Customs & Transit Delays
Tracking, Border Clearance & Delivery Support
Is My Parcel Stuck in Transit or Customs?
International shipping may involve several carriers, sorting facilities, border authorities, and final-mile delivery partners. Tracking messages such as “In Transit,” “Held at Customs,” or “Clearance in Progress” are common and do not automatically mean that a shipment has been rejected or lost.
Multiple Stages Carrier, customs, handoff, and final delivery
Tracking Pauses Not automatically proof of loss
Carrier First Confirm required action and current status
No Fixed Limit Customs timelines vary by shipment
1
Why Transit May Take Longer Than Expected
A parcel can be delayed before departure, between hubs, during a carrier handoff, or at the final delivery stage.
High Parcel Volume
Holidays, promotional periods, major sales events, and network disruptions can create backlogs at warehouses, airports, sorting centres, and delivery depots.
Weather & Transportation
Severe weather, road closures, reduced flights, port congestion, equipment issues, and route changes can extend transit time.
Weekends & Public Holidays
Some carriers, customs offices, banks, suppliers, and government agencies operate on reduced schedules or close entirely.
Multiple Logistics Hubs
Economy and consolidated services may pass through several facilities or carriers before reaching the destination.
Remote or Limited-Service Areas
Rural, island, military, restricted, or low-frequency routes may require additional handoffs or scheduled delivery days.
Tracking Delays
A parcel may continue moving between scan points even when no new public tracking event appears for several days.
A tracking pause does not automatically mean the shipment is lost. It also does not prove that the parcel is moving normally. Review the full tracking history and any current carrier alerts.
2
Why Customs May Hold a Parcel
Border authorities may review an international shipment before releasing it into the local delivery network.
Routine or Regulatory Review
- Verification of contents and declared value
- Product classification or country-of-origin review
- Random security or compliance inspection
- Review of controlled, restricted, or regulated goods
Information or Payment Required
- Import duty, VAT, GST, brokerage, or handling fees
- Recipient identification or tax-registration details
- Missing or incomplete commercial documentation
- Additional product description or proof of purchase
Cosmetics, food, supplements, liquids, electronics, batteries, medical products, and other regulated categories may require additional review depending on the destination and product.
3
Understanding Common Tracking Messages
Wording differs by carrier, but these messages usually refer to similar stages.
In Transit — No Recent Update The parcel may be between scanning points, moving in a consolidated shipment, or waiting for a carrier handoff.
Awaiting Customs Clearance The shipment is waiting in the customs-processing queue.
Held for Inspection Customs or another authority may be conducting a manual or regulatory review.
Pending Duty Payment Import charges must usually be paid before the shipment can be released.
Clearance Delay Customs, the carrier, broker, recipient, or sender may need to complete an additional step.
Released From Customs Border processing has been completed and the parcel should proceed to the next carrier or delivery facility.
4
What You Should Do
Follow these steps before requesting seller intervention.
1
Review Every Tracking Number
Orders may be divided into separate parcels with different carriers, routes, and delivery dates.
2
Read the Complete Tracking History
Look for requests involving payment, identification, customs documents, address confirmation, collection, or delivery attempts.
3
Contact the Carrier or Customs Broker
Provide the tracking number and ask what is required, who must provide it, and whether a deadline or storage charge applies.
4
Complete Any Required Recipient Action
Pay assessed charges or submit requested identification and documentation through the carrier’s authorized channel.
5
Contact Très Elite if Sender Action Is Required
Send your order number, tracking number, and the carrier’s complete written request through our official contact form.
5
Duties, Taxes & Carrier Fees
The applicable arrangement depends on the order, destination, carrier, product, and shipping service.
Charges Collected or Prepaid
For some eligible orders, duties or taxes may be collected at checkout or prepaid through the shipping service. This should be reflected in the applicable checkout, quotation, invoice, or order information.
Charges Payable on Arrival
Customs, the postal operator, broker, or courier may collect duties, VAT, GST, clearance, brokerage, advancement, storage, or handling fees before release.
Customs authorities make the final assessment. Unless charges are expressly identified as included or prepaid, destination-imposed import costs remain the recipient’s responsibility.
6
When Seller Documentation Is Needed
We can assist with available sender-side records when the carrier confirms they are required.
Contact us when the carrier or customs authority specifically asks the sender to provide or clarify:
- A commercial invoice or proof of sale
- A product description or intended use
- Country-of-origin information where available
- An identifiable sender-side documentation error
We cannot falsify, undervalue, or improperly alter customs information. We also cannot override customs authorities, guarantee release, or control the duration of government review.
7
How Long Can a Delay Last?
There is no universal transit or customs-hold timeline.
Routine Processing
Some shipments resume movement within hours or several business days when no additional action is required.
Extended Processing
Manual inspection, missing documents, unpaid charges, restricted goods, peak volume, carrier disruption, or complex compliance review may extend the process considerably.
A parcel that has not been formally seized, rejected, returned, or declared lost may still remain under review, awaiting transport, or waiting for action. That status does not guarantee immediate release.
8
Refusing Import Charges
Review the possible consequences before declining payment.
If duties, taxes, or carrier charges are refused or remain unpaid, the parcel may be returned, held in storage, abandoned, disposed of, or destroyed where return is unavailable or impracticable.
Original shipping, return transportation, brokerage, customs, storage, handling, disposal, reprocessing, and administrative costs may be deducted from any eligible refund. If the parcel cannot be returned, the order may not qualify for a refund.
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When to Contact Support
Contact us after reviewing tracking and speaking with the carrier when possible.
Include These Details
- Order number
- Tracking number
- Destination country and postal code
- Latest tracking message and date
- Carrier response or case number
- Any written request for sender documentation
Support Hours & Response Time
Mondays and Fridays:
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Tuesdays through Thursdays:
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Closed on weekends and observed British Columbia statutory holidays. Please allow up to 72 hours during periods of high contact volume.
Do not reply to automated shipping notifications. Those mailboxes are not monitored for customer-service requests. Use the official contact form or website live chat, and avoid duplicate requests while awaiting a response.
Need Help With a Delayed Shipment?
First review all tracking numbers and contact the carrier for the current operational or customs requirement. Then send us one complete request if seller support is still needed.