Customs asked for information: what to do
When customs, the carrier or the destination post asks for information, documents or payment, the recipient has to answer them directly and before the deadline. What to send, where to find each document, and what Tiptrans can and can't do.
When customs, the carrier or the destination post contacts you about a shipment, answer them yourself, as the recipient, before their deadline. This applies to any request: a message before delivery, a form in a customs portal or a package already held by customs. Tiptrans can't answer for you, but we can give you the documents we have.
- Find the message. Check your email, including the spam folder, and your phone for calls and text messages from the carrier (for example UPS or FedEx), the post or customs. The carrier gets the recipient's phone number and email address with the shipment.
- Note what they ask for and by when.
- Collect the details and documents. The table below shows where to find each one.
- Answer the way the message says: reply to the email, fill in the online form or portal, or call them. Keep your answers consistent with your content declaration.
- Pay any duties, taxes or fees they ask for. See Customs duties and taxes explained.
- If you can't find the message or don't understand what they need, contact the carrier or the customs office in your country. They hold the shipment and can tell you what is missing.
Where to find what they ask for
| They ask for | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Item descriptions, quantities, values or HS codes | The package's Content description tab in your account. Give the same details you declared. |
| The invoice for the shipment | On the Content description tab, click Preview of customs invoice attached to package and save or print it as a PDF. It is made from your declaration, like the invoice attached to the package. |
| Proof of purchase and value, such as the order confirmation, receipt or payment confirmation | The shop or seller. We don't have purchase documents for items you bought yourself. |
| The end use or the material of the items, or a value breakdown | Your own description of each item, consistent with what you declared. |
| An EORI, VAT or tax number | Your own number. See What is an EORI number? |
| The tracking number | The email Your package #… has been shipped |
A shipped package is listed in Packages & Shipments when you set the filter to Archived.
Private person or business
Many customs portals ask whether the recipient is a private person or an economic entity (a business). Choose private person if you import for yourself, and economic entity only if you import for a registered business. The portal may then ask for different documents.
What Tiptrans can and can't do
- We can't answer customs or step in while customs holds a shipment. Only the recipient can.
- We can send extra documents or information if customs asks for them through the carrier.
- If customs needs a specific form signed or stamped by the shipper, send it to us. Staff can sign or stamp it.
- If the carrier's request reaches you through our support, reply in the same email thread, so the details can go straight to the carrier.
- We can't change your content declaration after the package has shipped. See Can I change or stop a shipment after dispatch?
If you don't answer in time
The shipment can be delayed, returned or even disposed of, depending on the carrier's terms and the country. If it comes back to us, see What happens when a shipment is returned to the warehouse? A complete and accurate declaration from the start is the best way to avoid questions. See Customs declarations and values explained.
Packages coming into our warehouses
If customs contacts you about a package on its way to one of our warehouses, contact customs directly. You bought the goods and had them sent to us, so only you can answer: we have no details of your purchase and can't resolve it for you.
- Hong Kong warehouse: Hong Kong charges no import tax on common goods, and the seller normally handles the export paperwork. If Hong Kong customs needs anything, the seller or the carrier usually tells you.
- Czech warehouse: this is the one exception. A package from outside the EU goes through EU customs on arrival, and we can help you with the clearance for a fee (Customs assistance on the price list). Contact us, and our support will ask you for the documents needed. See Importing into the EU: a guide.
When to contact us
Contact us when customs or the carrier asks for something only we can provide, or when you need a form signed. Write from the email address registered to your account and include:
- the package ID and the tracking number,
- the carrier and the destination country,
- the message from customs or the carrier, forwarded or as a screenshot, with its deadline,
- what exactly they ask for, and the form if there is one.