FedEx customs fees??

[David Thornton]

I just opened my mail to find a customs invoice from FedEx. I'm a bit perplexed, but remembered that some of you have also gotten these bills.
Did you check with Customs? Did you pay the bill? Does anyone know how they are figured? This one is for a third of the total value of the shipment!
Suggestions appreciated.
David

[Mr. Kilt]

Where did the item originate?
I refuse to use any of the courier services for cross-border shipping. They may be fast, but they charge a ridiculous amount of money for customs brokerage. The actual duty may not be much, but the brokerage is where they get you. Using the postal systems has always been the most economical way to ship things, it's just a bit slower.

[David Thornton]

Originated in Edenburgh.
I hope that's not the case, I didn'tthink I had to specify the carrier.
So did the price of my kilt just jump, or do I have some recourse.
Fees wern't that high importing a shotgun!
David

[Archangel]

I've run into this so many times. Now I do my best to avoid over border shopping, which is the intent of the duty, right? Whatever industry is being protected has the higher duty, so the kilt has a higher rate.

The previous post is right but too late for you, you will have to pay. Or choose not to too if you figure on never dealing with FedEx again, but that would be legally wrong, up to you.

For others, regular post doesn't always have the broker fees, especially smaller packages. Talk it over with the seller and what they label it makes a difference: replacement items; demo items; etc, are not charged tariffs. Sometimes they can handle the broker from their end. In Canada, typically, we figure on doubling the price on ghost money: my $US69 ($CDN90) guitar from Musicyo.com became $CDN202 by the time it was in my hands.

You can challenge this: find out what category the kilt is in, it'll be on the form. I've run into a situation with other clothing that had it ruled as luxury item and I had it changed to leather goods, can't remember, just that it saved me money. The EU recently ruled the kilt as men's clothing which changed its classification over there. The article was in the kilt news on this site. This subject is why it was important.

[Mr. Kilt]

Again, the charges for duty is just one of the fees imposed by Fedex. They have been known to charge $50-75 JUST for their brokerage services, which is on top of the duty that is charged.
Duty charges go to the government, like a tax. Brokerage fees are what the courier service charges you for handling the paperwork for figuring out the duty.
Whenever I have brought items in from wither the US or overseas, I use the postal system. Canada Post charges a flat rate of $5.00 for brokerage.

[Hamish]

It works in the opposite direction also! I have stopped ordering Utilikilts to be sent from the USA to me here in England because the import duties, taxes, handling fees, documentation fees, etc., etc. have, in the past, added almost 50% of the garment cost to be paid prior to delivery. Fortunately, Megan (of Utilikilts) recently travelled to England and brought two new kilts for me, thereby avoiding all those additional costs!

On the other hand, and this might be because it was a postal shipment rather than one via a courier, my splendid new leather R-Kilt (from Ontario) was delivered last week without a penny of additional charges being levied at this end.

I have a BearKilt on order and am picking that up when I come to Vancouver in two weeks time for The Gathering. Again, I will be avoiding all those charges by including it in with my regular clothing when I return to England mid-August.

[bubba]

When I got my kilt from Scottishkilts.net I wasn't charged duty at all by the USPS.

[KMacT]

Again, the charges for duty is just one of the fees imposed by Fedex. They have been known to charge $50-75 JUST for their brokerage services, which is on top of the duty that is charged.

Exactly. I just received a package from the U.S. (sent to me in Canada). The item was duty-free, so no duty was owed. However, since it was sent via UPS, I had the pay over $30 for the brokerage fees! It cost me $30 so that they could look at the package and confirm with Canada Customs that no duty was payable. I had expected it would be sent by US Postal Service, but in the future I will specify that I want regular mail - not courier.

Kevin

[Union Richard]

Hi Guys

The problem in the main is fed-ex and other large couriers, there is a way around it by sending the goods with the post office of which can take anything up to 4 weeks to arrive, or sending it with fed-ex and the like but on the paper work show no commercial value (gift) this way there should be no import duty.
We have sent many kilts accross the water this way and as far as i am aware there has been no extra charges.

Regards all

Richard
UnionKilts Ltd

[Rufus]

Mychael went through the whole ordeal of trying to fight the additional customs fees charged by the shipping agency. Here's the thread where he documents the entire process he went through.

Here's another good thread about customs fees.