Where's my order? A Piazam order, from payment to your door

Piazam is a pre-order store. When you pay, your order isn't sitting on a shelf in Ghana. It's prepared in China, checked, shipped and cleared through customs before it reaches you.

That takes a while, so it helps to know where your order is at each point. Here's every step, how long it usually takes, and what you'll hear from us.

1. You pay

You pay at checkout with Mobile Money or card. Before you do, you tick a box to confirm you understand it's a pre-order and accept the delivery time.

We confirm your payment within 24 hours, and you get a text to say we've received it and your order is being prepared.

From this moment the order can't be cancelled. Your payment goes straight to our supplier in China, so check everything before you pay. Our checklist covers what to look at.

2. Processing in China: 2 to 5 business days

Our supplier confirms the product is available and prepares your order. Before it's packed, a quality inspector in China checks every unit: it powers on, it has no visible defects, and every accessory is in the box.

3. Shipped from China

When your order leaves China, you get a text with its tracking number. From here it's 7 to 21 days by air, or 30 to 60 days by sea, depending on what you chose at checkout. If you're not sure which to pick next time, here's how sea and air compare.

4. Customs clearance: 3 to 5 business days

When the shipment reaches Ghana, we clear it through customs and pay the import duties and taxes. You don't pay anything extra for this.

5. In Ghana

We call you as soon as your package lands at our hub, and you get a text to say it's in Ghana and being prepared for delivery.

This is when we set the delivery fee to your door. It's normally GH₵30 to GH₵100, depending on where you are and how big the parcel is. We text you the amount, and you pay it from the Pay Delivery tab in My Orders. If any of your items were Pay on Arrival, their shipping fee is paid at the same time, in the same payment. The courier sets off once it's paid.

6. Out for delivery

When the courier is on the way, you get a text with a 4-digit code. Give it to the rider when your parcel arrives. That's how we confirm it reached you.

Please stay reachable on the number you gave at checkout. If our courier can't reach you or complete delivery within 14 days of your arrival notice, the order is treated as forfeited.

7. Delivered

You get one last text to say your order has been delivered.

If anything is wrong when you open it, there's a time limit. Report shipping damage within 24 hours of delivery, and a wrong or faulty item within 48 hours. Film yourself opening the parcel, because we'll ask for the video. Here's how refunds work.

Following along

You don't have to wait for the texts. My Orders on piazam.com shows where every order is (Ordered, Confirmed, Shipped, In Ghana and Delivered), with the date of each step and the tracking number once there is one.

Two more things worth knowing:

• Wrong address? Contact us within 24 hours of ordering. We can change the address as long as the order hasn't shipped from China.
• Questions? Email support@piazam.com, or call the numbers on Piazam's contact page. The team is in Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and Saturday, 10am to 4pm.