An Post returning packages from outside the EU-See 1st post

Sparkling Gamorreans

https://twitter.com/ATBPublishing/status/1439280162638639108

It definitely seems An Post are making Ireland stand out.

Sparkling Gamorreans

Another example here:

https://twitter.com/BobbyIngham/status/1439291425452175369

whiterebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117909618#Comment_117909618

An Post are the ones that thought it would be a great idea to drop their price for customs clearance from €10 to €3.50 after Brexit. Most companies would think it a good idea to wait a while until they make sure the automated process actually works before dropping the price.

Exclamation Marc

Absolute farce at this stage that companies are actively calling out our postal service. It's a disgrace that it's gotten to this point.

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117910694#Comment_117910694

Did an post use the same crowd with their new system as boards did with the new site? 🤪

Prisoner6409

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117910694#Comment_117910694

Terrible indictment of the Irish postal service.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117909771#Comment_117909771

I emailed them and customer service replied for them and then they closed the customer service email when I replied so had to send it through the form on the site, it's been a week and no reply.

Here was the reply (so awkward to these on mobile, not so bad on PC)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117861114#Comment_117861114

rf4c

Hi everybody,

I've begun to have better experiences with An Post in the past week or so, particularly on the Facebook messaging system.

The CS people are a little slow (in fairness, probably due to sheer volumes of mails).

Answers can range from useless to very helpful, but the whole attiude has changed. They are all, without exception, very friendly, nice people!

Here's a recent conversation, and I'm posting it for two reasons:

1) Is anyone familiar enough with TARIC Codes to know if the answer given by the CS people is accurate (seems a bit weird for bog standard item to be restricted!) and

2) Of more general interest to many here, is an answer (hopefully!) to the whole CN22 / CN23 question. Thanks to them for at least trying!

Here's the conversation copied below:

Good evening Jim! Sorry for the delay with replying!

I have checked this with our Ecomm team and it seems like the Taric used on 3 of the items are showing as restricted when entered on Irish Revenue system.

Any item refused by Revenue's system must be returned to the sender as it is not possible for customs to clear the items for a delivery. - Michael

Thanks Michael, but unless I know what three items I cannot have it reshipped.

Please provide this information as soon as possible. Thanks

Hi Jim, thanks for getting in touch.

It was items 1, 5 and 6 that are showing restricted.

They are described on the system as

'copper and brass nails tacks and drawing pins',

'COPPER-ZINC BASE ALLOYS -BRASS' and

'COPPER-ZINC BASE ALLOYS -BRASS'.

I hope this helps! - Paddy

Thanks Paddy, much obliged.

While I have you, I wonder if you could tell me if the CN22 /CN23 forms have been sorted yet.

I simply don't know which one to tell senders to attach anymore!

Hi Jim, you will find more information available here anpost.com/Customs. - Carla

Hi Carla, thanks for the message, but nothing on this link tells me what forms to use.

I'm specifically referring to the CN22 /CN23 controversy that An Post created,

confusing importers and contradicting Revenue rules?

Good morning Jim! I'm sorry for the delay with my reply!

I have checked this with our Ecomm team and they have said that

a CN22 would be sufficient once the Royal Mail submits an electronic declaration on it also.

If you have any other queries regarding customs then I would advise

to email our Ecomm team at their email here:

eCommChargeQuery@anpost.ie

and they will be able to assist you! - Michael

Sparkling Gamorreans

Are you at liberty to say what the items in question actually are? Did you buy a lump of these alloys or do they simply contain these alloys?

rf4c

No problem.

I do some modelmaking and finding modelling materials in this country is a nightmare!

I can get all I want, whenever I want, at "proper - no rip off" prices from a specialist shop in London.

I'm all on for supporting the Irish economy first, but it can be difficult at times to say the least!

So the items were:

1) Very very small (6mm) brass pins. (https://modelshop.co.uk/Shop/Item/Pins-brass-6mm/ITM4604)

2) Brass strip 304mm, 0.8 x 12.7mm and

3) Brass strip 304mm, 0.8 x 19.1mm ( https://modelshop.co.uk/Shop/Item/Brass-strip-304mm/ITM3602)

Sparkling Gamorreans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912104#Comment_117912104

Thanks for sharing.

It sounds like you literally purchased and tried to import prohibited items. Are these things you successfully imported in the past? Perhaps the removal of the VAT threshold and increased stringency on TARICs is bringing to light more genuinely prohibited items.

