Wine bottle stuck in customs...

4gotoIndia

Hi there,
My sister decided to send me a bottle of wine for Christmas, as it was the only thing that I could think of that I missed! I just received a letter from Office of the Asst Commissioner of Customs, saying that it is being held there (Chennai) and that for it to be released I need to send an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) and Value evidence/ price list. I'm clueless as to what this is all about. I've searched on the net, but everything that I find re IEC's seems geared towards major importers. This is a single bottle of Australian wine, not worth very much (but would be very much enjoyed should I ever get my hands on it!). Does anyone have any clue as to what I should send them?
thanks!
Mrs4
ps - Not sure where this post should best go. Please move it as appropriate!

Nick-H

How absolutely crazy!

I'm afraid it looks as if you've effectively lost a bottle of wine. I wonder how long they'll hold on to it before they drink it!

joseph10

Tja, i'm sorry

Nowadays i take a few carton packets of wine well packed in my check in luggage.
So far just one time they asked what it is while scanning for the domestic flight but after explanation no problem.
Next time don't mention wine and don't pack in glass.

Hope you can find yourself a nice drink

4gotoIndia

In case this is of any use to anyone... I eventually got through to Customs on the phone, and was told that wine is a prohibited item to India. Quite why they asked for those documents - when they were never going to send me the wine - is beyond me. Anyway, looks like I'll have a wait a little longer for a glass!
Mrs4

Haylo

Odd, considering that there is a growing Indian viticulture industry and considering that in India you can buy wines imported from all over the world...

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edwardseco

I actually was succesful in a 2 day effort to obtain a parcel stuck in customs a quarter century ago. Better put it was my "fixer" who won the day. The clerk in the USEFI Mumbai office spun story after about my dying blind mother and how I was an important government official, yada, yada. My mother had got the idea I needed 36 rolls of color film and just mailed it (she never read the guidebook). As we left we heard them calling for us and we bolted. Must have cost a fortune to ship a bottle of wine. Maybe, its worth the shipping cost for Australian Benjamin Port but not otherwise. So essentially, unless you want to put more effort than it is worth it becomes Nick's question, how long..

dzibead

This is an outright lie. It's not illegal to import wine into India. India does have high import tariffs on wine and spirits and these tariffs have been the subject of on-going disputes between India and wine and spirit producing countries like the U.S. and countries in the EU, including a dispute submitted to the World Trade Organization (which recently ruled that India's high tariffs were not illegally discriminatory).

Call the Customs Office back and ask them to cite the law which says that it's illegal to import wine into India. They won't be able to do it because there is no such law. Tell them you know there are import tariffs on wine (which there wouldn't be if import were prohibited), give them an estimate of the value of the wine you were sent as a Christmas gift and ask them to calculate what the tariff is on that lousy single bottle of wine - and ask them to cite the law setting forth how the tariffs are to be calculated so they don't cheat you. If they won't do this, I suspect someone has already stolen the wine, which is why they won't release it to you - and frankly, if I were you, I'd tell them that I suspected just that and that unless they let me pay the proper tariff and have the wine released, that I intended to make a formal complaint regarding their theft and abuse of office (but then I'm pushy and obnoxious).

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karuna

Mrs4,

I suggest giving Dzibead the phone number of Customs.....

(Actually not kidding. This kind of thing makes me unreasonably annoyed. Petty stupidness. Give them hell. Might not get your wine back but the hassle might make them think twice next time.)

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edwardseco

They would give any sort of reply if its in their interest and a bottle of wine is always interesting..

palerider

You could console yourself with the fact that someone is enjoying it, I 'spose

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Digital Drifter

Unlikely to affect them. Babudom in India works in Byzantine ways. In order for you to complain, you'd need to get them to lift the phone. That in itself is a tall order. Then you'd be asked to come down in person to sort out the matter.

Which, if you do, you'd be given a bunch of complaint forms and be sent on. If you do fill it in and send it, it'd be binned.

All in all, the remote threat of being held accountable and the finite patience of the complainer is a net Win for them.

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karuna

Then do it because it's cathartic.

pontesnm

Indiam wines are pretty good and drinkable. Unless you are specifically a wine connoisseur there is no need to import wine. Sula is a good brand. My Indian friends serve me Sula which is comparable to the Australian or Californian wines I usually drink.

gobbledegeek

You may want to email this person who helps out in his spare time : Mr. Ravindra Kumar <ravindrakumar_iitd@yahoo.co.i n> . Check out his forum before you decide to email him.

http://personalimport.blogspot.com/

Regards