Although aliexpress gives guarantees for the delivery of orders, nevertheless, a number of goods will never be delivered to the buyer, and there are a number of reasons for this. One of them may be that the parcel did not go through customs.
We have already talked about what products.
If the parcel has not passed customs control, it is returned back to the sender. And not always the problem with customs clearance can be associated with prohibited goods. The parcel may cause suspicion among customs officers for other reasons.
The goods being sent may not have a license or certificate, an invoice may be missing, the goods in the parcel may be recognized as counterfeit, or have a suspicion of a commercial batch. In the latter case, you can try to register the import of goods, but you will have to pay a fee.
The parcel from Aliexpress did not pass customs, what should I do?
Depending on whose fault the parcel with the order from the Aliexpress website did not go through customs, further actions depend.
One thing is clear - you will have to open a dispute.
If the parcel did not go through customs due to the fault of the seller, as additional documents to the dispute, contact the customs service and ask them for an official document stating that the parcel was returned due to violations on the part of the sender, attach screenshots to the dispute from the pages of the services where you tracked parcel.
When opening a dispute, indicate that you did not receive the goods due to problems with customs (Customs problems), as the required refund amount - the cost of the order. Don't forget to attach your documents.
If the parcel did not pass customs through the fault of the seller with Ali, the dispute will probably be completely settled in your favor. If you are at fault for not passing through customs, you may be deducted the cost of delivery. If the seller provides evidence on his part.
Will the money be returned if the parcel from aliexpress did not pass customs?
If your package with an order from aliexpress did not pass customs, after the dispute process is completed in your favor, you will be refunded the money for your purchase. Possibly minus shipping costs.
After the dispute is closed, the money is returned in standard terms - from 3 to 15 days.
In some cases, after the dispute is over, the money goes to the seller even if the buyer has not received the goods.
Most often this happens when the parcel is subject to customs duty.
Each package is scanned by customs. If employees discover that the mailing contains unacceptable (prohibited) items, it can be opened and inspected.
If the customs officer doubts the declared value of the parcel, it can be opened and inspected.
If the customs officer sees a difference in the estimated cost of the parcel and the price of the goods in one of the catalogs (he can use the Internet), then he can re-evaluate the contents of the parcel himself.
In the event that customs officers have discovered an “overload” of the parcel or found out that the price of goods exceeds the duty-free limit, then the parcel is sent to the recipient in the post office in the same way. A customs notice will be attached to the shipment, which will indicate the amount payable for exceeding the norms (duty).
Maximum guarantee period order delivery with Aliexpress 60 days (90 days for delivery to Russia, 120 days to Brazil). If you buy any product in this online store, your rights are protected in case of non-receipt of the goods within the specified time.
One of the reasons for the non-delivery of the parcel to the buyer may be that it did not pass customs.
Earlier in our Aliexpress customs article, we talked about what goods cannot be moved across the border, as well as customs rules and restrictions for Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus.
If the parcel has not passed customs control, it is returned back to the sender.
In this article, we will talk about what to do if, nevertheless, your parcel with an order from Aliexpress did not pass customs.
Reasons why the parcel does not go through customs
From the seller's side:
-
lack of a license or certificate for the product;
-
no invoice;
-
counterfeit products.
From the buyer side:
-
import of prohibited products (goods);
-
in some cases non-payment customs fees(when exceeding the cost limits).
What if with the packagealiexpressdidn't get through customs?
Depending on whose fault the parcel with the order from the Aliexpress website did not go through customs, your further actions depend.
Before opening a dispute, wait until the parcel returns to China, so it will be easier for you to argue your arguments in the dispute.
If the parcel did not pass customs through the fault of the seller , as additional documents to the dispute, contact the customs service (find out by number hotline) and ask them for an official document stating that the parcel was returned due to violations on the part of the seller, and you can additionally attach screenshots from the pages of the services where it was tracked.
1.
In the "My Orders" section on the Aliexpress website, find the order that you did not receive due to the fact that it did not go through customs.
Next to the product description, click the "Open a dispute" button:
2. After clicking the "Open Dispute" button, you will see a window where you will be offered "Return only" or "Return of goods and money". In our case, we press the button "Only return":
You should see such a window in which you need to fill out a small questionnaire:
To the question "Did you receive the goods"? we answer - "No".
