Attention, please make an appointment to go to any of our offices.

Problems with my parcel

  • Where exactly is the parcel that I purchased online?

    Customs cannot give you any information about the status of your parcel.

    The fact that you can see the term ‘customs’ in the tracking control does not necessarily mean that Customs is in possession of your parcel. This term is a general indication that the consignment is subject to particular administrative import formalities and/or controls. When importing certain goods, an appeal is made to other control departments such as the federal agency for medicines and health products, the federal agency for the safety of the food chain, the Belgian institute for postal services and telecommunications, etc. The completion of these formalities may take some time.

    Therefore, always contact your courier service first. When contacting them, you will also have to provide the tracking number.

  • Why is the parcel that I purchased online being destroyed?

    1. Suspicion of counterfeit goods

    When you are notified that the parcel you purchased online is being destroyed, this means that Customs is detaining the goods because it suspects that they are counterfeit.

    Standard procedure
    In the standard procedure, these goods are then examined by an expert of the trade mark (the so-called 'trade mark proprietor') to determine whether they are actually counterfeit.  If this is the case, the trade mark proprietor is entitled to charge the costs incurred for this examination to you, the consignee.

    Procedure for consignments ‘of negligible value’
    The consignment will not be examined by an expert. If you agree to the destruction of the goods, they will be destroyed and the trade mark will not be able to charge you for the costs incurred. 
    If you lodge an objection, the goods will be examined for counterfeiting:

    • If the goods prove to be original, you will receive them anyway
    • However, if they prove to be counterfeit, the trade mark may initiate legal proceedings against you and recover from you all costs incurred.

    The period for lodging an objection expires 10 days following the notification of the observation made by Customs. If you do not reply to this notification, we will consider this as a tacit agreement.

    What do I have to do to make a complaint to the consignor?

    If you wish to lodge a complaint against the company you purchased your goods from, you can do so via this link.

    What do I have to do to claim back the purchase price?

    You can also try to recover your purchase amount from the seller. To that end, send him a written request for repayment. In case you made your purchase with a credit card, you can dispute the transaction with your credit card issuer. Under certain conditions, it can proceed to a repayment. For more information, please visit this website.

    If you purchased your goods via AliExpress, you can consult the following links:

    BuyerProtection-seller_guaranteed (aliexpress.com),
    Help Center (aliexpress.com).

    2. Safety of goods, economic and environmental measures

    Certain goods cannot simply be imported or exported, such as weapons, protected flora and fauna (CITES), counterfeit goods, etc.

    You should inquire about this subject and have a look at the topics on our website (counterfeiting, CITES, etc.).

  • What should I do if the parcel that I purchased online is damaged?

    You finally have the parcel you purchased online delivered at home, but it turns out to be damaged? The damage may have been caused by the post office or courier service, or the Customs services.

    1. Damage to your parcel by your post office or courier service

    The request for repayment of customs fees shall be made by the post office or courier service that handled your goods. It shall also draw up the declaration forms, collect the amounts and make the necessary arrangements for the request for repayment.

    As a rule, your parcel may not be returned without the prior consent of the competent Customs authorities (please contact the team that is competent for the follow-up of declarations)

    Without their consent, it is very difficult to prove that exactly the same goods are returned due to damage.

    The file with regard to the repayment shall be conclusive on the basis of written evidence and/or communication.

    2. Damage to a parcel by our Customs services

    It should first be established that the damage was caused by our services and not by your post office or courier service.

    In case it is established that the GAC&E has damaged the goods, the procedure for damage to third parties shall be applied.

    The following three conditions must be met in order to obtain a refund:

    1. The request for repayment (type C) must be filed within one year following the date of approval of the declaration. The application form is a - repayment type C
    2. The first step consists in the presentation of the goods to the Customs authorities before returning them. Their approval is required in order to confirm that the returned goods are exactly the same as the received goods (please contact the team that is competent for the follow-up of declarations)
    3. The invoice, proofs of payment, photos, etc. must be added to the file (for justification purposes), as well as a correcting statement in PLCE.

    Only taxes shall be repaid; any other costs (e.g. transport costs) shall not be repaid by the Customs administration!