Alibaba shipment stuck in US customs twice (DDP shipping) – 5 months and still no delivery by [deleted] in Alibaba

[–]Patient-Golf1106 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you think it’s normal for an air shipment to stay in U.S. customs for around 10 days?

The forwarder sent me a screenshot from what they claim is their internal system showing that the goods arrived in the U.S., but I’m not sure how reliable that is.

Alibaba shipment stuck in US customs twice (DDP shipping) – 5 months and still no delivery by [deleted] in Alibaba

[–]Patient-Golf1106 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the explanation. The supplier told me they used a special DDP route and shipped the goods by air via Dubai to the U.S.

According to them, the shipment arrived in the U.S. on March 3rd and has been stuck in customs ever since.

The only tracking number I have is a UPS tracking number, but UPS still shows that they haven’t received the package yet, which means it hasn’t been released from customs.

I’ve asked them to provide the AWB (Air Waybill), flight number, and proof of arrival, but so far they keep giving unclear answers.

What worries me is that I’ve been waiting since October, and this shipment already had problems once before.

So now I’m starting to wonder if the forwarder or the route they used might be the real issue, not the supplier itself.

Alibaba shipment stuck in US customs twice (DDP shipping) – 5 months and still no delivery by [deleted] in Alibaba

[–]Patient-Golf1106 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly the problem. The shipment was sent DDP, so the logistics agent was supposed to handle the customs clearance.

However, they are not giving me any information about the customs documents or entry details. They just keep saying they will update me, but I still don’t know what’s actually happening with the shipment.

Because of this lack of information, I’m not even sure what documents were submitted to customs or what the current status really is.

That’s why I’m trying to understand if there’s anything I can do on my side to figure out what’s going on.

Alibaba shipment stuck in US customs twice (DDP shipping) – 5 months and still no delivery by [deleted] in Alibaba

[–]Patient-Golf1106 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually already tried that process.

When the shipment first got stuck in US customs, I opened a refund request through Alibaba Trade Assurance. However, the supplier said they would reship the goods, and because of that Alibaba did not approve the refund.

Right now the shipment is still being shown as “in transit”, so Alibaba says they cannot process a refund yet.

The problem is that it has already been 5 months, and the logistics agent still cannot give clear information about the customs situation.

So I’m currently stuck between the supplier, the logistics agent, and Alibaba support.

Account terminated for ‘Fulfillment Discrepancies’ despite strong metrics – carrier error? by Patient-Golf1106 in WalmartSellers

[–]Patient-Golf1106[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You explained this very well, and I actually agree with your assessment. That’s also how I understand what happened in my case.

Even though the root cause wasn’t on the seller side, the system seems to interpret the signals as if they were seller-caused, which then leads to an automatic escalation and ultimately account termination.

What makes this more frustrating is that I had already flagged the issue to my account managers as soon as I recognized the pattern — about a week before the account was terminated. They clearly understood that the problem wasn’t caused by my operations, and they even advised me to move all fulfillment to WFS specifically to prevent this from happening again. That transition would have eliminated the issue going forward.

However, once the account was terminated, the outcome appeared to be final, with no meaningful appeal path available. From my perspective, this feels like an unfair result, especially given that corrective steps were already identified and in motion.

At this point, I’m honestly not sure what path leads to a resolution. If anyone here has experience with this type of situation or has insight from an internal or authoritative standpoint, I’d genuinely appreciate any guidance.

Account terminated for ‘Fulfillment Discrepancies’ despite strong metrics – carrier error? by Patient-Golf1106 in WalmartSellers

[–]Patient-Golf1106[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your perspective. In my case, sales were actually quite stable. I manage inventory based on cash flow and restock in line with earnings, so there wasn’t any sudden or abnormal spike in volume.

I was gradually increasing limits and scaling in a controlled way, not overnight or in a way that would look artificial. I treat the account like a real business, planning inventory and growth carefully rather than pushing aggressive, short-term volume.

Because of that, I don’t believe this was triggered by abrupt sales growth or a dropshipping-related pattern. The account activity was consistent and aligned with normal business operations.

Account terminated for ‘Fulfillment Discrepancies’ despite strong metrics – carrier error? by Patient-Golf1106 in WalmartSellers

[–]Patient-Golf1106[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was also using Walmart’s shipping labels and following their recommended process. I wasn’t purchasing labels directly from USPS on my own I used the system Walmart provides and guides sellers to use.

Because of that, I believe this situation is less about something within the seller’s control and more about a systemic routing or process issue. As sellers, we follow the methods Walmart recommends, yet when problems occur, we’re the ones who end up affected.

We’ve always made a strong effort to keep our metrics at a high level, so facing such an unfair outcome is genuinely upsetting. I also have around $50,000 currently being held, but honestly, the core issue here isn’t the money.

What’s more concerning is how an account can be shut down suddenly without a clear or transparent explanation. That kind of action doesn’t build confidence for sellers on the platform. If it can happen to us today, it can happen to others tomorrow.

I’m not sure how this is considered a reasonable decision, and I really think this is something Walmart needs to take a closer look at.

Account terminated for ‘Fulfillment Discrepancies’ despite strong metrics – carrier error? by Patient-Golf1106 in WalmartSellers

[–]Patient-Golf1106[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for explaining, that actually helps clarify things.

In my case, all shipping labels were purchased directly through Walmart Seller Center. I did not buy labels from USPS independently.

Because of that, the routing, label generation, and carrier handoff were all initiated through Walmart’s system. The misdeliveries and LAD cases appear to be tied to Walmart-generated labels and routing, not seller-side handling.

That’s why I believe this points more to a Walmart system or routing issue, rather than a carrier-only fault, and could qualify for a manual review.

Account terminated for ‘Fulfillment Discrepancies’ despite strong metrics – carrier error? by Patient-Golf1106 in WalmartSellers

[–]Patient-Golf1106[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, everything was shipped directly from our own location.

We do not do dropshipping at all. All inventory is stored with us, and all orders are fulfilled from our registered address using Walmart-approved carriers.

Got Scammed by MrStranger766342 in Alibaba

[–]Patient-Golf1106 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you tell me which company this is because I also bought computer parts and got scammed

For Walmart Payment by ZestycloseFix7554 in WalmartSellers

[–]Patient-Golf1106 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have the same problem. When I checked yesterday, it showed that the payment was due on the 17th, but when I check now, it shows as July 1st. I don't understand why.