US Customs Slooowwww

bluegrassbrian · Jun 18, 2018

I guess what I'm really after is hope and encouragement.
I commissioned a meer from a Turkish carver and it was shipped.

It arrived in the US, went into Customs, and has been stuck on "Inbound Out Of Customs" for almost 5 weeks.

I've never personally had a hold up this long, but based on Google results it's not TOO uncommon.
My USPS office said it hasn't entered their tracking system yet, therefore they can't do much of anything about it.
Anyone else have this happen with a pipe from Turkey?

mso489 · Jun 18, 2018

I've not tried to order a pipe from overseas, but my experiences with customs is foreboding. I worked for decades with a research group, and when we sent boxes of publications out-of-country, we were advised to hire a customs broker or the cartons would arrive months late or not at all. I think your Meerschaum will move, but no telling how long it will take. Customs seems to be one of those bureaucracies that is universally inefficient in nearly all nations. I think the officials are continually under so many different pressures and mandates they just lose hope and stagnate. There are disincentives to moving faster, few rewards, and of course there is just good old human laziness. I think the customs brokers cultivate the officials and probably hand around some "incentive" money where needed, the way their customers can't.

ben88 · Jun 18, 2018

I would say that there is a problem.

Was the pipe insured for loss or damage?

In any event only shipper can initiate a inquiry.

mso489 · Jun 18, 2018

True. The retailer is the right cage to rattle.

bluegrassbrian · Jun 18, 2018

Ive read accounts of similar situations that took up to 6 weeks to finally push through.

If it goes that long Ill start the cage rattlin. :puffpipe:

Chasing Embers · Jun 18, 2018

That is strange. From across the pond, to Kentucky, here is my experience in ordering pipes.
Denmark-3 days

Germany-5 days

Italy-9 days

Australia-14 days

bluegrassbrian · Jun 18, 2018

In all my prior experience Ive never had to wait more than 10 days from anywhere.. Usually more like 6 or 7.

PaulTheScandinavian · Jun 18, 2018

Just recently I was waiting for my pipe to arrive from U.S whole 2.5 months, but here I must point out this very pipe was sent via Ups Super Saver turtle slow'shipping option,and it may have been sitting on our Customs shelves as well for some period before the postal folks sent me a notice 'you have gotten a parcel from outside of EU and thus It might be subject to customer taxes,once You are finished with the customs clearance process we urge you to send us proof of payments and we will proceed further on with Your parcel.

craiginthecorn · Jun 18, 2018

I've purchased pipes from Serbia, Russia, Poland, Italy, France, England, and Ireland. For some reason, Poland has been by far the slowest. Figure on three weeks, and six to eight weeks from Poland. This is based on four separate purchases from Poland.

ben88 · Jun 18, 2018

I've dealt with US Customs few times.

Usually there are 2 reasons for lack of updates. First - Custons aren't sure the proper value was declared and trying to appraise the merchandise. But it wouldn't take 5 weeks. Second reason, hope you had it insured, pipe has found a diffent new owner or package got tossed for some reason. Sorry.

jguss · Jun 18, 2018

maybe it's the fact that it's a pipe; maybe the fact that it's from turkey; maybe just bad luck.
i've ordered many other things (eg clothing from sweden, sunglasses from italy) and it's rarely taken more than three days to get to nj.

mrenglish · Jun 18, 2018

It can be hit or miss. I've gotten pipes from Italy in 4 days and others have taken a month or more.

woodsroad · Jun 18, 2018

All of my overseas orders have cleared customs quickly. I'm in Pennsylvania, so my packages usually go through New York. On occasion, for some inexplicable reason, packages will go through Chicago. Then there will be delays.

npod · Jun 18, 2018

I’ve never had a problem from Europe proper. I order from Denmark Germany and Italy often for example. Never had to wait more than a week.

saltedplug · Jun 18, 2018

3 purchases of Condor shipped from Dublin each arrived in 3 days.

woodsroad · Jun 18, 2018

The UK has been fraught with problems for me, but the the difficulties have always been on their side of the ditch, not the US Customs. They recently held up a package containing a vintage Parker Roller Beacon lighter (never had fluid in it) for two months before determining that it was mostly harmless and allowing it to pass through to me.
That country is a sewer of statist bureaucrats and passive subjects.

jpmcwjr · Jun 18, 2018

Similar to this?? Woods- there's a tutorial on how to take photos.....
:twisted:

woodsroad · Jun 18, 2018

Those aren't your initial! You can't fool me! All FAKE NEWS!

woodsroad · Jun 18, 2018

Parker Roller Beacon, bought from a UK seller

It languished in bowels of the Dangerous Goods Support Team Subterranean Inspection Division for almost two months, while they held various high-level meetings, conferences and think tank pow-wows to try to determine the threat level posed by my lighter. After great deliberation, they eventually identified the Parker Roller Beacon as "mostly harmless"

woodsroad · Jun 18, 2018

4 Pitt St., Barnsley, England, where my lighter was subjected to relentless interrogations, without the benefit of counsel, for almost two months.

I strongly suspect that the woman seated on the wall had something to do with it all. But I can't prove it at this point in time.

US Customs Slooowwww

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