| personal goods through customs into China | |
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| Nov 7, 2015 06:52 |   |
 | Hi I am having problems getting several boxes of personal goods shipped from Australia through Customs at Shanghai. I was advised in Australia that I did not have to list the titles of every book, list every item in every box. Now, it seems that I did have to, so Customs could check to see if anything was politically/culturally/socially 'sensitive'. I don't believe I have any such prohibited goods. I merely gave a general description of the items in each box. For example, books, ornaments, photo album, guitars (although I did describe each guitar). I am prepared, sadly, to lose the books. But guitars and ornaments ought to be allowed through surely. The agent we contracted (the original company did not handle any loads smaller than a container) sublet to a smaller agent, who declined to handle the goods because there was not a detailed list. 3 agents later, and the current one is asking for 5000 rmb to get the stuff through customs. I am refusing to pay that, confident that such an arrangement is purely extortion. And payment apparently still does not guarantee they will be allowed in. Besides, the goods have not even been presented to customs yet. Has anyone else had a similar problem? How did they get on? Any advice please? Thanks, Michael |
| Nov 8, 2015 19:33 | #1 |
| GUEST67903 | Mike, it is ok that you didn't list the titles of all your books. If the customs thinks it's necessary to check your boxes, then they will surely open your boxes even you list everything clearly. This isn't the problem. If your parcels were stopped by Chinese customs, then they would be sent back to Australia again. If there is anything "illegal" in the custom's eyes, they might confiscate them. So I don't think you should ask help from any agent. Instead, you just keep an eye on the tracking information. |
| Nov 8, 2015 22:52 | #2 |
| Thanks very much for that information. But how can it be done without an agent to take it to customs? I/we cannot do that ourselves. And I am not sure how the goods can be tracked through the system. Michael |
| Nov 9, 2015 03:53 | #3 |
| GUEST67903 | Quote:Originally Posted by MIKEOE2 Thanks very much for that information.But how can it be done without an agent to take it to customs? I/we cannot do that ourselves. And I am not sure how the goods can be tracked through the system. Michael I am wondering where you are right now. If you are in Australia, you can go to the post office to send your books to China. Yes, your books will go through Australian and Chinese customs before reaching you. But it's not what you should worry about. Everything sent from a country to another country will go through the customs in both countries. If the post office accepts your books, then they will ship them to China. When you pay for the parcel, you will get a tracking number. You can search the tracking number on the website of the post office to acquire tracking information of your parcel. |
| Nov 9, 2015 21:46 | #4 |
| Thanks for that. I am in China right now. I went back to Australia and organised to send my stuff via an Australian freight company to my Chinese wife on my behalf. I am not in Shanghai and cannot get there during the week as I am working. And of course the customs is not open on the weekend. It was sent by ship, not through the Post Office. So I have no tracking number. In any case I don't need to track it now. It's arrived intact but on the wrong side of the customs office. I've been asked by the agent to try and remember the names of the books. But so difficult, the best I can do is categorise them (novels, landscape picture books, text books, my thesis etc). Thankfully the idea of the 'bribe' is not going ahead. It is costing me 20 rmb a day to store it (undercover I'm told in a storage facility, not out in the weather). That's affordable while they sort out the problem. I am feeling a little more confident, but it's still up to customs to decide. |
| Nov 12, 2015 17:16 | #5 |
| So it seems we are in a deadlock right now. None of the stuff is able to pass through customs without a detailed list of the items in each box. Is it possible to ship my boxes from Shanghai to another port, closer to me in China, perhaps Lianyungang? From there I might be able to deal with customs and the agent myself? Or get access to my stuff to do an itemised list? |
| Nov 12, 2015 20:25 | #6 |
| GUEST45789 | Quote:Originally Posted by MIKEOE2 Is it possible to ship my boxes from Shanghai to another port, closer to me in China, perhaps Lianyungang? From there I might be able to deal with customs and the agent myself? Or get a... If your items already arrived in Shanghai, I am afraid that there is no way to ship your boxes to another port. Have you been informed by the agent that your boxes already arrived? What did they suggest you do? To go there and pick up your boxes? I think you might confirm with your agent what will happen if you don't go to the customs? To my knowledge, your boxes might be sent back to Australia. |
| Nov 20, 2015 11:09 | #7 |
| The latest: seems Customs is requiring I need to have a 12 month residence permit. Right now I am in the process of changing colleges. My current teaching contract has a month to run and I have to wait for cancellation of my current Foreign Experts Certificate in order to apply for a new one. Meanwhile time is ticking away. How long can I keep my stuff in storage (at 20 rmb a day)? I don't understand why I cannot produce my new contract paperwork as proof that a 12 mth residence permit is inevitable. |
| Nov 20, 2015 20:04 | #8 |
| GUEST67903 | Mike, The contact isn't the sound evidence. Even you have the contract, you might be refused for getting the Z type and your new resident permit. 20 RMB for a day is really expensive. When will you get your new resident permit? You might calculate how money money you will pay for keep your books at the custom. If it is too expensive, you can ask them to send the parcel back to your country. According to what I know, if you don't pick your parcel, the customs can send them back to your country. The shipping company will be required to pay the fine. It's none of your business. |
| Nov 20, 2015 20:29 | #9 |
| With respect, I do not believe I will be refused the Z visa and the new resident permit. 20 rmb a day is not expensive for me. As long as they will allow me to store the stuff there until I can show my new resident permit. I will get the new permit early in the new year. I would not ask them to send my stuff back to my country. The cost of sending it back to China would be more than the 20/day storage. Showing Customs the contract I believe is sound evidence. I have signed it already. I can even show my marriage certificate and my wife's Chinese ID. The problem is Customs and the agent have a problem thinking 'outside the box' in special circumstances such as this. |
| Nov 20, 2015 21:56 | #10 |
| GUEST67903 | If the customs believed it's sound evidence, they would have let you claim your parcel. But they didn't. With respect, it was you who thought it was sound evidence. Taking all required documents for the resident renewal doesn't mean you have the resident permit. Am I right? Yes, you had resident permit before. It seems that you will get your new one for sure. But It is still the entry and exit management bureau who finally decide to issue or not. Just like visa application, some people bring all required documents but finally get refused. Anything might happen before you submit your application. You know, officials bureaucrats. They just stick to the rules and never care about what inconvenience they have caused for others. That's why they insist that you should bring your resident permit. Anyway, I hope that you can get your things back soon. Good luck! |
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