Returns, returning to sender

Hi

This isn’t the place for questions about Sonos or UPS shipping/returns/customs paperwork procedures. You need to contact Sonos Customer Support if you are not getting answers from UPS. However, I will say that if it’s an international shipment there could be any number of reasons. The most likely is customs paperwork improperly filled out. Just my guess 🤔

Thanks for your comments, I won’t know until I receive the parcel but you may well be right.

I have e-mailed Sonos customer service but no reply yet.

Deric

Since this is more of a user community than anything else, we can only speculate. And the few forum moderators that do work here are not in the shipping department anyway, their skills are in diagnosing troubles with the speakers.

Thanks for your comments,

Deric

I too returned an item from the UK to Sonos. I printed out 3 copies of the pre-filled customs invoice that they provide along with the shipping label, signed them etc. Just checked the UPS tracking - looks like it’s being returned to me. Sigh.

Oh, and UPS haven’t tried to contact me at all…… Sonos, if you’re going to offer this returns service, you need to make it bulletproof.

I have also printed off 3 copies and will return the package tomorrow, Sonos recon it should clear customs, we will see.

It seems it is all about providing the correct paperwork to clear customs.

Deric

Good luck! Like I say, I printed off 3 copies and sellotaped to the parcel. The form was pre-filled, though I did sign it, but it seems it’s still coming back to me, so no idea what’s wrong.

I will let you know in a weeks time

Deric

Thanks. I spoke to UPS today (they haven’t managed to get the parcel back to me yet) - they say it was rejected because there was no commercial invoice provided (there were 3 copies attached to the parcel). So, I guess I’ll just have to re-send again when it comes back.

The plot thickens - UPS tell a different story every time I ring them. Apparently, it is being returned to me because the customs invoice had an inadequate description. Obviously, that was all pre-filled by Sonos’s partner ivytech.com, so I’ve sent Sonos a tweet asking for help.

@DericS - can I just check, did you have to get a new shipping label and customs invoice? Sonos support advised me I would need them as the existing shipping label has been used, and they would get the Returns team to send to me via email.

I spoke to them last Friday, and chased up today, as it hasn’t arrived yet. The support person reckons it should be with me in the next 24 hours.

Also, did you find out the reason why UPS returned your package? Mine was definitely the commercial invoice lacking an adequate description. Sonos’ 3rd party partner ivytech pretty much left the “Specification of commodities” section blank - no UK commodity code or description of the goods 

I have just learnt that my package (the second one) is held up at customs and no doubt it will be returned to me in due course. I printed off 3 copies of the “Pro-Formal Invoice” as instructed and put them in 3 separate envelopes. All three envelopes were clearly marked up and stuck to the carton, but last time when I got the package back the single envelope hadn’t even been opened. I also printed off a new returns label with a new tracking number. When my parcel comes back I will let you know if the envelopes with the documents in have been opened.

Instructions from Sonos “Please also make sure to print out 3x copies of the Pro-Formal invoice (The second attachment in the email) and hand them over to UPS. This way it will clear customs without issues”

It is clear to me that Sonos need to liaise closely with customs to get our parcels through customs and onto Poland.If the correct paperwork is provided then it should clear, this is clearly an issue created by the UK leaving the EU.

Deric

Sorry to hear that @DericS. Did you amend the supplied pro-forma in anyway - I think the reason mine was rejected is because the “Specification of commodities” section was practically blank (see below), whereas it should include the UK commodity code for export of the item plus a description, e.g. Soundbar for TV. No idea why Sonos’ partner for returns left it that way.

Not sure if there is anyone from Sonos staff who frequent this forum and may be able to escalate this issue?

Ups tracking have now confirmed the package is being returned to sender and I will receive it in a few days.

No I didn’t amend the form at all, just printed off 3 copies as instructed.

My form is the same as your section above but I don’t think they read it, I will know if the envelopes have been opened when I get the package back.

Deric

DPG 50000,

My parcel has arrived and would you believe it the envelopes containing the documents have not been opened. I suspected this would be the case as happened with the first parcel.

I am beginning to wonder it the UPS driver has to show these documents to customs instead of just handing the parcel over. I have contacted Sonos and they have promised to look into the matter.

Deric

@DericS Thanks for the update. I wouldn’t hold your breath for Sonos to get back to you. I spoke with their chat support last Friday about the issue, and uploaded them a copy of the pro-forma.

They transferred the case to the Returns department to look into. Here we are 5 days later, and several chase-ups, and there’s still no update from them, nor have they sent me a new shipping label or proforma, despite asking several times.

So, after much chasing, I finally got a new shipping label. Parcel has been picked up, went to local depot and is now in transit (I think they go to Tamworth first?).

Worryingly, the detailed tracking info shows “The billing option selected is not valid for this package.” Not sure how that can be with a pre-paid label. I’m not hopeful this return attempt is going to be anymore successful than the last one….

Yes mine went to Tamworth and then onto Stanford Le Hope, it is there that the returns system fails. Unless the UPS driver submits the paperwork to customs you may well get the parcel back. I got fed up waiting for Sonos to respond to the latest failure I contacted the CEO via e-mail and I am still waiting for a response from him.

Deric

Sigh…. UPS are returning my parcel again, stating that (on the tracker) clearance information is required. I’ll have to waste another half a day on the phone trying to get to the bottom of this.

3 * pre-filled commercial invoices (as supplied by Sonos’s return partner) were attached to the parcel in clear document wallets. I had amended the description and commodity code this time, as they were blank. I raised a call with Sonos 10 days ago to look into this and was promised the Returns department would get back to me - nothing since. What a farce.

@DericS - appears that UPS are completely incompetent. I rang and asked them why they were returning it to me - they again said “inadequate description on the commercial invoice”.

The invoice was fine - description and export code added by me. When I dug deeper with the support person, they admitted they’d made a mistake (I assume they were looking at a scanned copy of the profroma invoice online). Despite that, they couldn’t stop the return, though they promised they’d try and then call me back (which they never did).

At this point, I’ve given up and will just sell the Beam privately. Sonos have been completely useless during all of this - it’s been 12 days now and their Returns department never got back to me with their promised investigation into the invoice issues. I certainly won’t be buying anymore Sonos products - you can learn a lot about a company by how they handle things that go wrong.

So annoying to hear the system has failed you again, in my case it was a faulty unit return and no complaints from Sonos having sent a free replacement. When you pay good money for a quality product you expect perfection and I certainly got that from Sonos.

However UPS I agree have let both customer and Sonos down, my advice is not to give up on Sonos because it without doubt a quality product.

When I contacted the CEO with my problem he certainly got things moving and I am in constant contact with a senior staff member now. However I am still waiting for the latest update on where the system of returns failed and what I need to do to finally get the faulty unit to Poland.

Deric