On the 27th of March, my fiancee sent a phone to me from the US using FEDEX, and she gave the the tracking number immediately. With the tracking number, I followed the phone until it finally arrived at Lagos on 1st of April. Since the first of April, I noticed the phone has stopped moving. On the status of the shipment, I saw "Delivery Exception". I contacted FEDEX cutomer care in Nigeria, and he representative told me that "Delivery Exception" is often used when goods are not cleared by the NDLEA. She asked me to contact NDLEA, and clear the shipment myself.

My questions are as follows:

(1) Who should be responsible for clearing any shipment in cases like this? The logisitc company or its clients.
(2) Isn't the custum clearing and NDLEA clearing at the airport part of the services being paid for?
(3) If I go and clear it myself; would I then hand the shipment over to FEDEX to bring it to my door step, because that was the service being paid for? "Door step delivery"
(4)I am not in Lagos state. If I go to lagos and clear it would I get a refund for the initial cost of moving the shipment from lagos to the state where I am? The sender did not pay for the goods to be delivered in Lagos, but in my home in another state entirely
(5) Is this the experience of those using courier services for international shipments? Because I know of someone whose car was shipped to his door step from US by another shipping company. And till the end of the transaction, he had no single contact with the customs.

I know most of this questions should be directed at FEDEX. I got them yesterday, but couldn't get anyone to pick my call again today.

I feel like sharing the worries here.  I feel those who are thinking of sending some electronics to their relatives through courier services would learn from this. Sending it might be much more easier than receiving it down here, it could be frustrating