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UPS and DHL have returned packages from the UK recently and stated that they couldn't verify the age of the recipient... we provided ID info, but they just returned things.
Ok__mode_6953 said:
Also, if you want to send a knife to UK and actually have it delivered, just avoid DHL like the plague.

Their interpretation of prohibited items is completely misaligned with UK law, which is super helpful. Plus, they will let you ship it in the first place so they can still take the shipping cost.
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I just paid around 50% of the original cost to DHL for all the custom and additional fees… they are professional alright but sometimes all the fees can get ridiculous
 
captaincaed said:
“food making smallerer device”
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ACKCHUALLY, a powered device would be HS code 8208, but manually operated knives would be HS code 8211.92, specifically 8211.92.2000 if they are used to cut through the root end of the onion leaving the roots on the chopping board, but 8211.92.99 if the root end is removed completely prior to dicing.

The general phenomenon is fascinating: “folk law” is what people hallucinate to be the regulations, much as GPT hallucinates about what iambic meter is … because the actual regulations require a level of reading comprehension and reasoning (and to be fair world knowledge aka experience) beyond the skill or motivation level of front-line staff; cognitively, superstition is cheaper.

IMG_8043.jpeg
 
JBroida said:
UPS and DHL have returned packages from the UK recently and stated that they couldn't verify the age of the recipient... we provided ID info, but they just returned things.
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It’s not because of an issue with providing ID upfront, it’s because there’s a requirement for an adult to sign for the parcel on delivery for knives in the UK.

If you add a requirement for an adult signature on delivery upfront when you arrange the shipping, this shouldn’t be an issue for you going forward. (And don’t use DHL!)
 
MarcelNL said:
DHL is a mess for anything other than documents and clear cut things that are nowhere near any regulation, their interpretation of laws is far off....

IMO it completely depends on what you ship from where to wat country BUT....USPS to EU is at best wonky and can take literally forever... a secondary issue is that a package is handled by the local postal service once in country...customs and handovers can mean trouble...
(I have a parcel from Japan sitting at customs now for three weeks, calling customs get you nowhere and PostNL is no help either, if someone at customs decides to refuse the package or enters the wrong code it's gone and good luck putting in a claim)

Fedex works quite well into the EU, added benefit, they handle customs clearance upfront so packages whizz through as if there was no border. UPS can do the same...surely you pay more...
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Not that I'm a fan of DHL (especially since they made me pay), but I have to admit that my last package from Japan went fairly smooth. Had the same 'just pay the customs costs up front digitally' situation and everything went super smooth. Package got here in 3 days.
 
JBroida said:
UPS and DHL have returned packages from the UK recently and stated that they couldn't verify the age of the recipient... we provided ID info, but they just returned things.
Click to expand...
I ship quite a lot to UK and all over places with DHL express I never had a knife returned by them, maybe issue with declaration ?
 
DHL CAN be great....its just that their interpretation of laws and regulations is on the cutting edge of stupidly conservative...


saying NO is far easier and safer in terms of cover your ass than finding out how.
 
My experiences with shipping as a receiver here in Norway is that DHL is by far the best option for me. Quick and reliable, realistic forecasted delivery times and I just get text message with a link that allows me to change delivery to the closest service partner for example. Highly convenient for me as I live a block away from one that's open all the time. Any VAT payments are easy and quick too.

UPS is HORRIBLE. Every time I've had deliveries from them the package is marked as "Out for delivery" and after a couple of hours they just claim I wasn't at home, and they don't bother calling or anything. It's clear they just can't be bothered to even try to deliver to me and just take the package to some random weird store where I can collect it. Oh, and it's never the closest partner location, and seems to always be random. Oh, and the VAT payments are almost always an envelope with an invoice that's mailed by snail mail from Malta, and that arrives 2-5 weeks after the package has been delivered. Sometimes the payment reminder is sent by text message BEFORE the actual first invoice is in my mailbox....

FedEx is alright, with a caveat. If I change the delivery to my workplace after the package is on the way, this works very well, but if I don't it's a horrible experience with loooong waiting times trying to get the package delivered. It's been years since I had to do that though, so it might have changed.

Never had any problems at all with knives not getting accepted by shipper or customs here, and I've bought a lot from the US, Japan and EU.
 
Ok__mode_6953 said:
It’s not because of an issue with providing ID upfront, it’s because there’s a requirement for an adult to sign for the parcel on delivery for knives in the UK.

If you add a requirement for an adult signature on delivery upfront when you arrange the shipping, this shouldn’t be an issue for you going forward. (And don’t use DHL!)
Click to expand...
have tried this after hearing similarly from other UK residents... same result and same discussion with DHL, UPS, and FedEx
 
maxim said:
I ship quite a lot to UK and all over places with DHL express I never had a knife returned by them, maybe issue with declaration ?
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i thought so, so we have a customs broker with experience in this field look at it... basically he said we did everything correctly, but got unlucky a few times with uninformed customs agents. Its just a big risk sending hundreds or thousands of dollars of product.
 
If and when nothing should go wrong you need to preplan, and identify a local customs broker that know his/her **** OR pick a courier that can do the same or works that way.

You'll pay three times what you're used to but it works. For work stuff I go this route, caution; expensive....and addictive as there is no hassle anymore. For sending stuff worth anywhere north of 10K I'd use this route, yet it does not make sense for much less.
 
Ok__mode_6953 said:
Also, if you want to send a knife to UK and actually have it delivered, just avoid DHL like the plague.

Their interpretation of prohibited items is completely misaligned with UK law, which is super helpful. Plus, they will let you ship it in the first place so they can still take the shipping cost.
Click to expand...
I second this, we use UPS successfully ti the UK. USPS won’t let “knives” in the plane. Understanding “intended use” is what most shippers, and advertising platforms miss!
 
Anyone have tips for getting a package unstuck from DHL limbo? Every other DHL shipment I've gotten has been scary fast, but I'm over 5 weeks out on one. Asked seller for an investigation, it did get the status updated but it's still showing as stuck in customs a week later and he apparently can't request further follow up for another month?? Any ideas?
 
Throwing out the obligatory f*** Chicago customs. USPS itself is no worse or better than other carriers in my experience for intl both incoming and outgoing.
 
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