Case Study - Bristol to Bulgaria

Quick Summary

A UK customer based in Bristol arranged a palletised shipment of industrial machinery to Varna, Bulgaria. The consignment included rotary equipment, an electrical control module, and associated tooling, shipped on four pallets totalling approximately 1,200 kg.

Export documentation was correctly prepared by the UK sender; pickup and transit to Bulgaria were uneventful. However, upon arrival, the Bulgarian importer did not complete the mandatory Power of Attorney (POA) required for customs clearance, nor did they pay the duties and taxes due.

Despite repeated attempts by the carrier to contact the importer, no response was received.

Because the clearance window expired, the carrier placed the shipment into storage, then initiated a return-to-origin.

By the time the sender replied to Pallet2Ship, the return movement was already irreversible.

The result: Storage fees, handling/admin charges, and full return costs — all charged back to the original shipper.

What They Did Right — Booking & Documentation

Even though the shipment failed at import, the UK sender handled the export steps correctly:

• Completed booking accurately with full goods description.


• Declared commodity type (industrial machinery, non-DG).


• Provided a compliant commercial invoice with values, Incoterms, and HS codes.


• Attached sender and receiver details correctly.


• Ensured packaging and palletisation met road freight standards.

Export-side compliance was sound.

The failure occurred entirely at the import stage.

What They Did Right — Physical Preparation

The load quality did not contribute to the issue:

• Solid industrial-grade pallets.


• Even load distribution with no overhang.


• Machinery secured with bolts, straps, and protective padding.


• Moisture-resistant wrapping with visible labels.


• Machine components blocked and stabilised for multi-hub handling.

The load arrived in Bulgaria in perfect condition and was immediately available for import checks.

What Went Wrong — The Importer Did Not Complete Clearance

1. Missing Power of Attorney (POA)

In Bulgaria — as in most EU countries — customs require the importer to issue a POA to the local broker before clearance can begin. The importer never returned the POA paperwork.

2. No Response to Carrier Attempts

The carrier attempted to contact the importer multiple times by phone and email.

No responses were received.

3. No Alternative Contacts Provided

The shipper had not supplied a secondary contact for the Bulgarian receiver.

When the main contact became unreachable, the process effectively stopped.

4. Shipper Responded Too Late

During the clearance attempts, both the carrier and Pallet2Ship tried to contact the UK shipper (the paying customer) for alternative importer details or instructions. The shipper did not respond to these attempts.

By the time they finally replied, the carrier had already scheduled the return transport, and the process could no longer be stopped.

What to Do vs What Not to Do

DO THIS (Best Practice for Exports)

• Confirm before dispatch that the importer knows they must complete a POA.


• Provide multiple importer contacts if possible (email, phone, backup contact).


• Tell the importer to expect calls/emails from the local carrier.


• Monitor your shipment daily once it reaches the destination country.


• If the importer becomes unresponsive, contact the carrier immediately.

AVOID THIS (Common Errors)

• Don’t assume the importer understands EU customs requirements.


• Don’t ship if the importer hasn’t confirmed readiness for clearance.


• Don’t rely on a single point of contact for the receiver.


• Don’t wait until the carrier starts charging storage to intervene.


• Don’t ignore carrier notifications — they escalate quickly.

Why It Matters

Import clearance is the single most common failure point in international pallet shipping.

Unlike transport delays, clearance failures produce direct, unavoidable costs:

• Storage charges at the destination hub


• Administration fees for handling and customs attempts


• Return transport costs (same or higher than the outbound leg)


• Operational disruption for both sender and receiver


• Customer disputes and missed deadlines

This case illustrates a critical reality:

Export success depends not just on the shipper — but on the importer doing their part.

Even perfectly prepared freight and flawless export paperwork cannot overcome an unresponsive importer.

By ensuring importer readiness, UK companies can prevent costly returns and keep shipments moving smoothly into the EU and beyond.