If you are expecting a package to be delivered from DHL, then seeing your tracking status. “shipment on hold” can cause great confusion. There can be so many reasons why your shipment has been put on hold.
Here in this blog post, we gonna discuss some of the common reasons why a package is put on hold and what you can do to get it delivered within the given time frame.
What’s the meaning of DHL shipment on hold?
If you have received “shipment is on hold” status, it simply means that there is a temporary halt in the movement of your package. However, there is nothing to worry about your package is safe with DHL and will begin its normal journey as soon as possible.
Shipment on hold doesn’t necessarily mean that. there is something wrong with your package. Sometimes it’s just a temporary delay due to unforeseen circumstances like a shortage of staff or bad weather conditions. It’s more of a temporary halt that hinders the movement of your package for a short period.
There are a lot of reasons why your package is put on hold, but some of the common reasons are delays at the customs facility, Unpredictable weather conditions, Heavy volume of packages at the regional facility, or there may be a documentation issue with the package.
If something like this happens to you, then there is nothing to worry about. As previously mentioned it mostly happens due to some temporary reasons and it will be resolved within a few days on its own.
Why are DHL shipments put on hold?
In general, there can be a variety of reasons why data shipment can be put on hold. Here we are going to discuss some of the most common reasons behind this issue.
Documentation Issue
In order to process any order at DHL, some important documentations are required. In case some incorrect or incomplete paperwork is provided, then DHL might put your shipment on hold till the complete and authentic documentation is provided to them, So that they can verify this package belongs to you.
If you are expecting an international package by DHL, then certain important documents are required like the packing list, commercial invoices, and receipts of taxes and customs duties payment. If any of these documents are missing or has some sort of error then DHL or the customs officials might not be able to process your Package.
In such cases, your package will only be processed and released if you provide the proper documentation that shows that you have paid all the taxes and duties and your order is in compliance with all the rules and regulations of the customs departments.
To avoid any such inconvenience, make sure you have included or provided all the necessary documentation along with your package. If you somehow have forgotten to put some of these important documents, then reach out to the DHL as they can advise & help to get the package delivered.
Custom Clearance
It’s the most common reason why a package gets the “shipment on hold status”. As we all know all international packages have to pass through Customs before making their way to their destination country.
During the inspection, the customer officials verify all the documents and the content of the package so that no illegal or prohibited items can enter their country. If everything goes right, they will release the package within two to three days.
But if they find something suspicious, they will hold up the package for further inspection and you are required to present all the documentation to prove that your package doesn’t contain anything Prohibited.
If your tracking status remains stuck on this same “shipment on hold” status for more than a week, then you need to contact DHL and let them know that something is wrong with your package so that they can investigate the issue.
Unfortunate Circumstances
Unpredicted weather conditions like Heavy downpours, hailstorms, hurricanes, or heavy snowfall can also cause your tracking status to remain stuck on a ‘shipment on hold’ update.
During this adverse weather condition, DHL temporarily suspended their delivery operations as this is quite dangerous to operate in these conditions. The operation remains suspended till the weather is cleared up and all the things come back to normal as they used to be.
Address Issue
If the shipper or you have provided the incorrect delivery address to the DHL then they might put your shipment on hold, as I don’t know where they have to deliver the package.
In such scenarios, DHL waits to hear either from the sender or the recipients to verify the correct delivery address so that they can deliver it to the correct person.
As a human, we are always bound to make mistakes. and a simple mistake in the delivery address can cause your package to remain on the same “shipment on hold” status till you contact the DHL and provide them with the correct delivery address.
Security Concerns
In some rare cases, DHL may hold your package for security checks If they have any suspicions that your package might contain some prohibited illegal item that is not allowed in the country. As a safety protocol, they will inspect your package in detail so that they can verify that all the contents of the packages are safe and compliant with the rules and regulations of the customs law.
However, if they find something suspicious then they might hold up your package for further inspection and might ask for additional information to verify the authenticity of the content that it belongs to you and doesn’t have anything restricted item in it.
What To Do When Your DHL Package remains on hold for too long?
