VMK20 shipment stuck in customs – what to do?
Headphones repaired, package on its way back, and then customs decides to play gatekeeper. A familiar situation, especially in Åland and areas classified as outside the EU. Customs wants proof that this isn't a new purchase but a repair return – and without the right paperwork, your package ends up in limbo.
No worries. This is totally fixable, and you don't need to memorise customs regulations to sort it out.
Why does customs stop the package?
Customs doesn't know what's in the package or why it's moving. From their perspective, every incoming shipment is a potential import that should be taxed and dutied. When we send your repaired device back to you, customs just sees a package labelled "headphones" with a value of X euros. To them, it looks like a perfectly ordinary online order.
This particularly applies to:
- Åland, which is outside the EU tax area
- Situations where the package passes through customs due to routing
- Repair returns, where the device was originally sent to us and is now coming back
Customs needs a document proving this isn't a new transaction but the return of the same item after repair. Without it, they won't release the package.
How to get your package out of customs
- Get in touch with us at info@valco.fi. Include your order number and mention that customs has stopped the package.
- We'll send you a certificate confirming this is a repair return – not a new sale. The document shows the original order, a description of the repair, and the device's value.
- Submit the document to customs following their instructions. Usually an electronic submission through the customs online service or directly to the email address customs gave you will do the trick.
- Customs releases the package once they see the item is the same one that left the country, and no customs duties need to be paid.
The whole process usually takes a few days. Most of that time is spent waiting for customs to process the paperwork at their own pace. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about that – bureaucracy runs on its own clock.
If customs asks for something unusual
Sometimes customs requests additional clarifications or documents we couldn't have anticipated. Customs is a bit like that one teacher at school who always came up with a new rule.
If that happens:
- Don't panic. Drop us a message and tell us what customs wants.
- We'll handle our part. We'll provide whatever documentation we can.
- It's also worth calling customs' own customer service – they can tell you exactly what's needed. You can find the customs service number at tulli.fi.
Your package isn't going anywhere. It's sitting there in customs perfectly safe, just waiting for the paperwork to be sorted.
How to avoid this in the future?
If you live in Åland or another customs area, let us know when you send your device in for repair. That way we can include the necessary documents with the return shipment from the start, and the package glides through customs without any extra faff.
We'll admit this is one of those things where a small company learns the hard way. Big corporations handle customs paperwork automatically – we handle it personally and a bit behind the curve, but we handle it nonetheless. The Death Star's customs documentation department is still under construction.
