Shipment Parcel Stuck in Customs (Kastam)

Why does your shipment parcel get stuck in Customs (Kastam) for a long period of time?

Here is what may happen to your shipment when you buy your products from overseas. These products are usually specified as imports and any items that are valued above RM500 are normally considered as taxable. If your parcel gets held up too long by the customs, what are the steps to be taken to clear your items? Under normal circumstances, customs should clear your parcel within 1 to 3 days but if the item’s status did not renew to release, it is most likely that your parcel are being held and maybe taxable.

1st step would be to call POS Malaysia customer service, their contact number is available in POS Malaysia official website. Give it a few tries as their customer service are usually very busy. Once you got to speak to the customer service agent, read out your consignment note number and allow them to check on your parcel status. They should open a report and advise you to send an email with the item invoice to their email for further investigation and response.

They may revert within one working day and you should know the status of your parcel. If they responded stating that your parcel or item is taxable, you will need to call the number included in the email for further inquiry. But mark my word that you can keep calling and it is will be always busy. So, do not bother to call them, just make a trip to the address given in the email or if you are in Kuala Lumpur (Wilayah Persekutuan) or Selangor, you should make a trip down to Cargo Hub POS Malaysia International Hub KLIA (next to the old LCCT terminal).

Once you are there, sign in at the guard house. Hand over your identification card and guards should hand you a green slip with the consignment note information together with an entry card. There are 3 counters that you are required to complete before collecting your parcel.

1. 1st stop is Counter no.1 where you are required to hand over your green slip and then allow some time for them to check your parcel where about. If your parcel is not found in Counter no.1, you are required to go to POS office customer service department to seek further help in locating your parcel. If they are able to locate your parcel, you are then advised to return to Counter no.1.
2. Once your parcel is located and claimed from Counter no.1, you shall proceed to Counter no.2. Counter no.2 is the Customs (Kastam) officer’s counter. Once you number is called, you are required to open the package in front of the officer and show them your item’s invoice. Note that if your electronic device have WIFI installed, you have maybe required to proceed to SIRIM for approval.
3. Upon checking your product (item) & invoice, you are given a print-out slip and you are required to proceed to Counter no.3 for declaration and tax amount. Bear in mind, the Customs officer will show you the tax amount after conversion in handwritten format and only upon your agreement, the officer shall then print out the custom slip for you to proceed next.
4. Hand over the custom slip at Counter no.3 and wait for approximately 10 minutes for them to print out your total tax amount payable. On getting your tax advise print out, you are required to return to Counter no.2.
5. Hand over the tax print out to the same office at Counter no.2 and wait for approval from higher ranking officer endorsement. The officer’s signatory is required before proceeding further.
6. On acknowledgement from Counter no.2, return to Counter no.3 to settle the taxable amount. Please take note that they only accept CASH (no other methods allowed), so you must remember to bring enough cash.
7. Once payment made, you can take your parcel and leave the premise.

For my case, my item cost is around USD410.00 which works out to be around RM1,731.00 (this was worked out by the Customs officer at the counter). My total taxable amount is RM85.00 (import tax) plus RM19.10 (declaration tax), total RM104.10.

After all the above process, return to the guard house with the green slip (important to ensure the green slip is with you all the time), the guard shall take down your parcel number (POS office parcel number, not the consignment note number), collect your original identification card and return to your home with your parcel or package.

The whole process took me around 45 mins to complete because they could not locate my parcel earlier. Under normal circumstances, it should only take around 30 mins to complete the whole process and of course depending on the day’s crowd as well.

If you are in Klang Valley, you can collect at Cargo Hub POS Malaysia International Hub KLIA. Car parking is free right outside the building, so no worries about parking.