Taiwangun Shipping Disruption (Brexit Related Content)

[Tommikka]

17 minutes ago, kasaran said:

So would 4 weeks be optimistic?

Could be quicker, could be slower

Its a lottery, a lot is held up exiting and then arriving, if things come by ship then they are also held up at the docks waiting for unloading crews

 

Theres the multitude of delays due to the UK being a border from Europe post Brexit, (previously only looking for illegal imports) staffing levels at every stage due to Covid and handily with distancing due to Covid etc 

[kasaran]

So with 4 weeks left of ukara...  wonder if it takes too long if there will be issues.  even if it was still in date at the time of placing the order...

[RebelScum]

7 hours ago, kasaran said:

So with 4 weeks left of ukara...  wonder if it takes too long if there will be issues.  even if it was still in date at the time of placing the order...

I don't think any of these delays are anything to do with the inspection of the parcels by Customs per se, and more to do with the fact that UPS seems to be in meltdown and seem to be incapable of processing and delivering parcels at the moment.  Other courier firms are getting parcels through from the EU absolutely fine, and whilst there is a Covid impact on Border controls I think the situation with UPS is down to UPS.  Some of the recent reviews for UPS I've seen online are suggesting a 5-week delay from postage (and ironically most of this time seems to be spent in the UK), which supports the information that @EvilMonkee managed to get that his parcel is currently sat in a container.  I suspect there are quite a few GF and TG parcels in there with his, all waiting for someone in UPS to be assigned to them.

 

Depending on how this all pans out it might be worth giving some feedback to TG and GF and asking them to consider offering alternative couriers, as relying on UPS may well impact their business.  I for one will be very wary after this experience.  Fingers crossed someone gets their parcel soon, as it'll give everyone an idea as to how long these imports are taking with UPS.

[ak2m4]

@RebelScum Does indeed seem to be a UPS thing.  I got my EMS, FedEx and DHL parcels in usual time.  What frustrates me is the lack of transparency and communication.  They don't even offer a webchat function.  They make you wait on hold for 45 minutes.  Service has fallen through the floor yet their prices have risen.  They don't even offer any service guarantee anymore and haven't done for nearly a year. 

[Adolf Hamster]

19 minutes ago, ak2m4 said:

I got my EMS parcels in usual time.

 

good to know, recently have a thing dispatched via ems and was wondering if the increased border attention would spill over to russian stuff.

[EvilMonkee]

Thing is Gunfire do offer GLS - has anyone tried this as an option to the UK and is there any difference?

[RebelScum]

3 hours ago, Adolf Hamster said:

 

good to know, recently have a thing dispatched via ems and was wondering if the increased border attention would spill over to russian stuff.

No, shouldn't do at the UK end.  I've had quite a bit of kit posted from Russia recently.  eBay purchases by regular airmail are taking about 3-4 weeks, but most of that time is spent getting clearance out of Russia.  I say this having just received a boonie hat yesterday and the estimated time for delivery was 1 day out.  DHL from Grey Shop was just two days with their expedited post (taxes all included at the sales end - so no hassle at the point of import).  The last time I used EMS that was also OK, although that was pre-December 2020.  Indeed I've only ever had one issue with a surplus store in Russia and Paypal refunded for non-delivery, which worked out OK.

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

UPS delivered one of my TG orders to a school.  Different postcode and address, but my surname is similar to the name of the school.  

 

Cue much head scratching from staff who opened the parcel along with a myriad of others, only to find it full of quote, 'machine gun parts.'  Helpfully they also lost one of the damn mags and damaged an inner barrel.   A bit of thinking led me to call in and ask if they had it because I rec'd a text saying that it had been delivered.  The only time in 20+ years that any mix up between the addresses has occurred.  

 

UPS also managed to leave a large order outside my neighbour's front door.  Only spotted when I took the hound for a walk.  Again the text told me to keep an eye out locally.  

 

If we don't tell TG just how awful UPS's service is, they will stick with them.

 

On a similar note, I received two parcels from the US the other day, both free from any import charge, via RM.  Both should have had charges attached.  One I had ordered in October and reported lost.

 

Wife's £400+ US order via RM had £150-ish slapped on it.  The handling charges were ridiculous.  

