @canthai55 suggests, what was the declared value when it was shipped? If that wasn't done upon consignment, or it was given an obviously low value, they will assess their own duty and depending where you live, either:

 

i ) Send the package to your local post office who will then mail you a Customs invoice with their assessment of duty. Then you go to the local post office with the invoice and your ID, pay the duty and collect.

 

or,

 

ii ) Hold the package at Laksi post office, mail the aforementioned Customs invoice with their assessment of duty. Then you go to Laksi post office with the invoice and your ID, pay the duty and collect.

 

or,

 

iii ) Process it as non-dutiable ans release it whereupon it will turn up at your doorstep.

 

or, if you live up-country

 

iv ) Send it to your up-country post office whereupon it mysteriously disappears.

[teacherclaire]

24 minutes ago, samtam said:

If the USPS has an agent in Thailand, they will clear it for you, after you pay the duty.

I'm basing this reply on what courier companies do.

Did you receive a form from Customs? (Usually typed in green.) It tells yo how to clear the goods. 

No, I didn't receive anything else. The invoice states $ 60. 

[teacherclaire]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

It's Sunday. It hasn't cleared Customs yet. Don't panic.

 

As @canthai55 suggests, what was the declared value when it was shipped? If that wasn't done upon consignment, or it was given an obviously low value, they will assess their own duty and depending where you live, either:

 

i ) Send the package to your local post office who will then mail you a Customs invoice with their assessment of duty. Then you go to the local post office with the invoice and your ID, pay the duty and collect.

 

or,

 

ii ) Hold the package at Laksi post office, mail the aforementioned Customs invoice with their assessment of duty. Then you go to Laksi post office with the invoice and your ID, pay the duty and collect.

 

or,

 

iii ) Process it as non-dutiable ans release it whereupon it will turn up at your doorstep.

 

or, if you live up-country

 

iv ) Send it to your up-country post office whereupon it mysteriously disappears.

Thanks for the detailed answer. The invoice on the package says $ 60.

Time to find out if they have an office in LOS, many thanks. 

[teacherclaire]

32 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Look at the value, assess customs duties, send you the bill.

Good luck - horror stories abound

Thanks, mate. I don't like horror stories about customs that much. 

[teacherclaire]

I just found an older thread with good and bad news.

 

   It can in my experience take up to 7 days to "clear" customs, it's only been 48 hrs, give a few days and then contact the Post Office help line if no movement.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1111408-usps-package-held-up-in-customs/

[Kwasaki]

I have had only one motorcycle part of many which I've ordered and the only one I had to pay extra on was from America but it was extra postage. 

 

I find when I've ordered the list of costs shows customs prepaid costs as well as postage. 

[canthai55]

19 minutes ago, teacherclaire said:

Thanks, mate. I don't like horror stories about customs that much. 

Who does ...

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Many years ago after my first trips to LOS, I had a pair of Adidas sneakers sent to my GF at the time, from the US. Neither me nor her were smart enough to think of ordering them and having them sent from within Thailand.

 

The eBay seller was kind enough to put the declared value as $20 on the package. Customs didn't buy it. I paid around $80, and I guess they have ways of checking the value. Tracking said it was held at customs. She had to pay about 800 baht to get them out. That's about a 25% tax. Ouch.

[jackdd]

One of two things will happen:

- Customs will assess a value, calculate the tax for it, send the parcel to the destination post office, and you have to go there to pay the tax and get your parcel.

- Customs will keep the parcel (in case you are outside of Bangkok they will forward it to your nearest customs office), request you to come in, you will have to bring a receipt or something which shows the value. They will then calculate the tax based on the receipt which you present them (if the stated value is reasonable), you pay it and take the parcel home with you.

In either case Thai post should deliver a paper to you, informing you how to proceed and where to go to get your parcel. If you don't get this paper in a few days just call the Thai post hotline, they can tell you where you have to go.

[GregTN]

I had a package from the US prior to Christmas last year that set in Thai customs for close to two weeks.  When It was finally received it was obvious that the package was opened and certainly inspected.  There were no additional cost or notifications so I just chalked it up to the holiday heavy traffic.

[Neilly]

On 12/6/2020 at 11:52 AM, teacherclaire said:

  I've ordered a two in two exhaust for my bike and tracking the parcel, via USPS shows that it's currently "held in customs."

 

    Shortly before I received the message Customs Clearance Thailand at 09.51. Is that the normal procedure, or is there something wrong? 

   

      The held in customs message was written today, at 10.25 am. 

 

      Does anybody here have an idea how they usually handle it? 

 

USPS shipments are handled by Thai Post, if you're over the import limit (Baht 1,500 I think it is) you'll receive a bill from your friendly postman, you just take that bill to the post office, pay the duty (take your passport) and that's it.

 

Courier companies like Fedex, DHL etc normally make you pay up front before the shipment will be released from customs.

[johng]

22 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

She had to pay about 800 baht to get them out. That's about a 25% tax.

There is a 30% tax on shoes into Thailand !!!!  ????   ????

 

 

[teacherclaire]

Thanks for all the replies. I could only see this message when tracking the parcel: 

Your item is being held in Customs at 10:14 am on December 6, 2020 in BANGKOK MAIL CENTRE, THAILAND.

Tracking Number xxxxxxxxxxx 

The same message at noon. 

