A parcel that stops moving is the most stressful part of buying anything from abroad, and vape orders are stopped more often than most. If your tracking has been showing the same customs status for days, this guide explains who is actually holding your parcel, what they are waiting for, what you have to do (usually very little) and when the sensible move is to write the parcel off and reclaim your money.
First: is it actually customs?
Tracking statuses are written for logistics staff, not for buyers. Before you assume a customs problem, rule out the two boring explanations.
- The parcel has not been handed over yet. A status like "shipment information received" or "label created" means the seller has printed a label and nothing else. That is a seller problem, not a customs problem, and it can persist for a week if the goods are being sourced after the order.
- The status is a handover, not a hold. "Arrived at destination country" or "processed at facility" are routine scans. A genuine customs hold usually names customs, clearance, or a payment demand.
If the status has not changed for more than five working days and it mentions clearance, then yes — it is at customs. The tracking guide covers how to read carrier scans properly, and if the delay is an age verification rather than a duty demand, the age-checked delivery guide covers that case instead.
Who is holding it, and why
Customs does not hold parcels for fun. There are only a handful of reasons, and they determine who has to act.
| Reason | What it means | Who must act |
|---|---|---|
| Import VAT and duty unpaid | The most common case. The carrier pays on your behalf and then asks you for the money before releasing the parcel. | You — unless the seller collected it at checkout |
| Missing or unclear declaration | The commercial invoice does not describe the contents well enough, or the declared value looks implausible. | The seller or shipper |
| Restricted or prohibited goods | The destination country does not permit the import of that product category at all. | Nobody — this is where goods get returned or destroyed |
| Age-restricted delivery | The carrier must verify the recipient is 18 or over before handing over. | You, at the door |
| Documentation or product compliance | Some countries require notification, tax stamps or a registered importer before these products may be released. | The seller |
The one thing that decides everything: who collected the tax
This is the question that determines whether you are about to receive a bill.
- If the seller collected VAT at checkout and shipped under a scheme that covers distance sales into your country, the parcel should clear without a payment demand. If it does not, that is the seller's problem to fix — but you are the one whose parcel is stuck, so you will have to chase them.
- If the seller collected nothing and the goods come from outside the EU, expect import VAT plus a handling fee. The handling fee is charged by the carrier, not by customs, and it is usually the part that surprises people: it is a flat charge for the paperwork, and it is not proportional to the value of your order.
You can see the full arithmetic, including the end of the small-parcel duty exemption in July 2026, in our EU import VAT and customs guide. The short version: a headline price on a listing from outside the EU is not the price you pay, and the gap is often 30–60 %.
What to actually do, in order
- Check your email, including spam. Carriers send a payment request before they send anything else, and those mails are frequently filtered. If there is a link demanding payment, read the domain carefully before entering card details — fake customs-fee phishing is common and it follows real parcel notifications closely.
- Get the reference number. The carrier needs the tracking number plus, sometimes, a description of the contents to release the parcel. Ask the seller for the commercial invoice if you do not have it.
- Message the seller once, in writing, with a deadline. State the tracking number, the status, and that you want the parcel delivered or the order refunded. Ask them specifically whether they declared the goods as vaping products, and whether the tax was collected. A seller who dodged the declaration has caused the hold.
- Decide whether the parcel is worth releasing. Add the import VAT, the duty and the handling fee to what you already paid. For a single device, the answer is often no. For a bulk order the answer is usually yes — which is why bulk orders from outside the EU are the ones that hurt when they are held.
- If it is not worth it, refuse the parcel in writing. Do not simply ignore it. An uncollected parcel is usually returned to the sender after a set period, and a retailer who can see a refusal on the record is far more likely to refund than one looking at a silent customer.
Practical point: the carrier's clock is short. Storage is free for only a few days at most, after which the parcel is returned or disposed of. If you are going to act, act inside the first week.
When customs is a symptom, not the disease
Sometimes the hold is not really about tax. Two patterns are worth recognising because they are the ones where you lose the money.
The declared value does not match what you paid
If the seller declared a low value to reduce your tax, and the parcel is inspected, the discrepancy can be treated as undeclared goods. Your parcel is held and you have no clean remedy, because the declaration on the record is not the one you agreed to.
The destination does not allow the import
Some countries prohibit the import of these products entirely, and no amount of paperwork will release a parcel that arrives in one. We track the markets where this applies on our shipping and restricted countries page precisely so that parcels are not sent there in the first place — a blocked checkout is a better customer experience than a seized parcel.
How to not repeat it
The pattern behind nearly every held parcel is the same: the stock was outside the customs area you live in. Buy stock that is already inside it and the entire chain of events above stops existing.
- No import declaration, because there is no border crossing.
- No carrier handling fee, because there is nothing to clear.
- No payment demand on the doorstep, because the tax on the goods was settled when they entered the market.
- A delivery window measured in days, not weeks.
That is what our EU warehouse range is for: stock held in Berlin, shipped inside the single market. The EU warehouse explainer goes through the mechanics, and how vape orders are shipped covers the despatch side.
Frequently asked questions
How long can customs hold a parcel?
There is no single legal limit for the whole EU. In practice the carrier gives you a short window — often a few days — to pay any charges, after which the parcel is returned or disposed of. If the hold is caused by a paperwork problem rather than a payment, resolution depends on how quickly the seller responds, which is why you should chase them in writing immediately.
Can customs open my parcel?
Yes. Customs authorities may examine shipments, and they are entitled to do so. Opening a parcel does not by itself mean the contents are illegal; it is a routine inspection.
Do I have to pay the carrier's handling fee?
If you want the parcel, yes — it is the carrier's charge for clearing the shipment on your behalf, and it is separate from the tax itself. If you do not pay it, the parcel is returned.
Can I refuse the parcel and still get a refund?
That depends on the seller's terms, not on customs. Refuse in writing, keep the record, and if the seller will not refund, use the chargeback route with your card provider. Our shipping scams guide covers how to tell a seller who will cooperate from one who will not, and the damaged parcel rights guide covers what you are entitled to when goods arrive in a state you did not order.
Why was my order held when a previous one from the same seller was not?
Inspection is selective. A parcel can clear untouched for months and then be stopped, which is why relying on past luck from a non-EU seller is not a plan. The exposure is the same every time.
For adults aged 18 and over. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. This article is general information about shipping and customs, not legal advice.
