I hope you can assist me with the following matter:

Since 03 February 2026, my return parcel has been stuck with the status “Item held at inward office of exchange.” After contacting the German parcel service, I was informed that the shipment is currently held at customs.

Unfortunately, I was not aware that providing a phone number was required, and the seller did not include one either. As this shipment concerns a return for refund and delivery is not proceeding, I would like to understand how long it typically takes for China Post to return such a parcel to the sender under these circumstances.

I have already contacted the recipient via mail without any reaction. Moreover, I reported the issue to my payment provider; however, a refund cannot be processed until the goods have been returned to the seller or the sender.

I would greatly appreciate any information you can provide regarding the expected timeline and next steps.