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

Glad I found this forum, thank you Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy for posting link on Twitter last night. I am currently feeling like a bit of a twitter troll regarding An Post, but I, like many others am in disbelief in what is happening at An Post, and the volume of parcels that they are returning, with no contact to sender, or recipient.

I will try to be brief. I sell baby wear. Therefore the majority of my parcels are subject to zero rate VAT in Ireland. Until very late last month, I sent my parcels via my Royal Mail business account. (i am now only sending parcels via DPD since Aug 31, as this is the only reliable way I can get a parcel to it's ROI recipient.)

When using the Royal Mail system to ship a parcel internationally, a breakdown of the package contents is part of the process. eg. baby hats/ mixed fibres x 2, baby shoes synthetic upper and sole x 1, the price paid for each item, the weight of each item, country of origin, and the taric code / hs code. Without this data being complete, you are unable to print a shipping label. This information forms the electronic customs data (CN22) I believe, along with my UK Vat number, and my business Eori Number. I declare as sale of goods. I also affix a CN22 sticker to the parcel, pre populated with my Vat Number, Shipping Address, Eori Number, Sale of Goods, and contents etc. All my Parcels to Ireland are sent on a tracked service.

The problems started about 3 weeks ago, early August. Packages I sent approx late July, were sitting in Dublin after being received by An Post. Amongst many baby items I sell are Christening dresses etc, so understandably customers started to contact me, wondering why there parcel hadn't arrived. Then they started contacting An Post, and more often than not, if they could get through, were given the reply that the electronic data was insufficient and the parcel will be returned to sender. The standard cut and paste reply An Post are just pushing out. They actually told one customer that I had marked the CN22 as a gift, despite the fact that my CN22's are all pre populated sale of goods in the appropriate tick box.

I reached out to the Royal Mail business team (in fact I have done a few times in the last few weeks) who are fully aware that any package that is being held by An Post is very unlikely to arrive with it's recipient. I asked what am I doing wrong....their reply you are doing nothing wrong, the problem is An Post. In mid August I filed a report to the Royal Mail International Investigation team, I am yet to receive a reply.

The parcels started to return back to me approx mid August, usually after sitting 2 to 3 weeks in An Post Dublin, in a constant cycle of being sorted, and resorted by An Post. If any one is tracking their parcel with An Post, they will probably be familiar with this scenario. Various An Post stickers on the parcels, at first, just "refused" on a CN15, then stickers saying insufficient customs data" and now more often than not saying parcel needs an electronic CN23. For any of you who are unfamiliar with this, a CN23 should be used on packages over 1KG and value over 430 euro, and believe me my 50 gram baby hats at approx 15 euro value certainly do not qualify to be sent with a CN23.

I knew this was the tip of an iceberg, so I took to social media, I can see that An Post are ignoring their facebook messages, but occasionally reply on twitter. They still have not answered my repeated question to clarify what their requirements are for A CN23.

I know I am not alone in what is going on, I am just trying to raise awareness of issues with An Post. I can see from this forum, as Ireland is a black hole for sending parcels to, it won't be long before sellers will refuse to ship to Ireland due to the insanity of what is occurring at the moment with An Post.

As a business I do not want to stop my trade with ROI customers, so made the decision to send my Parcels now through DPD. Ironically, when I process an order through DPD, I input the exact same Taric / HS codes that I use for the packages I sent via Royal Mail. DPD is more expensive, but I can see that my parcels are now with their ROI customers within days.

They told me that the package needed a CN23 as well - despite the package weighing 132g and having a value of €26. Their website reveals they know full well the distinction between CN22 and CN23, but seem to be content with flat-out lying to customers. Revenue's customs document gives a CN22 form I assume is An Post's version, and that doesn't seem to have a TARIC code field at all. I'm glad that DPD are delivering packages as expected - I'll have to see how I manage with FedEx.

Yes, despite this they still can’t guarantee delivery. Don’t support them.

There are plenty of ways to find Taric / HS codes on the web. But from my experience even when you include them An Post will still return the package to sender. There is definitely an issue that they are covering up. Maybe their computer systems are not working, and reading electronic data being supplied. Maybe there processing staff don't know what they are doing. Maybe there warehouses are no so full of undelivered parcels, the easiest option for them is just to return them to sender. Who knows? Definitely a major news story here. It will not be long before Ireland is known worldwide as a "don't post to zone".

