My Estervals Order Was Sent By USPS To Customs And Has been Shipped Back To Germany

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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,863
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
So after waiting for over two months for my shipment to arrive, I called the USPS to find out why it had been bounced from Los Angeles International to Carson and then Back to Los Angeles International and learned that it was shipped back to Germany on Saturday by Customs. No one, not the USPS, nor Customs, reached out to contact me.
I have no idea why this happened, though there may be a clue in the USPS tracking info that says "Insufficient Address". But then why involve Customs?
I'll contact Estervals about a refund.
Just a cautionary tale.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
So after waiting for over two months for my shipment to arrive, I called the USPS to find out why it had been bounced from Los Angeles International to Carson and then Back to Los Angeles International and learned that it was shipped back to Germany on Saturday by Customs. No one, not the USPS, nor Customs, reached out to contact me.
I have no idea why this happened, though there may be a clue in the USPS tracking info that says "Insufficient Address". But then why involve Customs?
I'll contact Estervals about a refund.
Just a cautionary tale.
I have heard of some other issues with Estervals clearing customs.. are they trying to "stop the flow" ??

someone else.. I believe in Cali had the same "insufficient address" issue..
when they got the package the address was 100% correct.
 

Akousticplyr

Lifer
Oct 12, 2019
1,155
5,712
Florida Panhandle
In the grand scheme of world problems....blah blah...perspective....starving kids in Africa...."it's only tobacco"...but....that made ME sad/furious/ready to make pipe bombs while writing a manifesto in a remote cabin in the woods. And it's not even my tobacco.

Sorry Jesse. Maybe they'll send it back! Double aged, world traveller tobacco. There's a gimmick.
 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
Only guessing.

Some customs inspector/agent is taking advantage of his position to Improve The World by Helping to Rid It of Evil Tobacco.

If so, a dollar says there are selfie videos of him doing it several times a day. With a spiteful sneer on his face.

(You know that the biggest thieves by FAR in the airline luggage processing game are the airport's employees, right? Miami Int'l ripped off enough stuff to match a small country's national budget.)

In short, just because they wear a uniform and have a name tag doesn't mean they aren't an asshole.

Check that... it almost always used to. But not anymore.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,863
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I spoke with a customer service representative at Customs, who informed me that they were not involved in any way and that the USPS service representative was mistaken. She had me go over the USPS tracking information with her. Had this been referred to Customs by the USPS there would have been an entry, which there is not. Moreover, Customs would have contacted me by letter, which did not happen, and that the parcel in question would not have been shipped back by them, since they don't pay to ship packages.

So this is either another USPS screw up or an Estervals screw up. I've contacted Estervals to alert them about the matter, including a screen grab of the tracking info.

I may just decide, screw it. Between DHL, which sat on the package for nearly a month before sending it to the US, and the USPS, which has been turned into a bigger basket case than it formerly was, who needs the headache?
 

peregrinus

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
1,205
3,787
Pacific Northwest
"Insufficient Address". But then why involve Customs?
Jesse, I posted about a similar experience with my last Estervals order that arrived at the end of May.
My order, when it arrived, was held up at the local USPS Office I called my local PO to see what the issue was and was told that there was "Insufficient Address” for delivery. Further, they would be returning it to sender in 24 hours. I went straight away and picked it up at the PO.
When I took possession of the package I looked ar how Estervals had addressed the package and it was absolutely perfectly addressed.
Not an answer for you but it was luck on my part I received the order at all.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
Jesse, I posted about a similar experience with my last Estervals order that arrived at the end of May.
My order, when it arrived, was held up at the local USPS Office I called my local PO to see what the issue was and was told that there was "Insufficient Address” for delivery. Further, they would be returning it to sender in 24 hours. I went straight away and picked it up at the PO.
When I took possession of the package I looked ar how Estervals had addressed the package and it was absolutely perfectly addressed.
Not an answer for you but it was luck on my part I received the order at all.
Ok it was your Estervals story I am remembering. ?
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
I don’t remember but are the to and from reversed on German post? Maybe they are so dumb at USPS they can’t figure out that the return address is in the middle and the delivery address isn’t?
 

lightmybriar

Lifer
Mar 11, 2014
1,315
1,838
This happened to me with a pipe I bought from Gustavo Cunha in Brazil. Same story “insufficient address.” The address was perfect. Happened two times in a row, and I was never notified. Finally he sent it to me via DHL. Weird.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,803
What a bummer. I plan to eventually try some of the HU blends, so I will prepare myself ahead for the possibilities.

Just curious: are you guys ordering from the EU because of better availability of blenders like SG and Rattrays, or is it for stuff you can’t get over here in the US at all? Some of both?
 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
I don’t remember but are the to and from reversed on German post? Maybe they are so dumb at USPS they can’t figure out that the return address is in the middle and the delivery address isn’t?
Hahaha! I worked for the post office for nearly a decade... the short of it is, I don’t trust them to handle my valuables. I would much rather use another (any other) service than usps. It is by far the worst establishment that I have ever worked for. I was young when I started there so I didn’t know any better, I thought that was just how the work place was. It wasn’t until later on that I realized that other companies use the post office as an example of how NOT to run your business. The management there is a complete joke.
 

creole

Might Stick Around
Jul 31, 2019
56
63
So after waiting for over two months for my shipment to arrive, I called the USPS to find out why it had been bounced from Los Angeles International to Carson and then Back to Los Angeles International and learned that it was shipped back to Germany on Saturday by Customs. No one, not the USPS, nor Customs, reached out to contact me.
I have no idea why this happened, though there may be a clue in the USPS tracking info that says "Insufficient Address". But then why involve Customs?
I'll contact Estervals about a refund.
Just a cautionary tale.
I can’t speak to the “Insufficient Address” issue but this sounds more like a USPS problem. I‘ve had several packages and certified letters that I have tracked from one city to another and back again only to disappear entirely in some cases.
 

creole

Might Stick Around
Jul 31, 2019
56
63
What a bummer. I plan to eventually try some of the HU blends, so I will prepare myself ahead for the possibilities.

Just curious: are you guys ordering from the EU because of better availability of blenders like SG and Rattrays, or is it for stuff you can’t get over here in the US at all? Some of both?
I have made something like ten orders from Estervals without any problem other than a typical one month delivery time. I started ordering to try the HU blends I read so much about and continued to order my HU favorites along with a few Dan Tobacco blends that are unavailable here. I’ve bought a fair amount of Capstan from Estervals as well due to the attractive price.
 

guylesss

Can't Leave
May 13, 2020
322
1,155
Brooklyn, NY
So this is either another USPS screw up or an Estervals screw up. I've contacted Estervals to alert them about the matter, including a screen grab of the tracking info.

I may just decide, screw it. Between DHL, which sat on the package for nearly a month before sending it to the US, and the USPS, which has been turned into a bigger basket case than it formerly was, who needs the headache?
All my sympathy too--there but for the will of. . ., and all that.

The weird monthlong wait within Germany has long been a given with whatever "economy" DHL package service it is that Esterval uses.

What then happens or fails once international packages clear customs is 100% USPS fault, and I've had at least twice as many packages as usual this year go on truly bizarre detours to visit post offices in the wrong direction, stall for an extra day, or more alarming, get scanned as delivered before they arrive. Or arrive without being scanned. Or in a couple of cases get marked "delivered" but fail to arrive (--which makes getting a refund so much more fun).

Estervals, at least in my recent experience, has done everything exactly right. Not that this makes this sort of screw up any less disappointing after an interminable wait, checking every few days to see where the heck is it (now)?
 
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