What to expect when Canadian Customs Refuses your Shipment

[Overlord]

My shipment from HealthCabin was refused by customs.

I was looking forward to trying my first ecig. Dont reallly want to order again from China, should have ordered from a Canadian Supplier in the first place.

I am interested in getting 510. I see that HappyVaper and Mystix look to be the two best choices. Have not seen too many people posting experiences with Mystix.
Should I just go ahead and order From Happy Vaper? and where should I get my nicotine from as Both dont seem to sell nicotine.

THere is so much information on this forum. going through it all is a daunting task.


any help?

You won't be sorry going with Happy Vaper. Jack is awesome to deal with and he'll help you with whatever you need to know or questions you want answers too.

Granted you will pay more going through any Canadian supplier but one question you have to ask is if its worth the grief to save the extra bucks. Some people get lucky, some don't. Im not a gambler

 

[VinnieVapor]

Two weeks ago I ordered a starting kit + 5x20ml from EastMall.
Delivery took 9 days so no problem for me .
It came in a small box without any reference to ecigs.

 

[Robot]

Hey Guys,

I ordered a few atomizers, batteries and blank carts from Eastmall, and just got the letter a few days ago saying that customs refused it.

Apparently it was refused on the grounds of Medical Device Regulations.

They named the product as "E-CIG REFILLABLE CARTRIDGE". So basically they banned a small piece of plastic with some polyester stuff in it. Seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me.

I contacted Eastmall about it and asked them to reship it when it gets sent back to them, and requested that they remove any writing that says E-CIG anywhere inside & outside the package. Because I don't think customs just new it was an E-CIG cart, because if they did surely they would have called it an electronic cigarette part and not it's short slang term of e-cig.

They sent me back a very pissy email saying that they're not stupid enough to label it an e-cig and they gave me a lecture about customs and such.

Overall not impressed with Eastmalls customer service, and very concerned about customs getting stricter.

 

[VinnieVapor]

Hey Guys,

I ordered a few atomizers, batteries and blank carts from Eastmall, and just got the letter a few days ago saying that customs refused it.

Apparently it was refused on the grounds of Medical Device Regulations.

They named the product as "E-CIG REFILLABLE CARTRIDGE". So basically they banned a small piece of plastic with some polyester stuff in it. Seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me.

I contacted Eastmall about it and asked them to reship it when it gets sent back to them, and requested that they remove any writing that says E-CIG anywhere inside & outside the package. Because I don't think customs just new it was an E-CIG cart, because if they did surely they would have called it an electronic cigarette part and not it's short slang term of e-cig.

They sent me back a very pissy email saying that they're not stupid enough to label it an e-cig and they gave me a lecture about customs and such.

Overall not impressed with Eastmalls customer service, and very concerned about customs getting stricter.

I trust Eastmall about their labelling claim. Canada Customs may open the box from time to time... Maybe they also have a list of suspect shippers.

 

[Robot]

I'd agree with you, I have no doubt that they didn't have any mention of e-cigs on the outside of the package.

I figure that customs did indeed open the package, but the items inside are all legal (as far as I know). But I think that the somewhere inside the package, or maybe on the carts wrappers was a mention of e-cigs.

So I was hoping to get them to remove any e-cig writing from inside the package (if any existed), so that the odds were better when it was reshipped. But they took my request as a slight against them, which it by no means was.

Maybe I just caught them on a bad day, but was a little taken aback by the slightly hostile response I got.

 

[Roldy]

Any canadians with experience with orders from heavengifts using EMS shipping getting held?

This is my 3rd order using the fast (ems) shipping with them. The other 2 times Ive had regular, detailed updates with ems tracking, and canadapost.ca. Had them say they arrived in canada 3 days after the 1st tracking info appeared, and got my order in 6 or 7 days. Its been 12 days now, and the last shipping update was "International item has left the origin country and is en route to Canada" from a week ago yesterday.

I know it hasnt been a crazy several weeks/months wait yet, but for those of you with seized/returned orders, are you left in tracking limbo before or after the "arrived in canada/customs review" info? I havent gotten that update with this order yet...when I use the slow (chinapost) shipping, its been here by now

This ones just not behaving like Ive come to expect... should I be worried?

 

[props76]

Roldy,

Your question made me check my order (I was scared to look, its a big order and was "handed over to Customs") found its now released

Anyhow this is how my latest order went, shipping does seem to be getting slower..

10-12 - posting
10-13 - Dispatch from Sorting
10-19 - Vancover, arrival at sorting
10-19 - Handed over to Customs
10-21 - released from Customs (although the date say 21 it wasn't posted to tracking untill today, the 22nd)

 

[Roldy]

Roldy,

Your question made me check my order (I was scared to look, its a big order and was "handed over to Customs") found its now released

Anyhow this is how my latest order went, shipping does seem to be getting slower..

10-12 - posting
10-13 - Dispatch from Sorting
10-19 - Vancover, arrival at sorting
10-19 - Handed over to Customs
10-21 - released from Customs (although the date say 21 it wasn't posted to tracking untill today, the 22nd)

Same thing happened to me this morning. It looks like a paradox lol. I complained on here after midnight the 22nd, this morning canadapost tells me that it was handed over to customs @ 21:14 the 21st. I fully expect it to be released tonight (knock on wood).

