marshg246
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Messages
- 4,117
I make large orders to AMAL, AN, and Wassell. Usually in the $1000-$3500 range. My latest AMAL order is about $2800 in carb sets and the a bunch in shipping. There is no duty to be paid on anything I buy from any of those company's.
The AMAL order was supposed to be delivered Monday May 31, but Saturday May 29 Jun I got a text from DHL saying to pay $44.23 in Duties. I right away wrote to the DHL duty_dispute address to have it corrected - happens on about half my AMAL and AN shipments (DHL), never on Wassell (UPS). Then each day I got a threat email about sending the package back which they did not do.
Finally got a human today in that department and she said that are no duties due. So I asked why hasn't it been delivered and why am I getting emails about duties due? She said that they had to pay the $25.23 dollar customs processing fee for me and their charge for providing that service (that I knew nothing about and certainly did not request) was $19. $19 is awful good return on a $25.23 investment!
Once I knew what the charge really was, I looked up the law. Very strange that after all these years that this is the first time I've been charged the fee and that DHL is allow to pay it for me without my knowledge or permission. It's a standard nonsense law. Merchandise value up to $2500 - no fee, over $2500 customs can charge a fee with minimum and maximum limits. Apparently they don't bother often - this is the first time for me.
People often wonder why I can't give an exact price until the shipments arrive. I never know the exchange rate, how much the card company will suck off the exchange rate, the shipping cost (have to get that info all from my bank), and now this. For forum members I make less than $20 on a set of carbs. Having my cost go up due to this charge on this shipment means that my cost on each set went up about $5.50
When I order from Wassel, as I did this morning, I'll have the order very quickly. It will arrive around noon on Monday without drama via UPS. Domestically I don't like UPS - inconvenient and expensive but from the UK they are much better for me. When I place large orders to Tri-Spark, they always come without drama via DHL but it takes forever.
I wish the home office of DHL would exert some control over their US division - there is a definite lack of German efficiency here!
So, to make it short, I'll request no DHL on UK orders going forward.
The AMAL order was supposed to be delivered Monday May 31, but Saturday May 29 Jun I got a text from DHL saying to pay $44.23 in Duties. I right away wrote to the DHL duty_dispute address to have it corrected - happens on about half my AMAL and AN shipments (DHL), never on Wassell (UPS). Then each day I got a threat email about sending the package back which they did not do.
Finally got a human today in that department and she said that are no duties due. So I asked why hasn't it been delivered and why am I getting emails about duties due? She said that they had to pay the $25.23 dollar customs processing fee for me and their charge for providing that service (that I knew nothing about and certainly did not request) was $19. $19 is awful good return on a $25.23 investment!
Once I knew what the charge really was, I looked up the law. Very strange that after all these years that this is the first time I've been charged the fee and that DHL is allow to pay it for me without my knowledge or permission. It's a standard nonsense law. Merchandise value up to $2500 - no fee, over $2500 customs can charge a fee with minimum and maximum limits. Apparently they don't bother often - this is the first time for me.
People often wonder why I can't give an exact price until the shipments arrive. I never know the exchange rate, how much the card company will suck off the exchange rate, the shipping cost (have to get that info all from my bank), and now this. For forum members I make less than $20 on a set of carbs. Having my cost go up due to this charge on this shipment means that my cost on each set went up about $5.50
When I order from Wassel, as I did this morning, I'll have the order very quickly. It will arrive around noon on Monday without drama via UPS. Domestically I don't like UPS - inconvenient and expensive but from the UK they are much better for me. When I place large orders to Tri-Spark, they always come without drama via DHL but it takes forever.
I wish the home office of DHL would exert some control over their US division - there is a definite lack of German efficiency here!
So, to make it short, I'll request no DHL on UK orders going forward.