[RANT] customs delays/cancelling without prior notification
2008-05-27 by Paul Schreiber
a) I am seeing *very long* delays now in customs. This is true even if a
package is sent EMS Express (it gets there in 2 days,
then sits in the customs office for 20 days).
Just this week, I have:
1 - package sent to Italy regular Air Mail on April 23 was returned to me on
May 23rd because the customs for 'was not specific to contents'. The package
was 3 pc boards, on the customs form I wrote PRINTED CIRCUIT
BOARDS and that was *rejected*.
2 - a package sent EMS to Europe took almost 3 weeks to clear customs
3 - a small box sent Air Mail to Greece to *6 weeks* to clear customs, it
was *one*
CEM IC.
My message is: please do not panic if your foreign package has not arrived
several
weeks after I sent a shipment notice. Please wait *6 weeks*.
b) about foreign package tracking: the *ONLY WAY*, and it is an *expensive
way*,
to have a package tracked overseas is to use EMS Express. I shall repeat
myself: EMS
Express is the *ONLY WAY* to have a package trackable. In the US, if your
package
is over $300, I will generally have 'Delivery Confirmation' which *I PAY
FOR*.
c) if you have an order, and you will be gone in July/August, then PLEASE
arrange for your
packages to be picked up. The vast majority of packages will ship between
July 15 and
Aug 15. I know this is prime vacation time, of which I an unclear on the
concept but
knowledgeable :)
d) [RANT ON] If you want to cancel an order, please contact me first. Of
course, I will
try to persuade you not to. Especially for module orders, because I have
already bought and paid for
the parts for your order. In fact, yesterday I spent over $8,000 on parts.
CEM/SSM ICs
are not the same thing :)
All I ask is that you contact me first, so I can at least arrange the money
ahead of time. What
ever you do, do NOT file a dispute with PayPal! I do NOT keep much money in
my account
(<$100) and if you just yank the money out without telling me, this could
cause me to have the
account *suspended* and then *NO ONE* will be able to PayPal me. And right
now, PayPal
is 40% of all my payments.
I will be happy to refund you via PayPal, it will take 4 days.
[/RANT OFF]
Paul S.
package is sent EMS Express (it gets there in 2 days,
then sits in the customs office for 20 days).
Just this week, I have:
1 - package sent to Italy regular Air Mail on April 23 was returned to me on
May 23rd because the customs for 'was not specific to contents'. The package
was 3 pc boards, on the customs form I wrote PRINTED CIRCUIT
BOARDS and that was *rejected*.
2 - a package sent EMS to Europe took almost 3 weeks to clear customs
3 - a small box sent Air Mail to Greece to *6 weeks* to clear customs, it
was *one*
CEM IC.
My message is: please do not panic if your foreign package has not arrived
several
weeks after I sent a shipment notice. Please wait *6 weeks*.
b) about foreign package tracking: the *ONLY WAY*, and it is an *expensive
way*,
to have a package tracked overseas is to use EMS Express. I shall repeat
myself: EMS
Express is the *ONLY WAY* to have a package trackable. In the US, if your
package
is over $300, I will generally have 'Delivery Confirmation' which *I PAY
FOR*.
c) if you have an order, and you will be gone in July/August, then PLEASE
arrange for your
packages to be picked up. The vast majority of packages will ship between
July 15 and
Aug 15. I know this is prime vacation time, of which I an unclear on the
concept but
knowledgeable :)
d) [RANT ON] If you want to cancel an order, please contact me first. Of
course, I will
try to persuade you not to. Especially for module orders, because I have
already bought and paid for
the parts for your order. In fact, yesterday I spent over $8,000 on parts.
CEM/SSM ICs
are not the same thing :)
All I ask is that you contact me first, so I can at least arrange the money
ahead of time. What
ever you do, do NOT file a dispute with PayPal! I do NOT keep much money in
my account
(<$100) and if you just yank the money out without telling me, this could
cause me to have the
account *suspended* and then *NO ONE* will be able to PayPal me. And right
now, PayPal
is 40% of all my payments.
I will be happy to refund you via PayPal, it will take 4 days.
[/RANT OFF]
Paul S.