A step-by-step document checklist for Pinduoduo buyers whose parcel is waiting for French import clearance, including verification, invoices, payment proof, product descriptions and safe replies.
If a Pinduoduo parcel shows “customs clearance,” “held,” or “documents required” after arriving in France, do not start by guessing the tax or contacting random numbers in a message. First identify the carrier that controls the shipment, confirm the request through its official tracking page, and prepare a document pack that explains the real purchase, payment and goods.
This guide is for a parcel that has already left China and is waiting for an import decision in France. For buying, warehouse receiving, VAT planning and normal delivery, use the Pinduoduo-to-France buying and shipping guide. If the parcel is still at a China warehouse, use the Pinduoduo warehouse guide instead.
Policy check date: 17 October 2026. Customs, carrier and product rules can change. Recheck the current official instructions and the actual carrier request before replying.
First decide who is asking
French Customs explains that a “parcel held in customs” status does not necessarily mean that Customs physically has the parcel. It may mean that the carrier is completing import formalities, waiting for information, or dealing with a logistics delay. The carrier normally knows the shipment status and tells the recipient what is required.
Use this order:
- Open the carrier's official website or app yourself—do not follow an unverified payment link.
- Enter the tracking number and identify the local carrier or customs representative.
- Compare the request with the email, phone number and reference shown in the official tracking account.
- Ask the carrier which declaration field or document is missing and the response deadline.
- Keep a screenshot or PDF of the request before sending anything.
French Customs also warns that it does not request parcel duties by SMS or email. A message demanding immediate payment to “release” a parcel may be phishing. When in doubt, contact the carrier through a number or form found independently on its official site.
Official reference: French Customs — Mon colis est bloqué.
Build one evidence pack, not a collection of screenshots
Prepare one folder named with the tracking number. The carrier may not request every item, but keeping them together makes inconsistencies easier to find.
| Evidence | What it should show | Common problem |
|---|---|---|
| Order record | Pinduoduo order number, seller, item, quantity and price | Screenshot cuts off the item or total |
| Payment proof | Amount actually paid, date and transaction reference | Amount does not match the order after discounts |
| Commercial invoice or value statement | Seller, buyer/recipient, goods, quantity, unit value, total and currency | Generic description such as “gift” or “accessories” |
| Product detail | Material, function, model and photographs | Customs cannot classify the goods from the title |
| Freight evidence | China forwarding and international transport cost when relevant | Shipping is mixed into the total with no explanation |
| Recipient details | Full name, French delivery address and carrier reference | Different names appear across the documents |
French Customs states that a commercial invoice is required for goods sold for export to the EU; a pro-forma invoice is not sufficient for a completed sale. If Pinduoduo does not provide a suitable export invoice, ask the seller or purchasing agent for a truthful transaction document. Do not invent an invoice, change the seller, or reduce the value to match a preferred tax result.
Official reference: French Customs — Advice before buying online.
Reconcile the value before replying
Most delays become harder when four numbers are mixed together:
- the listed merchandise price;
- the price after platform coupons or seller discounts;
- China domestic delivery and purchasing-service charges;
- international freight, insurance and other costs.
Create a short calculation showing how the amount paid was reached. If one payment covers several orders, mark which line belongs to the held parcel. If a refund or partial cancellation changed the amount, attach the record and explain it in one sentence.
Do not state that a coupon makes the customs value zero. Do not describe a commercial purchase as a gift. The declaration should reflect the real transaction and the information supplied to the carrier.
Describe the goods so another person can classify them
“Pinduoduo order,” “sample,” “accessory,” and “daily goods” are not usable product descriptions. Write one line per product family:
Women's knitted polyester cardigan, no battery, quantity 2, unit price CNY ___, country of origin China.
Include material, function, model, quantity and whether the item contains a battery, liquid, aerosol, magnet, blade, food, plant or animal material. For branded goods, keep the purchase record and any available authenticity or authorization evidence. A route accepting the parcel does not prove that the goods satisfy French or EU import and product rules.
If the carrier asks for a safety sheet, conformity document, licence or other product-specific evidence, do not substitute an unrelated supplier certificate. Ask exactly which law or product category triggered the request and obtain evidence matching the physical item.
Reply through a verified channel
Send only what the carrier requests, through its official portal or confirmed email address. Keep the original files and a copy of the submission. Do not email unnecessary identity or payment data to an address that has not been verified.
A concise reply can follow this structure:
Subject: Documents for shipment [tracking number]
Hello,
I am the recipient of shipment [tracking number]. Attached are the order record, payment proof, product description and value breakdown requested for import clearance. The parcel contains [plain product description], quantity [x], purchased for [amount and currency]. The international freight is [amount and currency / shown separately in the attached document].
Please confirm whether any additional declaration field or product-specific document is required and provide the relevant deadline.
Kind regards, [recipient name]
Replace every bracket with verified information. Do not send this template unchanged.
Understand charges without guessing them
Goods bought online outside the EU must be declared, and import VAT can apply from the first euro. The carrier may advance duties or VAT and add a customs-clearance service fee under its contract. The amount depends on the goods, origin, customs value, tariff classification, procedure and carrier terms.
Keep the customs declaration or import record and the carrier's payment receipt. La Poste advises recipients to retain proof of duties and taxes because it may be needed for a return or dispute. A payment receipt is useful, but it is not a replacement for the customs declaration itself.
Official references: French Customs — Internet and postal parcels and La Poste — paying customs charges.
Four possible outcomes
1. The carrier releases the parcel
Save the final declaration, payment proof and delivery record. Check that the goods and declared values match before discarding the documents.
2. The carrier asks for more evidence
Reply to the exact missing point. Re-sending the same screenshots without explaining the mismatch can prolong the review.
3. The goods are restricted or prohibited
Ask for the written basis and available options. Depending on the product and procedure, the outcome may be additional evidence, a licence, return, abandonment or seizure. Do not ask a warehouse or forwarder to conceal the product category.
4. The parcel is only delayed
If no document is requested, continue with the carrier. French Customs states that it cannot provide ordinary parcel-tracking information held by the carrier.
What YDA can and cannot do
YDA may help retrieve China warehouse records, match domestic parcel numbers, organise seller-provided invoices and photographs, and explain the shipment information previously supplied. YDA cannot issue an official French customs decision, create false proof of value, guarantee release, classify every product conclusively or answer a carrier in the recipient's name without the required information.
Final response checklist
- The request was verified through the carrier's official channel.
- The tracking number and deadline are recorded.
- Order, payment and invoice values reconcile.
- Goods are described by material, function, model and quantity.
- Freight and discounts are explained separately.
- Restricted-product documents match the actual goods.
- Only necessary files are sent through a verified channel.
- The submission and final customs record are saved.
The objective is not to send more documents than possible. It is to give the carrier one consistent, truthful file that answers the specific import question.
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