Package stuck in customs for 10 days - should I be worried?

Honestly, 10 days is getting up there but I wouldn't panic yet. I've seen packages sit for a full two weeks and still break loose, no issues. Customs is a total crapshoot timing-wise, especially around holidays when their workload doubles and staffing is thinner. It really depends which country you ordered from – that determines a lot about which courier handled it and what hubs it passed through.

For example, if your shipment went through a major transit hub like Memphis or Cologne, those places can get backed up for days just sorting inbound freight before customs even looks at it. Packaging durability matters too – I always double-box and tape the hell out of the inner package so even if customs opens it up (which they might if it looks suspicious or if x-ray flags something), the contents stay safe during re-pack. I've had packages come back from customs with that green tape saying "inspected" and the inner box was still intact because I used a sturdy outer box.

Courier choice kind of plays a role in how quickly things move once they're released. Some carriers have better pre-clearance procedures or dedicated customs brokers that speed things along, but if it's a standard economy service it usually gets routed through a slower clearance lane. Overall, shipping speed from order to door with these novelty IDs tends to be between 10 days and 3 weeks, depending on origin country and time of year. Right now being near holiday season, customs delays of 10-14 days are pretty normal. I wouldn't consider it worrying until you're past the 3-week mark.

Which country did you order from? That would help narrow down if it's just typical backlog or if there's something specific going on with that origin's customs relations.