Of 13 characters, starts with two capitals English letters. Next comes a combination of 9 numbers and the code ends with two letters that indicate the sender’s country. For example, RK457389923DE is from Germany.

Tracking should be entered on the Russian Post website (http://www.russianpost.ru/rp/servise/ru/home/postuslug/trackingpo) or on Sir Jan (http://www.airsoft73.ru/tracking.php). In some cases, tracking fails. Therefore, you can call help desk FSUE Russian Post - 8-800-2005-888 or EMS Posts Russia - 8-800-2005-055 (toll-free from anywhere in the Russian Federation).

Next, proceed according to the instructions provided by. If possible, go to customs. Take your passport and its photocopy and a printout of the order with you. Don't forget to take a document confirming payment for the goods. This can be a certified credit card account, a copy of the application for money and an account statement - it all depends on the form of payment.

Inform the customs officer of your trekking location and provide documents. If your parcel contains too many goods, write a request for its release. This is transmitted by the employee to another window, where the customs fee is calculated and a receipt is issued. After payment and filling out the paperwork, the parcel is delivered to you.

Please note

When searching for a parcel, other nuances may arise. How to solve the problem depends on the specific situation. You can find out more detailed information about international mail at http://www.russianpost.ru

Useful advice

The parcel will not be given to you if it contains prohibited items: firearms, drugs, poisonous animals and plants, Russian banknotes and currency, perishable foods and drinks.

Sources:

• Post office. Contacts.
• Instructions. What to do if the parcel is detained by customs.

All parcels are sent from Germany by the state postal service. Each shipment is required to be assigned an identification number (tracking code), with which you can track the location of any shipped cargo. Even though the work postal services is constantly being improved, it cannot be said with certainty that it is ideal. From time to time, situations arise when you have to not only closely monitor the movement of a parcel, but also search for it.

You will need

• - a copy of the receipt for sending the parcel;
• - identification number of the item;
• - passport;
• - Internet;
• - application form for loss of international mail;
• - post office.

Instructions

By calling or emailing the sender exact date and an individual tracking code assigned to the shipped cargo. Ask for it to be sent to your email a scanned version of a postal receipt with clearly readable information on it, which will allow you to obtain reliable data about the location of the parcel and find it in the future.

Once you receive the tracking code, pay attention to its contents. It consists of twelve digits that are consecutive, without spaces. Start monitoring the movement of the cargo after two or three days from its date.

In order to obtain clear information about a parcel sent outside Germany, it is necessary to convert the existing twelve-digit code into an international one, which will take on different meanings. It will consist of four letters and nine numbers, where the first two combinations of letters can be different, but the last ones will always remain the same and have the value DE.

Use the official website for tracking and controlling the movement of goods in Germany (DHL) http://nolp.dhl.de/. In the window on the left, enter the twelve-digit number listed on the receipt. Then click on the search button located in the lower right corner.

Pay attention to the right column of the first line. If you have left Germany, an international thirteen-digit tracking code will appear. If instead of a number a sentence appears consisting of several words, the meaning of which can be found out by turning to any translator for help, the parcel has not yet arrived in the destination country. In this case, you should wait a few days and make the request again.

When you receive a tracking code, write it down. A week later, go to the Russian Post website, to the “postal” service. Enter the thirteen-digit number and click the “Find” button. In the window that opens it will appear detailed information indicating the date and time, as well as the names of the points through which the parcel passed.

If an expected shipment is discovered missing, i.e. leaving one destination and not arriving at another for a long period of time, contact any post office. Take with you your passport, a clear copy of the postal receipt and a pre-filled application, which can be found on the official Russian Post website or taken at the post office itself. Check with the postal employee about the deadline for processing the application and take a coupon confirming that it was submitted.

Periodically find out information about what stage the application is being considered and what measures are being taken to find the parcel. If you find it and receive the postal mail, pick up the found item within ten days.

Please note

Depending on the type of shipment, the period for receiving the parcel may vary and range from one to one and a half months. The permissible weight of an international parcel is 20 kg.

Useful advice

In case of an unreasonable refusal to search for a parcel, file a complaint by writing a letter to the email address of the Claims Department indicated on the official website of Russian Post with detailed description the current situation.

If you have friends or relatives in Germany and you want to send them an SMS via Internet, then you can do this by using one of the services, via Skype or by contacting the website of the mobile operator.

