Why is a package I sent to Norway still in customs?

Question

I sold my Iphone on Ebay almost 3 weeks ago. I shipped it to Norway, and it was been in Norwegian customs for 11 days. How long will they keep it in customs? I'm worried because I don't want the buyer to file a complaint or chargeback against me. Please help!

Answer 1

You can dispute the complaint. Sellers can not be responsible for customs. They can quarantine or otherwise delay the package for as long as they see fit.

Answer 2

Were the contents of the package properly identified and valued?  Sometimes people label stuff they they send overseas as 'gift value $1' instead of 'purchased iphone value $500' and that can upset Customs.

Otherwise, it isn't really your problem.  I presume you are in contact with the buyer.  Make sure they have the tracking number or whatever is needed for Customs to identify it, and they can deal with it.  It's addressed to them, after all.  They will be responsible for tax or duty, if any is found to be owing.

Answer 3

For any shipment to Norway that's as over a certain amount (I've usually heard 200 NOK - roughly $40 USD), the recipient has to go and pay duties on the package before he can take it.  Depending on how the tracking system is set up, it might be that it's still showing as beeing in customs because the post office has authority to collect the duty, and it hasn't been picked up (and paid for) yet.

For non-dutiable purchases, Norwegian customs tends to take only a few days, but we have had experiences where dutiable shipments took a while longer.

Definitely keep an eye on it, and be sure to share the tracking number with the buyer.  If it starts getting close to 4 weeks, I would recommend contacting the seller.  Have him take the tracking number to the Norwegian post office, and they'll be able to look it up.  (Or the DHL/FedEx/etc office if you sent it by courier shipment.)

The more you keep in touch with the seller about what's going on, the less likely they are to complain.  If you give them the tracking number, they really don't have any grounds for complaint, since they can see that you shipped it and that the problem is on the delivery side.

I actually had an eBay purchase sent to me here in Norway, and the post office had a problem delivering the package notice.  I finally went to the post counter to ask about it, and it had been sitting in their office for four weeks, so they'd just sent it back to the US!  I had to pay the eBay seller to send it to me again and wait all over!  Oddly enough, it spent more time in US customs on the way back than the two trips through Norwegian customs combined!