Estervals and Shipping to the US

[greeneyes]

Alright. Many moving parts, but here is the summary. My package is finally on its way. It's not an Estervals order, but a large tobacco order from Wesleys the South African tobacconist, shipped via DHL Express.

After much hassle, many phone calls, and debating law with DHL agents who could care less, I've arrived at this conclusion. At this time, if you ask me what you'd have to do to not have a pipe tobacco shipment stopped/returned to origin, it would be these two things:

[1] Create a free DHL Express account

[2] Fill out a DHL Power of Attorney form so that DHL is empowered to accept tobacco on your behalf. Once uploaded into your "company master file," the POA is standing until such time as you revoke it, meaning you won't need it for subsequent shipments. I have the POA form and can give you guidance on how to fill it out, and the contact info for DHL Imports is 866-600-0014. I also have several emails for DHL Imports agents who could file this paperwork on your behalf, though I'm not sure if it can be done pre-emptively without a waybill number, although I would expect it could.

I would file this paperwork, and ensure that your shipping information matches the information on the paperwork, especially your phone numbers and email.

Finally, I would call DHL Express as soon as your parcel is shipped and inquire about the parcel with the waybill to ensure that the waybill is linked to your account which has the POA on file.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

A question for all of you have have had DHL issues, regardless of foreign vendor. Are these west coast or east coast deliveries? If central USA what is the main inbound airport from overseas.

 

[greeneyes]

A question for all of you have have had DHL issues, regardless of foreign vendor. Are these west coast or east coast deliveries? If central USA what is the main inbound airport from overseas.

That would currently be Cincinnati.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

That would currently be Cincinnati.

Okay. Well I’ve never dealt with that entry. NY was always a breeze. There was a great reaping of tobacco in Chicago a number of years ago. Thousands of boxes of cigars and tobacco parcels from over seas were taken and destroyed. So so terrible.

Chicago Customs Seizes 100,000 Cuban Cigars | Cigar Aficionado

Chicago Customs and Border Protection has confiscated an estimated 100,000 Cuban cigars shipped directly from Switzerland. | Cigar Aficionado

www.cigaraficionado.com

 

[greeneyes]

Okay. Well I’ve never dealt with that entry. NY was always a breeze. There was a great reaping of tobacco in Chicago a number of years ago. Thousands of boxes of cigars and tobacco parcels from over seas were taken and destroyed. So so terrible.

Chicago Customs Seizes 100,000 Cuban Cigars | Cigar Aficionado

Chicago Customs and Border Protection has confiscated an estimated 100,000 Cuban cigars shipped directly from Switzerland. | Cigar Aficionado

www.cigaraficionado.com

With DHL, my impression is that US Customs does not actually ever physically come into possession of the package. With regular USPS, packages pass through a Customs inspection point but with DHL packages they seem to pass through an in-house bureaucracy that reports the contents to Customs, FDA or whomever else. Nowhere on the tracking does the DHL package actually seem to pass through a Customs facility. It was always just sitting at the Cincinnati DHL hub, waiting for clearance, which I assume is done remotely somehow. Someone rubber-stamps it and it's released to be delivered.

 

[username]

A question for all of you have have had DHL issues, regardless of foreign vendor. Are these west coast or east coast deliveries? If central USA what is the main inbound airport from overseas.

Mine was in the Los Angeles port of entry before it got returned.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

With DHL, my impression is that US Customs does not actually ever physically come into possession of the package. With regular USPS, packages pass through a Customs inspection point but with DHL packages they seem to pass through an in-house bureaucracy that reports the contents to Customs, FDA or whomever else. Nowhere on the tracking does the DHL package actually seem to pass through a Customs facility. It was always just sitting at the Cincinnati DHL hub, waiting for clearance, which I assume is done remotely somehow. Someone rubber-stamps it and it's released to be delivered.

This is correct. But Estervals labels it as exactly what it is so it’s dutiable/taxable. Wish they didn’t do that.

would be great it they used USPS as the final delivery. There’s a reason the USPS is the largest narcotics trafficking organization in the world.

 

[goldenmole]

I will be travelling the south-west soon starting in LA and might have a tin of golden Virginia Flake for anyone desperate in the area to pick up and trade . Redondo beach, Sedona, Bryce Canyon, back to LA with perhaps a stop in Las Vegas. 3 weeks from 1st July

 

[sablebrush52]

This is correct. But Estervals labels it as exactly what it is so it’s dutiable/taxable. Wish they didn’t do that.

would be great it they used USPS as the final delivery. There’s a reason the USPS is the largest narcotics trafficking organization in the world.

