Before AliExpress takes a package to the departure transport hub, one of the most common tracking statuses you can see is “Guankou Town Processing At Sorting Center.”
As we noted from our Guankou Town sorting facility article, this is one of the most valuable centers for AliExpress.
Now, if you wonder what AliExpress means when they talk about processing at this sorting center or why your package is stuck on such a status, this guide digs deeper based on our experience.
What Does AliExpress “Guankou Town Processing At Sorting Center” Mean?
This tracking update means that an AliExpress package in the Guankou Town Sorting Center is undergoing inspection and registration, before getting to a delivery vehicle that will take it to the relevant departure hub.
Depending on the nature of the package, it might take a few hours or days for the inspection to go through. Again, it will depend on how many packages are in the sorting facility before your item can move from this status.
4 KEY Reasons Why Your Package Is Stuck On “Guankou Town Processing At Sorting Center”
Backlogged Sorting Facility
Since the Guankou Town AliExpress sorting center processes thousands of packages daily, it’s easy for the staff there to get overwhelmed during peak times such as around 11.11, Black Friday, Christmas, and Chinese New Year.
If, after processing, there are no available vehicles to take your package to the departure hub, such a package might be kept aside. The other items might be heaped together with yours, meaning it will be at the bottom.
As the backlog clears, it might end up taking several days before the loading staff can get to your item, which could explain why your package is taking so long to move from “processing at the sorting center.”
Bugged Tracking
The AliExpress tracking system usually gets bugged especially during peak times.
While your package might be stuck on “[Guankou Town] Processing At Sorting Center,” it could be that that is a technical glitch preventing the tracking page from updating, but the item is already on its way to you.
Depending on the cause of the hitch, it can take a few hours or days before you can see any new tracking details.
In the worst-case scenario, you can end up getting the package before the AliExpress tracking page shows anything new.
Your Package Requires Further Inspection
Before your package leaves the Guankou Town sorting center, the staff there must ensure that it is compliant with the airline rules and the local rules in your country.
For example, if your package contains a Lithium battery, the sorting facility staff might decide to keep it aside to inspect it further against the local rules in your country.
All this is to ensure that the package won’t leave China and then end up getting returned due to illegality, or it won’t also get declined by the airlines.
Some of the packages that have been severally kept aside for further inspection include those with Lithium battery contents past a certain mAh capacity, weapons, and certain powders or fluids. Gun-like packages also don’t get through easily.
Bad Weather Conditions
While your package might have been properly processed to continue with its journey to be handed over to an airline, there could be inclement weather at Guankou Town preventing your package from leaving the sorting facility.
For the safety of the packages and the staff, the weather has to be clear before any package movement can be realized.
See, it’s impossible to load packages onto a vehicle when it’s heavily raining. Again, vehicles can’t leave a sorting facility when there are regional floods.
What You Can Do If Your Package Is Stuck On “[Guankou Town] Processing At Sorting Center”
Use Third-party APPS To Re-track Your Package
We find re-tracking packages using free third-party tracking sites such as 17Track or Parcelsapp to be the best course of action when your item is stuck on this status.
If the reason for failing to see an update is due to bugs on the tracking system, you will be in a position to relax knowing that the package has proceeded from China and it’s up-air coming to you.
If these sites show that the package is still in the Guankou Town sorting center, we recommend that you be more patient unless the estimated delivery date is over.
File A Dispute If Possible
For this to happen, 60 to 90 days depending on your country should have passed from when you paid for your order.
Now, go to “Order details” and the time when AliExpress claims to have automatically confirmed your delivery.
From there, file a dispute asking for a refund based on non-delivery if the provided days have passed without you seeing your item.
If they ask for evidence that you didn’t receive your package, you can show them a screenshot of the AliExpress tracking page showing the status stuck on “[Guankou Town] Processing At Sorting Center.”
Also Read: What Does Departed From Customs Mean On AliExpress?
