Shippment to US Denied at Customs

[TheBeeraholic]

Hi All,

Anyone know what happens when your shipment to the US is denied? This is the status showing on a shipment I was sending to Virgina..

Aug 23, 2013 9:56 a.m. Buffalo, NY, US Shipment contains restricted material. Subject to import restrictions.
Aug 23, 2013 7:53 p.m. Buffalo, NY, US Delayed at sort facility
Aug 26, 2013 3:09 p.m. Buffalo, NY, US Pending customs clearance - bond paperwork preparation
Aug 26, 2013 4:58 p.m. Buffalo, NY, US Delayed at sort facility
Aug 27, 2013 6:15 a.m. Buffalo, NY, US Departed sort facility

Is the package on it's way to the address I provided when shipping? Or will it be disposed off once it gets back into Canada?

I've only shipped to USA three times. First two times I had no issues shipped one day it arrived to receiptant three days later..

First time using Puralator I used UPS in the past but they wanted to check the contents this time around for whatever reason..

Interested to hear someone elses experience.

[cfrancis]

Chances are you are going to get a call about clearing the package, they will ask you questions that you will be unable to answer without divulging that the contents are beer.

Best case is they return it unharmed to you.

Worst case, they seize it and you are screwed.

[TheBeeraholic]

Worst case, they seize it and you are screwed.

Screwed as my name and the address I provided are put on some blacklist and flagged at customs every time or only screwed in the cost of the beer?

[cfrancis]

Worst case, they seize it and you are screwed.

Screwed as my name and the address I provided are put on some blacklist and flagged at customs every time or only screwed in the cost of the beer?

You won't be targeted when you cross the border. But your address is probably flagged for any other parcels.

I found once I got caught once, everything I seemed to send over the border to flagged. So is why I stopped.

I now physically take it to the states to send out rather than send from Canada and have to deal with customs.

[TheBeeraholic]

You won't be targeted when you cross the border. But your address is probably flagged for any other parcels.

I found once I got caught once, everything I seemed to send over the border to flagged. So is why I stopped.

I now physically take it to the states to send out rather than send from Canada and have to deal with customs.

The answer then is simple, I'll just provide another address when shipping. Only downfall is if flagged it will be sent to whomevers address I provided and they'll most likely not accept the return not being the original sender. Or accpept and be flagged themself.

[icemachine]

You won't be targeted when you cross the border. But your address is probably flagged for any other parcels.

I found once I got caught once, everything I seemed to send over the border to flagged. So is why I stopped.

I now physically take it to the states to send out rather than send from Canada and have to deal with customs.

The answer then is simple, I'll just provide another address when shipping. Only downfall is if flagged it will be sent to whomevers address I provided and they'll most likely not accept the return not being the original sender. Or accpept and be flagged themself.

Use Mailbox etc, or the like as a third party shipping address. No need to violate Wheaton's Law

[grub]

I'm curious, what did you declare the package contained? do you pack so that you can't hear sloshing and such if you tip/shake the box? you want to avoid suspicion at all costs, so i'd hope so...

on my very first cross-border trade, I declared it as sauces/marinade - I figured that isn't exactly a lie, explains the weight for its size, and also any liquid sounds if they were there. That theory came crashing down when Mr Customs decided it needed to be cleared by the FDA in this case, and I'd need fancy customs brokers with big headaches and lots of $$$. I said no thanks and told them to send it back, which they gladly did. I lost the cost of the shipping but nothing else, and just resent it with a different description a week later.

after that, they were all "collectible glassware", and I included a note inside that said "collectible glassware - incidental contents not for human consumption". I figured if I did get opened, I'd stick to that claim and say it's breweriana and such. hey, it worked on eBay for a long time, right? Either I never had a box get opened or it worked, because my boxes always got through.

UPS is notoriously more anal about customs, and more notably charges FAR higher brokerage fees than FedEx. they have a sliding scale, so the more valuable a box, the more they'll charge you to clear it. this is not tax, this is just them walking your box through customs. on the few occasions where I had someone send me a box via UPS, the brokerage fees were ALWAYS higher than the duty/taxes assessed, usually 1.5-2x as much. FedEx, on the other hand, seemed to be in the $3-6 range, if they even bothered to charge at all.

