Has anyone noticed that packages are taking even longer to clear through customs? I have had two packages this week that took 3 days to clear through and they were just flashlights, the laser that I thought would be an issue was not delayed at all.
I’ve also had more packages open in and inspected in the last month than ever before. When the package is cut open and DHS tape is closing the hole it’s fairly obvious they opened it.
Which brings me to the next question. Has anyone ever had Customs confiscate an item from China because it was counterfeit?
Out of hundreds, probably thousands of packages I have only had one package opened by customs. It was a couple of rifle bipods, inspected and still got here in a little over a week from China. None of my flashlight packages have ever been inspected by customs.
I would assume this means they are doing their job, which is a good thing given what could be inside a package. Pointless having customs and other border protection if something as simple as a stamped package can just waltz on in via courier.
I don’t mind them doing their job, I am glad they do. In 5 or so years of ordering from China I’ve never had them check a package before. I found it odd that it has suddenly began, could just be dumb luck. So was curious if anyone else was running into the same thing.
I admit it is bad enough waiting 4 weeks for things to get here, now watching a tracking number just sit for several days is a little annoying.
Bought an Atlas clone(2nd one, left column) and a Bobro/GG&G clone(3rd one left column or 3rd one right column, not sure of difference). Both are excellent quality but the anodizing is horrible, comes off if you look at it. At one forth the cost of a real one, they are excellent. Will probably Cerakote them.
It’s funny, I’m always hearing about people that get their international orders from China and the like stopped at customs. I’ve personally never had a problem (knock on wood).
My last 2 orders from GearBest were held in customs for a few days, but they all got to me eventually. One was an LED Flashlight, which was held in customs for about 3 days, and the other was a battery wall charger and a 6pack of rechargeable AAAs which were held for 24 hours (Idk why GB informed me about that).
Maybe it has to do with the mail carrier? I feel like I have less trouble when I pay for a private carrier like UPS and DHL vs. ChinaPost, but that’s more of a guess.
I have 30 or so more packages expected from China to get to me, the main delay is China to the US, to the entry for ISC [city]. After that it’s smooth sailing. I’ve only had mail lost(1 domestic, 1 international) that I suspected the senders to smoke weed. So far the only delay I’ve seen is less than a week to leave China and finally get scanned in the USA for AliExpress orders. BangGood is reaching three weeks, I’m guessing since there’s a lithium battery in one of the products.
I have has mixed results in shipping from China. Singapore is much slower, Japan about equal to China.
About 300 total orders over the last 4 years.
Most times items arrive in a fairly swift time without issue. Especially the ones with CN tracking.
I just had the delivery of a TR-J18 with 2- 26650 batteries arrive here 9 days after order.
I have a daughter who works, as a teacher, in Foshan, China. About 50 miles from Shenzhen, where most of the electronics are made.
Try shipping something TO China….good luck….total train-wreck and MEGA expensive. $60 USPS to ship a cell phone(marked as gift). Took 38 days to arrive. Was opened and repacked.
They have opened most of the boxes we have sent her, although repacked nicely, they certainly go through them.
It’s like they do not want us to ship anything to them….hmmmm
We have taken to shipping items DHL and paying big$$ just to get things to her without issues.
Shipping from the US is also slow in my experience.
shipping from Japan is 95% of the time relatively fast.. see my eneloop sales thread for feedback from member who`ve ordered from me. I recently have had a few European orders, that arrived within 4 days! regular airmail. Usually 7days for regular airmail.
so Im not sure where and what you`ve ordered in Japan dno36, but your experience is the opposite of my experience.
Im waiting on an order, ordered on January 2nd, from the US.. shipped on the 16th, and no sign of it yet.
its almost a month now.. and already 1.5months since ordering..... we need a lot of patience ordering from the US as well!
shipments from China now take over a month to deliver
in here sri lanka, early 2014 and before it took around 14-20 days
but now every shipments took over 30-40 days.
I don’t know why this happen
Hi ChibiM,
I have not ordered a large number of items from Japan, but the shipments have been similar to the delivery times I get from China.
What do you mean opposite??
Working with the usual comments on shipping from China, its not fast and can be months. You mentioned China and Japan as being similar in your experience. You did not say how long it took from China in that experience, just mixed.
Chibi was saying that he has nothing but good delivery speeds reported back to him from Japan (some as low as 4 days to Europe from Japan), ie: its the opposite to slow. Im yet to read anyone saying from China was that quick, or anywhere near it. Fastest Ive experienced to Australia from China was about 14 days, but its not normal to be that fast.
I have ordered hundreds of items from China and only maybe a dozen from Japan, so my experience is limited from Japan. In my limited experience, the Japan orders might be a bit quicker to arrive, but the difference to the central US is small.
My Chinese lead time range from between 10 and 26 days typically. Why the inconsistent span, I have no clue.
It does not seem to be based on the value or size of item or content of the package at all….?
I just received some LED dashlight ‘bulbs’ for my car, a $0.56 E-Bay purchase with shipping, arrived 11 days, double foam wrapped with a tracking number. So I think sellers who want to charge an extra $2 for a tracking number are gouging us……
On the other hand I ordered a 2nd TR-J18 torch with 26650 batteries from the same seller I bought the 1st one from. The 1st one arrived in 9 days! I have been waiting 20 days on the 2nd order and yesterday it just reached Chicago. Probably another 3 days out. Same exact item……14 days longer.
I have had items take longer, but very few get ‘lost’. The longest anything I ordered in the last 3 months took was 40 days and that came from Singapore via Netherlands post. Items that ship without tracking typically take longer, but not always.
The items I have ordered from DX seem to take considerably longer to get here VS. ordering from decent E-Bay sellers.
If you check shipping estimates before bidding, it will give you an idea if the seller is a warehouse or just a local dealer buying from different warehouses, which will take longer times to ship, due to them having to fill an order then ship it out.
JFYI,
Here is the inconsistent shipping times of which I spoke.
The 2nd TR-J18 just arrived in a total of 22 days….same exact order from same exact seller.
The order days were 12 days apart and it was put in well before the Chinese New Year.
I see no reason why the major difference in ship times. There appeared to be a delay at the Shenzhen - Chicago leg.
Cheers
Dean
I am just reporting my experience receiving items from the far East to here in the central US.
Shipping items TO my daughter in China is a joke….terribly long and expensive.
My daughter, who is in Tokyo right now, has a friend in Tokyo and shipping between here near Chicago and Tokyo is quite a bit quicker than trying to ship items to Foshan CN.
As far as receiving items from Japan or China to get here, there is very little difference timewise.
A greater factor is shipping times is always related to who you are buying from.
If you buy from a manufacturer or a warehouse, the shipping times are always quicker.
If you buy from a dealer or broker, who has to purchase from one or more different locations, then ship out, the lead times are greatly increased.
My last order from Japan about 6 months ago took 16 days to arrive……very normal for time for the far East to here.
Thank You for your activity on the BLF, it is the work of all of us together who make this an excellent forum.
I’m guessing the lithium battery in the products causing slow downs.
It goes as follows：
As the above products are restricted and it will take a long time for the Custom Clearance,So please send them to us separately or the delivery time of other spare parts will be delayed.