Problems with the delivery of goods (Logistics tracking problem)
- Order protection is expiring, but the package is still on the way
- Transport company returned the order
- There is no tracking information (this item is often gray and unavailable due to the fact that the seller seems to have given a track, so if the parcel is not tracked, it is better to choose the first item, i.e. Order protection is expiring, but the parcel is still on the way)
Customs problems
- The customs duty is too high, I don't want to pay
Other
- The seller sent the order to the wrong address.
We indicate the refund amount (order value) and indicate the details why you want to return the money (the reason for the dispute must be described in English, if you do not know English, then I advise you to use an online translator).
Also, as evidence, I advise you to attach a screenshot from the page where you can see the tracking route, and also, if available, the answer from customs service.
After filling out this short questionnaire, click the "Submit" button. 
All disputes are open.
3.
According to the rules of Aliexpress, the seller has 5 days for which he can accept your dispute or offer his own solution to the dispute and can attach his evidence, and if the seller does not respond in any way, the dispute will automatically close in your favor.
If you come to an agreement, the dispute will be closed and you will need to wait for a refund for the purchase.
If the package did not pass customs due to the fault of the buyer , then you will be deducted the cost of delivery since the package with the order will be returned back to the seller in China, but in this case, the seller of the dispute must also argue for such a recovery. The seller himself must, as they say, take the initiative and then, after considering the aggravated dispute, you will be refunded either the full cost of the order or taking into account the deduction of postage.
If negotiations in a dispute do not lead to anything, then the dispute will escalate. If the dispute escalates, it goes to the representatives of the administration of the Aliexpress website.
An aggravated dispute is usually considered within a week and its decision can be both in favor of the buyer and in favor of the seller, it all depends on the reasons and arguments.
Will I get my money back if the parcel from Aliexpress did not go through customs?
If your package with an order from Aliexpress did not pass customs, then after the dispute process is completed in your favor, you will be refunded the money for your purchase.After the dispute is closed, the money is returned in standard terms from 3 to 15 days to where you paid for your order from (to your wallet or bank card).
If your package with an order from Aliexpress did not go through customs due to the fact that you did not pay customs duty, then after the completion of the dispute, you will be returned the money, while most likely will deduct the shipping cost.
In some cases, after the dispute is over, the money goes to the seller, even if the buyer has not received the goods.
Most often this happens when the parcel is subject to customs duty.
Interesting facts about parcels at customs
-
-
-
Do you have any questions? ask your question at
How nice it is to receive a parcel! But the international parcel is not an easy way. On its way from China, it overcomes one very important stage, which will be discussed in this article. This is customs.
As you know, any parcel crossing the state border (be it export or import) undergoes mandatory inspection. X-ray, opening and inspection of the contents of the parcel are carried out in order to control the transport of something illegal.
Customs delayed the parcel
What needs to be considered to prevent this from happening!
Customs inspection of international postal items takes into account the nature of the goods, its consumer properties, the quantity of goods in one shipment, the frequency of shipment. At the same time, special attention belongs to the list of goods that are prohibited for shipment, as well as a certain limit on cost and weight. Moreover, the price limit does not include shipping costs.
According to the information on the official website, the following are prohibited for shipment:
- any kind of weapon
- narcotic substances
- flammable substances
- plants and animals
- hazardous waste
- audio and video materials of a pornographic, terrorist, Nazi nature
- technical means for secretly obtaining information
- human organs and tissues
- alcohol
- radioactive materials
- cultural values
- jewelry.
Items for personal use that are restricted for international shipping include:
- cryptographic means
- radio-electronic and high-frequency means of civil use.
You can send goods only in the amount suitable for personal use. As soon as the parcel is recognized as a commercial cargo, it will be described and obliged to pay customs duty, the amount of which depends on the value of this product.
The parcel is subject to customs clearance if the amount of the goods exceeded 1000 euros, the weight of the parcel exceeded 31 kg, the contents were recognized as a commercial batch. In this case customs will delay the parcel, the recipient will be notified by Customs and will be required to pay duty within 15 days.
If payment is not made on time, then for each day the parcel stays at customs, penalties will be charged.
In order to avoid problems with customs regulations, do not allow customs delays for your package, additional payments, or even a return shipment, you must follow the following tips:
- First, underestimate the cost of the parcel in the declaration, indicate that the goods being sent are a gift. All this can be easily negotiated with the seller in the process of placing your order.
- Secondly, if you need to order a large quantity of goods of the same type, it is better to break it into several parcels with shipment to different addresses. So, you will avoid the recognition of your parcel as a consignment.
