Estervals To Recommence Shipping to USA [5.23.21]

[Gus]

Update on my previously mentioned order placed end of May. Order remained on track for estimated delivery of June 4th until it seemed to stall in a major SE U.S. Gateway the 2nd/3rd. No calls or emails at that point from me or DHL. Monday morning tracking status changed to delivery on "hold." in red. Still no reasoning etc... so I took @greeneyes advice and called DHL at that point.

Pleasant young lady located the file and immediately mentioned these key phrases as she (seemed to be) reading something more to herself than me. Pipe shop (said like a question to me), unk "...FDA full authority...", unk "deeming", unk "customs", unk "cigarettes"... Then she asked directly if this contained tobacco and I said legally purchased tinned pipe tobacco absolutely no cigarettes and no cigars, not that most cigars would be a problem either. She said tobacco contents was the reason for the hold.

She offered to push it to a supervisor and I accepted... again I stated legally purchased tins and not cigarettes. After a few minutes she got back on and advised I'd receive a call or email in a few hours with the explanation and outcome.

No call back received so I figured it was over and tins were heading back to Germany. But several hours later the tracking status changed with today's estimated delivery date to my door.

Received the below contents around 4pm today.

View attachment 83668

congrats, enjoy it with health

 

[pantsBoots]

Update on my previously mentioned order placed end of May. Order remained on track for estimated delivery of June 4th until it seemed to stall in a major SE U.S. Gateway the 2nd/3rd. No calls or emails at that point from me or DHL. Monday morning tracking status changed to delivery on "hold." in red. Still no reasoning etc... so I took @greeneyes advice and called DHL at that point.

Pleasant young lady located the file and immediately mentioned these key phrases as she (seemed to be) reading something more to herself than me. Pipe shop (said like a question to me), unk "...FDA full authority...", unk "deeming", unk "customs", unk "cigarettes"... Then she asked directly if this contained tobacco and I said legally purchased tinned pipe tobacco absolutely no cigarettes and no cigars, not that most cigars would be a problem either. She said tobacco contents was the reason for the hold.

She offered to push it to a supervisor and I accepted... again I stated legally purchased tins and not cigarettes. After a few minutes she got back on and advised I'd receive a call or email in a few hours with the explanation and outcome.

No call back received so I figured it was over and tins were heading back to Germany. But several hours later the tracking status changed with today's estimated delivery date to my door.

Received the below contents around 4pm today.

View attachment 83668

Jeez. That's a lot of work just to get an order delivered.

 

[sablebrush52]

life is very curious, as soon as I notified them the file number of my complaint to the European Consumer Protection Agency...in 5 minutes my money was on my card again ....

if I stand still and don't object, they keep it for three weeks... it is clear that either you defend your rights or they trample on you.

True everywhere.

 

[sablebrush52]

My guess is that corporate still doesn't know about what's going on and the hammer will eventually fall (coin toss) either for or against our interests as some type of internal policy/memorandum on how to handle future orders. Eventually.

Well, tis a noble cause, but should a corporate decision be made it's likely going in the direction as against shipping finished tobacco products to individual retail customers. Too many potential complications.

 

[craig61a]

Well, tis a noble cause, but should a corporate decision be made it's likely going in the direction as against shipping finished tobacco products to individual retail customers. Too many potential complications.

Doggone CFR 27 PT 41...

 

[Gus]

Well, tis a noble cause, but should a corporate decision be made it's likely going in the direction as against shipping finished tobacco products to individual retail customers. Too many potential complications.

I hope it is not so, but I already said it, in April in Spain, the shipping offices that have several transport companies such as FEDEX, DHL, TNT, UPS, etc. received a notification from the Transport Consortium where they were informed that the shipment of any product or tobacco derivative was prohibited through them ... I hope it only stays in Spain, but there is a saying here ....

"when you see your neighbor's beard cut, put yours to soak"...more than one of you in the USA was told by the DHL employee that it was forbidden to send tobacco with his company...and that he would return the package to the sender.

