Chicago Customs - Recent Experiences?

[DBGdefector]

I received this from a vendor I've been using for the last few years...

We have some positive updates for shipments from India. At the end of June and through July, we experienced multi-week delays for all shipments leaving India. These delays occurred after shipment and during transit. These delays were due to both the suspension of many flights from India to the USA, as well as a significant backlog in customs in the USA, especially at the Chicago ISC (international sorting center).

The good news is that we are now seeing shipments sent since the beginning of August are back on schedule. Some are even delivered in 8-10 days. This is partly due to India Post re-routing many shipments through other ports of entry, as well as customs diminishing their backlog. This is great news, and indicates new orders/shipments should arrive much quicker. If you have an older shipment still waiting to show processing by US customs, please give it more time - those are still in the backlog, and unless they already show they are in US customs, they will update further soon. ALL shipments sent in July experienced this delay, you would not be alone if yours was delayed.

 

[CalmSeeker]

Had something in opps for 5 weeks that I was expecting to land in NY suddenly pop up in CHI ISC a few days ago. No movement, will update.

Edit 9-15: no movement. I hate chi isc. I suppose I have an inbound LL soon.

 

[gitmein]

i wish one of mine would show like that. That's good news especially through this dump.
@BKittie

 

[gitmein]

@boatbum for years mine went through JFK/Queens and never, not once, did one get snatched. They almost (almost) always moved through isc to a zip code too. Then all of a sudden one tracked through chicago, a CCP pox and my address never changed. Now, it looks like from what I see threaded they can hit different poe's of which chicago is at least one of if not the worst which began like 6 months or so after the nightmare which is Lost Angeles where they must have been handing out bonuses for confiscations that got handed of to chicago. Part of the problem with the vendor I've used for like 8 years through several name/dba changes never changes their shipping "characteristics" which I am convinced accounts for all or damn near all of the letters they've grabbed off me. At the margin$ this vendor operates on it wouldn't even be a blip on their balance sheet to change up at least once per week. But they don't and it's too damn much money to keep rolling the dice behind that kind of easily correctible yet obstinate stupidity.

 

[gitmein]

@CalmSeeker Same here though for me 3 over two months through there. Like I was saying earlier the vendor I've always used never changes the packaging which is easy to do especially at what they charge. BIG problem, but with this fkn dump chicago who knows. Though never had a problem when mine hit Queens/JFK until they one day tracked through chicago and have been tat way since despite me having the same address all this time. Chicago is as bad as Lost Angeles was... maybe still is.

 

[CalmSeeker]

@gitmein
Yeah, I'm now 1 out of 3 at CHI, assuming a letter comes from this last one. Really frustrating because I arranged to have it sent directly to NY, but it still wound up in CHI somehow. The vendor does a decent job on "packaging" on the inside, but they don't use big declaration labels like some other's I've seen. I seem to have better luck when it's clearly stated on the package what's supposedly inside it. This vendor would be amazing if they'd fix that. They're mega cheap and don't charge for international shipping. I think I'm just done trying to import stuff, it's too stressful.

 

[gitmein]

yeah, mine does use those labels... like 3"x2" with a "heallh" type hint on it. With it is same enclosure - every time. Maybe if they lost 30% of their business behind that shit they'd wake up. With the prices they charge vs what they whole$ale into their stock over there ... there's some very wealthy owners over there. They used to use somewhat different materials, but not by much and through all the dba changes now let alone that they KNOW about all these confiscations seems to me they don't give a flyin' fk about what happens on our end. One time I went into 3 wks. sitting dead in chicago and asked for a re-ship which they accommodated, but that was before all these grabs. That one did eventually show and I told them it did willing to back fund it which they let go. But later after the first one they told me no more re-ships if the previous one was snatched in chitown which of course they can also see. At these prices this game is zero more than a crap shoot. You can easily rack up hundreds of dollars in losses with just 2-3 orders anymore.

 

[DBGdefector]

@gitmein
Yeah, I'm now 1 out of 3 at CHI, assuming a letter comes from this last one. Really frustrating because I arranged to have it sent directly to NY, but it still wound up in CHI somehow. The vendor does a decent job on "packaging" on the inside, but they don't use big declaration labels like some other's I've seen. I seem to have better luck when it's clearly stated on the package what's supposedly inside it. This vendor would be amazing if they'd fix that. They're mega cheap and don't charge for international shipping. I think I'm just done trying to import stuff, it's too stressful.

