Why are my parcels getting returned from Germany?

[JHarrisQV]

Hi,

I have had a number of parcels be returned to me when they have been shipped to Germany. I am unsure why they are being returned as I have listed the correct weight, paid to the correct postage, and identified the correct size of the parcel.

I have never had a customer tell me that they have refused at the parcel because they were due to pay some import tax. The customers have all said they understand they may need to pay tax if there is any. The parcels that I have received back also tell me that the recipient has refused the parcel, which has never been the case when I have contacted the recipients. (Photo attached).

 

Upon my research I have found information on the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS). However, have never been able to find a way in which to apply this to German orders through shopify. I'm also still unsure why there is an issue.

I would love to know if anybody else has had an issue like this and how they have solved it. Despite all of this, I have actually had parcels sent to Germany without being returned for the same items. It just doesn't make sense...

Thanks in advance.

Jonathan

[Rostislav]

Hi JHarris,

IOSS is one of the special schemes used for simplified import of low value consignments to the EU. It allows you to collect VAT on checkout and pay it through your fiscal representative to the EU tax authorities.   Your customers see the final price and will not have to pay anything to the customs .There are limits to the scheme (150 EUR intrinsic order value and no excise goods inside). 

We can register you for the scheme in 2-3 days . Please visit us here  www.easproject.com.

You will have additional manuals and help to setup Royal mail solutions (i.e. Click and Drop) and, what you will definitely have is  piece of mind 🙂   

[SMU]

Is anyone else experiencing issues with items sent to German customers being returned? The label on the returned parcel says 'incomplete/insufficient CN22/CN23.'  I know everything needed is on the customs label, item weight, cost, HS code, etc and I even had royal mail double check it for me. I dont know if German customs regulations have changed or if they are just refusing items from the UK (Brexit) but we are compliant with all EU countries with the CN22 and IOSS which is clearly visible on the shipping label. I have notified royal mail and shopify as I've read other merchants experiencing issues with just Germany. No one seems to know why. Our items were being delivered fine in October but this month, November, nothing appears to be getting through. If we have all our Christmas items returned from German customs then we will have to remove Germany from our list of shipping countries as its a real headache and no one can tell us what the issue is.

[Rostislav]

HI SMU , 

There may be a few issues with your parcels:

1. CN22 is a postal customs declaration. Contrary to the popular belief no one  reads it off the attached label nowadays. The data is sent in the ITMATT postal message and it may well be a problem. This data may be lost or corrupt: IOSS number may be somewhat missing from it.  If you use Click and Drop , please make sure that IOSS number is set properly and is visible in the step 4 when you fill the customs data.  

2. The value of the parcel may be over 150 EUR (this usually does not prevent delivery , but triggers a request for VAT /duties payment on the German side) 

3. The parcel may contain non-harmonised  excise items (in Germany it is coffee , perfumes etc.) 

We have   hundreds of customers sending parcels to Germany now and I cannot say that we see many problems with Deutsche post/DHL there. If you send me the  RM label (remove personal data )  I can say more. 

Yours, 

Rostislav  

[SMU]

Thank you for your reply. We have our IOSS set up with EAS.

Thr items returned are single tee shirts and not over the cost limit of EUR 150. I checked and double checked the IOSS number today and it is visible and this generates the IOSS symbol on the shipping label.

Other than not having a commercial invoice attached to the package, which is what we are going to start doing with our next shipping batch, we have no clue what is going on.  The image at the start of this thread shows the same pink label we have had on our returns stating the CN22 is incomplete. We can't add our EORI number because we have our VAT number on the customs label and you can't have both at the same time. It'd help if German customs said ' the CN22 is incomplete because of ......' but they don't tell you want they need.

[SMU]

 

[Rostislav]

HI SMU , 

Invoice will not do any good. Your EORI number is of no relevance here either. No one  opens parcels and checks for invoices in postal situations unless there is a security risk and then it is not the invoice they look into. 

By the looks of it the label is fine and RM did transfer IOSS number. 

From that point it is only RM who can clarify the situation. Their support is not that good but still. Send the order info and the copy of the label to info@easproject.com and we will see what we can do with RM .  

And , please,  remember to make a manual correction for VAT in the EAS dashboard. If and when you resend the item make a new draft order.

Yours,

Rostislav