How Long in Customs???

[kbolster12345]

Here is the situation I am in and I would like your opinions...

Sent a trader my very very nicely painted army in early November. He claims to have sent a very very nicely painted army back to me. (as a side not I painted both armies)

He lives in Canada I live in the USA. The tracking info he sent me says it was mailed Dec. 5. yet I have not recieved anything and it only tracks in Canada. could it still be in customs? that would make a rediculous 3 weeks there.

On top of this he has already made a sale pending on the army i sent him. Should I be getting nervous or am I jumping the gun?

BTW we are talking about $500 - $700 retail of nicely painted stuff so probably worth much more.

[Klahtoo]

When a Canadian package is shipped with CanadaPost and it crosses into the USofA, you can switch to USPS (United States Postal Service) for the tracking number.

Hope this helps.

[kbolster12345]

I didn't get anything at the USPS but all I get at Canada Post is this...

https://obc.canadapost.ca/emo/basicPin. ... 1505796892

Would there be notice if customs accepted it?

[hadrian39]

I'm throwing my comments in based on my experience as a sender from Canada.
First off it can take 12 weeks to get anything from Canada to the US in the post 9/11 world. I have been shipping for years - READ DECADES - and since 9/11 and more specifically since the Homeland Security Act things at the US border have really slowed down. If the parcel looks suspicious in any way they will pull it aside and look at it. If there is any lead lumps in the box than a red flag goes up.
Did he send it Expedited? Expedited takes on average 4-6 weeks and upto 12 weeks to some US destinations, and also remember it's the silly season so things will slow down even more.

Now the fellow sending the parcel may be scamming but since he did give you a tracking number I sincerly doubt it. Quite frankly it is now out of his hands and in the hands of the respective federal governments. And if you think about how great the federal governments are on both sides of the border its amazing anything gets delivered at all! :shock:
Give it till the beginning of February then worry.
That's my 2 cents worth anyway.

Another thought comes to mind and perhaps more helpful; You say he intends on selling the army you already sent him? Perhaps you could ask him to hold off on finalizing that deal untill you receive the army he sent you. I know that if we had a deal like that and you asked me to do so I would hold off as a sign of good faith until your parcel arrived. You'd owe me wonderous praise in the tading forum though for waiting! - hehe

Hope that helps

[Unknown Marine]

To chime in here, I just recieved a package from Canada from a credible person. It was mailed in mid October. It came December 22nd.

[MagickalMemories]

So, you are waiting for something in customs?

Wow. that really surprises me. The customs agents at the US/Canada borders are usually so swift and efficient.

He says he mailed it on 12/5/05. I would expect it around 2/5/06. That's why I don't do a lot os cross border trading anymore. It's not the Canadian traders, it's customs!

As for worrying... I'd based my worry on the customs issue with it being affected by the persons rating. If it is HIGH, then I'd adjust my worry DRASTICALLY downward. If it is 0 to <20, I'd worry only slightly more, if even more at all.

So, how is it that you are trading for an army YOU painted? That's wierd.
(I'm not saying suspicious-wierd, just regular wierd)


Eric

[Steven H.]

He lives in Canada I live in the USA. The tracking info he sent me says it was mailed Dec. 5. yet I have not recieved anything and it only tracks in Canada. could it still be in customs? that would make a rediculous 3 weeks there.
...
BTW we are talking about $500 - $700 retail of nicely painted stuff so probably worth much more.

FWIW there are options that are only slightly more expensive (e.g., UPS ["Standard"] ground) than going postal that provide insurance, tracking, and overnight customs clearance. It does become important to properly label it as a non-commercial transaction between private individuals, which amounts to indicating that the "sale" terms are: "Terms: none/free gift". For import into the US keeping the insured value to $200 US or less helps. Obviously the contents need to be itemized accurately.

[kbolster12345]

So, you are waiting for something in customs?

Wow. that really surprises me. The customs agents at the US/Canada borders are usually so swift and efficient.

He says he mailed it on 12/5/05. I would expect it around 2/5/06. That's why I don't do a lot os cross border trading anymore. It's not the Canadian traders, it's customs!

As for worrying... I'd based my worry on the customs issue with it being affected by the persons rating. If it is HIGH, then I'd adjust my worry DRASTICALLY downward. If it is 0 to <20, I'd worry only slightly more, if even more at all.

So, how is it that you are trading for an army YOU painted? That's wierd.
(I'm not saying suspicious-wierd, just regular wierd)


Eric

Well I painted the VC army and traed it for his 2 40k armies. Then he contacted me to see what I was working on and I just finished the Daemonic legion army and said I would really like the Vc Back