UPS Calling for Me to Pay Import Charges

[mrflaff]

I shipped an item to Canada before Christmas, and it had failed to deliver once because the fee was not paid. Then the next day, they were able to deliver it. Now, a more than a month later, UPS is calling me to pay the fee of like $43. There is a line in the tracking that says, "Import charges are due for this package," and "duties and taxes are due on this package."

 

 

How was the carrier UPS assigned to send the package to able to deliver the item when it shows it was delivered?

[kensgiftshop]

Why are they contacting you, the buyer pays import fees.

If import fees were do, they should have collected them from the buyer before delivering.

[richard1rst]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

Why are they contacting you, the buyer pays import fees.

If import fees were do, they should have collected them from the buyer before delivering.

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I had a similar situation with FedEx some years ago.

If you ship something through the mail, the Canadian post office will not deliver it UNLESS they get paid. However, FedEx (and presumably UPS as well) will deliver the package and then bill the recipient for the taxes. Once the recipient has the package in hand there is no incentive for them to pay the taxes.

So if FedEx doesn’t get paid by the recipient , according to some terms in their user agreement, the shipper has to make good on the taxes. The Canadian government expects to receive a payment from FedEx for the taxes. FedEx doesn’t care where the taxes come from as long as they get it.

It was at that moment that I decided I would never again use UPS or FedEx for any international shipment.

[wastingtime101]

Did you buy the label through eBay @mrflaff or direct from UPS or through another 3rd party?

[glgenterprise]

Unfortunately a loophole that some buyers have discovered. They refuse to pay the duty/import charges, it does not show delivered so eBay will force a refund of the product and shipping. The seller is then stuck paying for the import/duty fees to even get it back. As a seller you make the decision that it is cheaper to abandon it, and the jackhole buyer then takes the refund and uses it to pay for the duty/import fees. They get the items super cheap.

Had it happen to me, so I now will only sell international through eBay Global Shipping to avoid this.

[wastingtime101]

That's not what happened here @glgenterprise . Item was delivered 5 weeks ago and carrier is now billing seller the import fees buyer apparently didn't pay.

eBay Global Shipping Program was retired in the US several years ago and replaced with eBay International Shipping.

[glgenterprise]

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@richard1rst wrote:

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

Why are they contacting you, the buyer pays import fees.

If import fees were do, they should have collected them from the buyer before delivering.

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I had a similar situation with FedEx some years ago.

If you ship something through the mail, the Canadian post office will not deliver it UNLESS they get paid. However, FedEx (and presumably UPS as well) will deliver the package and then bill the recipient for the taxes. Once the recipient has the package in hand there is no incentive for them to pay the taxes.

So if FedEx doesn’t get paid by the recipient , according to some terms in their user agreement, the shipper has to make good on the taxes. The Canadian government expects to receive a payment from FedEx for the taxes. FedEx doesn’t care where the taxes come from as long as they get it.

It was at that moment that I decided I would never again use UPS or FedEx for any international shipment.

UPS does not (or at least the did not in the past) deliver without being paid duty/import fees in Canada.  Have personal experience with this as a US seller.

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[glgenterprise]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

That's not what happened here @glgenterprise . Item was delivered 5 weeks ago and carrier is now 

eBay Global Shipping Program was retired in the US several years ago and replaced with eBay International Shipping.

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You know what I meant - don't be a jerk about terminology. If they'd pick a program and stick with it I'd be able keep up with the appropriate name. Same program, administered by a different entity so it got a new name.

[wastingtime101]

I posted a clarification on the service since GSP doesn't exist in the US and the original poster may not have known what you were referring to. I thought that was helpful. Just a factual statement with no put down. 🤷

Not really the "same program" since it's entirely different with seller protections and returns, but there's no need to veer off into that unless the original poster has questions.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@glgenterprise wrote:

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

That's not what happened here @glgenterprise . Item was delivered 5 weeks ago and carrier is now 

eBay Global Shipping Program was retired in the US several years ago and replaced with eBay International Shipping.

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You know what I meant - don't be a jerk about terminology. If they'd pick a program and stick with it I'd be able keep up with the appropriate name. Same program, administered by a different entity so it got a new name.

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Sorry but since you referred to an international shipping program that's no longer used, the correction is absolutely necessary and warranted. 

In this case, @mrflaff didn't use EIS and shouldn't have been charged the customs fee. 

When buyers refuse to pay customs fees, their purchases are supposed to be RTS (returned to sender) and they lose their MBG. The item should NEVER have been delivered to the buyer! UPS messed up. 

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[carlmarxx · Accepted solution]

They should have collected the money from addressee . just tell them to get it from the addressee  like the are required to do.