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I got in some equipment from Canada that was shipped via UPS. I paid the seller for the shipping, as agreed upon, in advance. The seller chose UPS. Friday, I got a bill from UPS for $24.50 for filling out Customs paperwork. Note that there was no customs charge. This is just UPS wanting money from me for filling out aperwork.
I called them today to explain their error in billing me. I explained that there is no contractual relationship between me and UPS. They claim that I agreed to their terms when I accepted delivery. And they said that if I don't pay (which I adamantly won't) it will go to collections.
Anyone else had this experience with UPS? How did you resolve it?
Follow Ups:
UPS is by far the worst option for any international shipments, period.
I personally will not buy from any seller that uses UPS for international shipments.
UPS will reply that they use a 3rd party Customs Broker who handles all the details regarding any international transaction. It just so happens that this broker charges higher fees than any other broker, and those fees are not based on the work involved, but simply scale by the declared value of the item.
However, that "3rd party Customs Broker" is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS.
If you do end up with a transaction that involves UPS, due to error, miscommunication, or not being able to find an alternate seller for the product you need, you can clear the package yourself.
All you need is a detailed invoice, in any form. In other words, an eMail is fine.
That invoice must be a true invoice; ie itemized with individual costs for each item.
In Canada, take that to the local customs office (there is one in every city) and pay the GST (sales tax of 5% due) and any duties if it was not US or Mexican made (lots of HiFi is not).
Be sure to notify UPS the item is already cleared; they will often claim they did it before you did, which is, of course, impossible. Customs won't clear an item that has already cleared.
In the US, I don't have any advice, but you should be able to find out how to clear shipments yourself if you ask.
FedEx also has similar brokerage fees, although they are mercifully less onerous than UPS's.
In most cases, a premium shipping method will include the brokerage fee. It's worth looking at what premium shipping will add, as it's sometimes less to get it fast and without brokerage fees to boot.
However, FedEx charges a flat $10 "processing" fee, even on the premium "no-brokerage fee" levels of service. So, add that in.
Shipments by USPS to Canada carry a flat $8 brokerage fee, charged by Canada Post for their in-house broker, regardless of the value of the item or the complexity of clearing.
It might be worthwhile to add, for US shippers, that when the customer picks up a shipment sent via USPS Priority International, that Canada Post will demand a signature on delivery.
If the item cannot be signed for on the first attempt, a card is left at the address, indicating which Post Office the package can be picked up at.
In that case, Canada Post will not only demand a signature, but also that you show ID, to release the package.
UPS clearly offers three levels of shipping. The top two - express and expedited - include costs of clearing through customs.
The cheapest level, ground, is CLEARLY stated on the UPS website and their shipping documents to NOT include costs of clearing.
My suspicion is that you took the cheap route and had it shipped ground.
NAFTA has to do with customs charges, not brokerage fees.
UPS is very clear about this. No fault on the part of UPS.
I did not choose the shipper, the seller did. I made no error. The seller contracted with UPS for a service. I am not a party to that contract.
BTW, USPS charges nothing for customs paperwork.
Nor will the manufacturer.
I suspected this was happening, but was unable to get confimation from a US source before.
US buyers now have to do what knowledgeable buyers in Canada do. Calculate the all-in price of various shipping methods.
Anyone who makes the effort will find a nice surprise - for low value, large items, UPS Ground or Fedex Ground can still be less expensive all-in than other shipping methods, especially if the package exceeds the maximum weight or shipping dimensions of Canada Post/USPS.
A few other things:
UPS and Fedex will hit up the shipper for the fees if you don't pay.
DHL may do this as well, but I am not sure what services.
price of various shipping methods."
Wrong-package receivers don't need to do shit. It's not up to the recipient of a package to calculate the shipping fees. If UPS is adding some bogus charge to process the package as it crosses the border, that should be easily calculated at the same time as the shipping charges, and added to the shipping cost. The sender and receiver can than, if necessary, discuss payment and alternatives.
"UPS and Fedex will hit up the shipper for the fees if you don't pay.'
Don't care. The shipper can then make the same argument that I just made-that the charge should have been added on when the package was sent, and the shipper is not responsible for an after-the-fact billing. The shipper can then deal with it however he sees fit-as I've done.
