Help with Italian Customs

[nm4]

Dear friends,

 

I need some help with a pen stuck in Italian customs.  The plating failed on the nib of my Visconti HS maxi palladium stub nib.  Visconti agreed to replate it.  I shipped it to them per their instructions (insured for only $50 as they specified).   Sadly it’s been stuck in customs over a month.  USPS says they can do nothing.  My contact at Visconti says they can do nothing.  
 

So it seems my favorite pen is gone forever unless someone has another idea?  Thanks so much for your help,

 

 

NM

[jchch1950]

The Italian customs may be asking for a tax to be paid. In this case, it should not be an import tax because the original country is Italy maybe they want a sales tax. In the papers that you sent with the pen, it was specified that it was for repairs. Do you know where the pen is detained? Can you write to the chief of the office to complain? Have you raised a quarrel with the Visconti Office or the USPS? If something is not delivered it shall be returned. 

[fabri00]

The recipient of the pen should contact the italian Custom, and the Custom Will answer.

I did that many times.

Probably the Custom has asked for a payment for vat and import taxes, but mabe at Visconti nobody take care of that.

[nm4]

I’ve contacted Visconti.  They said they would look into things but I never heard back and when I message them now the contacts I have auto-reply that they are away on holiday until September. They previously claimed they have not received anything from customs.   
 

Sadly I have no idea where the pen is or who to complain to. The USPS worker said “it’s gone sir there is nothing that can be done at this point”.  We did indeed indicate it was going for repairs on the customs paperwork.  
 

I hope others learn from my experience and never send their pens to Italy for repair (aka theft).  
 

NF. 

[A Smug Dill]

Sorry to hear what's happening with your Visconti pen!

 

37 minutes ago, nm4 said:

I hope others learn from my experience and never send their pens to Italy for repair (aka theft).

I've had to send a nib (without the pen body, as I was advised/asked) back to Santini Italia for re-plating, back in 2021. Santini was prepared to sort out all the paperwork and send me a pre-paid UPS shipping label, but with all that had to do with COVID and lockdowns at the time (since UPS wouldn't come and collect the parcel from my place), we ended up agreeing on an alternative arrangement that I'd just send it by tracked international post (and Santini reimbursed me for the postal charges). It got to Italy and was received without issue, fixed, and was returned to me pronto.

[kazoolaw]

“when I message them now the contacts I have auto-reply that they are away on holiday until September.”

An excellent reminder that all the world does not move on U.S. time.  Don’t give up: follow-up in September.

[nm4]

Bumping this thread to see if anyone has any advice. It’s over 2 months now that my pen has been in Italian customs…several email exchanges with Visconti but no progress.  I’m losing hope I will ever get it back.  USPS offers no help. 

 

NM

[fabri00]

As said, I believe the problem is the recipient, not the Italian Custom.

When a package enter the EU, the Custom contact the recipient and ask for some informations necessary to clear the Custom, like the value of the goods in order then to calculate duties and custom costs.

Then they ask the recipient to pay duties and custom costs.

If the recipient do not answer and do not pay, the packaging cannot be released.

Did you asked USPS to ask to return you the package ?

 

[nm4]

Fabri, thank you for your input. So far the Visconti folks say they’ve heard nothing.  USPS says they cannot help me at all until the pen passes through or is rejected from Italian customs.  
 

Truly has been a learning experience (a costly one) for me.  Personally I won’t ever send another item to Italy but if one does use a courier and not the postal service. 
 

N

[Format]

34 minutes ago, nm4 said:

Fabri, thank you for your input. So far the Visconti folks say they’ve heard nothing.  USPS says they cannot help me at all until the pen passes through or is rejected from Italian customs.  
 

Truly has been a learning experience (a costly one) for me.  Personally I won’t ever send another item to Italy but if one does use a courier and not the postal service. 
 

N

 

That is also my position

 

I was warned by others that the Italian postal system cannot be trusted to deliver your goods and also that there are often issues with Italian buyers. I tried to ignore that advice and treat people as I find them but selling goods to an Italian FPN person was a huge mistake, I won't go into details obviously. I speak to others who selling pens and other stuff and they avoid sending goods to Italy, there are no means where the sellers interests can be protected, especially if the buyer wants something for nothing.

 

Any listings that I make on eBay exclude sales to Italy, China and Sheffield.