This summer, our Russian Post completely infuriated me, and I decided to start fighting it. In general, after wandering around Airek, I realized that our parcels take a long time, and this is wrong. If the parcel is coming more than 30 days from abroad is a violation, and if we do not declare it, the Post Office thinks that we are happy with everything, and its statistics do not spoil. And as soon as we start to act, to complain, the statistics spoil, they need to be corrected, and so the mail starts working.

So, my review is for those who have a track number. Do not spare money on it, because if your parcel gets stuck somewhere for a long time and you prove it, then the money for delivery will be returned to you partially or in full, and so you at least know where your parcel is. It’s just that in other countries the track number itself is confirmation that the parcel was sent. But we have all the papers and papers. As they say, Without a piece of paper you are a bug.

This means that if your parcel takes longer than 30 days, we begin to act. First you need to request a check or invoice from the sender.

After downloadstatement from the Russian Post website and fill it out. But here you need to take into account one point: even if your package is stuck somewhere, you should note: Item not received, otherwise no one will look for your parcel. Well, the statement there is simple, everything is intuitive. We fill out one copy, take a printout of the invoice/receipt with us, don’t forget about your passport and go to the post office. There they must fill out a tear-off coupon and give it to you. You are waiting for a call within two weeks, if you have not received a call, call yourself. They wrote me the numbers at back side coupon. Here they are: 495-351-14-03, 495-351-60-00, 495-351-47-47, 495-351-44-94.

FSUE Russian Post

from __________________

your address____________

Your phone: +7___________

CLAIM

"___"__________ 2013, I used the services of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Post" for sending international registered items, ___________________________. The parcel was sent from the post office to the address: ___________________. Shipping cost ___________________, shipping number ______________. The parcel arrived in Russia "___"__________ 2013.

Services were not provided in full (delivery deadline was missed). My parcel is more than ______________ in Moscow and has not yet been delivered to me. This is confirmed by a link to tracking postal items [link]. In particular, the status of the shipment today:

(Attached is a screenshot of the status)

I suffered the following damages: Shipping cost _________________, parcel cost _______________________

In this regard, I demand, within the period established by law: to respond to my claim, pay me compensation, find and hand over my parcel to me.

Sincerely ______________

"___"__________ 2013

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This document we print it out, put our signature and also take it to the post office. We give one copy, we keep one for ourselves. The answer to it should come to you registered letter to the mailbox. I was told that within 5 working days, but on the Internet they write that they can answer within two months.

But we still need this text, copy it and send it to the email of the Russian Post (oil): [link]- here they answer consistently, but only on Mondays, well, at least for me only on Mondays.

They are obliged to answer. By the way, when you submit this form on the site there will be call code, it is also sent by mail, so, you can write it down and call Roskomnadzor and ask how the solution to your problem is going.

2. If the parcel is stuck at customs. This has never happened to me, all my parcels go through customs in 5 minutes, and by law they can only hold the parcel for 24 hours if there are no problems.

“Dear FTS!

My custom package from (indicate the sending country) with the tracking number “RT111222333HK” (indicate your tracking number) has not been transferred to Russian Post for more than... business days

(Here it is better to indicate the dates from which to which)

I ask you to clarify the current situation and explain why you are violating the deadlines for processing and checking IPOs. And also provide me with information about the location of my shipment.

What actions should I take to get this issue resolved?

Sincerely, …"

3. If the parcel disappears after leaving customs , then it will only help to do what I wrote at the beginning.

We are also writing a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Communications. We write either in free form. You can take the text from the claims above. Since I wrote there at the very beginning, I simply described my situation, it is necessary to indicate the track. But do not ask them to look for the parcel, this is not in their competence, they will simply abandon your application.

I did it all, it just looks scary. Thanks to the method from point 1, my parcel is now moving quickly, everything else is also about to be in my hands. I was looking for all this information to find my lost one, it’s been hanging around somewhere for 92 days, it’s still in progress.

Despite the fact that sending purchases by mail has long been a standard delivery method, it is nevertheless not without numerous disadvantages. Quite often it happens that at one of the stages of processing your parcel various kinds of problems arise. This happens for several reasons:

What to do if there is a delivery delay? Where and how to contact? Is there any hope of still receiving my order? We tried to answer all these questions in the form of specific practical recommendations, which will help you outline a plan of action.

The statement should indicate that you did not receive the parcel - “The shipment (transfer) was not received.” All fields must be filled out up to the tear-off coupon line. Example of filling.