I have never been asked what's inside when i drop a box at my local kinkos. I've also on several occasions had fedex deliver boxes that had been damaged and were obviously beery, or even re-packaging them with broken bottles removed. They definitely know people are using their service for shipping beer, but I suspect they really don't care as they want the $$$. I'm not sure if UPS is as nice in that regard...

If you haven't already, i'd call to see what's up. play dumb, just mention that there's some mention of customs issues on the tracking and then it moved, so you want to know if it's coming to you, going to its destination, or sitting in some sort of limbo. whatever story you had on your customs forms, stick to it as long as you can. most of the time they really don't care and just want to pass it through. sometimes it's as simple as them wanting to send your marinade to the FDA and you can work around it. sometimes it's just that the paperwork was torn off in transit and you need to fax them another copy. Don't panic until they say "we know it's beer". even then, you can probably get them to send it back.

[TheSevenDuffs]

That's some terrible luck.

Ironically, I have a box on its way to Virginia as well right now (with FedEx) that got the magic "International Shipment Release" update about an hour ago.

I've never had a box sized going in to the US but I had a close call once. Fedex actually opened the box, left a note inside saying that it had been inspected and sent it on its way to WI. No tracking flags either: I only know this happened because the guy I sent the box to told me about the note and the special "US Customs" packing tape ... close call.

As for your situation, as others have said, you can plead ignorance and try the "glassware" excuse. Hopefully at worst, they send it back to you. In the future I would consider using Fedex.

[atomeyes]

i used to do "yeast samples" but apparently that no longer works.

apparently the new thing to do is label it as "pickles" and it gets through.

[atomeyes]

i used to do "yeast samples" but apparently that no longer works.

apparently the new thing to do is label it as "pickles" and it gets through.

[TheBeeraholic]

I declard the package to be an anniversary gift for a couple that moved to VA. A big crystal globe containing liquid like a snow globe. With Happy 25th Anniversary in it. When it gets back here I will reship from another address and claim it as Collectable Glassware with FedEx. This time aroud I used Puralator last two before were UPS.

[TheSevenDuffs]

I declard the package to be an anniversary gift for a couple that moved to VA. A big crystal globe containing liquid like a snow globe. With Happy 25th Anniversary in it. When it gets back here I will reship from another address and claim it as Collectable Glassware with FedEx. This time aroud I used Puralator last two before were UPS.

Make sure you set up an on-line account with FedEx (if you haven't done so already). It is WAY cheaper that way. And also, when you just print the tracking slip and drop it off, you get far less questions about what is in the box.

[TheBeeraholic]

I declard the package to be an anniversary gift for a couple that moved to VA. A big crystal globe containing liquid like a snow globe. With Happy 25th Anniversary in it. When it gets back here I will reship from another address and claim it as Collectable Glassware with FedEx. This time aroud I used Puralator last two before were UPS.

Make sure you set up an on-line account with FedEx (if you haven't done so already). It is WAY cheaper that way. And also, when you just print the tracking slip and drop it off, you get far less questions about what is in the box.

Will do. Thanks for the tip, I had no idea you could create an account and were given discounts for it. Thanks.

[grub]

Will do. Thanks for the tip, I had no idea you could create an account and were given discounts for it. Thanks.

yup, discounts, less questions, and the address book and remembered customs stuff is handy if you regularly ship the same stuff and/or to the same people. you get free shipping material too. you can get a stack of the envelopes the customs forms go in, and you can have them ship you all sorts of stuff - padded envelopes, shipping tubes, etc. you can cut tubes down and use them to reinforce, or bring them with you when you travel. I keep them flat when i leave, and if i find any bottles to bring home, open 'em up and pad the bottle with clothes. works great because my usual travel beer tubes don't fit 750's.

[El Pinguino]

I sent 3 shipments to the US recently by Fedex, no problems. Had to add some commercial invoice thing to them. I usually just add a root beer or two to the shipment and say it is soda pop samples and gifts for friends.

Oddly, the one shipment that has been a pain is an actual root beer shipment...no alcohol. trying to track it down as it was "returned to sender" but I don't have it...