Any Belgians who've ever bought from the U.S.? My package is stuck at customs.

[Eleredo]

I spent $405 on puzzles at TheCubicle.us on October 7. The order was shipped on October 13 and the cubes arrived in Belgium at October 18. Ever since then, they have been stuck with the customs. The USPS tracking page says 'Customs clearance' and the bPost (the Belgian version of USPS) tracking page says: 'The package has been offered to the customs to check'. It's been frozen like that for 4 days now. This was priority mail too, mind you, which normally costs $40 extra but I got it for $10 because the order was huge, so this means I should get my package a lot more faster than that.

I'm kinda getting worried now. Are there any Belgians on here who have experience with ordering from the U.S.? Any Belgians who've had packages get stuck at the customs? What can I do? I don't know what to do; I can't contact Cubicle; they did their job correctly. I can't contact bPost, the package hasn't arrived at their sorting facility yet so they don't have any control over the package. I only know that the customs have my package, but I have no means of contacting them.

I also heard from someone (but this was waaaaay back in the day, like 7 or 8 years ago) that expensive items/orders can get taxed (invoerrechten); they (the customs) can keep the stuff until you pay that tax. (this is the reason I mentioned the $405 earlier, so maybe someone who knows more about laws than me can tell me if that's the problem; my order being too expensive) But on the other hand... I haven't been contacted with the question to send any money so I don't think that's what's going on..... *sigh*

Thanks for any help!

 

[VikingCuber]

I live in Denmark, and this once happened for me too(6-12 months ago). It was stuck at customs clerance until i recieved a letter(i think), that i had to pay a tax before they would release the package. Paid the tax and I got it soon after. Just sit tight a few more days... I know it sucks..

 

[Eleredo]

Damn so the guy from 8 years ago was right all along. I hope I won't have to pay a hefty tax though, I already spent way too much on cubes as it is this month (I was planning to stop buying after this order for at least half a year), I'm really not looking forward to paying a couple hundred dollars more.

 

[EvilGnome6]

Maybe one of the customs guys scrambled a cube and can't solve it. He's just been sitting there for three days saying, "Wait. I think I've figured it out."

 

[Darja]

You can probably look up online what you have to pay. In Denmark for instance there's a limit to how much you can import without paying taxes, if you import from the US, and it's over around $15 or so you have to pay $23 + 25% of the item's value. Since your package is stuck at customs you probably have to pay a fee because the value of the package is so high.

 

[Goosly]

(...) it's over around $15 or so you have to pay $23 + 25% of the item's value.

That's insanely high if your package was worth $16.

 

[Eleredo]

@EvilGnome: hahaha that's what my mom thought too. Another thing that crossed her mind is that they couldn't believe the Moyu 13x13 is a real actual cube and that it's just a cover with drugs inside it and they disassembled the cube and can't figure for the life of them how to put the thousands of pieces back together hahaha.

 

[AlexMaass]

@EvilGnome: hahaha that's what my mom thought too. Another thing that crossed her mind is that they couldn't believe the Moyu 13x13 is a real actual cube and that it's just a cover with drugs inside it and they disassembled the cube and can't figure for the life of them how to put the thousands of pieces back together hahaha.

wait did that actually happen

make them pay for a new one kek

 

[Eleredo]

wait did that actually happen

make them pay for a new one kek

No it didn't, well, at least I really hope it didn't!! It was just something my mom came up with as a reason why the cube is stuck in customs. Luckily I paid the insurance though so if they mess up one of the cubes, I'll get a new one.

 

[Reinier Schippers]

Reading your custom regulations it seems that a gift >150 euro or a commercial package>22 euro will make you to pay tax. You can always contact bpost with your international tracking number if they have some information because they will put on a new national tracking number. For tax cost calculations check this: http://fiscus.fgov.be/interfdanl/nl/citizens/files/bpost.pdf

 

[stoic]

I understand it's hard waiting, but I wouldn't be panicking after only four days. Is there anywhere in the world where public servants work that fast?
It's probably just sitting on a pallet in a customs warehouse somewhere.

