Package lost/stuck in Mumbai customs, can one pay an agent to find it?

I had a small package sent from the US. It was supposed to be sent DHL with a tracking#, it was not.

It was sent via the regular US Post Office with no tracking# (again not how it was supposed to be sent).

It was sent at the end of November and it has still not got here (I am in Pune).

It has my retainer for my mouth. It has no value to anyone else but me!

I really need it!!

I went to the local Post Office here but they said they did not have it and maybe it was in Mumbai customs. After trying to figure out the right number to contact I finally got in contact with someone there and they asked for a tracking#. I said I didn't have one so they could not help me.

I really need my retainer. Can a pay an agent to make the post customs actually look for it?

Any advice/help would be gratefully appreciated.

A card was sent to me by a friend of mine from US. It was posted somewhere in early December and it finally reached me in mid January. Another friend of mine sent me some gifts from UK and it took two months to reach me. This is state of affairs with post. Use DHL or any good courrier service in future.

Yes, the postal services can be very unreliable or remarkably successful in delivering parcels.

I had sent a parcel with a baby outfit to a friend in Hyderabad last year which never arrived. Eventually I will deliver another gift in person when we meet next year.

I have received numerous parcels from India on time by courrier from friends in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

I have the same experience. Things I have sent have reached in reasonable time, some where around 8 to 10 days at the most.

Great! I just paid $49 to mail something to friends in Mumbai as a thank you for everything they did for me on my visit. The USPS clerk said it was a 6-10 business day delivery. I hadn't even thought that, yea, in US it might be delivered that quickly ... but that means nothing to the folks in India. Oh, well. At least it wasn't anything with much value ... just a simple thank you gift.

Well people you guys have to understand where you are sending it in India. My packages and letters and stuff even in USPS gets there in 2 weeks or 3 weeks most. But i send mostly through UPS very reliable and very quick but pricely.

you should wait out this month and see what to do. Usually it does not take this long ever.

IN INDIA YOU CAN PAY ANYONE FOR ANYTHING AND CONSIDER YOUR WORK DONE. IT IS IF YOU DONT PAY THEN YOU HAVE NO CHANCES TO GETTING IT. IF YOU ARE PAYING FOR IT I AM SURE THEY WILL PUT IN SOME EFFORT. BUT IS IT WORTH IT...????

It is not at all inevitable that items get delayed by the Indian Post Office, although, if they attract the attention of customs, this will certainly make the delivery take longer.

The last packet I received from UK took about 7 to 10 days (I forget, but not longer). It was an lectrical item that could have duty slapped on it (worth about 100 UK pounds), but customs didn't bother.

Could you request whoever posted it to at least provide the details of the post office, date and approx. time it was mailed etc? Perhaps that person could request the post office there to do a trace?

Without even those basic details, it would be difficult for an agent to try and find the envelope in customs, assuming it is indeed stuck there.

PS: I can give you contact details of the shipping agents we deal with commercially here in Mumbai but I doubt they can do anything without the basic shipping details.

It is worth it for sure.

Anyone else have thoughts or agents they know who have located packages?

Whoo-hoo!! To give everyone something positive here: the package I sent to my friends (just under 2 weeks ago) in Mumbai was received yesterday ... in one piece, unopened, etc. Yay!

Great! Took me 2 days of wheedling by an expert fixer to get mine out..

Great to know your friends received your package so soon! I sent a parcel to a friend in Pune as a gift, and right now it is in Mumbai customs.

How much was the total cost of the stuff you sent? I just need to get an estimate whether mine will have any duties charges on it.

It was not much!! I sent a couple bags of chocolates, a package of Oreos (lol) & a couple picture frames with pictures. So maybe $30!!

if i am not mistaken then you can send anything up to the value of 300$ without it getting in the eyes of custom and getting yourself heavy taxes on the package.

I would say that from the US to India, if you need to send anything then take USPS as they charge less and send the stuff in the 2 weeks time in a normal scenario. If you are sending it during festive season then buckle up for minimum 3 weeks at least.

Hope this helps!

Ab!

Oh no, I'm afraid not.

You may be thinking of what a person can bring in with them when coming to India. Only a few days ago, I got charged Rs4,000 duty on some herbal medicines/supplements invoice value $146.

A small package may not attract customs notice in the ordinary post, but I think the big couriers like DHL have an arrangement with customs where everything gets charged.

It's worse in the UK: the couriers (even the post office) charge the receiver a fee for collecting the customs duty! So much for the global market.