 

Even RM is overwhelmed and making mistakes/missing things.  Not surprising given the last minute nature of the duty announcements.  UPS must be like a bloody madhouse.  

 

 

  

[ak2m4]

7 hours ago, Tactical Pith Helmet said:

UPS must be like a bloody madhouse.  

 

Although slightly different to couriers like DHL, UPS etc, EMS have the right idea, they just suspend the service when it becomes too difficult to meet time scales.  It's not a perfect solution, they sometimes aren't the best company but I get the feeling greed takes over at UPS.

[SouthAS]

I would totally forget about Taiwangun, as for the case you need to return something, their return policy and customer service is awful. 
 

1. You have to pay the shipping costs yourself in case of returning (no good store does that, at least not here). 
 

2.) They take like forever to send you a shipping label. 
 

3.) They stop answering you during the process. 

[Lozart]

On 27/02/2021 at 18:08, DRay said:

Are Taiwangun legit? Appreciate all of the gripe is with UPS (who are a terrible company, only Yodel are worse) about delivery but as I am in no rush I was looking at a JG MAC10 (a steal at £50) but they aren’t asking for UKARA...

 

Appreciate that they aren’t a UK retailer but surely they will need this for import? 

 

Is this UKAC or something?

 

 

Yes, they're legit. As mentioned above, you need a £140 minimum order now and they will tell you that as a UK buyer it is entirely at your own risk. You can put your UKARA number in the order comments and ask them to put it on the address label or just on the outside but this has always been their policy. 

14 hours ago, ak2m4 said:

@RebelScum Does indeed seem to be a UPS thing.  I got my EMS, FedEx and DHL parcels in usual time.  What frustrates me is the lack of transparency and communication.  They don't even offer a webchat function.  They make you wait on hold for 45 minutes.  Service has fallen through the floor yet their prices have risen.  They don't even offer any service guarantee anymore and haven't done for nearly a year. 

 

It's absolutely a UPS problem. My brother in law is waiting on £20K worth of hardware for work sent via UPS from the Netherlands. UPS say they've got around a 2-3 month delay, they also say they've delivered it because one of the three boxes turned up.

[Laserhawk]

22 hours ago, EvilMonkee said:

I had the same thing - I think that is Polish customs mate so you still have a LONG wait on your hands.  Mine has been sat in Essex since the 16th

Oh ffs 

 

Watched Pheas Airsoft vid last night and he managed to get his inside of two weeks with no charges!  very lucky.

[lukeB]

Just had a call from UPS to fill in a firearms form for customs.

 

The cover sheet/invoice from TG that they attached to the email has my ukara mentioned 3 times, so a bit ridiculous that they need a declaration. 

[Laserhawk]

1 hour ago, lukeB said:

Just had a call from UPS to fill in a firearms form for customs.

 

The cover sheet/invoice from TG that they attached to the email has my ukara mentioned 3 times, so a bit ridiculous that they need a declaration. 

so much unnecessary red tape now

[Piman]

2 hours ago, lukeB said:

Just had a call from UPS to fill in a firearms form for customs.

 

The cover sheet/invoice from TG that they attached to the email has my ukara mentioned 3 times, so a bit ridiculous that they need a declaration. 

Me to after contacting Taiwangun to chase UPS. Got a call and follow up email just now. I have had to fill these in before for shipments from Evike in the US. I can deal with this red tape so long as they are quick to request it (not nearly 3 weeks).

 

I also asked if they (Taiwangun) would consider other shippers clarifying that I would not be purchasing from them again if they still used UPS. Will see if that goes anywhere.

 

James

[Piman]

I now have a 'shipment cleared customs' on the UPS tracker. However everything is still in Poland!!!

[EvilMonkee]

5 hours ago, lukeB said:

Just had a call from UPS to fill in a firearms form for customs.

 

The cover sheet/invoice from TG that they attached to the email has my ukara mentioned 3 times, so a bit ridiculous that they need a declaration. 

Standard UPS practice been doing it forever even for non RIF related stuff.  Basically they are idiots

 

[lukeB]

Saying that, my high pressure order was 'shipped' a week ago, but according to the tracking, DPD still haven't received it. 

 

Its a shame they are the only uk hpa specialist because their service is terrible these days. They could do with some competition.

[EvilMonkee]

Just had my status changed to Held in Warehouse - so no doubt it will sit there till Customs get to it.

