Problems Importing Thyroid Glandulars

[vthyroid]

Hi all, has anyone had issues with importing thyroid glandulars into the UK in recent months? I use glandulars as part of my thyroid treatment, and have been importing them from USA for some years now (most of the brands seem to be US based, specialise in making them, and also offer grain free glandulars which I need).

I had no trouble whatsoever importing them, however I switched brands recently, and now UK carriers are turning them away and sending them back, saying they "can't carry it on their network".

There is some thing I read about regarding UK now restricting animal products that are not of an EU origin, (a Brexit thing??) but that doesn't explain why this started happening when I switched brands only in the last 2 months.

These glandulars are sourced from Aus and New Zealand, which have some of the strictest animal husbandry regulations in the world and there has never been a case of BSE there, so I'm really confused as to what the problem is with importing it. Is it the way it's labelled?

Does anyone import any products like this, or NDT, from the USA via the EU with a parcel forwarding service perhaps?

This is becoming quite a problem for me, as I'm now down to the only UK brand, which unfortunately contains rice bran, and also can be a difficult unhelpful company to deal with.

Any pointers would be much appreciated!

Thanks

[helvella Administrator]

Does this apply if it is handled by the US post service and Royal Mail?

In the past we have sometimes seen some of the large carriers be more of a problem to deal with than the basic postal service.

[vthyroid in reply to helvella]

Hi, thanks for replying. So the original supplier sent it via USPS and then it came via Royal Mail. The parcel never even had a customs label on it, which I always found odd. The new supplier sent it via DHL, and it was DHL that said "they couldn't carry it on their network" and they sent it straight back. However, I had a long phone call with the new supplier, and they said they'd struggled to get their products into the UK for a while, and that even USPS weren't even sending them out of the country, but not bothering to send it back either. That's why they chose DHL, at additional expense. I don't really know what's changed with USPS, maybe it's the labelling?

[RedApple Administrator]

'however I switched brands recently, '

Did you also switch supplier? Which UK carrier has turned it away? (I seem to recall DHL and UPS can be very fussy about what they will carry).

[vthyroid in reply to RedApple]

Hi, thanks for replying. Yes I switched supplier/brand completely.

So the original supplier sent it via USPS and then it came via Royal Mail. The parcel never even had a customs label on it, which I always found odd, but it always arrived, and quite quickly.

The new supplier sent it via DHL, and it was DHL that said "they couldn't carry it on their network" and they sent it straight back. However, I had a long phone call with the new supplier, and they said they'd struggled to get their products into the UK for a while, and that even USPS weren't even sending them out of the country, but not bothering to send it back either. That's why they chose DHL, at additional expense. I don't really know what's changed with USPS.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to vthyroid]

Not at all surprised it was DHL that refused the package. I don't think it has anything to do with brexit, they are just a difficult carrier! 😞

[vthyroid in reply to RedApple]

Ok, that's fair enough. Still not sure why this supplier has problems with USPS though when the other didn't. It's a bit risky to try again, it's still a fair amount of money to lose. The supplier refunded me last time, mainly because they got the product sent back. It sounds like USPS have been disposing of it instead.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to vthyroid]

Without knowing all the details of the products you're buying, nor the things that USPS consider innapropriate for them to carry, no-one can even begin to guess what can be done to cirumvent the carrier issues. Perhaps the first supplier didn't declare the contents honestly, but the second supplier did. 🤷‍♀️

[vthyroid in reply to RedApple]

Yes I've wondered if that was the case. It could well be down to the labelling. All I can do is ask the new supplier how they describe the product. DHL told me they opened my parcel to see the contents though, so who knows what the label said