Another question you may have when tracking your order is what “last mile” and “accepted by last mile carrier” mean.
These status are sometimes referred also as “received at oe in the destination country” or simply “arrive at destination country”.
Today we are going to explain more in depth what these are and if you need to do something.
What does “accepted by last mile carrier” mean?
When the order arrives to your country, which happens by air or sea, first of all, it goes through a customs control inside the centers that the carrier has at the airport and seaport. Don't worry, this does not mean that your package will be retained. But we will talk about this later in this article.
Once the customs clearance has been completed, the order becomes “Accepted by last mile carrier”. This means that your carrier has already received and accepted the package, and is ready to deliver it to you.
Therefore, it is one of the normal procedures that all packages have and you don't have to worry or do anything.
Why does the tracking on some orders show up and not on others?
As we have already said, all your orders will have to be accepted by the carrier or any other private courier; however, if sometimes you do not see it reflected in the tracking (which you can do through the app or the AliExpress website by clicking here) is because this section does not always work properly and often is not updated in real time.
Despite that, it is necessary that you check the status of your order regularly, in case there is any problem during the shipment.
What are the next steps?
Once your package is accepted by the logistics operator, it is transferred to customs arrivals.
In the post AliExpress arrival at a distribution center we explain it in more detail.
Customs: the step before “Accepted by last mile carrier”
Main article: AliExpress Customs
All packages go through customs clearance before being accepted by the courier company that will deliver your order to your home.
This control is carried out by customs agents, who make ocular inspections (by eye, come on) and retain the packages they consider irregular.
The most normal thing is that your order is not inspected if it does not stand out for having a great weight and volume.
Which orders are inspected at customs?
It should be noted that these shipments are normally declared as low amount.
The packages that do not pass the first manual selection are scanned and if any irregularity is detected, they are opened by postal personnel with the presence of customs agents.
When is an order held in customs?
If upon opening the package, the customs agent verifies that the value of the package appears to be more expensive than the low amoint, this is when they will ask you for all the documentation to make a tax liquidation. That is to say, they will ask you for an invoice or proof of purchase.
In this case, your carrier will normally contact you to present the documentation, but if your order contains any falsification, it will be destroyed.
Will I have problems with customs?
Due to the huge volume of orders they handle, the most normal thing is that they pass the first manual selection without problems.
It is unusual for your purchase to be held up by customs, although not impossible.
However, with the good prices offered by AliExpress, it is still worth buying through this platform even if you get stopped from time to time.
To read the latest information about customs in AliExpress (and tips to avoid them) we recommend you to read this post.