[Monkman]

4 hours ago, lukeB said:

Saying that, my high pressure order was 'shipped' a week ago, but according to the tracking, DPD still haven't received it. 

 

Its a shame they are the only uk hpa specialist because their service is terrible these days. They could do with some competition.

I think it's a mixed bag.... I asked them something on FB messenger..never replied.  Called them, answered the phone.  Put an order in that night and items came within 2 days.  Probably worth chasing them up on the order mate.

[RebelScum]

I'm still seeing this message, after the parcel arrived in the UK on the 22nd February.  I'm guessing I have a few more weeks of pain to go yet.  I'm not even sure I can be bothered to phone their Customer Services (I think it's based in the Philippines), given the brokerage desk was meant to call me today with an update, but that was clearly nonsense to fob me off.  I love the fact that the estimated length of time for delivery to the UK by UPS on the TG website is 3 days.  Made me laugh. 

[alxndrhll]

18 minutes ago, Monkman said:

I think it's a mixed bag.... I asked them something on FB messenger..never replied.  Called them, answered the phone.  Put an order in that night and items came within 2 days.  Probably worth chasing them up on the order mate.

I tend to agree with Luke here, their customer service is absolutely dire. It may be me being ‘old fashioned’ but a company shouldn’t have a means of contacting them which they literally ignore. On the whole if I’ve ordered something that was in stock I’ve received it in a timely manner, but for general queries or chasing things up that weren’t in stock they’re awful. I shouldn’t have to contact a company for updates on something I’m waiting on, let alone have to specifically chase it up via a phone call because they can’t be bothered to reply to anything else.

 

As for the actual thread topic, I popped in an order on the 25th of Feb and expect to be waiting a while (and would have done whether I’d read through this thread or not).

 

I get why folks are irked, but when the flood gates opened on orders were you really expecting it to be expedient? Irrelevant of the fact UPS are generally useless we’re in a transitional period and logistics all over the world have been shagged for months. I ordered a face pro mask from the Netherlands at some point in early January and that eventually turned up mid February, it’s hard for me to look at it in any other way than ‘it’s takes as long as it takes’. Outside of making sure I’m keeping up on the correspondence from UPS there’s not much else I can do 🤷🏻‍♂️. Some folks will get things fast than me, and some slower. It’s so up in the air at the moment that trying to attach any degree of logic is largely a waste of time, and that’s before you add in that the courier in question is Useless Postal Service. At least their uniform colour is appropriate to the level of service they deliver... or don’t as the case may be.

[RebelScum]

I'll be honest I'm reasonably sanguine about this, and I wholly accept the point about logistics post-transition.  As a bit of fun I'm going to see if my DHL parcel from Moscow posted this afternoon, arrives before my parcel currently sat for a week in a warehouse in Essex.  I'm betting it does. 

 

Interestingly enough the UK isn't even applying full import controls yet.  These start in July 2021.  I'd avoid ordering anything around this date that involves UPS.

[EvilMonkee]

8 hours ago, RebelScum said:

I'd avoid ordering anything  that involves UPS.

Fixed that for you

[Piman]

9 hours ago, RebelScum said:

 

I'm still seeing this message, after the parcel arrived in the UK on the 22nd February.  I'm guessing I have a few more weeks of pain to go yet.  I'm not even sure I can be bothered to phone their Customer Services (I think it's based in the Philippines), given the brokerage desk was meant to call me today with an update, but that was clearly nonsense to fob me off.  I love the fact that the estimated length of time for delivery to the UK by UPS on the TG website is 3 days.  Made me laugh. 

I would keep chasing them. Both times I have chased my delivery it was sat waiting for additional paperwork. They are not good at communicating this so it could be sat there a long time until someone chases that up.

 

In regards to the 'it's just post BREXIT' be patient. The point is that UPS are significantly worse than their rivals. It is a lot of work to organise this but they are a logistics company and that is their job. They have had plenty of time to be prepared. I know the final details came late in the day but the core infrastructure and contingency planning had years. In fact, from what I hear, they had started planning a long time ago. They have either not had a good plan/process in place or have failed miserably in implementing it.

 

So after all the activity yesterday sorting out further paperwork my delivery has now moved back to 'Delayed'!!!!