Item sent from Japan to UK...lost?

[richyawying]

Hi there, was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on this. I've imported numerous items of various value to the UK from japan over the years and have never had any issues - items have always been delivered within two weeks at most. I ordered an xrgb mini framemeister (an upscaler) from Solaris Japan on 25th July (cost was ￡280 total) - it was dispatched on 26th July and the tracking shows it left japan on the 28th July. It's registered and insured Japan international post. Since that point, the tracking has not been updated. I have contacted Parcelforce, Royal Mail and even HMRC and none know where my parcel is. It's now past the maximum suggested time for reaching the UK (five to seven working days), and everything points to it being lost.

My tracking currently is as follows:
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07/25/2016 20:29 Posting/Collection - HIGASHIKURUME TOKYO

07/26/2016 23:17 Arrival at outward office of exchange - TOKYO INT TOKYO

07/28/2016 06:20 Dispatch from outward office of exchange - TOKYO INT TOKYO
-----------------------------------------------------------------
There has been no updates since that point, and the item has not shown to have reached the UK. Also, I purchased the same item from the same seller back in 2014 with the same shipping option - and it reached me within five days and the tracking was updated throughout until final delivery. Why has this item not even been scanned in as being in the UK? It should have arrived at HWDC over a week ago!

The tracking number starts with RR. The last tracking number I had for a shipment from Japan also started with RR, was updated throughout right to final delivery and arrived from start to finish in five business days.

If anyone can offer any advice, I'd be grateful.

[SpacePhoenix]

It's not unusual for things to get stuck in customs for a month or more. If it's stuck in customs there won't be any further scans until customs release the item

[richyawying]

I assumed that may be the case. Either way, it was updated last night - JP post states arrival at HWDC but royal mail's update is a bit confusing:

Item: RR9XXXXXX4JP
Status: It's on its way
Your item, posted on 08/08/16 with reference RR90XXXXX34JP has been received at our international mail centre and is being made ready for despatch overseas.

___________________

Wait what? Its an inbound parcel, not outbound! Why is it going overseas?!

Im so confused right now.

[SpacePhoenix]

There should be a button that you can click to bring up the detailed entries, what entries are given?

[richyawying]

There's no such button.

Reference is RR901756334JP if that helps.

[Snaggletooth]

I used Royal Mail to confirm what you said about being prepared for despatch. I then went on http://www.track-trace.com/post" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and got these results, which appear to be from the Japanese postal service:

07/25/2016 20:29 Posting/Collection HIGASHIKURUME TOKYO
203-8799
07/26/2016 23:17 Arrival at outward office of exchange TOKYO INT TOKYO
138-8799
07/28/2016 06:20 Dispatch from outward office of exchange TOKYO INT TOKYO
138-8799
08/08/2016 17:39 Arrival at inward office of exchange LANGLEY HWDC UNITED KINGDOM

08/08/2016 19:50 Arrival at inward office of exchange LANGLEY HWDC UNITED KINGDOM

08/09/2016 06:45 Final delivery UNITED KINGDOM

So it looks like it has been stuck in customs for about 10 days, which is kind of normal at the moment. "Final Delivery" at 06:45 this morning is not necessarily wrong, because your item will be liable for payment of VAT. In these cases, your item is "delivered" to a special PO box in your local delivery office, where it waits until you pay the customs charge. You are notified of this by a grey card which will arrive in the normal mail, which should be sometime today.

What is more worrying is the RM message, which implies that the item is going back to Japan. This isn't inconsistent with the other tracking above. However, we have had a customer on here recently say that they received one of these messages from the tracking but that it was some mistake at RM's end.

[richyawying]

I actually prepaid the customs charges in advance last week using the royal mail online payment system.

I think I should give then a call.

[Snaggletooth]

It's now past the maximum suggested time for reaching the UK (five to seven working days), and everything points to it being lost.

As the item is coming in via Royal Mail / Japan Post there is no maximum time on the postal service. You may well have agreed something different with the seller, in which case this is the seller's fault for not using a timed service, and you should look at getting compensation from them even if the item turns up in the next day or two.

...There has been no updates since that point, and the item has not shown to have reached the UK. Also, I purchased the same item from the same seller back in 2014 with the same shipping option - and it reached me within five days and the tracking was updated throughout until final delivery. Why has this item not even been scanned in as being in the UK? It should have arrived at HWDC over a week ago!

There is no tracking facility at HMRC and your item has not actually entered the UK until customs have cleared it. It's the same status as when you have got off the plane at an airport but have not yet passed through passport control ... only it takes a lot longer. Up to about a year ago HMRC were much quicker at processing items.

There should be a button that you can click to bring up the detailed entries, what entries are given?

There's no such button.

This facility seems to come and go from the RM track and trace page, it's not showing up currently on the link I am using, but there might actually be two different tracking pages on RM's website (there used to be).