Im actually going to blame this slowness on Chinas national holiday from the beginning of the month. I made my order a few days after heavengifts opened again, but I can only imagine the backlog of exports country wide...

 

[props76]

You gotta remeber its coming from the other side of the world. One day just flying on a plane. I don't belame the shipping time on the supplier or Courier.

Its customs that ticks me off. They hold it for 2 days, and the fact that after 2 days they release it, when they really should not have, proves they do nothing. So why hold up my package for 2 days to justify your "job"?

 

[Roldy]

You gotta remeber its coming from the other side of the world. One day just flying on a plane. I don't belame the shipping time on the supplier or Courier.

Its customs that ticks me off. They hold it for 2 days, and the fact that after 2 days they release it, when they really should not have, proves they do nothing. So why hold up my package for 2 days to justify your "job"?

Yes and no. In this case once you mentioned it took a week from when it "left" to when it "arrived" in Canada, same as mine. I think thats just an anomaly in how they phrase things. En route to Canada might just mean its gotten to a port in HongKong. Whether on the plane, or behind 10,000 other shipping containers...

As for customs, I hear you. Once customs has it, its just @ the back of the line again. Thats what takes 2 days. Performing an audit on 1% of packages isnt gonna deter us esmokers, just like it wont deter serious smugglers (weapons drugs etc.). I think of it as just another bottleneck, whether our packages go thru xray/metal detectors or not, customs are just barcode monkeys... unless your unlucky.

What ticks me off is that sometimes my juice reaches customs in Vancover, and sometimes in Missisauga. The trip from BC to Ontario costs me ANOTHER day or 2 of travel...regardless of if customs is doing their job...

 

[Thumbscrew]

I don't hold it against heavengifts as it was shipped promptly, but I've been in customs limbo for more than 2 months in Mississauga with a couple of e-cigars. Just a word of caution to those looking to get something in a hurry!

 

[Thumbscrew]

Just a quick follow up, a couple of days after my last post I received a letter from customs informing me that the shipment was returned as well as a courteous e-mail from heaven gifts offering a refund or a re-ship attempt (the latter requiring another shipping payment - fair enough). Nonetheless, 2 months+ was quite the wait for an update.

 

[props76]

Did you use China Post or EMS?

 

[Thumbscrew]

That was with EMS I believe - (if I wasn't clear it was in Mississauga within about a week of ordering, after that the long wait at customs)

 

[pigspleen]

i had a package stalled in customs for over 2 weeks...i emailed heavengifts and they refunded me my money....2 days later package arrived and i emailed them back so i could make payment for the order....pretty good for a china company to refund like that...even made another order from them and it was in customs for less than a day

 

[medic05]

I have a shippment coming from health cabin. It went into customs today. I'll let you know how it pans out.

 

[Can_supplier]

I have a shippment coming from health cabin. It went into customs today. I'll let you know how it pans out.

If you are worried about customs, and don't want to play Russian Roulette with your money and order, you should really take a look at any of the Canadian vendors.

Yes the price on the good themselves is cheap from China, but unless you are making a huge order, when you factor in the shipping cost, in many instances the Canadian price is cheaper. Also with a Canadian vendor, its a sure thing you get in a few days rather than a few weeks.

I encourage all of you to take a look at ALL the Canadian vendors. If you think about it, you could probably order a TV direct from China for cheaper than Walmart, but to avoid all the hassle and get it when you what it, often the most logical choice is Walmart.

 

[medic05]

I would have ordered directly from canada had i realized the problems with customs. My first order was a fair size, and if vaping is for me, than my second one is going to be about double that. I can't find what I wants for those prices here in canada. In saying that, if i can get the same amount of things all from the one supplier here in canada, I would be absolutly willing to pay a little extra for it. As long as it is not half the price again.
I am new to the vaping world and did not know this wonderful forum existed until after I had placed my order. Since I have being scouting around all of the canadian vedor sites trying to find the best deals on the 510 parts, and the juices.
This my very well be my first and last "Russian Roulette" experience, depending on pricing.

 

[VinnieVapor]

Don't worry Medic05 but be patient. My orders from Chine went trough but slowly.

I am glad to have Canadian suppliers and 3 of my 5 orders where with canadian suppliers. Their service is excellent and they ship fast.

But I have to agree with you about the price. A 510 kit cost twice here and I know only one canadian supplier that have it. I suppose it is because they do not have enough volume.

But most canadian suppliers are offering coupon codes and/or have specials from time to time, look for their posts!

 

[Can_supplier]

But I have to agree with you about the price. A 510 kit cost twice here and I know only one canadian supplier that have it. I suppose it is because they do not have enough volume.

A 510 from one China outlet is $37.00 USD. Which is $41.57 cnd. Then you have to pay for shipping which is 15-25 usd, so thats $52 to $61 USD, or $58 to $68 Cnd for a 510 kit, with a 2 week wait.