Once again-this is not a Customs charge handed to UPS by either the U.S. or Canadian government -it's a processing fee that UPS is charging the recipient of a package for what their employees are already being paid to do: ship stuff in big brown trucks.
"dammit"
UPS and Fedex, if a shipment goes to Canada by ground, will arbitrarily add what they call brokerage fees. I had a $40 item from the USA show up with $36 in charges. I've been told they don't do it on shipments by air, but can't say for sure.
They've been doing it for years, and there's not a lot you can do about it, other than refuse the shipment.
They have trained me to always contact the shipper and ask if they can ship by USPS. If it can't, no sale.
Stephen
a
charging the recipient of packages an arbitrary, non-contractual fee for interstate deliveries, or intercity deliveries, or cross town deliveries, and the package recipient knows nothing of that fee until he receives a bill days or weeks after the package has arrived, we should simply "just pay it, and call it a lesson learned". I'm saying bullshit to that.
Because you say "..there's not a lot you can do about it, other than refuse the shipment." , I'm not sure you understand the situation. The UPS driver, when delivering the package, does not give the recipient any warning that they will soon be receiving a bill from UPS, so there is no reason to "refuse the package" out of protest. Re-read the OP's post-the package is delivered, a bill is later received in the mail, the package recipient has no prior knowledge that he would be charged, or be liable for the bill. Also, UPS is not trying to recoup any 'customs charges' they might have paid when the package crossed the border-it's simply a processing fee that UPS is tacking on to their shipping cost.
These charges, if real, should be calculated during the shipping process along with the actual shipping cost, and it's mystifying to me why they aren't-unless, as I suspect, UPS is just trying to squeeze some extra money out of frightened and gullible consumers who, when they see the word 'customs' on the bill, fear real reprisal.
"dammit"
From what I've read, there's a big difference between U.S. to Canada, and vice versa. IIRC, you pay actual customs charges, and we don't. At least, for the occasional stuff I order. But I have no real knowledge of the laws, etc, governing cross-border package shipping, just my experience as outlined in my first post on this thread (below).
"dammit"
My experience with UPS on this sort of thing, I think 4 or 5 times, has been that, at least in Canada, they don't give you the package unless you pay the whole shot. I agree, if I got a bill in the mail later, I would throw it in the trash.
Both times I tossed the bill in the circular file. I not only was not (ever) contacted by a collection agency, I did not receive a follow-up bill when I didn't pay. UPS delivery service to my house has not been disrupted, and no driver has ever mentioned the 'bill' to me. In fact, no follow up of any kind from anyone.As for their explanation that you "agreed to their terms when (you) accepted delivery", I'm guessing that they're on very shaky legal ground with that explanation, which is why they don't press the issue. Even if you signed for the package (unusual, at least for me) you're not given a receipt outlining that you've signed for anything other than an acknowledgment that the item has been delivered. I'd imagine that they realize that pushing for payment through a collection agency could easily lead to a shit storm of bad publicity which would either require them to eliminate the program entirely, or change it so that there was knowledge and agreement before delivery that this charge would be assessed. I'd also imagine that if they really believed in the legality of this program, your package would be COD-in this case, requiring payment for the 'customs charge'.
In sum, I wouldn't pay both from lack of necessity, and on general principle to keep from encouraging a particularly scummy business practice.
Edit: I recall being tempted, the second time, to return the bill with a 'shove it up your ass' type of message, but then thought 'why tempt fate' :-)
"dammit"
Edits: 06/08/09
As noble your cause may be... $24.50 ain't worth going thru the hassle of being harrassed by collections agents, and having a ding on your credit score (which will happen if they send it to collections).
I would just bite the bullet, pay the $24.50, and next time you buy somethin from Canadia, insist they send it thru the mail... no brokerage fees.
I refuse to play the "worry about your credit rating" game. If you do that, you willingly give others unwarranted control over you. It's implicitly saying, "Sure, you can screw me a little, because you're a big company, and it's in my relative benefit to get screwed a little than have my credit rating suffer."
I will not pay the undue charge. I will sue if the damage my credit rating.
Contact your State's Attourney General.
They will send a form to you.
UPS can then explain how, why they are billing you for a service you haven't agreed to.
Best from hot Tucson
Bob
"He (R.M. Nixon) was a foul caricature of himself, a man with no soul, no inner convictions, with the integrity of a hyena, and the style of a poison toad." H. S. Thompson
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