Delay in Delivery of International Orders Irritates Consumers

The inviting prices and the ease of buying on international websites are not proportional to the unforeseen problems faced by American consumers. And at those times, what most ails the buyer is the lack of information. Many do not even know, for example, about the release and delivery deadlines set by the IRS and the Post Office. Consumers complain that when looking for institutions, they perceive a push-push game about the return of orders and complain that they are answered with standard e-mail.

Sites on the internet, Communities on social networks, accumulate thousands of complaints, most involving delays, losses and breakdowns. One of them is Correios 100% Reclamacoes, created in November 2012 on Facebook. The page already has at least 4,700 followers. At Reclame Aqui, problems with virtual purchases on imported sites were responsible for 443 complaints on the site last year. In 2012, that number was 326.

In a note, the Post Office informs that they have their own service channels, adapted to the needs of their customers. He also informed that the number of complaints on complaint sites since 2012, encompasses several reasons, not only the delivery of international orders, and even so corresponds to only 0.03% of the total letters and orders delivered by the company in the same period. In addition, according to the state-owned company, the standard of delivery quality remains above 99%, the percentage of indemnities paid by the post office for delay, loss or damage in relation to the total of international letters and parcels transported was always less than 1% the past six years.

There are cases where waiting for orders reaches 120 days. Example of the seller Fernando de Souza. To save money, he prefers shipping without tracking, even though he knows that the arrival of the product can take months. According to him, his last two orders have been stopped for two months at the International Mail Treatment Center (CTCI) in Curitiba (PR), where packages of up to two kilograms are sent. “I buy everything from movies and games to cosmetic and dental products. The price difference is exorbitant, but the downside is the delay in delivery. I bought a Blu-Ray in February of this year, but the film only arrived in June. There were four months of waiting, “he said.

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Andrew is waiting for 21 orders made in Chinese AliExpress.com – most of them for the wedding scheduled for October next year. Aware of the delay, the occupational therapist said that she already buys the products in advance to avoid headaches on the big day. Among the orders are the bridesmaid dresses, the wedding shoe and the hair arrangement. “I just didn’t buy the dress because my friends didn’t let me (laughs). What pays off are the values ​​and, often, the quality is also surprising”. According to her, in stores in the capital of Minas Gerais, the rental of a lady’s dress costs an average of R $ 300, while on websites abroad, the pieces can be purchased from R $ 30 to R $ 40.

However, Andrew points out that she has not always had good experiences in online shopping. She says that recently, she was taxed and surprised at the door. “They charged me R $ 250 in fees and the purchase was not worth it, he concludes. According to the Post Office, the company only delivers taxed orders to branches, upon collection of the tax, so the charge may only have been made by a competing company. The company clarifies that only orders of up to US $ 50 sent by individuals and intended for individuals are exempt. In the case of purchase over the internet, the sender is a legal entity website, that is, all orders are subject to tax, regardless of value.

Pay attention to deadlines

The Correios clarified that all orders that arrive from abroad go through an x-ray where they are sorted to inspect the Revenue and other competent bodies, such as Anvisa and the Army, to check the content or apply import taxes, according to the legislation.

As for deadlines, the company informs that economic freight takes longer, reaching up to 50 working days for delivery of the order, in the case of international orders with tracking code starting with the letter “R”. This type of order has only two tracking records: one when it enters the United States and the other, only when it is delivered to the recipient on Twitter. The internal movement of the order is not shown in the tracking system. Express freight is faster (1 to 7 business days), but also more expensive.

In the last few years, the Post Office had an increase of 389% in the volume of international orders and last year, the general growth of services more directed to e-commerce was around 65%, which partially contributes to the slow release of goods. At the end of 2013, there was almost 100% growth in some business corridors, such as Asian countries. To keep up with demand, the company said it restructured the handling unit for these orders and increased the number of the activity by 170%.

The IRS informs that goods coming from other countries, such as China and the United States, maybe held for up to 90 days for analysis and investigation. The rule has been in effect since 2011. Until then, the Revenue seized these goods for a maximum of 60 days. When they arrive in the United States through São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, or Parana, the packages are separated and sent to a special sector, where they are awaiting inspection to detail if there is taxation.

The Tax Authorities informed that the time of delivery of the product varies according to the origin, the freight contracted, the sending of correct information and documentation regarding the content, sender and recipient and the operational capacity of the Post Office and other stakeholders. “It is known that some international companies hold back their deliveries, in order to negotiate cheaper freight, sometimes leaving up to 30 days without shipping to the destination country”, informed the agency App.

New in taxation

The IRS and the Post Office will tighten the siege and increase the number of taxed goods. Starting in November, packages will be taxed automatically, which according to the agencies, will reduce the final import deadline by American citizens. According to the Correios, the system will allow for the early exchange and availability of electronic information on orders (especially e-commerce), which will also provide greater security to the entire process.

The Correios and the Revenue will receive the information electronically (data of the sender, recipient, detailed content, value of the products, etc.) about the shipments that are being sent to the US. Thus, even before the package arrives in the US, it will be possible to define the customs process to which it will be submitted, including regarding the need to carry out the intrusive verification of the package, to check documents, contents, etc. Even in the new process, all cargo arriving from abroad will continue to pass through the X-ray, for security control.

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