Watching your tracking status remain stuck on the same update for so long can be quite frustrating. Here we are giving you some suggestions (steps) that you can do to get your DHL shipment moving again.
Wait Patiently
Sometimes the halt in the tracking status is due to some temporary delay. Severe conditions like implement weather conditions, port congestions, and heavy backlog can also be the reasons that cause your tracking status to remain stuck on the same update for so long.
If that’s the issue, then you don’t need to stress out or worry about anything. Generally, it takes around three to four days to get things back to normal in case of bad weather conditions.
Contact DHL Customer Care
If your package has remained stuck on “shipment on hold” for too long, then you need to contact DHL in customer care.
You can either call or do a live chat with the representative and describe the issue that you are facing along with the tracking number So that they can look into your shipment status and tell you what’s wrong with your package.
If everything is alright then you will begin to notice the movement of your package within two to three hours of your phone call. But if the hold is due to some missing paperwork or an incorrect delivery address then you need to provide the required documents to the DHL so that they can process your package and make its way to get delivered to you.
Cross Check Documentation
Missing documentation is also one of the prime reasons why your package stays on the same status. To avoid this problem, you need to carefully review all the documents like commercial invoices, Bill of landing, receipts of customs tax & duties payment, and packing list, and make sure they all are attached along with the package.
Most importantly, make sure all the product details like the recipient’s name, contact details, address, and other important information match with the paperwork and the shipping level so that DHL can deliver it without any issue.
If you have made any mistake in any of the documents or a particular document is missing, in that case, you need to contact DHL and let them know about the issue.
How Long You Should Wait When Your Package Remains Stuck on the “Shipment on Hold”?
Usually in most cases, DHL holds the shipment due to some temporary reason which automatically gets fixed without even doing anything. In cases like these, you just have to wait for a few extra days(2-3) so that things can get back to normal as they used to be.
If your package remains stuck on the same status for more than two weeks, and you heard nothing from DHL then it’s time you should take this matter seriously and get in contact with DHL customer care.
If a package takes more than two weeks in most of the scenarios, it has some sort of issue, either with the documentation or with the customs clearance and to make things worse sometimes DHL does forget to contact the recipients on time about these issues.
What You Should Do To Avoid DHL Shipment Holds?
Here, I’m giving some of the suggestions that you need to keep in mind so that none of your packages get delayed ever again.
- Provide Correct & Complete PaperWork – Make sure your package has all the documentation(correct and complete) that is required during the booking. If all the paperwork is correct then you don’t need to worry about anything.
- Upgrade to Priority Service: If you are sending a time-sensitive package, then make sure you send it via upgrading to the DHL Express shipping service. It is basically a premium service offered by DHL where a package gets fast customs clearance along with low chances of getting delayed(hold).
- Avoid Peak-Time: Avoid sending your packages at the peak time when there is a lot of congestion, especially during the festive and holiday seasons when thousands of packages create long queues of backlogs at the customs facilities which ultimately cause the package to get a status of the “shipment on hold.”
- Choose appropriate packaging: Make sure you use sturdy boxes or high-quality packaging material so that the contents of your shipment remain safe and secure during the whole journey. Otherwise, there have been instances where a package is held up due to poor packing quality which causes the package to be torn apart during its journey.
Keep all these suggestions in mind, so whenever you are sending a package through the DHL it doesn’t get stuck on the ‘shipment on hold’ for too long. And even if it does, then you will be assured that it is caused by some temporary delay.
FAQs Related to DHL Shipment on Hold
How long does it take via DHL to get Custom Clearance?
In normal scenarios, custom clearance via DHL only takes less than 24 hours. But if some important paperwork of your package is missing, it can take up to a few weeks to get the customs clearance.
How long does DHL hold packages?
In an ideal situation, it roughly takes less than a week to get your order processed. If the issue is caused by some delay, like customs clearance or inspection, then it can take as long as up to 3 to 4 weeks to get your package moving again.
Why is my DHL package taking so long?
Typically, a DHL package only takes a long time to get delivered If it has been put on halt due to a number of common reasons, like customs delays, or incomplete paperwork. wrong address or severe weather conditions.