- Thirdly, pay attention to the content of the invoice. The process will be accelerated by the correct wording, which will indicate the quantity of goods in the name, indicating the number of sets. For example, not 50 pairs of socks, but 1 set consisting of 50 pairs.
Got a notification: "Customs delayed the package"?
Take your passport and its photocopy with you:
- main page and registration
- an invoice from the seller, a printout of the order confirmation email
- a bank statement on the completed transaction, a printout of the page with the item ordered and the number of the postal item.
You will have to deal with the customs inspectors, pay the state duty, re-fill the paperwork. Therefore, just in case, study Customs Code of the Russian Federation.
According to postal rules, it is considered that until the parcel is delivered to the recipient, it belongs to the sender. Therefore, all responsibility for the correct filling of postal documents, search in case of loss, receipt of compensation in case of theft, etc. lies on the shoulders of the seller.
Plus, on Aliexpress, according to the buyer protection rules, if the buyer has not received the package, then he can get back the entire amount that he paid for the order. Moreover, buyers who no longer needed the goods could simply not pick up the parcel from the post office and after 30 days it went back to China, and the buyer opened a dispute and returned the money. Moreover, there were no problems if suddenly the parcel did not go through customs. And it did not matter for what reasons: whether it was a product prohibited for import, or stolen goods, or the need to pay customs duties. Previously, it was easy to open a dispute, attach a screen of the tracking system, where it was clear that the parcel did not pass customs and went to the seller. In almost 100% of cases, the dispute was resolved in favor of the buyer. After all, he did not receive the parcel.
But, in Lately, problems began for those whose parcel was unwrapped at customs or if the buyer does not want to pay the duty. When opening a dispute due to "Problems with customs" you will see a list of reasons why customs usually holds packages. Such reasons as: lack of an invoice, licenses or certificates, underestimation of the cost of goods, counterfeit goods are the responsibility of the seller. And goods prohibited for import and the need to pay customs fees are on the shoulders of the buyer. That is now, if you are not ready to do customs clearance and pay the fee, then you will be refunded minus the cost of shipping the goods.
If you escalate the dispute for a reason "Problems with customs", then most likely the Aliexpress administration will ask you to provide documents within 7 days stating that the parcel did not pass customs through the fault of the seller.
The buyer receives a message with the following content:
“Please confirm with your local customs and provide official documents from them to clarify the exact delayed reason to AliExpress within 7 calendar days.
If we haven’t received the official document from customs during this time, we would assume that you’re responsible for the shipping fee and compensate seller for the freight.”
(Please contact your customs office and provide official documents within 7 days explaining the reason for the delay of the package. If we do not receive an official document from customs within this time, we will assume that you are responsible for the cost of shipping the goods and compensate her seller"
But this requirement is very difficult to fulfill within 7 days. Since the standard time for registering a request for a document is 3 business days. And the document itself can be prepared by customs officers within 30 days. That is, it is extremely difficult to meet the allotted time and the result does not depend on the buyer, but on other persons.
Moreover, the fault may be entirely of the seller. There were situations when the seller forgot to fill out the customs declaration, when he accidentally wrote in the cost of sending the amount one order of magnitude more than the real value and the goods did not fit into the norms and it was necessary to pay a substantial amount of duty. There were cases when the seller sent copies of tablets and phones that did not go through customs due to being counterfeit. Or significantly underestimated the cost of the goods, which was clearly visible at the customs.
Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, we have not yet seen a single positive outcome of the escalated dispute due to "Problems with customs". In all these cases, when opening a dispute, buyers attached screenshots of the tracking service, where it was clear that the parcel was going back to the seller. And they described the situation in detail, that it was not their fault. Unfortunately, mediators require a document with a signature and seal.
Outcomes of the dispute due to "the goods did not pass customs"
In the letter, the mediators inform that if there is no evidence that the parcel did not pass customs through the fault of the seller, the buyer will receive a refund minus the cost of shipping the goods.
But there are also situations when the money goes completely to the seller, although the buyer has not received the goods. Most often, if the goods are detained by customs or subject to payment of customs duties.
That is, buyers end up without money and without goods. Which is very embarrassing.
How to open a dispute due to "Problems with customs".
First of all, you do not need to rush to open a dispute. Wait until the package arrives in China. Then the seller will see that he will now receive his goods back and it will be easier for him to agree to a return.
