Customs clearance

[skyfall]

Yeah, im US and a number of suppliers talk about and offer promotions from US warehouses yet so many forum threads have posts from people that purchased from domestic warehouses and they consistently say that the package they ordered got shipped from China.

That's concerning. Do we know which companies have been known to do this?

I'm sure the CBP letters are harmless but I don't want to be on their radar...

 

[dutchselect]

That's concerning. Do we know which companies have been known to do this?

I'm sure the CBP letters are harmless but I don't want to be on their radar...

I cant say I remember off the top.of my head and which forum but I have read it atleast a half dozen times

 

[ZippityDooDah]

I cant say I remember off the top.of my head and which forum but I have read it atleast a half dozen times

I've been doing this a while, and while it does happen occasionally it's almost always the result of a US warehouse's inventory being off, and most of the time customers are notified when the shipping origin changes to China. Because most Chinese vendors aren't going to give your money back you just accept it as the best solution, although some will offer additional product or other "compensation" as a gesture in such situations.

Frankly, I would be more concerned about the implications of having things shipped from a vendor's US warehouse than from overseas. If a US govt agency raids a domestic warehouse they have free and open access to the names, addresses, and order contents via a search warrant, where a single CBP letter to a single US citizen while "scary" for some is an individual issue and CBP, FBI, DEA, and FDA agents aren't going to be no-knock raiding facilities in China.

 

[dutchselect]

I've been doing this a while, and while it does happen occasionally it's almost always the result of a US warehouse's inventory being off, and most of the time customers are notified when the shipping origin changes to China. Because most Chinese vendors aren't going to give your money back you just accept it as the best solution, although some will offer additional product or other "compensation" as a gesture in such situations.

Frankly, I would be more concerned about the implications of having things shipped from a vendor's US warehouse than from overseas. If a US govt agency raids a domestic warehouse they have free and open access to the names, addresses, and order contents via a search warrant, where a single CBP letter to a single US citizen while "scary" for some is an individual issue and CBP, FBI, DEA, and FDA agents aren't going to be no-knock raiding facilities in China.

Yeah because correct me if im wrong but you would be in less trouble with customs then you would be from domestic alphabet?

 

[skyfall]

I've been doing this a while, and while it does happen occasionally it's almost always the result of a US warehouse's inventory being off, and most of the time customers are notified when the shipping origin changes to China. Because most Chinese vendors aren't going to give your money back you just accept it as the best solution, although some will offer additional product or other "compensation" as a gesture in such situations.

Frankly, I would be more concerned about the implications of having things shipped from a vendor's US warehouse than from overseas. If a US govt agency raids a domestic warehouse they have free and open access to the names, addresses, and order contents via a search warrant, where a single CBP letter to a single US citizen while "scary" for some is an individual issue and CBP, FBI, DEA, and FDA agents aren't going to be no-knock raiding facilities in China.

Thanks, I hadn't thought about it from that perspective.

I came across a post from a member saying they were concerned about their Global Entry pass and I travel a lot between US and Canada so that was one reason I was leaning domestic.

I guess when Palantir connects every agency, we're screwed either way lol.

 

[tncc_rn]

I'm sure the CBP letters are harmless but I don't want to be on their radar...

They are not harmless, in that they can mess up your known traveler membership and make you subject to secondary screening when coming back into the country from abroad. I went through this about 6 years ago, and then it took me two years to fall off their "radar".

Now a unneeded purchase through Indiamart has put me back on the radar. So till I get a AndyPanda approved private mailbox looks like no more overseas purchases for me.

No one to blame but myself. I knew this was a possibility.

 

[skyfall]

They are not harmless, in that they can mess up your known traveler membership and make you subject to secondary screening when coming back into the country from abroad. I went through this about 6 years ago, and then it took me two years to fall off their "radar".

Now a unneeded purchase through Indiamart has put me back on the radar. So till I get a AndyPanda approved private mailbox looks like no more overseas purchases for me.

No one to blame but myself. I knew this was a possibility.

Thanks for sharing that. Given the current administration, I wouldn't expect anything border related to loosen up any time soon so I'm going to stick to domestic.

Out of curiosity, what's an "AndyPanda approved private mailbox"? Is this similar to a PO Box service?

 

[tncc_rn]

Out of curiosity, what's an "AndyPanda approved private mailbox"? Is this similar to a PO Box service?

Yes. PO Box service in a business name. Dirt cheap when a CBP letter is sent to one.... I was already committed to these purchases when I started looking into one. And of course I get seized....

My own fault.

 

[AndyPanda]

Thanks for sharing that. Given the current administration, I wouldn't expect anything border related to loosen up any time soon so I'm going to stick to domestic.

Out of curiosity, what's an "AndyPanda approved private mailbox"? Is this similar to a PO Box service?

Not a PO box. Those are government run and directly associated with your identity. Go to a UPS store. Get a box and put it in a business name or a moniker.

 

[tncc_rn]

Not a PO box. Those are government run and directly associated with your identity. Go to a UPS store. Get a box and put it in a business name or a moniker.

Sorry Andy, I meant a UPS store box. I just call boxes PO Boxes by default.

 

[AndyPanda]

Sorry Andy, I meant a UPS store box. I just call boxes PO Boxes by default.

All good. I am just trying to help people skirt the system! 😂

 

[skyfall]

Not a PO box. Those are government run and directly associated with your identity. Go to a UPS store. Get a box and put it in a business name or a moniker.

Thanks for the clarification! Do you know if UPS asks to see business registration docs to open it in a business name? Or can you just put any business name down?

 

[AndyPanda]

Thanks for the clarification! Do you know if UPS asks to see business registration docs to open it in a business name? Or can you just put any business name down?

They will ask for ID, but without an actual investigation and warrants, when customs sends a letter it wont have your personal information. It will just be sent to the recipient of the package that was seized. They are not going to waste resources on it.