General policy
Once the product is certified, the artisan and the Coopérative ICHÉDÀ agree the overall price of the piece, shipping included. The artisan then hands the parcel to the cooperative: it is the cooperative that arranges carriage, not the artisan.
A team of couriers collects the parcels at the cooperative. For a delivery within Benin, those couriers hand the parcel over in person. For a delivery abroad, the cooperative entrusts the parcel to La Poste du Bénin, the national postal operator and member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), through its Postal Parcels (Colis postaux) and EMS - international express mail services, with package tracking and optional insurance on declared value.
Every shipment of goods is accompanied by the CN23 customs declaration and the invoice required by La Poste du Bénin, along with a tracking number (UPU format ending in "BJ").
The delivery times listed below correspond to actual transport time, excluding production time if the product is made to order (this lead time is indicated on each product page). As a guide, La Poste du Bénin EMS service indicates an international transit time of J+1 to J+4 depending on the destination.
Sources: La Poste du Bénin - Postal Parcels - Express Mail (EMS).
Order preparation
- Items in stock - shipped within 2 to 5 business days.
- Made-to-order pieces - production time indicated on the product page (often 5 to 21 days).
- Unique pieces - check the product page; some require stock verification with the artisan.
Order tracking
You will receive a confirmation email at each step: order validated, payment received, preparation, shipment, delivery.
When the artisan drops the parcel off at La Poste du Bénin for shipment, they receive a deposit receipt bearing a tracking number in the international UPU format ending in "BJ" (e.g. EE…BJ for an EMS shipment, CP…BJ for a postal parcel). This tracking number (international S10 format) appears on the deposit receipt issued by La Poste du Bénin when the parcel is handed over for shipping.
From your siamawale.online space, both the customer and the artisan track the parcel in real time: each step reported by La Poste du Bénin (accepted, in transit, customs clearance, out for delivery, delivered) appears directly in the customer's or artisan's space, without leaving the platform.
Customs duties and taxes
Shipments strictly follow the framework of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) network. Every shipment of goods is accompanied by the CN23 customs declaration and the invoice.
- ECOWAS zone - deliveries within this area benefit from regional agreements that generally reduce or eliminate customs taxes.
- European Union (EU) - all goods imported into the EU are subject to the VAT of the destination country from the first euro. In addition, from 1 July 2026, a flat customs duty (around 3 € per item type, for parcels up to 150 €) applies to direct shipments from third countries - including Benin - to EU consumers; a further handling fee (around 2 € per shipment) is expected by the end of 2026.
- Rest of the world - customs duties and local taxes may be charged by the authorities of the destination country.
All such taxes, handling fees, or clearance charges are the sole responsibility of the recipient and are collected on delivery. SIAM Online Ltd and La Poste du Bénin have no control over these amounts or over customs retention times.
Sources: European Commission - end of the 150 € exemption - La Poste du Bénin - Postal Parcels.
In case of problems
If your package is damaged, lost, or non-compliant, contact us within 14 days of receipt via our contact page. We will open a claim file together with the artisan and La Poste du Bénin.
In accordance with international postal rules (UPU), compensation in the event of loss or damage depends on the type of shipment and the value declared at posting; an investigation may be required before settlement. Parcels insured on declared value are reimbursed up to that value.
Source: La Poste du Bénin - Postal Parcels.
Last updated: 31/08/2026