Secondly, do not rush to aggravate the dispute. Try to arrange a refund with the seller first. If the reason is clearly in you, then agree to a refund minus the cost of shipping the goods.
If the reason is the seller, then you can request a document stating that the package was deployed through no fault of yours in advance, even before opening a dispute. Then you will definitely be able to meet the required 7 days to provide evidence of the reason for the delay in the parcel.
Status on Aliexpress "Customs clearance failed"
Since the end of April 2018, strange statuses began to appear in the tracking of parcels on the Aliexpress website, saying that "Customs clearance has not been passed." Of course, buyers are very worried when they see that their package has been detained at customs.
Have a question? Write it in the comments or contact the chat06.09.18 57 754 6
Instruction from a person who goes to customs how to work
In July, I spent 12 hours at the Moscow customs, scratching my parcels from them from abroad.
Maxim Ilyakhov
I already know the local inspectors by sight, I come well-prepared and I can resolve issues, if not quickly, then at least the first time. Here's what I learned about getting packages through Russian customs: read this if you're ordering anything from abroad.
What will you learn
How are parcel and customs related
To get to Russia, parcels from abroad must overcome customs: this special service, which monitors the import and export of goods across the border. There are customs offices at airports, seaports, at post offices. When you arrive in Russia and walk along the "green corridor" at the airport, this is also customs.
When an international parcel arrives in Russia, it also goes through customs. This applies to all parcels without exception, even those sent by courier services. The customs officer checks the contents of the parcel (on an X-ray, according to documents, and sometimes even personally) and if everything is in order, he lets the parcel go further into the country. In most cases, this happens unnoticed by us: we simply receive the package in the form in which it was sent. We don't even know she went through customs.
Why customs hold up parcels
Customs has many reasons to delay the package, but in our case, most likely, it will be one of four:
- the customs officer has a suspicion that the product is commercial, although it is declared as a private purchase;
- the recipient has spent the monthly limit on duty-free purchases abroad - in 2019 it is 500 € per month or 31 kg;
- the customs officer did not understand what was in the parcel, he needs an explanation;
- The customs officer decided that there was something forbidden in the parcel.
In these cases, the recipient will be invited to the local customs office to provide clarification and pay duties.
If you suspect that you have exceeded the limit, check if the store or courier knows your TIN. At the time of this writing, customs considers purchase limits only for those parcels for which it requests the recipient's TIN: usually these are parcels of courier services. If the courier service does not know your TIN, you will receive a letter from them: "Specify TIN". Courier Services they know these features of Russian legislation and no longer even send parcels without knowing the recipient's TIN.
If you are ordering something that comes by regular mail and does not require your TIN, it is likely that customs will not count this item as a limit. But it is now. Here they will introduce some kind of control system, and then they will count everything.
How to understand that the parcel was detained at customs
If customs holds your package, two things will happen:
- By the track number of your parcel, it will be clear that it is ready for delivery, but not where you usually receive it, but in some unfamiliar place. In Moscow, this is a branch of the international post office on Varshavskoye shosse, 37. But for now, you don’t need to go there, it will be a waste of time. Alternatively, the tracking package will say "Sent with customs notification."
- Customs will send you ordered letter at the place of delivery of the parcel. In the envelope there will be a template letter from customs, they say, come, my dear. The reasons for the delay, most likely, will not be indicated - the letter is template and vague, but it can be different in different customs departments. A notification of receipt of the parcel with its track, weight and shelf life will be attached to the letter.
If you receive a registered letter, collect the documents and get ready to take time off from work.
It's a bad thing: the track shows that the customs in St. Petersburg sent my package to Moscow with a notification. One of these days I will receive a letter... 
Pay attention to the shelf life of the parcel: if it is about to expire, you need to come as soon as possible. There is a danger that 2-3 days will pass between the first arrival at customs and the actual release of the parcel - you will have to collect some additional documents or you will not be accepted on the first day. During this time, the storage period may expire, and the parcel will be sent back.
Do not receive a letter if you are not going to customs
By notification in your mailbox, you will understand that the letter came from the main post office.
If you understand that you will not go to customs for economic reasons (read about this below), you can simply ignore the letter. Then the parcel will go back in two weeks, and you will be able to order this product again after a while, for example, when the limit on duty-free import is reset.
What to take with you to customs
Since we don't yet know why customs delayed the package, we need to prepare for the worst. Here's what to take with you from the documents.