I'm in the Midwest and international usually comes without a problem probably due to the shippers using declaration labels and are shipped from the UK & EU most of the time. The packages aren't even all that stealthy and they sometimes say medication (not the type either) and they are never tampered with just go thru and get delivered. It could be ANY kind of med but aren't inspected so go figure. I think if they see a declaration label, it's scanned and passed on thru.

 

[CalmSeeker]

@DBGdefector
Anecdotally, this seems to be the case for me. The vendor’s pack (EU) that’s stuck right now never has those, and they seem to be the most troublesome. But there’s a vendor from the uk that always uses big declaration labels with shittier stealth and obnoxious packaging, and those have all gotten through. Though they went where they were supposed to have gone - NY

 

[CalmSeeker]

Initial ship from EU late June.
Seized late July.
Reship went out right away, arranged to have it sent to NY instead.
Sat in opps for over 5 weeks.
Despite sending to NY popped up at CHI ISC and sat for 2 weeks.
LL today.
Does anyone know if stuff is still going out if it’s way to CHI, like it did throughout July and august?

 

[Vincentm4990]

@Kermit S I pmd you about your recent seizures.

 

[costa1107]

Do all Midwest packages go through Chicago customs or New York customs also.

 

[DBGdefector]

Do all Midwest packages go through Chicago customs or New York customs also.

Actually I think it's a crap-shoot. It depends on what International terminal it was flying into. If it was on a NY destination it will do NY customs if it was headed to Chicago International well it will play games there. I had packages show both probably because it hit NY first then went on to Chicago C.

 

[CalmSeeker]

Do all Midwest packages go through Chicago customs or New York customs also.

Good question. July and august were weird. Stuff I sent directly to NY wound up in CHI getting seized.

 

[hooosier1]

Have one in chi now. Hoping it is just stuck. We will see. I’ll let you know.

 

[TiredMouse]

Good luck @hooosier1 Please update if you can. This thread doesn’t always get updated with outcomes so people are left wondering.

 

[Trazita89]

Have one in chi now. Hoping it is just stuck. We will see. I’ll let you know.

Forget it, if it hits Chicago it's a gonna!

 

[CalmSeeker]

@Trazita89
I’m batting about 50% at chi. So maybe not impossible, but also not likely.

 

[gitmein]

Another one sitting chicisc now 4 weeks after not ordering for a year. Now again with this BS. IF I order from this vendor again it's going to be post a promise from them (via email) about their packaging. Logistically an easy thing for them to change up, often at that, let alone with zero affect to their balance sheet especially at the margin$ they realize. I don't know if you folks deal with this detail too, but I fully believe this vendor is in the DHS surveillance db. They know damn well this intransigence must be at least in part the reason. From a previous email exchange with this vendor I know they're getting pounded with reship requests and their "workaround".... doesn't work either.

THANKS to everyone who comes back with updates. These are important and lots of us look for them. Really helps.

 

[jaders]

Another one sitting chicisc now 4 weeks after not ordering for a year. Now again with this BS. IF I order from this vendor again it's going to be post a promise from them (via email) about their packaging. Logistically an easy thing for them to change up, often at that, let alone with zero affect to their balance sheet especially at the margin$ they realize. I don't know if you folks deal with this detail too, but I fully believe this vendor is in the DHS surveillance db. They know damn well this intransigence must be at least in part the reason. From a previous email exchange with this vendor I know they're getting pounded with reship requests and their "workaround".... doesn't work either.

THANKS to everyone who comes back with updates. These are important and lots of us look for them. Really helps.

Well to be fair - CHI seems to catch damn near everything lately, no matter the vendor. I have read of successes thru NY and even some thru LA, altho less common there.

Since you order so infrequently you might look to domestic? Costs more but pretty much a guarantee to arrive…. 🤔

The DEA in its infinite wisdom is now driving folks who ordered legitimate medicine from legitimate pharmacies to now go to much more sketchy “dealers” with a greater chance of “substitutions.”

I hope the vendor gives you some satisfaction but you really need to find a way to avoid CHI for sure.

Just my thoughts…