With the invoice, printed application and passport, contact your post office. The department manager or authorized officer must complete the tear-off slip, separate it from the rest of the application, and hand it to you.

According to postal rules, your application must be answered in writing within 60 days, but it is better to hear the results by telephone within a week or two after submission. In most cases, such a statement initiates an intensive search for your package, and it begins to move faster. A written response, as a rule, arrives after delivery of the parcel with such general meaning that everything has been delivered and the Post has fulfilled its obligations.

Parcel stuck at import stage

Scheme of action in the event that the parcel arrived on the territory of Russia, but for a long time froze at the import stage, completely repeats the sequence of actions from the previous part.

If the parcel is completely lost and this happens on the territory of Russia, then Russian Post will have to pay the sender a small compensation (the sender, by agreement, can refuse it in your favor). According to the rules, this must happen within 10 days after the official recognition of the loss. If this does not happen, then you need to write in 2 copies demanding payment of compensation.

Sample text of the application.

FSUE Russian Post
from __________
your address___________
your phone ________

Claim

“___”__________ 20__ I used the forwarding services of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian Post” international shipments. The parcel was sent from the post office to the address: ___________________. Shipping cost ___________________, shipping number ______________. The parcel arrived in Russia on "___"__________ 20__.
Services were not provided in full (delivery deadline was missed). My parcel has been in ______________ for more than ______________ days (indicate the last point where the parcel was recorded using the track number) and has not yet been delivered to me. This is confirmed by a link to tracking postal items https://pochta.ru/. As of today, shipment status: ________
(We print and attach a screenshot of the parcel’s route using the track number)
I suffered the following losses:
shipping cost _________________;
postage cost_________________.
In this regard, I demand that, within the period established by law, they consider and respond to my claim, find and deliver the parcel to me, or pay compensation.
Sincerely, ______________
"___"__________ 20__

With these documents, visit your post office again and give them to your boss. You must put a mark on one copy of the application indicating that the claim has been registered and take it for yourself.

To ensure that your application is not lost, an electronic copy of this application can be sent to the Russian Post email address for working with customer applications: [email protected]

If for a long time there is no response from the Russian Post, then Roskomnadzor can be involved in solving the problem. To contact this government agency can be used, where in the subject of the request you select “Provision of communication services (Internet, mobile communications, mail, telegraph, TV, radio, etc.).”

An example of filling out this form.

Moscow and the Moscow region should be chosen as the place of consideration. It is better to choose a written form as a response method - this way you will have an official document in your hands, which will be useful if you want to go to court. If not, simply choose to reply via email.

It should be something like this.

Claim

On 02/11/2015, a registered international postal item(hereinafter referred to as MPO) with tracking number RO946250***CN.
02/14/2015 departure RO946250***CN left the territory of China and was sent to the territory Russian Federation.
As of March 14, 2015, shipment RO946250***CN was registered in the Russian Federation at the “Import” stage.
As of April 14, 2015, the shipment RO946250***CN was not delivered to me.
Taking into account the failure to comply with the delivery time of MPO RO946250***CN, carried out by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Post" and based on the above, guided by Art. 12 Federal Law dated May 2, 2006 N 59-FZ “On the procedure for considering appeals from citizens of the Russian Federation”,

1. Establish the reason for the delay of MPO RO946250***CN on the territory of the Russian Federation.
2. Oblige the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian Post” to carry out actions to search for MPO RO946250***CN and send an official written response to me about the results.
3. In case of loss of MPO RO946250***CN, make full payment of compensation in the manner prescribed by law.

Such appeals sometimes have a miraculous effect on acceleration. During a major traffic jam at the post office in 2013, mass complaints from citizens following a similar pattern forced the management of the Russian Post to significantly speed up the process of processing correspondence.

The parcel is stuck at the customs clearance stage

If your parcel is stuck at the customs inspection stage, and you do not receive any notifications from this service, then it is time to contact the customs authorities yourself to find out the fate of the parcel. You must contact customs even if the parcel has been there for more than 1 day, since this is the standard period for customs clearance.

You can also contact the customs authorities. An example of filling out the fields.

About the next one.

My registered package from China with track code RO946250***CN arrived at customs on 02/12/2015 and has not been handed over to Russian Post for more than __ working days.
The specified period exceeds the accepted standards for customs inspection MPO.

