DHL - Again!

We've discussed DHL and customs before. There are NO duties on HSS code 8714.00.0050 from the UK to the US. I've been charged many times and have disputed all of them successfully except one.

Amal and AN now mark the boxes with the HSS code so the problem should have been gone. I have never had a problem from Wassell - they don't use DHL. Earlier this year, I got an order of Amal carbs that was over $2500 and was charged "duties". I disputed as usual and after 10 days DHL finally admitted that it wasn't duties but rather a Homeland Security fee that is randomly charged. Wow! I found out that they can charge that fee for their effort of going through the shipment - they never have gone through one of my shipments. Also, that the fee and duties get $17 added to it for DHL "paying the fee for you ". Finally, the fee was charged before it got to the US.

I have an Amal order for $2000.48 in the same boat now. I filed the dispute and here's the reply: "Anytime you import in to the USA you have a duty free amount up to $800 once your declared value coming in is over $800 US Customs could have fees. In order to avoid fees in the future your value of goods will have to be under $800."

Big fat lie! When you travel to the US you can being in up to $800 without paying duties on items that normally have duties. Since the motorcycle parts have no duties, there are none to be paid.

This is all about DHL making extra money!

I've had it. Unless Amal and AN are willing to use another carrier I won't buy more. Small orders cost WAY too much shipping

It's amazing that none of this happens with DHL from AU.

I feel for you Man! I wonder if there is anyway to find out if these fees DHL is charging through to customers under guise of being import duty/HS charge etc., are actually ending up with HS or customs agent accounts?
I'm sure the authorities (IRS?) would be very interested to know if DHL is just pocketing this money.

EDIT:

Looks like this has already been attempted:

Tornado said:

I feel for you Man! I wonder if there is anyway to find out if these fees DHL is charging through to customers under guise of being import duty/HS charge etc., are actually ending up with HS or customs agent accounts?
I'm sure the authorities (IRS?) would be very interested to know if DHL is just pocketing this money.

EDIT:

Looks like this has already been attempted:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/dhl-class-action-hidden-fees-1.5987195

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I commented on a class Action Suit against DHL today.

My last Amal order: $1828.72 in parts, $71.76 in shipping and then DHL tacked on $63.04. $17 is their "fee" for the "service" of paying the "duties on your behalf". Since there are no duties and I didn't ask for ANY service from DHL (they are doing a service for their customer, Amal), it seems like fraud followed by collusion and blackmail - they charge the receiver something they don't owe and the threaten to send the shipment back unless you pay. Then when you research online you find that they don't send them back but rather threat as unclaimed and sell at auction.

I considered a different tactic. In the US when you use a credit card to buy, the seller has a limited time to provide the product or service or the card must cover it. PayPal is no different. If I complained to PayPal, they would investigate, and Amal will say they shipped. Paypal will say the case is closed at which point I would tell them is not since shipped is not providing the product. After a couple of rounds, I would get my money back. I've done it before. I didn't because that screws Amal, and my customers waiting for the carbs. So, I've paid.

I will not order again as long as the seller insists on DHL. I make almost nothing on what I sell and I'm getting really tired of the hassles!

I buy a pretty fair amount from: https://yambits.co.uk/postal-information.html
My shipments come via DHL, always prompt & professional. Yambits must tee it up properly.

concours said:

I buy a pretty fair amount from: https://yambits.co.uk/postal-information.html
My shipments come via DHL, always prompt & professional. Yambits must tee it up properly.

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DHL are super fast service from Philippines to New Zealand ...got some parts from Italy the other day through fed ex....fastest ive ever recieved from Europe

Something has gone haywire in the world! I got two large orders via DHL in the last week. Both arrived before they were supposed to and DHL didn't rip me off by adding fake fees on either! Of course, one was god-awful expensive - a less than 3kg box for 136 GBP! The other was for four sets of premier carbs for 55 GBP - reasonable.

AN, AMAL, and Wassell all use UPS to me now and I've never had a problem with UPS from them. I'm not a fan of UPS within the US though - too expensive/too slow.

From Tri-Spark, DHL has always been fine - until today. They are trying to charge me $44.97 duties on a $1087 USD purchase. There are no duties to the US from AU on HSS Code 8714.00.0050 or 8714.00.0090 (either is correct). Got the notification overnight with the threat that the package will be sent back in 5 days if I don't pay. Yesterday the tracking still said that the package would be delivered today before 7PM but it is in Hong Kong right now.

The "duties" they want are 2% of the purchase price including shipping plus their $19 fee for handling customs. This is all about stealing at least $19 and probably the whole amount. This small box of MOSFET Regulators already cost me $78.55 USD (120 AUD) for shipping but I guess DHL thinks their service is worth over $120 USD

Since DHL is much more expensive, tries to steal from receivers, and is slow. I will no longer do business with anyone who insists on using them.

DHL= Dropped Hammered Lost.

MikeG said:

DHL= Dropped Hammered Lost.

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Yes! I once had a DHL driver try to deliver a $3000 box of parts with a hole straight through from a forklift tine. Fortunately, I had not authorized delivery without signature!

So, I've been real happy that some have switched to UPS, but wait........

So, my latest package from AMAL got stuck with DHL trying to steal from me again. The box even has a label on it with the duty-free info. It was shipped Dec 16th, got to the local airport early morning on the 18th where they put a duty hold on it and sent me a message on the 20th. I immediately sent a dispute. They finally released it today. Of course, the 55 GBP I paid was supposed to get this small box to me in two business days.

So, today, I got three bills from UPS for one order I received in November and two I received in early December. Those boxes were clearly marked as duty free. UPS does not have a dispute email and along with those bills, they sent an 8% late payment bill (for bills received today!)

