Mail - missing / lost package
Question
Mail - missing / lost package
Answer
If CBP has detained your package for some reason-for example,lack of a proper invoice, bill of sale, or other documentation, a possible trademark violation, or if the package requires a formal entry, the CBP International Mail Branch holding it will notify you of the reason for detention and how you can get it released. When you have fulfilled the requirements necessary to effect release, CBP will clear the package, note how much duty is owed, and return it to the Postal Service for delivery. Usually, you will receive notification in a matter of days, but it can take as long as 30-45 days.
If your package is long overdue or you think it may be lost in the mail, you should contact your local post office and request that a parcel tracer action be initiated to locate it. The Post Office often advises callers to contact Customs and Border Protection. However, we do not track packages into and out of our facilities, and unless you have a detention notice from CBP with a number to refer to when you call, we will not be able to locate your package even if it is being held by CBP. If the post office has a tracking number that indicates the package went into CBP, but no record of it exiting the facility, you might ask their customer service representatives to work directly with the CBP facility to see if it is still there - although the absence of a record is not proof that the package is still in the CBP area. Packages exit the CBP facilities on a conveyor belt and the post office's electronic scanners do not always catch the bar codes on packages as they exit the facility.