Parcel stuck on departed Heathrow

[Nervous]

Hello
Looking for some advice about a parcel I ordered in February from the US. It was fir a birthday present on 22nd March so now very late. The tracking is as follows,
March 17, 2021, 5:35 pm
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on March 17, 2021 at 5:35 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
March 6, 2021, 3:05 pm
Departed
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
March 5, 2021, 2:57 pm
Arrived
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
February 26, 2021, 10:51 am
Processed Through Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 
February 26, 2021, 10:51 am
Arrived at Regional Facility
LOS ANGELES CA INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 
February 25, 2021, 3:09 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
LOS ANGELES, CA 90014 

I've contacted the seller and it then updated to say departed Heathrow, and he says its in customs. Does that sound right? Im trying to be patient but this was nearly £400. Parcelforce tracking is stuck on exported to UK since 26th Feb. Really worried its lost.

[Snaggletooth]

Yes, it appears to be in customs. The tracking won’t update until it leaves.

[Nervous]

Will parcelforce update to say its in Customs?

[Nervous]

Sorry jmeant to say parcelforce says it would get a GB tracking for it to be entered in to customs

[Snaggletooth]

I have heard this before but it seems instinctively wrong to me.

Parcelforce usually replace overseas tracking numbers with a UK one. Royal Mail don't bother with that. I don't think customs care either way.

The issue with the statement above is that PFW don't seem to have the parcel in their possession until after it clears customs.

Anyway, I don't see why you as a customer would care about the above?

[EllaG]

Hi, I’m having the same problem, a package I ordered in Feb from the US via USPS, it said it departed Heathrow on April 5 after leaving the US on April 2nd and no update since. The package is not a taxable product or brand, it’s a homemade item so I don’t understand why it’s still stuck there. Is COVID still affecting customs?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hi, I’m having the same problem, a package I ordered in Feb from the US via USPS, it said it departed Heathrow on April 5 after leaving the US on April 2nd and no update since. The package is not a taxable product or brand, it’s a homemade item so I don’t understand why it’s still stuck there. Is COVID still affecting customs?

USPS always scan their items as they take it from the aircraft and pass it to customs.

COVID is still affecting Customs, as is Brexit.

However, you say the item is home made and no tax is due, however Customs also have to check on various safety and legal issues. For instance if your homemade item is made from a prohibited or restricted material, or they suspect it is, they have a legal obligation to ensure it is legal for it to enter the UK.

[EllaG]

Thank you, they’re beeswax candles and essential oils. I’ve bought regularly for 2 years. My last package arrived in early Jan and after it arrived at Heathrow I received it the next day which was why I was worried and still am as it’s expensive to buy and ship but I love this seller’s items so I do a bulk order every few months.

[Snaggletooth]

Essential oils might be the problem:

Perfumes and aftershaves (including eau de parfum and eau de toilette, reed diffusers, non-aerosol body sprays, non-aerosol room sprays, essential oils. Excludes non-flammable perfumed creams, gels, oils or lotions)

International - Not allowed in the mail
UK - Allowed in the mail, see restrictions and packaging guidelines below:
Volume per item must not exceed 150ml.
No more than four items in any one parcel.
Must be sent in its original retail packaging, placed in strong outer packaging and cushioned to prevent breakage.
An ID8000 label must be applied (see example ID8000 label).
The sender's name and return address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging.
These items must be presented at and can only be sent via a Post Office® counter.

Source: https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app ... -customers

In summary, you can't send essential oils in the international mail. You can send them within the UK, subject to strict conditions. If is possible that these regulations have caused customs to take a longer look - that said, it hasn't really been in customs that long yet.

[EllaG]

Thanks for your comment and help, much appreciated, they’re not pure essential oils, each bottle is 10 or 15mls, and only 3 bottles in it, the others are candles . I’ve ordered regularly for 2 years and the seller has shipped to the UK for 10 years so very specialised. The seller has a very popular Instagram and FB and lots of people order from the UK too. The packaging always has the sellers address and phone number on it. I wouldn’t order from the US for anything else because of hassle. So do you think it’s just a delay? It’s 10 days today. I’m just worried it’s lost and not sure what to do if it is. USPS are no help but as soon as it lands in the UK, RM take over but RM says it hasn’t left the originating country but my tracking says this.

Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on April 5, 2021 at 7:58 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

[shawke53]

Did you ever receive your parcel???

I sent a parcel to a friend in England from Oklahoma on March 25, 2021. Everything in the box was on the allowed customs list and it only included a shirt and a few snacks he loves from the states. The parcel was routed to Copenhagen for some reason and then arrived at Heathrow:

April 6, 2021, 7:37 am
Departed
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on April 6, 2021 at 7:37 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

But nothing has been updated since. Parcelforce still showing in transit to UK and they indicated that their information is a "pre-advice scan" and it has not been received by them until tracking says "Coventry IH."

This is not the first package I have sent him since COVID, so I am wondering if this is not a Brexit issue that is causing a backlog.

[baf-96]

Hi, I'm also having this issue.. I ordered a cassette from the US on March 12th 2021 & all updates were going fine until it gets to "Your item departed a transfer airport in HEATHROW, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM on March 19, 2021 at 7:18 am". it's now May 4th & still no updates and no sign of the parcel. Gutted as this was a limited run of tapes that sold out within a week so there's no chance of them sending another has anybody who previously posted in here had there parcels turn up yet?

[janelaydie]

Hi I'm having the same issue - did these parcels turn up eventually?

[Harry200100]

Did any turn up mine is doing the same thing

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Just an insight but USPS is suffering delays both in-country and on import and export. I was quite surprised by how widespread it is when I visited https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/ it looks like not just the general slow down because of political issues earlier in the year (which continue to add to the delays) but also natural disasters and weather-related incidents.