in this case
- A third-party shipper’s fine print lets it off the hook, but FedEx still holds a passenger’s luggage hostage in customs.
- Daily calls to customer service lead to a maze of conflicting updates and blame-shifting, with no resolution in sight.
- FedEx demands $1,237 for a shipment it admits it can’t deliver on time, forcing the customer to choose between his money and his cruise.
When Todd Janus sends his luggage to Norway via FedEx, it gets stuck in customs. Does he still have to pay $1,237?
Question
My wife and I shipped two suitcases from Iowa to Norway for a cruise using FedEx (via Luggage To Ship).
The luggage arrived on time but was sent back to Oslo for customs verification. Despite daily calls to FedEx, agents provided conflicting updates and blamed Norwegian customs. For four days, FedEx offered no information on how I could get my luggage out of customs.
Finally, FedEx claimed it couldn’t deliver the luggage until after our cruise departed, forcing us to pay $1,237 for shipment of luggage which we didn’t receive when we needed it. We contacted FedEx executives using your site’s contacts but received no response. We also sent a letter. We’ve kept all emails and call transcripts.
Why did FedEx fail to communicate clearly or resolve this? Are we entitled to a full refund? — Todd Janus, Des Moines, Iowa
Answer
FedEx should have handled your customs clearance and provided accurate tracking updates. Its International Priority service guarantees timely delivery, contingent on proper documentation — which you had.
You used a third party called Luggage To Ship, which promises “simple, reliable and affordable” luggage shipping, according to its site. But a closer look at the Luggage To Ship terms reveals it is not responsible for shipment delays because of, among other things, “customs delay, customs or carrier inspection.”
That let Luggage To Ship off the hook. It would be able to send your luggage to Norway, have it sit in a warehouse and return it without giving you a refund (at least, according to its terms).
But FedEx is another story. It promises “dependable service,” and at the time of your cruise, it offered a money-back guarantee. (At the time I’m writing this, this guarantee has been revoked.)
Your voice matters
This passenger’s luggage got stuck in a customs nightmare, and he was still charged over $1,200 for the trouble. Now we want to hear from you.
- Have you ever battled a shipping company over a package that was stuck in customs or never delivered?
- When a third party is involved, who should be on the hook for the delay—the booking site or the carrier?
- Is shipping your luggage for a vacation just too risky to begin with? Tell us your story.
In fairness, it looks like FedEx was responsive to you when you asked about the status of your bags, but then failed to update you regularly when your luggage got stuck in customs.
I’m used to writing about the perils of checking luggage, so this is a new twist. Next time you cruise somewhere, it might make sense to just pack a small carry-on to avoid the hassle of transporting lots of luggage.
I think taking this up with FedEx was the right idea. You paid to have your luggage shipped to your cruise, and it never got there. What’s more, you shouldn’t have had any customs trouble, since you were sending clothes and toiletries to your ship.
Much ado about nothing here. It is difficult fault FedEx or LuggageToShip here for the actual problems encountered in delivering the luggage. Unless, of course, if it was their responsibility to have secured the necessary customs form in advance. But that is not established in the story.
So, what we are left with is a concern about whether FedEx did or did not communicate sufficiently during this whole process. That question, is going to be pretty subjective. On the one hand, FedEx might claim they had nothing to communicate so they didn’t, on the other hand we have someone who is very concerned about what is happening with their luggage.
This looks to me like a perfect example that sometimes things just don’t go right and you have to deal with it and accept that life isn’t perfect.
Read more insightful reader feedback. See all comments.
I’m not sure why the FedEx executive contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org, did not respond to you. I publish the names of the executives as a service to you and them. For you, it’s an opportunity to get your case resolved; for them, it’s a chance to avoid an embarrassing story. Unfortunately, it’s a chance they missed by ignoring your email.
I contacted FedEx on your behalf. A representative responded that it would resolve the case with you “directly,” apparently hoping to keep me from writing a story about this. But as I said, FedEx already had its chance. FedEx refunded your $1,237.
And the story? Well, here it is.
Your shipment survival guide
What to do when your luggage gets stuck in customs
First steps
Escalation plan
Is FedEx giving you the runaround?
When your luggage is stuck in customs and the company offers excuses instead of solutions, you need to talk to someone in charge. We have the executive contacts to get your delivery back on track. Get the FedEx executive contacts
What you’re saying
You’re split on this. Some of you, like top commenter Berkinet, think this is “much ado about nothing,” arguing that international customs are complex and “sometimes things just don’t go right.” But others strongly disagree, placing the blame squarely on the third-party service.
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You blame “Luggage to Ship,” not FedEx
Readers like OnePersonOrAnother and Ann point out that the customer paid Luggage to Ship, so they are responsible. As Jerry A argues, that company’s business model should include handling customs, not passing the buck to the customer when a problem arises.
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You say the business model itself is flawed
The service’s terms, which (as Jason Hanna notes) disavow responsibility for customs, are a huge red flag. This is confirmed by smd, who had the “exact same issue” in Italy. You’re concluding that Luggage to Ship simply doesn’t understand international shipping.
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You’re floored by the price
Many of you, like Marty Biscan and Ben, are just stunned by the $1,237 price tag. You’re calculating that it would have been cheaper to just buy new clothes in Norway. The real lesson, as Jennifer says, is “if you can’t carry it yourself, don’t trust anyone else to.”