I'm getting to the point of stress where I need to do one of:

1) Quit selling parts - I already lose money on AN parts and make very little on the rest.
2) Add 9.5% to all parts to cover customs and UPS/DHL theft.

BTW, I would be mad at the US Govt, but they are not the ones saying that the customs is due. When the carriers decide it is, they get paid to handle it. DHL charges $17.00 for their "service". UPS states that there is no customs charge, just brokerage fees over $132 for a 9.47% charge.

Sure Glad you're out there doing battle for us Greg.
All this nickle dime stuff adds up.
Nice to know someone is taking a stand..

Had a long discussion with lady at UPS today. Certainly, was nice to quickly get someone on the phone who was knowledgeable and willing to take the time needed.

It turns out that AN listed 87141090 on each line item of the customs papers. That is a minor and major issue. The correct number is 8714100090 or 8714100050 (both work the same). They are normally written as 8714-10-0090 but leaving out the dashes is OK. Leaving out the 00 throws the UPS computers off. The major issue is that although all customs forms say that each item must be listed, UPS always combined them into one line and US Customs no longer accepts that if the actual form has individual lines (stupid stuff here). Since they are line by line, the brokerage fees are much higher as they are calculated line by line. There is no customs on my orders as 8714-10-0090 clearly has no customs but I was billed for $102 as a brokerage fee on a $873 order.

There is a US Law that DHL and UPS choose to misread. It states that Homeland Security can charge a fee for any products walked into the country when the value is over $800. This is to cover the "expense" of inspecting the goods. The fee cannot be charged unless the goods are inspected. This has to do with bringing things with you on a plane or ship. DHL and UPS say that if the value is under $800 and the items are duty free, then there is no work to do and therefore no brokerage fees.

I normally order in $2000-$4000 chunks as it lessens the overall shipping pain.

So, going forward, I'll have to order well less than $800 at a time ($801 is too much and exchange rates can screw you). The effect of this will be to make what I pay per item to go up since the shipping goes up. It also increases my workload - accounting and inventory take about the same no matter the order size. The AN order that this is involved with already was 18.8% shipping and the brokerage fee on top of that was another 12%. If I had split that order in two, the shipping would be around 24% but no brokerage fee.

Amal finally has stock. I ordered 8 sets of carbs. DHL got them to 8 miles from me in two days. That was March 21st. They sent me a bill for $134 for duties even though Amal put the correct code on the box and on the invoice. I immediately disputed the charge. March 27 they responded that the HSS code was wrong. I immediately send them a Govt link showing that it was correct. The DHL dummy uses a different list which does not show 8714-10-0090. So, I had Amal resend me the invoice with 8714-10-0050 which is on her list. She submitted it and the duties were dropped. But for their error to "handle" the duties that did not need to be handled, I ended up having to pay DHL $47.35. Of course, I already paid about $150 for the shipping to Amal. Then to add insult to injury, my bank charged me $132.40 for an international transaction - what the hell! Someday I'll actually received the carbs but my cost when up $22.47 per set and there already was a 15% Amal price increase.

I have a few sets at the price before this order - those are $455 delivered in the US to forum members. I already announced that those that I got later would be $520 delivered in the US due to the 15% price increase. I'll honor that. I probably won't stock them after these are gone unless Amal agrees to use someone other than DHL and they start accepting PayPal for payment.

So, I'll have at least one set of each meant for Commando soon. I still provide those that come with #17 pilot jets, with a pair of #19 pilot jets.

Thanks Greg for all you do to keep us in Commando parts! It truly is Yeomen's work you are doing ;-)

The frustrations of running a small business.
Everyone has their hand in your pocket. It just never ends.
And yes, thanks for all you do Greg..

DHL....Since Wix filters was aquired by Mann and Hummel their backorder situation has become unbearable. We sometimes go without common filters for weeks or months on end because DHL has become the sole warehouse/distributor for Wix filters. They pickup in Gastonia NC and take them to their facility where they sit until the customer places a large enough order so NO HUMAN needs to count or pull product.
DHL SUX!! Theyre catering to the very large scale buyers and screw the smaller independants.

MikeG said:

DHL....Since Wix filters was aquired by Mann and Hummel their backorder situation has become unbearable. We sometimes go without common filters for weeks or months on end because DHL has become the sole warehouse/distributor for Wix filters. They pickup in Gastonia NC and take them to their facility where they sit until the customer places a large enough order so NO HUMAN needs to count or pull product.
DHL SUX!! Theyre catering to the very large scale buyers and screw the smaller independants.

New Distribution Center

www.mann-hummel.com

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I would be pointing that shit cannon at the people who decided to outsource the wharehousing.

Bottom line: NOBODY wants to have inventory.

Yet, the lack thereof will be their downfall.

This sounds very frustrating.

It does seem to be DHL in the USA. Or maybe North America.

Friend just got around US $300 of NSU parts Germany to NZ in 5 days. No issues.

concours said:

I would be pointing that shit cannon at the people who decided to outsource the wharehousing.

Bottom line: NOBODY wants to have inventory.

Yet, the lack thereof will be their downfall.

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It's a cannon full of grapeshot, plenty of shit to go around. Even the Wix factory reps are unhappy with the situation. No body wants stagnant inventory but DHL now has more than their share of it thanks to them wanting to eliminate humans from the supply chain.

johnm said:

This sounds very frustrating.

It does seem to be DHL in the USA. Or maybe North America.

Friend just got around US $300 of NSU parts Germany to NZ in 5 days. No issues.

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Yes, AU to US (at least for me) is excellent but expensive. UK to US absolutely sucks and is expensive. UPS UK to US is MUCH less expensive and faster.

DHL Express is a US company and that's who handles UK to US.

I imagine the German management would take it as an embarrassment how the US arm of their company operates.