Hi Evelynhuang,

It's not said he needs to pay any charge now. It's just retained at the customs and waiting the check now. If it doesn't need to be paid for the tax, it will be release in 7-15 days.

I asked a question earlier and you answered that the package will be released by customs in 7-15 days, but my father got a paper message saying he needs to go to customs in Shanghai. Should he ignore the paper and just wait for the package to be released to him? Will they send a second notice if they decide there are custom charges owed? Thank you!

My original question:
My package (CH100527925US) from the US to Shanghai is being held at customs in China. However the customs office is very far from the recipient’s home, and the recipient, my father, just had a knee operation and cannot go there to pick it up. Can I pay any customs charges online and have the package delivered to his home as addressed? Thanks. Evelyn Huang (sender)

Your original answer:
Daisy 7/20/2020 10:30:30 PM

Hi Evelynhuang,

It's not said he needs to pay any charge now. It's just retained at the customs and waiting the check now. If it doesn't need to be paid for the tax, it will be release in 7-15 days.

Hi Evelynhuang,

If your father has got a paper message saying he needs to go to customs in Shanghai, he need to go there. It will not be released if he doesn't go there. You can let him call Shanghai customs to ask if they allow someone else to get it instead of your father.

What will happen if my father doesn't go? He doesn't have anyone who can go for him. That's why I was asking about paying online so they can send him the package. Will they hold the package forever if he doesn't go, or will they send it back to me in the US?

Hi Evelynhuang,

In general, the customs will return it back to you if nobody pick it up for a long time. They may also confiscate or destroy it in some cases. You'd better let your father contact the customs to ask if he could pay online or find a express agency to deal with it for him. Or, require the customs to return it back if no one could help pick up.

Thanks, Daisy. He doesn’t have the energy to deal with China Post so I am just going to hope they send it back to me instead of discarding it. It was just some supplements to help him after surgery since I cannot travel to China right now. I didn’t expect customs to hold it - they never did this before with care packages I sent my dad. Too bad.
But I thank you for answering my questions.