Letter and notice sent to you. This is the basis for the customs officer to talk to you. The letter will need to be given, and upon notification you will be given a package if everything is fine.
Passport copies: first page and registration. You'll need one copy, but it doesn't hurt to have a few on hand. When you order goods from the Internet, it can be difficult to stop. In Varshavka, there is a photocopier directly at the post office, 15 R per copy.
Copies of documents of relatives. If the parcel contains a lot of goods that you ordered for family members, copies of their passports will be required to prove that you ordered the goods not for sale, but for relatives. It should be clear from the copies that these are your relatives. If it is not clear - copies of documents that establish kinship: marriage certificates, birth certificates.
Purchase confirmation- an invoice from the online store and confirmation of payment. The invoice is usually downloaded on the store's website, and the check - in the Internet bank. According to the invoice and receipt, it should be clear that it was you who paid for the goods.
Descriptions of what is in the package. You need to be ready to explain to the customs officer what is in the parcel, with pictures. Photos of the goods from the site, printouts of the pages of the online store will do. If there are a lot of different things in the parcel, documents are needed for everything: the customs officer may have questions about a particular thing. Last time, when I went to customs, I had a dozen photos of the goods in the parcel, the customs officer studied them with great interest, asking, “What is this? But here? And how does it work?" The photos helped a lot.
14 days
period of storage of the parcel at customs
Cash to pay the fee: if you have exceeded the limit in value - 30% of the value exceeding the limit; if exceeded by weight - 4 € for each kilogram of overweight. All in terms of rubles. In Moscow, Varshavka does not accept cards, but there is one Post-Bank ATM. Whether it will work and whether there will be money in it is unknown.
From household items it is worth taking one more thing.
Thermos of tea and a snack. It's easy to spend 5-7 hours in line to the inspector. You can go out, at the post office you can drink coffee from the machine, but I prefer to take my own.
A set of bright Post-its stickers and an unusual marker. You will be surprised why they are useful. For now, just toss it in your bag.
On Varshavka, according to my observations, Mobile Internet catches badly. If you planned to watch TV shows via the Internet, it is better to download them to your tablet in advance. If you are working with google docs, install the extension for "Chrome"to work without the Internet.
Pay attention to customs days and opening hours. In Moscow, on Varshavka, individuals are not accepted on Monday, and on Saturday there is a short day. It is better to come from Tuesday to Friday right at nine in the morning, or even at half past seven.
What to do in line
Different customs work differently: somewhere it's a complete hell, somewhere it's a civilized place. I'll tell you about the customs at 37 Varshavskoye Shosse, where parcels are received by those who ordered them to Moscow. It was my best years.
Customs on Varshavka is a dozen windows from which I worked in best case two - they say there is not enough staff. The queue moves slowly. The electronic queue boards hang but don't work, so every time I was there, I had to stand in a live queue.
The peculiarity of the live queue at this customs office is that it moves terribly slowly (with me, 3-4 people per hour passed through two windows), and people often leave without waiting. Decent people leave, having previously introduced those who are behind them to those who are in front of them. But it happens that 2-3 people from the middle of the line silently give up, and then you can’t find the ends, who was behind whom. Start screaming, tantrums and waving hands.
500 €
limit on duty-free purchases abroad per month
Advice. Bring along a set of colorful Post-its and a bright marker. If there is a live queue at your customs office, write the numbers on these brightly colored pieces of paper and distribute to everyone as if it were an electronic queue.
You are not obliged to do this, but with this gesture you will greatly simplify life for everyone, first of all for yourself. When a person has a bright piece of paper with a number in his hands, he calmly feels in line, no one asks: “Girl, who are you after?”, There is no problem that “A young man was following me, but he left, but you hold on here are the women in red. Be the person who put things in order in the queue. You will not be thanked, but you will spend the next 3-4 hours in peace. If not you, then who?
If stuffy. If you are in Varshavka and you feel stuffy - find an air conditioner panel near the information stand. She works. Press the button - it will be easier for everyone.
What to do with the inspector
When it's your turn, give the inspector a notice. He finds your case and starts working with you. He will ask questions and ask for clarification about the things in the package. Show him all the documents that you have prepared in advance.
The inspector has no parcels; he has never seen them and never will. He only looks at documents. Therefore, to offer the inspector to open the package and make sure of something for yourself will not work. The parcel itself is somewhere in the warehouse two floors below, completely different people will give it to you.
