Customs Clearance Issues

All imported goods are subject to Customs clearance in every country. When you buy from Hotop , the goods are sent from China. Therefore you are importing, and you are the importer responsible for the goods when the goods pass through Customs in your destination country. According to our general terms and conditions, you may order anything you like from Hotop  and we will fulfil your order, but it remains totally your responsibility to find out in advance if the products are permissible to import into your destination country, and if so what clearance requirements, taxes, policies etc apply in that country. Hotop  cannot and will not offer advice or pre-shipment information on Customs issues in any regard.

From over 3 years of shipping thousands of orders , we can confirm that in over 99.9% of shipments from Hotop there is no issue whatsoever with Customs clearance. Furthermore in the majority of the rare cases subject to a delay in Customs, the goods are released and delivered successfully. This is because the clearance via normal shipping methods (couriers or post) is handled professionally by the shipping company, and Hotop  is an experienced provider of correct shipping documentation and compliant products and packaging.

You need to be aware that, since any order you make on Hotop .com will pass through your country's Customs, the Customs have the right to hold and inspect your goods according to their policies.

Every country's Customs has different policies, and these policies can vary substantially, for example...

• ...from port to port
• ...from day to day or from one Custom's staff member to another
• ...depending on the volume of packages requiring clearance on any particular day
• ...depending on the security levels and political climate of the moment
• ...depending on the package shipment method
• ...depending on the package origin
• ...depending on the package, weight, shape, packing, size, profile, x-ray results, etc
• ...depending on the package contents
• ...depending on the declared or assessed valuation of the package contents
• ...depending on the paperwork accompanying the shipment
• ...depending on random inspection timetables or scheduled batch checks for particular criteria

As the importer, you bear sole responsibility for the clearance of the goods any issues that may arise from an inspection or hold. Typically, the consignee of the shipped packets is taken as the importer in any problem case.

If you are dropshipping, it is important to note that the consignee of the goods is your customer, and therefore they will be liable for any assessed import duties, sales taxes, or issues arising from Customs inspection.

In most countries, depending on the category of goods imported and the quantity or value, the shipment will be assessed for duties and /or sales tax. That is your responsibility as the importer and you can find detailed notes from Hotop  here.

In The Case Of A Customs Hold

1. Hotop  will contact you to discuss the issue openly.
2. You will typically be required to communicate directly with your country's Customs, or contact them via your courier company.
3. If additional documents are required, Hotop  will do our utmost to provide the documents to you and support the goods clearance.
4. Your country's Customs can hold goods pending a decision for as long as they like.
5. The final decision about assessing, valuing, taxing, releasing/refusing, seizing the goods is entirely down to Customs. In some cases no reasons are provided, and in many countries the importer has no right of appeal. In most countries the Customs are hard to communicate with and lack basic public information or accessible staff contact.
6. In the vast majority of cases, the goods are released after a delay ranging from 1 day to 6 months... the reason for the delay is usually unknown, and the length of the delay is unfortunately beyond anyone's control.
7. If the goods are refused entry, they will either be destroyed with no compensation, or turned back so the courier ships them back to Hotop .