Hi,

Just want to share my experience with you guys.

I bought some lip balms from US. The seller sent the parcel on the 16th of August 2010 but USPS only shipped it on the 21st of August 2010. It arrived at KLIA Pos on the 25th.

Here are the tracking details on my parcel:

Class: Priority Mail International Parcels
Service(s): International Parcels
Status: Delivered Abroad

Your item was delivered in MALAYSIA at 4:59 pm on August 26, 2010.

Detailed Results:

Delivered Abroad, August 26, 2010, 4:59 pm, MALAYSIA
Out of Foreign Customs, August 26, 2010, 3:31 pm, MALAYSIA
Into Foreign Customs, August 25, 2010, 5:25 pm, MALAYSIA
Arrived Abroad, August 25, 2010, 4:18 pm, MALAYSIA
International Dispatch, August 21, 2010, 4:49 am, ISC MIAMI FL (USPS)
Arrival
Electronic Shipping Info Received, August 16, 2010

The parcel was detained by Malaysia Customs on the 25th. I called KLIA's Pusat Mel & Courier Pos Malaysia (03-8787 2020) after 2 pm today to ask about my parcel and was given a number and the choice to collect the parcel myself or to wait for the letter from Pos Malaysia on Monday. So I decided to go to KLIA's Pos (it's a big Pos Malaysia building next to LCCT Terminal) to collect it myself.

First I had to report at room no 2 to get the Pos Malaysia's letter and a slip with the number of my parcel on it. Then I was directed to counter no 1 to get the parcel. Upon receiving the parcel, I had to submit my visitor's pass to the counter.

Then I had to go to counter no 5 to open the parcel in front of a custom officer. Here I was asked to declare how many items are in the parcel. He then told me to go to counter no 3 because cosmetic products must be cleared by Pharmaceutical Dept. Then the lady at counter no 3 told me that my items had to be declared first so I was directed back to room no 2 to get some declaration forms (costs RM18). The wait for the forms is quite long (almost 20-30 minutes) so patience is a must here.

Then, after finally receiving the forms, I was directed back to counter no 5 where the officer checked the papers and told me to go to counter no 3 again. The lady at counter no 3 told me to go to Pharmaceutical Dept (which is a building located across the road from Pos Malaysia's building, so you guys have to drive to go there).

At the Pharmaceutical Dept's building, I had to go to level 5 and submit my form at the counter there. The lady checked my form and asked for a sample of the product. After scrutinizing the product, she returned it to me. Then she told me that for cosmetic products (in my case lip balms/lipsticks type), they only permit 3 tubes per import as they deemed it to be enough for a month's usage. To import more than that we need to have a permit. So I was let off with a pink letter of warning. Then she directed me to go to level 3 to get my form photostated (cost me 20 cents) and then back again at level 5 to submit the photostated form to her.

She cleared my forms and then, I was directed back to Pos Malaysia so I went directly to counter no 5 and the custom officer checked the papers and then he directed me to counter no 4. The officer at counter no 4 checked my papers and keyed in some data in the computer, scribbled something on my papers and asked to look at a sample product. Then finally, I was directed back to go to counter no 1 to get my visitor's pass and the parcel was cleared! No tax needed! And the time of release was NOT 3.31 pm. It was near 5 pm actually.

Phew!! It was quite tiring running around from one counter to another and even going to another building. I guess maybe next time I'll opt to appoint Pos Malaysia to settle and send the parcel to me instead.


Hope this information is useful to you guys.

This post has been edited by nekko_chan: Aug 26 2010, 08:14 PM

Yup. I guess every parcel yang kena tahan must be opened in front of the custom officer.

About your item being taxable or vice versa, I think it depends on what the item in your parcel is. For instance in my case, the custom officer put my lip balms under cosmetic products' code that is non-dutiable (and I think luck played a part too because I read somewhere in this thread or some other thread that it depends on the value of the items we imported, if more than certain amount, we'll be taxed for sure).

But electronic goods definitely will be taxed because there was this one guy before me got taxed 10% from the amount of his stuff.

This post has been edited by nekko_chan: Aug 27 2010, 09:07 AM

I'm not sure whether my parcel was insured or not but the sender from US did use Priority Mail International Parcel and she gave me a tracking number for it. The whole process is realllly slow though. I am a newbie in this importing stuff and that was my first buy from US.

I wonder how all those sellers in forums having shopping sprees for cosmetic products from US are importing their goods? And how can we obtain the permit to import cosmetic products in the future? I tried going to the bpfk website but it was not that informative or clear.