Common FedEx errors: "Incomplete commodity description" / "CUSTOMS.DESCRIPTION.INCOMPLETE"

When creating a FedEx international shipment, you may see one of the following errors:

• (Error: CUSTOMS.DESCRIPTION.INCOMPLETE) The description is incomplete and will not be accepted by customs. Please enter a detailed description of the contents being shipped.
• Incomplete commodity description
• The description for commodity 1 is vague and is not allowed.

All of these mean the same thing: the commodity description sent to FedEx (the product name printed on the invoice) is too vague and is rejected by FedEx's system.

Vague commodity descriptions are also not accepted by some customs authorities, which can lead to delays or refusal at clearance. A precise description, together with an HS code, is required for international shipments.

Check which description is being sent

Depending on your settings, the description sent to FedEx is either the product name from your store order, or the product type name selected in your product categories list in Ship&co general settings page.

This is controlled in Settings → Invoice settings, under "Use the product type name instead of the product name on the label / invoice". When this option is enabled for international shipments, the product type name is sent — not the product name from the order.

So if the order item is "Leather Card Holder Brown Handmade in Kyoto" but the selected product type is "Wallet", only "Wallet" is transmitted, and the shipment is rejected.

Depending on which name is being sent, edit either the product name in your store, or the entry in your product type list, so that it contains a precise description. See this page to set up your commodity descriptions (product types).

Examples of vague commodity names

• "Bag": incomplete. Specify the type of bag and its material — e.g. "Nylon waist bag".
• "Wallet": an acceptable description would be "Leather card holder for men".
• "Clothes": an acceptable description would be "Men's T-shirts cotton".
• "Sample": use the exact type of product and its material.
• "CD": specify, e.g. "CD Recordable" or "CD Audio".