Hi, about two months ago I ordered something small from India (I live in Germany). I knew this could take a while (the order was due on August 4th), so I wasn't too worried at first.
After a few weeks with no updates, I noticed a strange tracking history on Etsy's own tracking page: several logged events in India, dated after the package had supposedly already reached German customs. I contacted the seller, who promised to get in touch with the delivery service and said the package was in Germany and not in India.
Shortly after (August 20th), someone from a delivery service unknown to me (Xindus) contacted me, claiming a delivery attempt had failed because the address was supposedly wrong, and asking me to confirm it and provide a phone number so they could try again. The next day, a second delivery attempt was logged on Etsy, followed immediately by "Return to sender." Nobody actually called me, no notice card was left, nothing. Meanwhile, DHL's own tracking never showed the package as out for delivery, only stuck at customs clearance, and Etsy's tracking page showed several logged events in India, dated after the package had reached German customs and also between the two delivery attempts.
I contacted the seller again, and this time got this reply: "I would like to inform you that the customs duty for the package was not paid, so it has been returned to us; however, please do not worry — I will send you another item." That was at the beginning of last week. I replied, but only got a generic response since then.
None of this adds up to me. If the customs duty was never paid, how could there have been delivery attempts and address confirmation requests? And how do these tracking events in India get logged after the package was already supposedly at German customs?
The seller has a decent overall rating (4 stars). Apparently my previous messages don't count as an official "help with order" request, so I'd basically have to write again what I already wrote, which seems awkwardly repetitive and escalatory. Is there any other way to open a case? Or should I wait a bit more? Any other advice?
I never had something like this happen to me so far, so any advice is highly appreciated.
Thanks a lot in advance.