Do you really believe that an employee can make up something like that if he has not been communicated in some way? or that he would risk at his own risk to return a shipment without having certainty that someone told him that this could be done because it violated their rules?

I don't think so...and that this will become more and more frequent...unfortunately.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm not sure why it is such a big deal. The HU blends are quite good but they aren't all that and certainly aren't worth all the hassle and risk. If it's that big of a deal, find a summer deal on a flight to Germany and visit Estervals in person. Take a companion. Buy 20 lbs worth of pipe tobacco. Bring 5 lbs each back with you and ship the other 10 lbs to yourself in separate 2 lb boxes. Label it gifts, books, etc.. Remember to also buy 2 to 4 boxes of Cuban cigars each as you can now bring those back in quantities for personal consumption.

 

[PipesRock]

Jeez. That's a lot of work just to get an order delivered.

Agreed. I don't think I'll be ordering again soon. Glad I received it, but certainly enough hoops to give me pause for the future.

 

[pappymac]

I have received a tracking update on my order from Esterval's.

I'm hoping the Clearance processing complete means it is closer to me.

 

[PipesRock]

I'm not sure why it is such a big deal. The HU blends are quite good but they aren't all that and certainly aren't worth all the hassle and risk. If it's that big of a deal, find a summer deal on a flight to Germany and visit Estervals in person. Take a companion. Buy 20 lbs worth of pipe tobacco. Bring 5 lbs each back with you and ship the other 10 lbs to yourself in separate 2 lb boxes. Label it gifts, books, etc.. Remember to also buy 2 to 4 boxes of Cuban cigars each as you can now bring those back in quantities for personal consumption.

I partially agree, but oh man... one tin of Janneman Flake and one or two tins of Old Fredder's wasn't enough from previous orders. The mildly spicy, naturally fruity and semi-sweet Janneman is fantastic. Old Fredder's is simply a wonderful VaPer that builds in strength as smoked. Having said that however, as mentioned in my post above, HU purchases are on pause with me because of the uncertainty and complications. Hopefully my order experience can still somewhat help others.

 

[sablebrush52]

I'm not sure why it is such a big deal. The HU blends are quite good but they aren't all that and certainly aren't worth all the hassle and risk. If it's that big of a deal, find a summer deal on a flight to Germany and visit Estervals in person. Take a companion. Buy 20 lbs worth of pipe tobacco. Bring 5 lbs each back with you and ship the other 10 lbs to yourself in separate 2 lb boxes. Label it gifts, books, etc.. Remember to also buy 2 to 4 boxes of Cuban cigars each as you can now bring those back in quantities for personal consumption.

The HU blends I loved in 2016 are not what they were, thanks to K&K substituting components, so I don't really care. Had I known about the substitutions before ordering I wouldn't have wasted the money. There are a couple of blends I would have liked to try, but nothing worth the potential hassle. I had my first bowl of Watch City 558 earlier today, which is grandfathered in, and I care even less about Esterval's. There's good stuff here that you can get without white knuckling delivery.

 

[sablebrush52]

I partially agree, but oh man... one tin of Janneman Flake and one or two tins of Old Fredder's wasn't enough from previous orders. The mildly spicy, naturally fruity and semi-sweet Janneman is fantastic. Old Fredder's is simply a wonderful VaPer that builds in strength as smoked. Having said that however, as mentioned in my post above, HU purchases are on pause with me because of the uncertainty and complications. Hopefully my order experience can still somewhat help others.

I like Janneman Flake and have some Old Fredders from years ago when it was good. I'll just make due with what I have and enjoy the other dozens of great blends that I have, many of which can be bought here without the hassle. I would be great to have Janneman here.

 

[ofafeather]

I had my first bowl of Watch City 558 earlier today,

Exceptional.

