Russian post fears delays thanks to customs

Long before anyone starts worrying about sending Christmas cards and expecting parcels stuffed with presents, the Russian postal service Pochta Rossii has washed its hands of delays in international deliveries.

But customs officials say the mailmen’s dire warnings are nothing but a misunderstanding, and new legislation should not affect delivery times.

“The procedure of handling express cargoes in temporary storage warehouses currently used by DHL Express, won’t change in principle,” Yuri Shevchenko, Russian operation director, explained.

International courier services also say no delays in deliveries are to happen due to the new rules, arguing it makes no difference to them.

And same will apply to other companies providing door-to-door services.

“Company TNT Express is an express-shipping company, and not a postal service operator, so the novelty won’t change anything in the way it operates,” the company’s press-service told ComNews.

The state-run postal service published an official statement, which said that “an extension of delivery times for international shipments was unavoidable due to the new regulations”.

The new rules demand that all international shipments go into temporary storage if they have not been declared to customs.

They fear that this will wipe out recent improvements in the service and claim the legislation breaches international postal laws.

Under the present system, state-run Pochta Rossii can complete all the formalities inside 24 hours, but a spokesman said that it could take up to six months to move parcels on once the new rules are in force.

The Russian Customs service has sought to allay fears over numerous delays, issuing a statement message saying that the time shipments spend in storage won’t affect the time taken by customs proceedings.

“Goods will be released no later than one working day after they are delivered to the customs body for clearance,” the statement read.

Representatives met postal bosses to clear the air, according to the customs website.

Earlier, customs staff gave short shrift to the idea that delays were linked to their work.

“Responsibility for loss of international mailing items, any damage, shortfall of enclosures, non-delivery and failures to meet the terms of deliveries lies on postal administrations, according to the Universal Postal Convention. In Russia these functions are performed by Pochta Rossii,” a statement said.

Postal operators struggle to reach Russia

Customs rules blamed as DHL and UPS consider halting deliveries.

Russia's parcel post is failing to deliver - and that could spell disaster for next week's local start-up for auction website eBay.

DHL and UPS are the latest companies to complain of problems making international deliveries in Russia, a week after similar problems with national mail company Pochta Rossii were reported.

The two express-delivery firms have been forced to up their delivery times for four days to 10, Kommersant reported, and are seeking high-level talks with customs officials and Pochti Rossii bosses to discuss the issue.

A DHL employee was quoted as saying that new deliveries to Russia are no longer being accepted and existing parcels could be stuck in limbo for up to a month, waiting in transit warehouses in Europe.

The company's website released a statement saying it was working with the independent Association of Express Carriers to find a speedy solution.

UPS has similar problems, according to CEO Ivan Shatskikh, and is looking to join the talks with customs bosses. Unofficially, a source told Kommersant, deliveries to Russia may simply stop.

Pochta Rossii blames the customs service for the delays. On its website a statement said that all international parcels have to go to customs for screening and registration within a legally-defined timeframe, and once checked by the authorities they are delivered to customers the same day.

The statement added that the number of international deliveries rose by 50 to 90 per cent in the first two months of this year, and Pochta Rossii urges more customs points to open in a bid to tackle the problem.

However the customs union insists it has no problems and blamed the post office for failing to handle the extra deliveries, Kommersant reported.

Deliveries from Russia were not affected by the delays.

Internet auction site eBay, which is due to launch a Russian branch on March 25^th, reportedly refused to work with Russian buyers last week because of problems with deliveries. Site rules usually require delivery within 30 days, but sending goods to Russia could take up to two months.

The post service denied any complaints from eBay or similar websites but The Organization for the Protection of the Consumer Rights advised eBay customers to file lawsuits against Pochta Rossii and even offered help in compiling them.