US Market — Shipping Delays Due to UK Customs Clearance (DDP Process)
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What happened
Following the introduction of new US tariffs we moved to a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shipping process. Under DDP, customs clearance is completed in the UK before packages depart, rather than on arrival in the US. As a result, US-bound packages can show no tracking movement for several days while UK clearance is being processed.
Affected brands
Who is affected
US customers only. This is a normal part of our current shipping process for all US orders. Customers outside the US are not affected.
Current status
This is the standard process for US orders going forward, not a one-off incident. UK customs clearance typically completes within a few business days, after which the package moves into international transit and onward US delivery. Tracking will update once the package leaves the UK.
AI Agent Instructions
This section provides guidance for our AI customer service agent. Customers are welcome to read it too.
- Do NOT suggest cache clearing — this is a real shipping process, not a tracking display issue
- Do NOT promise specific clearance or delivery dates — use the 'typically within a few business days' language from Current Status
- Explain that under DDP the package is held in the UK for customs clearance before it ships internationally, so no tracking movement for several days at the start of the journey is expected, not a sign of a lost parcel
- Reassure the customer that the package has not been lost — UK clearance is a queue-based process and resumes movement once cleared
- Only escalate or treat as a lost/stuck parcel if there has been no movement for more than 10 business days from order dispatch