I spent 329.99 on 3DR products nearly two months ago. I received the package a month and a half ago, all good this far.
Now today, a month and a half after FedEx dropped off the parts I get billed for $100 in import and customs fees!
I don't know if it is because I chose FedEx (on 3DR's recommendations) but I am feeling thoroughly ripped, this was a very expensive purchase for me (as a student)...getting a bill demanding 31% of my entire purchase nearly two months...
Moral of the story, factor in customs to your budget!
Replies
Actually, in the end I would second what Jethro says: INTERNATIONAL BUYERS BEWARE!!!
I`m form Canada and have ordered thousands and thousands worth or goods form 3DR over the years, probably up to $30K in three years. Only realized that the last three orders placed I got charged "tax" straight during the checkout from 3DR website. Now, it is ok for the 3DR website to have errors and bugs which they can always refund. Now after weeks and weeks of chasing them down with emails and now calls (because they didn`t reply) I finally got to one of the representatives who told me that they have to charge tax because they have offices in Canada even thought the product ships from US (yeah right!).
They just CANNOT charge tax if the product is shipped from US. I already pay duties and taxes to Fedex when the goods are delivered, evrey single time.The real problem, is that the representative still incredibly insists in thay have to charge this "tax" which he is unable to identify (what tax? rate?..) or provide a proper receipt for.
I think the checkout process on their website is simply not distiguising a US purchase form and International one, but I find incredibly stupid and ignorant from the representative to insist that there's an "international tax". He clearly have no idea absolutely how international orders works.
Factor in customs in correct because the only thing 3dr can do is lower the declared value of the items in the box. If you use Hobby King from their International warehouse the same thing will happen. 3DR does not make a profit off the Fedex bill. It has to do with customs for your country.
Hi Jethro,
If its any consolation, I just bought a Flatmap1 gimbal from a SkyViewUAV and the package was sat in UK customs for one week, then Parcel Force sent me a letter to pay the import tax (VAT) of £12.24 plus a handling fee of £13.50 making £25.74 then they will release it to me. I knew there would be some taxes to pay, but I lost ten days waiting for the package! When I needed to get it fitted and flying.
Importing wing kits from China, also incurs hefty taxes and charges.
The moral of this story is, if its a genuine product for sale in Europe with an authorised reseller, you're better of buying it from them, to save time and any possible extra charges!
Better luck next time!
Keith,
Thanks Keith, either way I will avoid FedEx from this point on...
" The more people talk about this, the less people will use their service, and hopefully they'll change their practices."
$100 that being rip off big time!!! by Fedex !
I refuse to pay I just go to my local custom office pay the tax 5min of your time then they clear the
package not worth $100 Fedex charges to send the money to your local government.
Paul.
Aside from being more expensive to begin with FedEx and UPS will try to collect from you not only legitimate customs fees but also their exorbitant brokerage fees. Now, usually those are hidden within the overall fees but a few years ago I had them try to collect such fees (in the $50 range) a few weeks after delivery for items shipped to me, here in the US, items on which there was no duty to be paid! I had never contracted anything with them, it was the shipper whose signature they had on all the paperwork. So I threw their bill in the trash. They sent a second bill, to which I responded with a letter informing them that since I had not entered into any contract with them and there were no customs fees due any further such attempts from them would result in a formal complaint of attempted criminal fraud via the U.S.Mail. That ended it. I've done this a total of three times. But it's of course a hassle. Use the mail, it works really well, is safer, cheaper and at least where I live much more reliable.
I didn't understand,did u get your order without pay FedEx fee?
Thank you very much for that info! Well that's the main reason I try to buy locally and have the service there.
On the other hand cheer up .. most probably there will be no $ and € anymore in ten years...
Added a quote to clarify what I was referring to.
The rest I already explained. Import declaration is the responsibility of the importer. Always! Regardless if a package was held by customs or not.Even if a package is not held by customs, the importer still has the obligation to do the import declaration with customs. That is valid for business and for private importers.
Edit:
That is even valid for import inside the EU if the destination country has some special taxes. Germany for example has special taxes on coffee, so if you mail-order coffee - even from another EU country, you have to declare that and pay the taxes. Due to free traffic, there is no border customs control inside Europe but the German customs routinely does random controls also on inner-EU shipment, e.g. to search for drugs - or coffee. In case of coffee, the shipment is usually not held but the address noted and if the recipient fails to make a tax declaration in time, customs shows up with a warrant.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
of 4 Next