Please
1. Indicate the reason for the delay.
2. Provide explanations regarding the violation of the deadlines for processing and checking the MPO.
3. Provide me with information about the actual location of my shipment.
4. Explain the procedure required of me.

To get the money back.

We wish you never to lose your parcels and always receive them on time!

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 correctly filling out postal documents, searching for loss, receiving compensation for 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, he can get back the entire amount he paid for the order. Moreover, buyers who no longer needed the product could simply not pick up the parcel from the post office and after 30 days it would go back to China, and the buyer would open a dispute and return the money. Moreover, there were no problems if suddenly the parcel did not pass through customs. And it didn’t matter for what reasons: be it goods prohibited for import, or stolen goods, or the need to pay customs duties. Previously, you could easily open a dispute, attach a screenshot 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 turned away 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 delays packages. Reasons such as: lack of invoice, licenses or certificates, undervaluation of goods, counterfeit goods are the responsibility of the seller. And goods prohibited for import and the need to pay customs duties lie on the shoulders of the buyer. That is, now, if you are not ready to do customs clearance and pay the duty, then you will get your money back minus the cost of shipping the goods.

If you escalate the dispute due to "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 due to 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 suspended reason to AliExpress within 7 calendar days.

If we haven’treceived 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 detention of the package. If we do not receive official document from customs during this time, then we will consider that you are responsible for the cost of delivery of the goods and compensate it to the seller."

But this requirement is very difficult to fulfill within 7 days. Since the standard time frame 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 deadline and the result depends not on the buyer, but on other persons.

Moreover, the fault may be entirely the seller’s. There were situations when the seller forgot to fill out customs declaration, when I accidentally wrote in the cost of a shipment an amount one order of magnitude more than the real cost and the product did not fit into the norms and it was necessary to pay a significant duty. There have been cases when the seller sent copies of tablets and phones that did not pass customs due to the fact that they were counterfeit. Or he significantly underestimated the cost of the goods, which was clearly visible at customs.

Unfortunately, over the past few weeks we have not yet seen a single positive outcome of the aggravated 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 signed and stamped document.

Outcomes of the dispute due to “the goods did not pass customs”

In the letter, the mediators say that if there is no evidence that the parcel did not pass customs due to the fault of the seller, the buyer will receive a refund minus the costs of delivering 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 customs duties must be paid.

That is, buyers are ultimately left without money and without goods. Which is very disappointing.

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 parcel 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 escalate the dispute. Try to negotiate with the seller for a refund first. If the reason is clearly yours, then agree to a refund minus the cost of delivery of the goods.

If the reason is the seller, then you can request in advance, even before opening a dispute, a document stating that the parcel was unwrapped through no fault of yours. Then you will definitely be able to meet the required 7 days to provide evidence of the reason for the detention of the parcel.

Status on Aliexpress “Customs clearance failed”

Since the end of April 2018, strange statuses began to appear in tracking parcels on the Aliexpress website, indicating that “Customs clearance failed.” 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 chat

06.09.18 36 427 0

The parcel got stuck at customs. What to do?

Instructions from a person who goes to customs like going to work

In July, I spent 12 hours at Moscow customs, snatching my parcels from abroad from them.

Maxim Ilyakhov

I already know the local inspectors by sight, I come well prepared and can resolve issues, if not quickly, then at least the first time. Here's what I learned about receiving packages via Russian customs: Read if you order anything from abroad.

What will you learn

How are parcels and customs connected?

To get to Russia, parcels from abroad must clear customs: this special service, which monitors the import and export of goods across the border. There are customs offices at airports, seaports, and post offices. When you arrive in Russia and walk along the “green corridor” at the airport, this is also customs.

When international parcel flies to Russia, she 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 (using an x-ray, using documents and sometimes even in person) and if everything is in order, he allows the parcel to continue 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 got through customs.

Why are customs delaying parcels?

Customs has many reasons to delay a parcel, but in our case, most likely, it will be one of four:

1. the customs officer suspects that the goods are commercial, although they are declared as a private purchase;
2. the recipient has used up the monthly limit for duty-free purchases abroad - now it is 1000 € per month or 31 kg;
3. the customs officer did not understand what was in the parcel, he needs an explanation;
4. The customs officer decided that there was something prohibited 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 whether the store or courier knows your Taxpayer Identification Number. At the time of writing this article, customs considers purchase limits only for those parcels for which the recipient’s TIN is requested: usually these are parcels from courier services. If the courier service does not know your TIN, they will send you a letter: “Indicate your TIN.” Courier services know these features Russian legislation and they don’t even send parcels anymore without knowing the recipient’s TIN.

