r/IndianPostalService

I’m interested in hearing about other people’s experiences with this export customs status.
My India Post tracking changed to “Item held by customs for documents/information” at the Delhi Foreign Post Office while the parcel was being exported to Australia.
If you’ve seen this status before:
What was the reason?
Was the sender contacted for documents?
How long did customs take to clear it?
I’m just trying to understand what this status usually means based on others’ experiences.

I need to send letters to my friends in abroad but im confused about it and my post office officers arent answering me properly

1. type of envelope i need to use ! The ✉️ one or 🧧(brown) one ?

2. can i send without tracking link ? The cheaper one cus i would send frequently and registered one is expensive

3. apart the stamps fee , do i need to pay the tracking link enabled registration compulsory?

4. can i book through app and ease the process ? And how ? Cus the officers are just lazy to even speak a word here

My international parcel was shipped from Japan by surface mail about 3 months ago.

After it reached India, India Post apparently attempted delivery at the wrong address, even though the address on the parcel is correct. Since then, I've received conflicting information from customer support, and the parcel has been routed back to Kolkata PH, where it originally entered India. It has now been dispatched from there, and I'm worried it may be getting returned to Japan.

I've called India Post customer support multiple times, visited my local Head Post Office, and even lodged an official complaint, but nothing has been resolved. What's even more frustrating is that nobody can tell me where the parcel has been dispatched after leaving Kolkata PH. Their tracking and customer support system can't even provide the next routing destination.

I'm from Uttarakhand. The parcel was mistakenly routed to Ghaziabad, where the delivery attempt was apparently made. If that was the mistake, shouldn't it have simply been redirected to Uttarakhand? Instead, it has somehow gone all the way back to Kolkata, the same city where it originally entered India. The routing makes absolutely no sense to me.

If the parcel is returned to Japan, I'll have wasted 3 months, then likely wait another 1–2 months for it to reach Japan before I can have it reshipped. On top of that, I'll probably have to pay international shipping again—all because of what appears to be India Post's error.
Any solutions i may have as it still haven't left the country but soon might?

hi,

I have a few questions regarding sending a parcel to USA , this is the first time I am sending any sort of parcel other than small domestic postcards a few years ago (some of which are still not delivered 😭)

I wanted to send a package of small handmade items like keychains and bracelets as well as some fan merch I bought to friend in the USA. The problem is that the parcel must reach by 30th July, because the person will be moving and will not be reachable after that.

Is it advisable to send via any India Post Service? The website says 3-5 days and online reviews say to extend the estimate to 10 days. Still, is it reliable? Or is it better to send via private courier. (Which google says have offers between 2-3k but the offical apps/websites for the two most famous ones gave me a quote around 8-10k)

What is the last date I can send the parcel to make sure it reaches on time? Some of the gifts I am working on are not ready yet, so I wanted to know how much time I have.

Will the recipient have to pay customs duty?

Also, I was thinking of also adding cookies from my favourite bakery (they have a long expiry date). Will that hinder the process due to excessive checking at the border?

And lastly, do I have to be prepared with any specific forms to before going to the post office? Or will they provide it, like the valuation declaration thing I found while researching online - how does that work with gifts?

Sorry for the long message, I just want to be clear :)

Can I send post letters with small gifts inside? As in alongside a letter, can I include a friendship band for friendship day? or 1-2 toffees? or like a ring?

It was an imported package from the USA. I paid 2k rupees for the customs but he came back later saying that the 2k didn't go through and asked to pay one rupee to test is it goes through even though it shows that i paid 2k on phone pay history. he also asked to give the phone to him. this is a scam right? i didn't pay the one rupee and i didn't give my phone.

Every year, thousands of young people join India Post as GDS hoping it's the beginning of a stable career.

Then reality begins.

You're paid for limited hours, but the work rarely ends there. You're expected to stay longer, chase targets, sell insurance that people don't want, convince customers to open accounts, and somehow meet expectations with systems that still belong to another era.

When recruitment happens, you're told you're part of the backbone of the postal system. When benefits and pay are discussed, suddenly you're treated differently.

The irony is painful.

Young people join wanting to serve, to build a future, to support their families. Instead, many spend their twenties worrying about targets, delayed incentives, and whether ₹15,000 is enough to survive another month.

This isn't about avoiding hard work. Most GDS employees work hard every single day.

It's about being expected to do more while being valued less.

India Post cannot keep expecting 2026 performance with yesterday's systems and yesterday's pay.

It's sad to see young talent being exploited through low pay, increasing work pressure, and very little recognition, even though GDS employees keep the system running in thousands of villages and towns across the country.

If you're a current or former GDS, I'd genuinely like to know: is your experience different, or does this sound familiar?

Went to post office today but when I asked the counter person to post my parcel as registered parcel, he told registered isn't available now and will have to do speed post.

I'm so confused rn. Someone had earlier told me that India post parcel service is available. But why post office told that it's not available. Someone pls guide me, I have to use post to parcel with weights around 100-200 gram. I don't want to do speed post ( high cost) and also want tracking for parcel.

Post office is always so packed with people and always in a hurry. They don't even listen carefully 😭 Pls help.

At this point, is there even a single government department that actually works for citizens?
On 5 June, I made a UPI payment through an India Post-generated QR code for a consignment. The money was debited instantly.

More than 20 days later:
✓ The bank confirms the payment.
✓ The Branch Manager signed and stamped the statement.
✓ Every document requested has been submitted.
✓ Multiple follow-ups have been made.

Yet India Post, with all its offices, officers, desks, sections, files, and “digital systems,” still cannot tell me where a payment made to its own QR code has gone.

What follows is the classic government ritual:
“Go to that desk.”
“No, this isn’t our department.”
“Meet that officer.”
“Come tomorrow.”
“Head office will look into it.”

Meanwhile, nobody talks about the customer.

The customer takes time out of work.
The customer spends money travelling to offices.
The customer waits in queues.
The customer gathers documents, statements, signatures, and proofs.
The customer runs from desk to desk trying to solve a problem he didn’t create.
And after all that effort, the customer is still the one expected to be patient.

It’s a fascinating model of public service: the system makes the mistake, but the citizen serves the sentence.

If a government department cannot trace a payment made to its own generated QR code for 20+ days, despite bank confirmation and complete documentation, then the real question isn’t where the payment went.

The real question is: where did accountability go?

#IndiaPost #DigitalIndia #Accountability #PublicService #UPI #Bureaucracy

My friend saw postcard in postman's hand he took photo and asked him to put it in my postbox so that I can receive it when I open it. It came from other friend.

When I opened box after 2 days. There was nothing. I suppose to receive many postcards and letters but I didn't even get that one delivered postcard. When I asked, all officers and service person gave very cold and dissatisfactory reply. I am really sad. My hardwork went in vein!

I have done a speed post from Chennai to saharsa bihar on 23rd but there isn't any update in the website after 24th it's showing it dispatched from Chennai.. that's the last update I have got from the website, it's been 3 days but I don't even know where my parcel is, it has a very important document I need it before 30th but the way india post is handling and updating a speed post is so tensing

It's hard to get updates of my parcel

I have filed a complaint too...but no update from there either

So I am sending a letter from m.p. to assam and the portal is asking for the recipient's Mobile number. The academic section where I am sending the letter is using the telephone instead of mobile and the portal is asking me to enter a valid mobile number starting with 9-6 and the telephone number starts with 3.

What to do??