Shopping in India and getting through customs is a guide meant to educate couples on what could happen when they arrive back in the US, Canada etc. with all of these expensive items. They could get confiscated. Thi has happened to brides. Read below for ideas on how to avoid getting stuck in customs.
Confiscated at Customs
The first friend this happened to, was on her way back from her India wedding shopping trip. The customs officer in LA believed that the total sum of her items was worth more than the allowable amount ($10,000) and confiscated everything. And she didn’t get the stuff back until after the wedding! She had to go shopping all over again after she got back from India!
ProTip: Get receipts for everything and have them handy and organized to show when you arrive at the customs!
Packing Problems
My other friend had customs delays through one of her vendors. She ordered items through Alibaba, so her stuff was coming from Hong Kong. Different items have specific package and labeling rules. Their items were battery operated and Alibaba didn’t have the right labelling on the package so everything was sent back. This back-and-forth happened a few times before the items finally cleared customs…the week before the wedding. Phew!
My friend and her hubby are smart, they anticipated that there may be shipping issues and started early, so they had the time buffer.
ProTip: For items shipping from overseas, start early! Give those items at least 4 months to arrive, just in case of unforeseen delays!
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