If you order something that comes via regular mail and doesn't require your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), it's likely that customs won't count the item in the limit. But this is now. They will introduce some kind of control system, and then everything will be counted.

How to understand that a parcel has been detained at customs

If customs holds your package, two things will happen:

1. The track number of your parcel will show 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 Warsaw highway, 37. But there is no need to go there yet, it will be a waste of time. Alternatively, the parcel tracking will say “Sent with customs notification.”
2. Customs will send you a registered letter to the place where the parcel was delivered. In the envelope there will be a template letter from customs, they say, come, dear. The reasons for the delay will most likely not be indicated - the letter is template and vague, but it may 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 your documents and get ready to take time off from work.

It's bad: the track shows that customs in St. Petersburg sent my parcel 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 arrive as soon as possible. There is a danger that between the first arrival at customs and the actual release parcels will pass 2-3 days - you will have to collect some additional documents or you won't 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

Upon 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 return in two weeks, and you will be able to order this product again after some time, for example, when the duty-free import limit is reset.

What to take with you to customs

Since we don’t yet know why customs detained the parcel, we need to prepare for the worst. Here's what to take with you from the documents.

The letter and notification that was sent to you. This is the basis for the customs officer to talk to you. You will need to give the letter, and upon notification you will be given a package if everything goes well.

Passport copies: first page and registration. You'll only 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 right 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, you will need copies of their passports to prove that you ordered the goods not for sale, but for your relatives. It should be clear from the copies that these are your relatives. If it is not clear - copies of documents that establish relationship: marriage certificates, birth certificates.

Purchase Confirmation- invoice from the online store and confirmation of payment. The invoice is usually downloaded on the store’s website, and the receipt is downloaded from the Internet bank. It should be clear from the invoice and receipt that you paid for the goods.

Descriptions of what is in the package. You need to be prepared to explain to the customs officer what is in the parcel, with pictures. Photos of the product from the website and printouts of online store pages are suitable. If there are a lot of different things in the parcel, documents are needed for everything: the customs officer may have questions about a specific item. The last time I went to customs, I had a dozen photographs of the goods in the parcel, the customs officer studied them with great interest, asking, “What is this? And here? How does this work? The photos helped a lot.

14 days

shelf life of the parcel at customs

Cash to pay the fee: at least a third of the cost of your goods, at least 4 € per kilogram, all converted to rubles. In Moscow, Varshavka does not accept cards, but there is one Pochta Bank ATM. Whether it will work and whether there will be money in it is unknown.

Here's something else worth taking from household items.

Thermos of tea and snack. You can easily spend 5-7 hours in line to see the inspector. You can go out, you can drink coffee from the machine at the post office, but I prefer to take my own.

A set of bright Post-its stickers and a fancy marker. You will be surprised why they are useful. For now, just throw it in your bag.

In Varshavka, according to my observations, mobile internet catches poorly. If you planned to watch TV series via the Internet, it is better to download them to your tablet in advance. If you work with Google Docs, install the Chrome extension to work without the Internet.

Please pay attention to customs opening days and opening hours. In Moscow, Varshavka does not accept individuals on Monday, and Saturday is a short day. It is better to arrive from Tuesday to Friday right at nine in the morning, or even at half past seven.

What to do in line

Different customs offices work differently: in some places it is complete hell, in others it is a civilized place. I’ll tell you about the customs office on Warsaw Highway, 37, where parcels are received by those who ordered them to Moscow. My best years were spent there.

The customs office on Varshavka is a dozen windows, of which at best two were working in my time - they say there is not enough staff. The line moves slowly. There are signs with an electronic queue, but they 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 monstrously slowly (in my case, 3-4 people per hour passed through two windows), and people often leave without waiting. Decent people leave, having previously introduced those behind them to those 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 out who was behind whom. Screams, hysterics and waving of arms begin.

1000 €

limit on duty-free purchases abroad per month

Advice. Bring along a set of brightly colored Post-its and a brightly colored marker. If there is a queue at your customs, write numbers on these bright pieces of paper and hand them out to everyone as if it were an electronic queue.

