The headphones are ordered, the money is paid, and now you're waiting for the package like it's Christmas Eve – except Santa has vanished somewhere into the depths of customs. International deliveries are a bit like Russian roulette: nobody dies, but it can test your nerves.
No worries. Let's find out where your headphones are hiding.
Why might the delivery be delayed?
International deliveries have more moving parts than a Swiss watch. The most common reasons:
- Customs. Some countries' customs hold packages longer than would be reasonable. Especially when shipping outside the EU, customs may want to inspect, tax, or just stare at the package for a while.
- Local post. We send the package on from Finland promptly, but once it transfers to the destination country's postal service, it's in their hands. In some countries "3–5 business days" means a week, in others a month.
- The tracking number doesn't update. The tracking ID may stop working when the package switches from one courier service to another. It can look like the package has gone missing, even though it's just flying under the radar.
- Seasons and strikes. Around Christmas, after Black Friday, or during postal strikes, deliveries get stretched out. We can't do anything about it, even if we'd like to.
How to check the situation
- Log in to your valco.fi account. Go to your orders and see if a tracking number is visible. If it is, copy it and enter it directly on the carrier's tracking page.
- Try multiple tracking services. If Posti's tracking doesn't show anything, try for example [17track.net](https://www.17track.net) or [parcelsapp.com](https://www.parcelsapp.com) – they can track packages across carrier boundaries.
- Check your email. The tracking number is sent as a separate message after the order confirmation. Also check your spam folder. Email services sometimes like to hide exactly the messages you actually need.
- Wait a couple of days. Seriously. Sometimes the tracking number only activates once the package has been scanned into the destination country's system. This can take 2–5 business days.
If that doesn't help
If you can't find the tracking number anywhere, the tracking hasn't updated for a week, or the package seems to have disappeared into a black hole:
- Send us a message at info@valco.fi
- Tell us your order number (found in the order confirmation)
- Tell us which country the order is headed to
We'll dig up the tracking number and find out where the package is. If necessary, we'll open a claim with the carrier. We won't leave you alone with this – someone has to get those Death Star parts delivered, and your headphones too.
International deliveries are just slower than domestic ones. It's unfortunate, but on the other hand – good sound quality doesn't spoil in transit. VMK25 is just as good even if it goes through customs three times.