 

[Gus]

I'm not sure why it is such a big deal. The HU blends are quite good but they aren't all that and certainly aren't worth all the hassle and risk. If it's that big of a deal, find a summer deal on a flight to Germany and visit Estervals in person. Take a companion. Buy 20 lbs worth of pipe tobacco. Bring 5 lbs each back with you and ship the other 10 lbs to yourself in separate 2 lb boxes. Label it gifts, books, etc.. Remember to also buy 2 to 4 boxes of Cuban cigars each as you can now bring those back in quantities for personal consumption.

for me it is not a concern, I have more tobacco than I will be able to smoke in my life for sure, whether bought in the EU, USA or elsewhere...if I go on vacation I am not going to buy a gram of tobacco, I am going to enjoy with my wife and daughter.


if it is important or not to have access to other tobaccos in other countries, it is up to each one to decide it and their tastes, their money...and maybe their risk....me it seems.

what outrages me is the banning, banning for the sake of banning ..... on the basis of what?

But I am also outraged by any ban without justification.

I am also outraged by "those who look at their own navel" and sit in their armchair and don't care, as long as they are comfortable and don't worry about others because they don't need any of it.

I am also indignant to think of those who start smoking a pipe and do not have cellars with dozens of pounds like many of us and will have to risk paying much more in legal taxes, in the best case, to be able to try new tobaccos, as we all did some day, or in the worst case not being able to do it.

I am outraged that a 30 year old starting out should miss out on the magnificent experience of being able to explore and search for his favorite tobaccos because they are forbidden to transport them.

I am outraged that they prohibit to transport or send between countries a product that is legal all over the world and that the final responsible for its use is the consumer who buys it.

But above all I am outraged by those who do not think of others and only think of themselves, "as I have everything, whoever does not have it or is forbidden to do so, can go to hell"....

I am outraged by those who look at their own navel and do not look at the navel of the world..

 

[pappymac]

My latest update is my package from Esterval's is now sitting at the DHL facility about 35 miles from my house and is "waiting for the next delivery cycle."

Apparently, it will either be delivered sometime tomorrow or else on Monday.

 

[greeneyes]

My latest update is my package from Esterval's is now sitting at the DHL facility about 35 miles from my house and is "waiting for the next delivery cycle."

Apparently, it will either be delivered sometime tomorrow or else on Monday.

Please call DHL and ask them to deliver it immediately. This seems to work well.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

for me it is not a concern, I have more tobacco than I will be able to smoke in my life for sure, whether bought in the EU, USA or elsewhere...if I go on vacation I am not going to buy a gram of tobacco, I am going to enjoy with my wife and daughter.


if it is important or not to have access to other tobaccos in other countries, it is up to each one to decide it and their tastes, their money...and maybe their risk....me it seems.

what outrages me is the banning, banning for the sake of banning ..... on the basis of what?

But I am also outraged by any ban without justification.

I am also outraged by "those who look at their own navel" and sit in their armchair and don't care, as long as they are comfortable and don't worry about others because they don't need any of it.

I am also indignant to think of those who start smoking a pipe and do not have cellars with dozens of pounds like many of us and will have to risk paying much more in legal taxes, in the best case, to be able to try new tobaccos, as we all did some day, or in the worst case not being able to do it.

I am outraged that a 30 year old starting out should miss out on the magnificent experience of being able to explore and search for his favorite tobaccos because they are forbidden to transport them.

I am outraged that they prohibit to transport or send between countries a product that is legal all over the world and that the final responsible for its use is the consumer who buys it.

But above all I am outraged by those who do not think of others and only think of themselves, "as I have everything, whoever does not have it or is forbidden to do so, can go to hell"....

I am outraged by those who look at their own navel and do not look at the navel of the world..

You're outraged a lot. You might want some anger management counseling. LOL

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

My latest update is my package from Esterval's is now sitting at the DHL facility about 35 miles from my house and is "waiting for the next delivery cycle."

Apparently, it will either be delivered sometime tomorrow or else on Monday.

Drive over and pick it up.

 

[pappymac]

Please call DHL and ask them to deliver it immediately. This seems to work well.

I would but I'm already on the way out of town. If I would have guessed it would be here tomorrow, I would have waited a day.

One of our daughters will be at the house tomorrow and will put it on my desk.

 

[Gus]

You're outraged a lot. You might want some anger management counseling. LOL

no, I handle it very well, thank you, but there are things that for me are inexplicable and do not make sense.