How long is normal at Langley for an item posted from Britain to Morocco?

[carr0]

I posted a parcel containing a new shoulder bag and two t-shirts from here in Britain to my gf in Morocco. I used International Signed For.
The subpostmistress advised it should arrive within 7 days.
The RM website says it was despatched from my area mail centre on Saturday and received by RM (sic - not Customs) at Langley HWDC on...Wednesday evening, which is to say yesterday.
How long in whatever is the current normal course of things can this be expected to stay at Langley, given that this is going out of Britain and not coming in?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

That's, not a question this unofficial site can answer as the answer would depend on many variables. Capacity, flights, customs checks etc

However, the last scan in the UK is at HWDC, the first scan (if they indeed do scan it) will be at the Morrocan equivalent as it enters the country, or when it is delivered or collected. In the meantime, it will be processed through Customs at each end, and as long as nothing is on the Prohibited or Restricted list for both countries, or it's suspected of being so, then it should be delivered eventually. Hopefully, the shoulder bag isn't leather https://www.royalmail.com/morocco but even then it could delay things while they check it out.

Of course, we have no idea how Covid is affecting Morrocan Customs or their postal service so there could be delays down to that as well.

[carr0]

I know it should be delivered eventually. I am not asking how long it will take to be delivered, or how long anything takes in Morocco, just how long the parcel would be expected to stay at Langley - two hours, a day, a week, a month, two months? The info from the RM website is that the item "is being prepared for despatch overseas".

The shoulder bag is canvas, as I wrote on the customs declaration. I am not sure I have understood your point regarding leather. Is it that since leather is an animal product the bag would be prohibited from being sent in the Moroccan mail? It's possible the bag has a leather strap - I didn't check. Wouldn't that be for the receiving country to check though, if they decide to?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I know it should be delivered eventually. I am not asking how long it will take to be delivered, or how long anything takes in Morocco, just how long the parcel would be expected to stay at Langley - two hours, a day, a week, a month, two months? The info from the RM website is that the item "is being prepared for despatch overseas".

The shoulder bag is canvas, as I wrote on the customs declaration. I am not sure I have understood your point regarding leather. Is it that since leather is an animal product the bag would be prohibited from being sent in the Moroccan mail? It's possible the bag has a leather strap - I didn't check. Wouldn't that be for the receiving country to check though, if they decide to?

As per my previous post, we cant answer your specific question about how long it will stay in HWDC.

As to the leather strap, again as we are not an official site we can't say with any authority if it will clear customs or not, but both Customs are responsible for checking all items within the mail. The list does say animal products are prohibited so it's possible, if it has a leather strap, that it may cause a delay.

UK Customs will check items to make sure it's legal to send them to the destination, likewise the destination country will do its own checks.

Both Customs have international and national legal obligations to undertake these checks.

[carr0]

I didn't ask a specific question about how long it will stay in HWDC, nor for an authoritative statement about whether it will clear customs.

Can someone else (perhaps another service user, or someone else acting other than ex cathedra) give an indication of how long this kind of package is tending to stay in HWDC at the moment, whether it's hours or days or months? Many thanks.

[carr0]

So the last scan in Britain is at Langley - is that the same as the first scan at Langley which has already happened? ("We have received your item at LANGLEY HWDC, our international processing centre. Your item is being prepared for despatch overseas.") Or will there be a second scan saying it is leaving Langley and Britain? I'm aware there may not be any scans in Morocco, or at least none that I can know about, until my gf receives the parcel.

[carr0]

Answering my own question here: the parcel only stayed a few hours in Langley; the RM website confirms that it has now left Britain. Thanks, RM!