Prior to Esterval's uprading to DHL Express, USPS did provide delivery after the package went through Customs, and it was very hit or miss, with the USPS increasingly seizing packages and returning them to Germany.

As for not declaring contents, that's fine for individuals who aren't likely to lose their livelihood if caught, but generally very bad for businesses if they're caught.

 

[greeneyes]

This is correct. But Estervals labels it as exactly what it is so it’s dutiable/taxable. Wish they didn’t do that.

would be great it they used USPS as the final delivery. There’s a reason the USPS is the largest narcotics trafficking organization in the world.

Has anyone here been given a bill for customs/excise tax on an Estervals order? I sure haven't.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

Any updates on y’all’s packages?

 

[greeneyes]

Any updates on y’all’s packages?

Mine arrived, finally. I filled out a DHL Power of Attorney form and submitted it to have it put on my file (I registered a DHL Express account; it was free). I was told by the agents that I'll never need to resubmit the form, and that my packages should never get stuck at customs again.

We shall see.

 

[username]

Any updates on y’all’s packages?

mine got sent back to estervals last i heard from them was hey we got your package and were looking into it from our end. i asked if it could be sent back to me haven't heard back yet.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

Mine arrived, finally. I filled out a DHL Power of Attorney form and submitted it to have it put on my file (I registered a DHL Express account; it was free). I was told by the agents that I'll never need to resubmit the form, and that my packages should never get stuck at customs again.

We shall see.

Man that’s promising. I’ll do the steps above ahead of time. I want to make a nice order in July. Thanks for blazing the trail.

 

[greeneyes]

Man that’s promising. I’ll do the steps above ahead of time. I want to make a nice order in July. Thanks for blazing the trail.

I can email you the form (PDF) and the email addresses of the DHL Import/POA agents. After you set up your DHL Express account I'd submit the form via email and then get on the phone & email the next few days to be sure your form is linked to your account. You can do this preemptively or you can wait until the package gets stuck in customs; they should hold it while you send in the paperwork but you have to be sure you talk to someone.

Here's my POA confirmation email:

Hello xxx,​

​

Thank you for supplying a signed, completed POA that was filled out correctly along with IRS proof. I was able to finalize the uploading of the POA into your company master file (CMF)# which is ##### and submitted with our entry team. Please note the POA will remain active/valid on file until a written notice is received to revoke it so for future imports that warrant a POA, you won’t have to worry about supplying another POA since one will already be on file.

We will continue to monitor this shipment until it clears and follow up on Tuesday the 31st by 1700 MST (5:00pm MST) UNLESS we see this shipment has cleared prior. If we see this shipment has cleared prior to our scheduled follow up we will be closing out our import file with no further contact/follow up and for additional assistance you would need to reach out to our Customer Service Team at 800-225-5345. Please note generally once shipments are cleared we have them delivered the next available business day.​

​

Have a great rest of your day.​

Hope this helps.

 

[greeneyes]

mine got sent back to estervals last i heard from them was hey we got your package and were looking into it from our end. i asked if it could be sent back to me haven't heard back yet.

Just emailed Estervals Andreas Harm to see what he thinks. Maybe the percentage of packages being returned is small enough to not warrant the hassle on his end but for my part I feel a little more relief having assurances from DHL that my future shipments won't be held up or threatened with return again.

 

[greeneyes]

"Hello [...],

Thank you for your e-mail.

At the moment we have no problems with DHL Express shipping. We ship about 1,000 to 2,000 shipments a month to the US and only four have come back this year. "

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

"Hello [...],

Thank you for your e-mail.

At the moment we have no problems with DHL Express shipping. We ship about 1,000 to 2,000 shipments a month to the US and only four have come back this year. "

Hmm....okay

 

[greeneyes]

I also asked whether Estervals successfully ships Cuban cigars to the USA since I've often thought about adding some to my basket but wasn't sure whether they arrived in the USA successfully.

Esterval's reply:

"USA is the biggest market for cuban cigars, we ship almost everything we have there."

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

I also asked whether Estervals successfully ships Cuban cigars to the USA since I've often thought about adding some to my basket but wasn't sure whether they arrived in the USA successfully.

Esterval's reply:

"USA is the biggest market for cuban cigars, we ship almost everything we have there."

I will say that I disagree on the biggest...China certainly is bigger overall. Having said that, probably not for German sales. There is absolutely no issue in getting Cuban cigars into the USA. I know a guy...that has shipped dozens upon dozens into the USA and never had a single loss. Now...having said that...the place he bought from did not operate like Estervals...who put tobacco on the box...lol.

Anyone who says Cuban cigars in the USA are all fake...like many of YT videos do are full of kaka.

All that to say...I would not do that and there are better sources for CC.