Btw, on the CN22/CN23 point, were you citing a personal case you'd fallen foul of or just the general issue you're aware of from hearing things here? I wonder if they acknowledge that errors have actually taken place.

Hippodrome Song Owl

Wasn't it posted here before that the list of Taric codes quoted by an An Post rep as restricted, included every possible code?

Edit: it was Royal Mail relaying the info they had received from An Post. See Marlay's post on 8th September.

So it wouldn't surprise me if there is some sort of processing error affecting correct identification of restricted items.

rf4c

Yes I've purchased quite a few times. Usually only a few strips for making models. I doubt the total amount would even reach 1 kg!

Can't believe they're prohibited! I don't want to monopolise your time, but if you can say, I'd love to know "why on earth"!

I thought years ago you could state why you needed prohibited or restricted items and proved no other option was available in Ireland.

I'm not talking weapons or drugs! Just items that were restrcied for the protection of Irish businesses. I seem to remember that way back (Pre-EU)?

On the CN22/CN23, I just asked An Post based on the discussion here.

I don't know what to believe.

I'd happily walk away, and I'm sure many others would too, if we could have a definitive set of rules, properly explained in such away that

we could buy something and in the process of ordering we could tell a seller "I'm buying this on the understanding that the following procedure is followed in detail"

and the item would get through!

I'd pay the charges happily just to get on with things!

Sparkling Gamorreans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912293#Comment_117912293

I think you summarise the position of most of us here. We just want to understand and know the ask and be reasonably able to avoid having our parcels returned.

Is there a public list of prohibited/restricted items by TARIC so one can avoid making such an error?

WOT

Thanks An Post, well done.

2 eBay purchases refunded by the sellers thankfully; less the cost of postage of course.

in summary, neither seller is prepared to post or courier anything to Ireland at any cost because it’s a mess. I’m out of pocket for shipping costs on 2 items that I’ll never get.

Well done An Post, well done!

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912104#Comment_117912104

How could a brass pin be a restricted item? It's like the morons are just allowing some misprogammed list be the arbiter if what gets sent back, there's no commonsense human oversight. Here's the Customs list and a link to the file of restricted items. Not a brass pin or Taric code in sight on this list.

"Prohibitions and restrictions

A limited range of goods are prohibited or restricted at import and export. The following are the main categories of goods affected:

• domestic cats or dogs
• illegal or dangerous drugs
• indecent or obscene goods
• certain foodstuffs, mainly meat, milk, fish or products thereof
• products of endangered species
• medicines
• firearms, weapons, fireworks or explosives
• live or dead animals, fish, birds or plants.

You will find a full list of prohibited and restricted goods in Information on prohibitions and restrictions. It also contains details of licences, permits and authorisations that you will need to import or export these goods."

No one is trying to import Taric codes, banned or otherwise, people are trying to import actual things, with a name, which are not on any banned list if only the minions would bother to check, but it's like they believe whatever rubbish comes out of a computer.

It reminds me of when grocery scanners were first introduced, 1987 or later? I checked 4 or 5 items, one a tin of peaches, and my bill was over £100. The fruit accounted for £99 of this. The checkout assistant asked me for the hundred plus quid, (in the '80s!), and I laughed and pointed out the obvious error. She just looked at me and said "if that's what the code scanned, then that's what I pay". No recognition whatsoever that a tin of peaches couldn't possibly be this expensive. I had to fetch a supervisor, who had to explain to her that the new scanner system was not infallible. I think that's whats happening in An post. The new system is obviously complete shyte, but they just let it roll over them, sending back the most trivial of goods because the computer says so.

My daughter was in touch with the Japanese seller who sent our package tonight, they've removed all shipping options to Ireland bar FedEx.

Looks like An Post is gonna be creating a lot of new business for FedEx!

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912898#Comment_117912898

You should have been refunded the shipping as well so you should also be saying well done to the company you dealt with.

hi5

Considering the amount of courting the Irish government do to encourage companies like Amazon and Ebay to set up in Ireland I'd be surprised if there is not already a bit of discussing going on behind closed doors.

I've waited patiently for 7 weeks for an Ebay package from Florida USA.

It was send via DHL Ecommerce, the Vat was paid in Germany where it was issued with an German Post tracking code ending with DE it eventually made it to Athlone where it was promptly Returned To Sender.