All the inspectors I came across were calm, methodical and friendly. They worked slowly but carefully. If there was something I did not understand, everything was explained to me. When they were rude and snapped because of the long wait, they doomedly shrugged their hands. I did not meet any hellish scoop and rudeness, although people in the queue constantly complained about changes in the rules and inaccurate instructions.
Here you need to understand that we are dealing with people who, in turn, deal with papers and regulations. They must comply with all the formalities and rules, this is their task. If the inspector violates something or makes a mistake with the papers, he will be sent for it. However, he is human and can make mistakes. But in the end, we do not need him to do everything right - we need to understand what specific actions this particular inspector expects from us in order to release our specific package.
Advice. Try to do everything to the maximum on the spot, without transferring work to the next day. For example, the inspector may ask you to write some kind of explanation. Agree that you will come back without a queue in 10 minutes.
If you postpone the case until tomorrow, then you may come across another inspector, and instead of an explanation, he may ask for another document or even send you to some mysterious department that no one has ever heard of. All the people who returned with me the next day always started the proceedings from the beginning and were very annoyed that each new inspector demanded some new things from them.
What not to do at customs
Don't mention the words "for sale". The inspector will decide that this is a commercial shipment, and you do not pay duties.
You should not say the words "surveillance", "tracker", "hidden audio recording", "encryption". All encryption tools must undergo a special check in the authorities. If, for example, you ordered a computer or microcontroller from abroad, keep quiet that you can encrypt something on it or monitor something.
Don't joke about guns and drugs. Imagine how many times the inspector has heard this joke.
Do not freak out and hysteria. The inspector works according to the regulations and sits behind the glass. He is all our psychos to the bulb. But if your proceedings with the inspector drag on, your colleagues will see in turn that you are slowing down the whole process - they can arrange a people's court.
Payment of duty
The likely course of events is if you ordered something expensive from the Internet and exceeded the limit on duty-free import, which is now 31 kg and 500 € per month. In case of excess, you will have to pay an additional duty of 30% of the value exceeding the limit, or 4 € for each kilogram of excess. Most likely, even with this surcharge, the purchase will be cheaper than in Russia.
The fee is paid by postal money order, which can be issued right there at the post office. They take a commission.
For payment, you will need a passport and an invoice for the fee, which will be issued by the inspector. The post office operator will accept the money and issue a check, with the check you need to return to the inspector and get his blessing to release the parcel.
What if you don't go
If you do not go to customs before the expiration date of the parcel, most likely it will be sent back to the store. Most often, stores return the cost of the goods, but withhold the cost of delivery. It may make economic sense, see.
Let's say you ordered a product for 490 €, but it so happened that this month you have already bought goods for 500 € and exceeded the duty-free threshold. You will need to pay an additional fee of 150 € and spend time at customs.
Five hours at customs costs you some money. Let's say you earn $500 an hour. A trip to customs, not counting transport and overhead costs, will cost you 2-3 thousand rubles. But the goods will be immediately.
On the other hand, you can ignore the product, wait for it to return to the store, get a refund and order it again when the limits are reset. The goods will be in 1.5-2 months, but they will immediately be at the post office near the house.
Two savings options
Go to customs, pay the fee:
- −150 € of duty;
- −2500 Р for time;
- -5 hours of life.
Total:−23 200 Р, −5 hours of life, goods immediately.
Do not go to customs, reorder the goods:
- −60 € for return shipping;
- −60 € for redelivery;
- +5 hours of life.
Total:−8600 R, goods in two months.
How to keep your mind at customs
- If you are waiting for an expensive package from abroad, add its track to your Personal Area on the Russian Post website to be aware of the fate of that parcel. So you do not miss the moment when she gets stuck at customs.
- Don't flinch until you come official letter from customs. Go there without a letter only if the parcel is about to expire. Now the shelf life is 14 days.
- Take a copy of your passport, cash and all conceivable documents for the purchase, including a bank statement for the purchase. Product photos, screenshots from the site - print everything.
- Collect as many documents as possible to resolve issues with the package in one trip. Better to print ten extra pages than spend ten extra days going to the inspectors.
- Get ready for 5 hours in line. Organize a live queue yourself so that no one freaks out.
- First study what is prohibited for import into Russia, and if possible do not provoke the customs officer with these words.
- If the problem is duties, consider what is more profitable: pick up the goods at customs now or re-order it in a month or two.
