Chinese customs

[trigger]

Hi all, hope everybody is okay! I ordered some cartridges from e-cig last friday, by express. Got the tracking number for EMS and here's my order's route so far:

? 2008-06-07 17:05:00 CIXI Posting
? 2008-06-07 19:01:38 CIXI Arrival at Sorting Center
? 2008-06-07 19:30:35 CIXI Despatch from Sorting Center
? 2008-06-07 21:30:38 HANGZHOU Arrival at Sorting Center
? 2008-06-07 23:00:45 HANGZHOU Handed over to Customs
? 2008-06-09 19:25:06 HANGZHOU Arrival at Sorting Center
? 2008-06-10 00:06:25 HANGZHOU Handed over to Customs

Does anyone know why it has been handed over to customs twice? Just think It's a bit strange is all, and as for express, 5 days and apparently its still in china! My last e-cig order arrived at my door in 4 days! lol

Thanks in advance guys n gals!

Phil.

 

[quirky]

In coming and outgoing customs?
I really dont know. But it does sound as though China has really tightened up on customs inspections due to the olympics.
Most countries only spot check packages through customs anyway. Just bad luck I am afraid. My two orders from e-cig never even touched customs for inspection.
As long as e-cig was upfront about the contents of the package it will probably be OK. It just might take a little longer.

 

[trigger]

Thanks for the quick response quirky! As I ordered cartridges, technically e-cig probably were up front about the contents ("piece of plastic pipe" kinda describes it!) Do you think the increased security will urge them to be more honest or will they just be happy they've got my money? :x

 

[trog100]

e cig are very honest.. or at least honest enough to land me with huge bill from UK customs..

the above pipe order got rejected in china sent back to the factory.. it got sent out again and inspected by chinese customs.. the two 8ml small bottles of liquid and the batteries got sent separately by china post..

chinese customs are on the ball.. well on the ball.. olympic paranoia has them firmly in its grip..

trog

 

[CaSHMeRe]

i think the real problem when it comes to liquids (coming out of china specifically) is the HUGE steroid issue sweeping the US and the World.

Steroids can be purchased 24/7 online from Chinese suppliers and shipped the same day. These guys are smart though. They ship liquids in vacuum sealed "bags" so to speak. Once someone in the USA gets the contents, they then empty into a sterile glass container. The liquids shipped in any type of bottle, tube, etc... (not resembling something flat like a bag) will get caught up real quick.

p.s. -- for those of you wondering ... yes, i know lots on the subject, however, its not from first hand experience.

 

[TropicalBob]

There's also the problem of lying about package contents. I got told in no uncertain terms on this forum not too long ago that "lying" on invoices is a common practice among Chinese exporters. It "helps" us avoid regulatory fees. Those lies are partly responsible for a lot of unnecessary deaths last year as medical sleuths tried to track down contaminated barrels of Chinese medical ingredients being injected into patients primarily in Panama. The barrel contents weren't truthfully labeled, so people continued to die as more contaminated barrels turned up. Lying has consequences. We don't buy a "pipe" with a value of $10, as the shipping label states. We don't get "gifts" or "samples" either. Check your package labels. No wonder there's a crackdown now.

 

[Mr.Darcy]

dont think steroids are the problem.this upscaling of security and refusal to ship liquids by air is because of the fear of liquid based explosives.China doesnt want anything embarrassing to happen while the worlds eye is trained on it during the olympics-like a plane blowing up...after the olympics it'll probably be business as usual,and we'll all be getting "samples" again... in leaking bottles. :roll:

 

[CaSHMeRe]

dont think steroids are the problem.this upscaling of security and refusal to ship liquids by air is because of the fear of liquid based explosives.China doesnt want anything embarrassing to happen while the worlds eye is trained on it during the olympics-like a plane blowing up...after the olympics it'll probably be business as usual,and we'll all be getting "samples" again... in leaking bottles. :roll:

this may be true within the past few weeks ...

however, about 8-9 months ago, there was a huge chinese steroid bust. before this, liquids were shipped in bottles that said "Steroids" on the bottle itself, and it passed through fine. Ever since that bust, liquids being shipped in anything but bags or the like, were being confiscated.

i do completely agree with you that its liquid explosives they are now going after. It seems to me, Customs gets crazy about a new "fad" (ie: steroids, liquid explosives, etc...) just for several weeks/months at a time, then they forget and like you said, business goes back to being normal...