Dealing with import glitches
In the first situation, the only thing is to stay calm and try to explain it to the customers and to find out whether it is possible to speed up the custom clearance. It is highly probable that to do so personal attendance is needed, but is even more important the documents. In future, I would place an order in advance and store the goods for one or two additional weeks.
In the second situation, a customer complaint must be sent to the supplier with clear indication of the quality issue. I would not risk trying to remove odor even though mould has not formed, unless the supplier refused to replace it. A supplier is required to cover all exemplary damages under the terms of the contract, but in most cases, it covers only the replacement of defective goods or the refund, but not forgone benefits. Still I would try to negotiate a delivery prior to the issue clearance to minimize the losses. It could be a new order with the refund for a prior one if it is essential or the agreed replacement. In order to avoid such awkward situation I would be more scrupulous in choosing vendors and look through the contracts to ensure that all risks are covered and terms are in my favor.
In the third situation, I would provide all the documents to prove the legality of the import and request the cooperation form an Italian party to collect them. In future to avoid such verifications I would clear up the question with documents before submitting an odor and request the third party to ensure the correct enclosed documents.
