What does “Held at overseas depot” mean?

[Anonymous]

I sent a parcel overseas and I got an update saying “held at overseas depot”, what does this mean?

[WhiteSteve]

International packages will be often (or maybe even always) checked at customs. At my last job we’d have issues like that because we dealt in international foods. Once and a while we’d be waiting on a container of product from like Jamaica or Ecuador or something, and it would just be sitting at Port of Miami waiting for customs inspection. I don’t recall it ever taking a super long time though, it just would seem long because we needed the product and customers were bitching at us, haha.

[andreasderjuengere]

It means that in the overseas depot your parcel is held.

[Asker]

No shit Sherlock. I’m asking does it mean something has gone wrong or being sent back to me and so on

[andreasderjuengere]

Watson told me right now that all is fine. They just wait for an 'economic' time to deliver it to you.

[Asker]

Not sure if you read what I said but I said I SENT A PARCEL OVERSEAS. This parcel isn’t for me which is why I worry it says “held in overseas depot”

[andreasderjuengere]

Oops, I was inattentive in wording.
''held'' without giving a specific reason usually only means that presently it's not moving.

[Asker]

Gosh you’re funny

[andreasderjuengere]

People say so. However: I meant what I said.

[Tim-loves-it]

Not shipped yet, waiting for other stuff to arrive to load the ship.

[Asker]

I sent the parcel overseas... it’s not for me. It has been shipped and even got to the locations area and the next update was “held at overseas depot”

[OddBeMe]

means greasing the wheels of foreign customs agents

[jamesgoldman]

Probably a customs check

[Anonymous]

Probably customs is checking it

[Wise4myage]

Customs might think your package is suspicious?