You are not obligated to do this, but with this gesture you will make life much easier for everyone, especially for yourself. When a person has a bright piece of paper with a number in his hands, he feels calm in the queue, no one asks: “Girl, who are you following?”, there is no problem that “There was a young man behind me, but he left, but you are holding on.” here are the women in red.” Be the person who cleans up the queue. You won't be thanked, but you will spend the next 3-4 hours in peace. If not you, then who?

If it's stuffy. If you are in Varshavka and feel stuffy, look for an air conditioning panel near the information stand. She's working. Press the button - everyone will feel better.

What to do with the inspector

When it’s your turn, give the inspector a notice. He finds your business and starts working with you. He will ask questions and ask for clarification about the items in the package. Show him all the documents that you have prepared in advance.

The inspector does not have any parcels; he has never seen them and will never see them. He only looks at the documents. Therefore, inviting the inspector to open the parcel and see for himself will not work. The parcel itself lies somewhere in a warehouse two floors below; completely different people will give it to you.

All the inspectors I encountered were calm, methodical and friendly. They worked slowly but carefully. If there was something unclear, everything was explained to me. When they were rude and snapped at because of the long wait, they threw up their hands in resignation. I didn’t encounter any hellish scoop or rudeness, although people in line constantly complained about rule changes 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 formalities and rules, this is their task. If the inspector breaks something or makes a mistake with the papers, he will be punished for it. However, he is human and can make mistakes. But in the end, we don't need him to do everything right - we need to understand what specific actions this particular inspector expects from us in order to release our particular package.

Advice. Try to do as much as possible on the spot, without moving the 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 matter until tomorrow, then you may come across another inspector, and instead of clarification, 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 the next day with me 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 are not paying duties.

You should not use the words “surveillance”, “tracker”, “hidden audio recording”, “encryption”. All encryption tools must undergo special inspection by the authorities. If, for example, you ordered a computer or microcontroller from abroad, keep quiet about the fact that something can be encrypted on it or something can be monitored.

Don't joke about guns and drugs. Imagine how many times the inspector heard this joke.

Don't freak out and get hysterical. The inspector works according to regulations and sits behind glass. He doesn't care about all our crazy people. But if your proceedings with the inspector drag on, your colleagues in turn will see that you are slowing down the whole process - they can arrange a people's court.

Payment of duty

The likely development of events is if you ordered something expensive from the Internet and exceeded the duty-free import limit, which is now 31 kg and 1000 € per month. In case of excess, you will have to pay an additional duty of 30% of the cost of the goods, but not less than 4 € per kilogram. Most likely, even with this additional payment, the purchase will be cheaper than in Russia.

The duty is paid by postal by money transfer, which can be issued immediately at the post office. They take a commission.

To pay, you will need a passport and a duty invoice, 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 don’t go to customs before the parcel’s shelf life expires, it will most likely be sent back to the store. Most often, the store will refund you the cost of the product, but keep the shipping cost. Perhaps this makes economic sense, look.

Let's say you ordered a product for 990 €, but it so happens that this month you exceeded the duty-free import threshold. You will need to pay an additional fee of 300 € (including commission) and spend time at customs.

Five hours at customs costs you some money. Let's say you earn 500 rubles per hour. A trip to customs, not counting transport and overhead costs, will cost you 2-3 thousand rubles. But the goods will be available 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 arrive in 1.5-2 months, but they will immediately appear at the post office near the house.

Two saving options

Go to customs and pay the duty:

• −300 € duties;
• −2500 R per time;
• −5 hours of life.

Total:−24,400 R, −5 hours of life, goods immediately.

Do not go to customs, re-order the goods:

• −60 € for delivery;
• −60 € for re-delivery;
• +5 hours of life.

Total:−8760 R, goods in two months.

How to keep your sanity at customs

1. If you are waiting for an expensive parcel from abroad, add its track to your personal account on the Russian Post website to be aware of the fate of that parcel. This way you won’t miss the moment when it gets stuck at customs.
2. Don't worry until you receive an official letter from customs. Go there without a letter only if the parcel's shelf life is about to expire. Currently the shelf life is 14 days.
3. Take a copy of your passport, cash, and all imaginable documents about the purchase, including a bank statement about the purchase. Photos of the product, screenshots from the website - print everything out.
4. Collect as many documents as possible to resolve shipping issues in one trip. It's better to print ten extra pages than to waste ten extra days on trips to inspectors.
5. Prepare for 5 hours in line. Organize a live queue yourself so that no one freaks out.
6. First study what is prohibited for import into Russia, and if possible, do not provoke the customs officer with these words.
7. 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.