 

[Eleredo]

Reading your custom regulations it seems that a gift >150 euro or a commercial package>22 euro will make you to pay tax. You can always contact bpost with your international tracking number if they have some information because they will put on a new national tracking number. For tax cost calculations check this: http://fiscus.fgov.be/interfdanl/nl/citizens/files/bpost.pdf

Thanks a lot for the very informative link. The customs formalities in my case will be 30 euros cause it's more than 150 euros, the tax (BTW) will be 21% but I can't figure out how much the import rights (invoerrechten) will cost me, but I'll just take the 16,9% out of the example that they're giving cause they're also importing from the U.S. in that example. So let's do the calculation on my package of 367 euros: customs formalities: 30 euros, taxes: 77,07, import rights: 62,02, so I can expect to get a bill of 169,09 euros. That means I spent 536,09 euros on the entire order. Phew, I won't be spending anymore money on cubing for the next year.

 

[Eleredo]

I understand it's hard waiting, but I wouldn't be panicking after only four days. Is there anywhere in the world where public servants work that fast?
It's probably just sitting on a pallet in a customs warehouse somewhere.

Well, I've had other orders that took only 1 or 2 days tops to go from the airport to the postal service sorting facility, and seeing that this is priority mail it's supposed to be fast so it really shouldn't take longer than two days. But like others pointed out; it's probably stuck at the customs and I'll receive a bill that I'll have to pay and then they'll release it.

 

[stoic]

Yeah unfortunately I don't think the "shouldn't take longer than two days" applies once Customs are involved.
I hope it all works out for you and you enjoy your parcel once it eventually arrives.

 

[Tony Fisher]

If they are non Rubik's brand 2x2x2s, 3x3x3s, 4x4x4s, or 5x5x5s there's a chance they will be seized and destroyed.

 

[Eleredo]

Update: my package arrived. I had to pay a small fee.

If they are non Rubik's brand 2x2x2s, 3x3x3s, 4x4x4s, or 5x5x5s there's a chance they will be seized and destroyed.

Good God, luckily I didn't see this answer before I received my package, or I would have **** my pants.
They were almost all Moyu's (one of which was a 13x13) so that would have been insane.

I should praise the lord that I live in a good country like this!!!

 

[~Adam~]

I should praise the lord that I live in a good country like this!!!

Does 'good country' equate to 'customs not doing their job properly'?

I'm happy for you and I don't want my puzzles destroyed by customs but I think they are supposed to with certain puzzles now.

Your 13x13 would've been safe at least unless of course V cube had a say in the matter.

 

[Tony Fisher]

Your 13x13 would've been safe at least unless of course V cube had a say in the matter.

The 13x13x13 has nothing to do with V-Cubes so that wouldn't be an issue. However customs often seize the whole parcel. I have no idea if it would apply to something as trivial as cubes but it certainly does for some other things. I don't understand how it is legal for them to "keep" regular stuff that just happens to be in the same parcel but they do.

 

[~Adam~]

The 13x13x13 has nothing to do with V-Cubes so that wouldn't be an issue. However customs often seize the whole parcel. I have no idea if it would apply to something as trivial as cubes but it certainly does for some other things. I don't understand how it is legal for them to "keep" regular stuff that just happens to be in the same parcel but they do.

I know. I was just joking.

I would like to think they would repackage a large expensive and 'legal' item especially if there is a list of the values in the package but not sure if they would.

 

[hala]

Update: my package arrived. I had to pay a small fee.



Good God, luckily I didn't see this answer before I received my package, or I would have **** my pants.
They were almost all Moyu's (one of which was a 13x13) so that would have been insane.

I should praise the lord that I live in a good country like this!!!

Can I ask how much did you have to pay. I ordered something that is currently 'held in customs' according to the tracking service and I am a bit worried. Thank you!