Parcelfarce 'unable to confirm the status of parcel'

[wakka]

Hi all

Got some shoes shipped over from the US and it looks like I've been done for customs sadly. The package was shipped via USPS (so EMS) so I've been tracking it via their site and the Parcelforce site - yesterday it was on 'Awaiting Customs Charging', and now it's not tracking at all. The Parcelforce site says simply:

We are currently unable to confirm that status of your parcel. Please check the number and try again.

What's up with that, does anyone know? Ugh I hate f*cking hate Parcelfarce lol.

[fishbowlhead]

Unfortunately this is a problem with customs, has happened to me a lot over the years both personally and professionally. If its gone off the system like that then it's likely customs have lost it, in which case it will never surface again, nor will you get anywhere with them locating it as there completely unhelpful.

My advice is give it up for dead, get your money back rather than wasting time with them locating.

FYI I actually send hundreds of parcels a week with parcel force within the uk and they are honestly great, not a single problem with their service or tracking systems, customs are a seperate entity entirely from parcel force or Royal Mail. Send stuff out the uk however and customs usually hold it, loose it or damage it, great lot customs :/

[wakka]

Um...that's pretty disheartening. It literally got tracked yesterday, I don't know how they could've lost it. Is this something you immediately accept if you see this 'unable to confirm' message?

[fishbowlhead]

Um...that's pretty disheartening. It literally got tracked yesterday, I don't know how they could've lost it. Is this something you immediately accept if you see this 'unable to confirm' message?

With customs? yep, i immediately give it up for dead, they a really are a law unto themselves. If its lost in the parcelforce force system it can be tracked, or failing that manually looked for, or if its local you can at least visit the depo. If its lost in customs it seems to disappear into a black hole to nowhere, no one ever bothers to email you back, look for it or even lift a finger. Makes me angry just thinking about them.

[Mayhem]

If Customs gets it, it usually adds a week to the delivery time. Give it a week, and if it doesn't turn up, then yeah, it may have vanished. But I've not lost anything that's come into the UK from the US, regardless of fee or no fee.

[Soundwave]

If Customs gets it, it usually adds a week to the delivery time. Give it a week, and if it doesn't turn up, then yeah, it may have vanished. But I've not lost anything that's come into the UK from the US, regardless of fee or no fee.

^^This

Losing it totally is pretty rare even with Customs.

Someone may well have taken a shine to the shoes you ordered but I'd definitely give it some time before jumping to the conclusion that you'll never see them again...it could just be a system fault & the tracker is down at the moment

Neil

[speedlolita]

My AV Famicom was in customs for 2 weeks with little to no word.

[wakka]

Thanks for your help guys. Tracking has begun working again so I assume it was just some technical issue with their system. Still stuck at customs charging and will be for some time I'm sure. Here's hoping they don't lose it. I had it marked down to a $50 gift but they must've opened them up and thought 'nah, these are worth more than that'. :/

[briareos_kerensky]

Do UK customs have the habit of asking for the commercial invoice and related documents if they sniff something has been downvalued?

[fishbowlhead]

Do UK customs have the habit of asking for the commercial invoice and related documents if they sniff something has been downvalued?

I think its based on a pretty basic system, they look it up, their system tells them the average value of the item and if they think its been undervalued charge you accordingly. Its still a pretty human orientated process.


Incidentally my parcel force system was down too today when trying to book some parcels in, seems they've been having problems with the system the last few days, some sort of number generating glitch. So it was probably that wakka.