It's the second one I've had returned.

LeeroyJ.

Have 3 Packages returned to Singapore this week. All Packages had clearly filled out the customs declaration forms with all details, the sender sent me a picture of the parcel and the customs forms as I had made them aware of how strict AnPost is. Very odd.

deezell

We should be clear on one thing. This mess is not as a result of Brexit, though the inclusion of Britain has made it far worse. What has happened is that an EU attempt to tighten world wide external ecommerce has left AnPost entirely unprepared, and incapable of dealing with the teething problems, which themselves are entirely predictable, avoidable and correctable IF there was a will, and even a modicum of readiness. 'Fail to prepare, prepare to fail' Will the 'Award Winning' CEO pay the price? Of course not. Maybe the Shinners should exercise themselves more with real world issues, than chasing populism with controversies over phantom posts, pardon the pun. But of course this is a complex issue, you'd have trouble explaining it to them, unless you could find an angle that involved FF or FG or a Unionist culprit. The irony is that it's now beginning to feel in this country that we are the ones who have self harmed with a Brexit like decision.

BTW, did you know that inward bound importation of personally purcased goods to China is extremely restricted? It's one reason their masters turn a blind eye to the wholesale forgery and piracy of Western goods. They can have their copied cake, eat it, and export the leftovers, just don't try importing Western originals. The Eu was trying to regulate this imbalance, and our tools in an Post made no plans to deal with the consequences, other than to treat us like drug dealers. It's only a wonder there are not fines for ordering non compliant deliveries. An Post need to sort this, get back to Brass tacks and do the job they are supposed to do, though as they can't actually import those said Brass tacks, it's probably going to stay this way, with Ireland on pariah status with world suppliers.

It feels exactly like it was in my youth, when you would longingly peruse mail order ads in UK or US mags for trivial hobby items or gadgets but you could never send off your few birthday sterling pounds from your expat uncles, all you'd get would be a stern letter from some customs thug. Dead stamps were allowed, so all us kids collected stamps. Highly educational and motivational, not. But don't dare send off for that kit of parts to build a mini airplane engine or a little steam mill, or anything mineral or organic, or any books that were not sanitised by our censors. I wonder that we could get the Beano or Dandy comics at all, and sometimes the free gifts that came with them would be withheld, if it contained a rubber band maybe, or a brass tack. The freedom was nice while it lasted, time to get back in our inward facing DeValera boxes.

Sparkling Gamorreans

One person on twitter seems to think he's got some traction from Peadar Tobin through tweeting at him so perhaps he's a useful focal point.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913587#Comment_117913587

Is it specific site like Buyee? I buy a lot from and so do friend just want to pass onto them if something like that is changing.

wassie

Any one know who the responsible Government Minister is for An Post along with their email address?

Maybe if we all start complaining to them then they may start looking into this issue.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904910#Comment_117904910

Typing it into a computer isn't changing it. A lack of information, or it needing changing, isn't the problem, it's them wanting it submitted electronically rather just being written on the package.

Sparkling Gamorreans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914245#Comment_117914245

Eamon Ryan is Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications. E-mail: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie Twitter: @EamonRyan

Pablo_Flox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903913#Comment_117903913

In 1987 American Airlines removed one olive out of every inflight salad and saved $55,000 in fuel costs, so I think a couple thousand of 1.5kg packages are going to have a very big impact!

alpha2

Hi everyone,

I've been reading this thread in trepidation as I had ordered an item from Australia before knowing anything about the customs issues. However I've had a rare good experience having just received my item from the postman! You can see my timeline below and my item had a CN23 on it.

20 September 2021 07:23

Your post is out for delivery LIMERICK D.S.U., CO LIMERICK

17 September 2021 13:35

Your delivery has been sorted DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

17 September 2021 13:05

We have your post in DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

15 September 2021 13:41

Custom charges have been paid. Your item will be processed and delivered to you as soon as possible. Please hold tight while we work through high volumes.

15 September 2021 13:19

Your delivery has been sorted DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

15 September 2021 13:09

We have your post in DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

15 September 2021 13:08

Your delivery was received by An Post in DUBLIN MAIL CENTRE, DUBLIN 12

hammerheart

Does anybody know how/why couriers are seemingly unaffected by this. Do they perform their own customs checks?

thelordgod

Probably because they lay out the requirements clearly. DHL is a good example https://www.dhl-eucustoms.com/