So, the question now is how long are An Post going to continue doing what they are doing unchallenged. Absolute massive delays in their postal systems, parcels being returned probably in the regions of 1000's a day I should imagine. Irish customers not getting their passports, Christening Gowns, machinery parts, wedding shoes....their telephone lines full of people wanting to know where the hell their parcel is......social media full of unhappy customers......and more and more illuminating reviews of An Post Trustpilot.

In the last 2 weeks I have been watching the drama unfolding on twitter......One tweet made my blood boil. Here it is:

"New customs restrictions are severely impacting parcels from smaller suppliers (who don’t know the rules)"

This was tweeted on August 26, by a David McRedmond. At that time I did not know who this man is......obviously I do now.

Ok, I am a smaller supplier, over the last 15 years when I first started my own business mainly selling on various international Ebay sites I must have posted over 200, 000 international packages, filled in god knows how many customs forms, cn22s, in fact know some of my trade tariff numbers/ taric off by heart. I've completed monthly intrastat returns which also involve Taric Numbers / Trade commodity codes showing the movement of my goods into various warehouses in the European Union, when I progressed my selling within the European Union through Amazon. So David McRedmond, don't tell grandma how to suck eggs!

I'm not trying to big myself up here, now my business now is quite simple. I run an online baby shop, in Yorkshire. I post approx 10 parcels a day to the ROI. I have never however, had an issue with customs / cn22's or a single parcel returned to me from any International destination......ever!

Until August 2021, where it seems the great majority of what I sent out in August and late July (not all....that's strange in itself) are now being returned by An Post.

I may not be the big businessman the David McRedmond is. But as the director of my small family business I know you have to open your eyes and see what is going on, keeping your head firmly in the sand when things are going tits up won't do you or your customers any favours. I've quickly changed my postage method, I am continue to ship to Ireland, I will now use DPD, customer gets parcel they ordered from website. I will not post any parcel with any courier that is using An Post as a shipping partner. Simple.

OK David McRedmond, time for you to have a closer look at what is really going on. You run a delivery company, but that delivery company is not delivering post to Ireland. Ireland is quickly becoming a don't post to zone as a result of actions your company is taking. Your customer complaints are snow balling, your customers are angry, you are not providing the service that your company should. What actions are you going to take before things really get out of hand?

I completely agree. They know of the issues at An Post, but as yet have made no formal statement. I am intending in contacting my Royal Mail account manager tomorrow.....thats after I have reshipped whatever returns from An Post.

My package has arrived back in China. The seller is going to resend it but language barrier isn't very helpful about what needs to go on the package such as TARIC code etc. He wants to send again by EMS but I'm weary obviously after it already being returned once. I dont mind paying VAT I just dont want it sent back by An Post again. Has anyone successfully received anything second try? Thanks

Don't know what An Post have done with this but USPS have changed this

They are sending back everything of the smallest value and smallest weight if it hasn't got an electronic CN23

I know someone who sent on tarics themselves to a Japanese seller for same reason but don't know what the outcome is.

I was due to send a large order through ems and am gonna ask them hold onto it another week at least. I thought we'd be closer to an answer now but I'd like not to resend it.

Mod <Snip> No suggesting, implying or asking where posters work. This is a rule across the whole of Boards.ie.

You've never dealt with ComReg I take it?

Already sent them an email if you check back maybe 3/4 pages I shared the reply. Have to make an official complaint and wait 30 days I think

I have a parcel sitting in Dublin mail centre since last Wednesday. I paid the import VAT when requested and received an email from An Post thanking me and saying my parcel would be delivered. A quick check on Revenue.ie [https://www.ros.ie/customs-roro-control-web/ros/mrn/lookup] also shows the parcel has been cleared. So I am hoping AnPost deliver it.

Have people actually paid an Post the import VAT and then had their parcel returned to the sender ?

Surely if you have been requested to pay import VAT then it must have been picked and submitted already ?

Or is AnPost's process so messed up they are requesting payment and then later examining the parcel and finding error.

Is it worth contacting here too?

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The Twitter chat person has assured me I will receive my refund plus the $3.50 An Post charge, but the eComm email has yet to acknowledge my request.

I sent a separate request to that email regarding an item I believed to have shipped from within the EU, and they were VERY quick to point out that it was in fact posted from Switzerland.

They are picking and choosing what to respond to, because they know they can get away with it.