Why is a package from Ireland stuck in customs?
Good morning everyone, when checking the tracking of a shipment I'm waiting for from Ireland, it now shows on the Poste Italiane website "being processed at the international exchange center".
What I'm wondering is whether this is customs or just a simple sorting center for parcels coming from abroad.
If it is customs, I wonder why, given that Ireland is an EU country.
Thanks to anyone who can help me
11 comments
daxsisko
·3 years agostandard wording that appears as usual: so, for now, nothing alarming
xxxdadoxxx
OP3 years agoThe package was delivered to me this morning without any "surprises".
To sum up: package sent via An Post from Ireland on April 11, delivered in 9 days.
The package goes through the international exchange centers in Italy and then to the postal operating centers, before being put out for delivery, without having to pay VAT or duties. I hope this information can be useful in the future to anyone who buys from Ireland with shipping via An Post and then delivered in Italy by Poste Italiane.
Thanks again to everyone for the help.
Best regards
Davide
daxsisko
·3 years agoas already said by other community users, Ireland is part of the EU, so there should be no charges of any kind ( then you need to check exactly where the seller is...... but let's not make it too complicated )
in any case , packages still go through customs , even those within the EU ( in fact , sometimes there can be unexpected "surprises"...... especially due to incorrect interpretations ..... but here too it's better not to get complicated )
xxxdadoxxx
OP3 years agoThanks, let's hope there are no surprises then! Anyway, I'll let you know how it went.
Regards
xxxdadoxxx
OP3 years agoThanks everyone for your help, the tracking now shows me that it is "Being processed at the Peschiera Borromeo MI Postal Operations Center", so I’m led to think that it’s as deejaynick wrote, namely that the package coming from abroad still goes through the international exchange center and then proceeds with the standard process.
I’ll let you know when it arrives at its destination whether I’ll be charged anything.
Thanks again everyone!
deejaynick
·3 years agoThe international exchange center processes both EU parcels and those from outside the EU.
A delay can be normal (also because, on a sample basis, they sometimes check intra-EU parcels too), unless yours is coming from Northern Ireland (in that case it would be outside the EU...).
xxxdadoxxx
OP3 years agoThanks so much for the reply, I can confirm that it’s Ireland, it was sent from Dublin. Your answer reassures me because I thought only non-EU parcels were being held up.
As far as you know, since this is a private sale between individuals worth €175, do you think they could charge me VAT upon delivery?
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoI’m quoting this piece from an article I found online: It is a special regime that gives Northern Ireland a special status: the purchase of goods coming from Northern Ireland does not require customs formalities in Italy, just as it does not involve the payment of duties for goods coming from Italy and from another EU country. Trade in goods between Italy and Northern Ireland therefore continues to be regulated as transactions within the European common market.
I hope for your sake that the package comes from there 😀
Kind regards.
marioelegio
·3 years agoThe poster specified that the package comes from Dublin. Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and therefore cannot be part of Northern Ireland.
Eire has been part of the EU since 1973 and has never even considered leaving it.
hi
mario
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoHi Mario
Thanks for the reply.
Better that way, at least there won't be any surprises when receiving the item. 👍
heavenwelkin
·3 years agoThe article however dates back to February 10, 2021
So in the worst case, on 175 euros, if you haven't already paid something in advance, you'll end up paying at least 45 euros in various taxes.
In that case, let us know...
Kind regards.