Thanks for replying bro,

It marked as gift, no invoice attached, so on which basis they calculate duty?, its a Chinese android phone costing 8500 INR, and how does they value this phone? as it is a Chinese device, with no exact market price available

Is it Air Parcel or Airmail?

If no invoice attached, then the valuation for customs duty calculation will be done based on "the price of the goods ordinarily sold or offered for sale". Generally duty is in the range of 1000/- to 3000/- INR.

If its Airmail, customs people generally clear the item duty-free.

i cant able to find which type of parcel it is, but i know its send from Singapore post, with tracking ID ''RQ208459380SG''. Pls can u tell me which kind of parcel it is?

It starts with R. So its Registered Airmail. Hopefully you'll get the item duty free. Fingers crossed 

oh that's sound great, and thank you very much nairitb for helping me out through this, hope i get parcel duty free, Kudos, fingers crossed

Your Post Office is LOHIA NAGAR?

Yes

How You Know it?

Hehe. MAGIC  Your parcel reached Patna today and has been bagged for LOHIA NAGAR. Hopefully, you'll receive it tomorrow or day after.

For tracking within India (after customs clearance), use:

http://services.cept.gov.in/RNetTracking/Track.aspx

bro bro bro, u just doubled my happiness, thank you so so much, god bless

actually i tried article tracking but no info is showing there, but i didnt tried this R Net tracking,

thanks again

Pleasure. Please post update on your parcel when you receive it. Will help others 

yup i will

hey guys, i received my parcel after 2 months, and best thing is, without any duty. So folks now i am sharing a unique way to get cleared your parcel from custom quickly, if your item stuck in custom for more than 1 or 1 n half months lodge a complaint on ''PUBLIC GRIEVANCES'' ( http://pgportal.gov.in/Grievance.aspx ), they also respond in 15-20 days but they will make sure your parcel wont stuck in custom for unacceptable days/reasons, lastly i wana thanks to ''nairitb'' for sharing quality information, nairitb told me to file R.T.I for my parcel, from there i got this idea of ''PUBLIC GRIEVANCES'' compliant cell. i am also attaching screenshot of PUBLIC GRIEVANCES my complaint status and my tracking ID is ''RQ208459380SG'' so you all can have idea of the time taken . Thanks

Congratzzz rammy 

thanks nairtb

This is good guys - great to see initiatives on this front

I've ordered a battery (for tablet) from Aliexpress.com (costing around 9 $). It has been over a month now and I've not yet received it. The tracking status is as follows:

    
Local Date and Time    Country    Location              Event Type                            Mail Category    Next Office
5/13/2014 10:40:00AM    SWEDEN    SINGAPORE    Insert item into bag (Otb)                            Air            DELHI INTERNATIONAL MAIL CENTRE       
5/13/2014 8:50:00 PM    SWEDEN    SINGAPORE    Send item abroad (EDI-received)                    Air            DELHI INTERNATIONAL MAIL CENTRE       
5/20/2014 2:22:01 PM    INDIA    DIMC NEW DELHI  Receive item at office of exchange (Inb)            Air            DELHI INTERNATIONAL MAIL CENTRE       
5/20/2014 4:09:30 PM    INDIA    DIMC NEW DELHI  Send item to domestic location (Inb)            Air            APSO FOREIGN MUMBAI (IFR)       
5/21/2014 1:45:56 PM    INDIA    MUMBAI AIR    Send item to customs (Inb)                            Air            MUMBAI FOREIGN POST OFFICE

It is in the same status since last 15 days. Do I need to do anything about this. I've read this forum but the posts do not have something similar to this. Their status was either retained bu customs or it was with Post.

Please help.

I've also landed in a similar problem, it says

6/3/2014 11:00:04 AM   INDIA   DELHI, EMS SPEED POST CENTRE   Record item customs information (Inb)   Air   MUMBAI EMS SPEED POST CENTRE   
Retention reason : Other

What should i do?

@GauravVij, At least your status says that it is held at the customs. Mine doesn't say anything like that. I'm worried because of that  

I got no clue what must i do, it has to be with me before this weekend waited too long already...

Send item to customs is almost similar to Record item customs information

From my experience, Send item to customs is used in case of Registered Airmail (generally duty free). Record item customs information is used when they'll calculate duty on it and then send to destination location.

Anyway, customs inspection can take 1 day, 5 days or even 2 months! You can check the posts of rammy1991 in this thread to get an idea. All you can do is wait for 15-20 days from the day when item is sent to customs. If no updates till then, register a complaint. 

In any case, you'll get or parcel. Don't worry.

Thanks a lot @nairitb 

hello friends

I bought a chinese mobile phone from aliexpress, and they shipped it through singapore post and it landed in india on 1st of june. now on 4th june, i got a notice from local customs office that they have detained my parcel. and i have to submit a few documents such as purchase invoice and others ( as discussed in this thread )

when i went to local office, and showed them all documents. i have purchase invoice of 46 USD, i showed all the documents to the officer. he told me that i ll have to pay flat 42% import duty. i was ready for that. but he added i will have to pay penalty also, and that will be around minimum 6000 INR. he told me to submit an application and give all documents, if i am ready to pay penalty + duty. he told me within 7 days of submitting documtns i ll receive parcel at my home and i ll have to pay penalty + duty to the postman. i didnt submit the documents at tht moment. i told him i ll think and then come back on monday

frankly, i was not aware of this penalty when i ordered mobile. is that legal?? this penalty thing?? what can i do now ?? pls help me

Send the documents by Speed Post to the Assisstant Commissioner of the customs office which handled your case. See what happens. If still charged with penalty, then you can (if you want) send the item back for re-assessment asking why you have been charged penalty.

I asked him what was the penalty for.? he told me that you can not import mobile or other electronic items through post. :confused: I was shocked.. dont know what to say.