 

 

Then shortly before I left work, I checked again, and I started singing!!! The new message:   ???????????????? ????

 

Your item was processed through a facility in BANGKOK MAIL CENTRE, THAILAND on December 8, 2020 at 1:23 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.  

Tracking Number: Yeah Yeah Yeah. Give it to me baby! 

 

I'd made a deal with the seller. Instead of the actual price, it was only $ 60 on the invoice.

And I've used my working place as the delivery address.

 

The two mufflers, specially made for my bike, will soon be delivered.

 

Hopefully by tomorrow, Thursday and Friday are holidays, and I'd have enough time to put them on. 

Two hours max, with some cleaning underneath perhaps three to four. 

 

Also, the one gasket (from a different seller) gasket that goes from the rear header to the exhaust arrived today. 

 

Thanks a lot for your posts and useful answers that are deeply appreciated, and my Cobras will soon start making the first sounds.

 

A moment I'm looking forward to for ages. I only bought them because the winter price is 100 bucks less.

 

     Muchos Gracias. 

 

 

 

   

 

 

[teacherclaire]

On 12/6/2020 at 7:07 PM, jackdd said:

One of two things will happen:

- Customs will assess a value, calculate the tax for it, send the parcel to the destination post office, and you have to go there to pay the tax and get your parcel.

- Customs will keep the parcel (in case you are outside of Bangkok they will forward it to your nearest customs office), request you to come in, you will have to bring a receipt or something which shows the value. They will then calculate the tax based on the receipt which you present them (if the stated value is reasonable), you pay it and take the parcel home with you.

In either case Thai post should deliver a paper to you, informing you how to proceed and where to go to get your parcel. If you don't get this paper in a few days just call the Thai post hotline, they can tell you where you have to go.

 

 Thank you very much for your nice post! Problem is solved. 

[teacherclaire]

On 12/6/2020 at 2:58 PM, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Many years ago after my first trips to LOS, I had a pair of Adidas sneakers sent to my GF at the time, from the US. Neither me nor her were smart enough to think of ordering them and having them sent from within Thailand.

 

The eBay seller was kind enough to put the declared value as $20 on the package. Customs didn't buy it. I paid around $80, and I guess they have ways of checking the value. Tracking said it was held at customs. She had to pay about 800 baht to get them out. That's about a 25% tax. Ouch.

Thanks for your great post. Tax? De Nada. Lol

 

 The joke with your story is that these sneakers are usually made in the Philippines, or nearby. The last sneakers that I'd bought back home 20 years ago shocked me. " Made in Indonesia"

 

  An Ex-  worked at Adidas when it was a little factory with only a few employees, only 30 km away from my place of birth. 

 

I was inside a couple of times and had no idea that these guys would get that big. 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by teacherclaire

[impulse]

28 minutes ago, teacherclaire said:

Then shortly before I left work, I checked again, and I started singing!!! The new message:  

 

Your item was processed through a facility in BANGKOK MAIL CENTRE, THAILAND on December 8, 2020 at 1:23 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.  

Tracking Number: Yeah Yeah Yeah. Give it to me baby! 

 

I'd made a deal with the seller. Instead of the actual price, it was only $ 60 on the invoice.

 

You're not out of the woods just yet.  Let us know how it works out.

[teacherclaire]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

You're not out of the woods just yet.  Let us know how it works out.

 

 Oops, yep, the tax surprise could still get me and bite me in the ar_e. Sorry, perhaps I opened the Champagne way too early.

 

 But I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks for the pointer. 

[impulse]

1 minute ago, teacherclaire said:

 

 Oops, yep, the tax surprise could still get me and bite me in the ar_e. Sorry, perhaps I opened the Champagne way too early.

 

 But I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks for the pointer. 

 

Ya just don't want to jinx it by celebrating too early.  That's bad mojo.

Edited December 8, 2020 by impulse

[teacherclaire]

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Ya just don't want to jinx it by celebrating too early.  That's bad mojo.

Got it, was too euphoric. Let's see and enjoy life. Thanks. 

[teacherclaire]

I didn't know that the post offices are closed today and tomorrow.

 

    Great news. I went to the local post office, a woman checked the number and told me Gamlang maa.

 

It has already left Bangkok Post Center and it's not express.( It's on the way to me..)

 

    No mention of anything that can be called tax. It should be here on Monday.

 

   I think the school address was very helpful when they decided to let it go. 

 

    I've seen different options from 60 to 190 bucks tax for these parts.

 

Unfortunately, do many companies also make good cash telling people a much higher tax that has to be paid with the bill. 

 

   The Internet has become quite convenient for buying all sorts of things. But the liars are always present on e-bay and other websites. 

 

   It's sad that Thailand wants so much tax for little parts, plus the shipping costs, often twice as much as the item costs. 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

   

    

[Neilly]

11 hours ago, teacherclaire said:

It has already left Bangkok Post Center and it's not express.( It's on the way to me..)

 

    No mention of anything that can be called tax. It should be here on Monday.

 

Just use the Thai Post 'Track & Trace' website (you can change to English in the top RH corner)...cut n paste the USPS tracking number in and you'll see exactly where your shipment is.

 

https://track.thailandpost.co.th/

 

If you get hit for duty it'll be about 25%...the bit that gets my goat is if the total price on the customs declaration includes postage they tax you on that total, including the postage.