#shipping-customs 2025-05-25

what happened when you queried a missing parcel with the supplier

courier or postal service, which has been better for the Netherlands

signature requirements slow things down and do not obviously reduce loss

order in winter

i have lost 8 parcels in three years across a lot of orders. that is the actual rate for me

tracking going dark for a week or ten days at a port is common and resolves on its own most of the time

paying for a faster service does not speed up customs. it speeds up the legs either side of customs

the same address every time is fine. a different address every time looks worse, not better

follow up 7 days to Spain with working tracking the whole way is at the good end of what i have seen

a liquid cold pack tells you it was above freezing, not that the vial cooked. lyophilised powder is robust

i declare it as what it is at a low value. we do not discuss wording beyond that here

a port stall is not the same as a customs hold and the tracking language usually distinguishes them

winter shipping into a cold country risks freezing, which is a different problem from heat and gets discussed less

the transit table is pinned and built from what members actually reported, not from what suppliers quote

ok so nobody here can tell you what will clear customs where you live and the mods stop that conversation quickly

genuine question a seizure letter is usually the end of it. you have lost the parcel and that is almost always the whole consequence

is it worth paying for a faster service or does customs eat the difference

update from 16 months ago: Australia transit has got slower, consistently, across four orders, still working it out