Computers & Internet DHL - Quarantine charges (Rip Off)

[Niximus]

I ordered a couple of attachments for my Waterpik a little while ago and the place I ordered them from shipped from the USA.

So I receive the parcel last week, the package had tape on it to say it had been checked and the box was open, this is no problem, I have had things opened and checked before.

This time though, over a week after I received the parcel, I get an invoice from DHL for a $47.30 'Quarantine processing fee' with a note to say that they paid 'Australian Customs charges' on my behalf and that I needed to reimburse them.

I had never agreed to any charges so I gave them a call to raise my concerns. The short version is that they weren't much help at all - they gave me an email address to put my concerns in writing to (email included below)

Hi,

I have just received an invoice from DHL (xxxxxxxx) for a parcel that was shipped to me (HAWB Number xxxxxxxxx) and I have a few concerns about it.

1) The invoice lists one item - 'Quarantine processing fee', for the amount of $47.30 inc GST. The invoice includes a note that 'DHL has paid the Government charges to Australian Customs on your behalf'. Could you please confirm who DHL has paid charges to? Customs and Quarantine are not the same entity.

2) I will need you to supply me with a record of this fee being charged (by Customs or Quarantine) as the only documentation I have of the inspection is a photocopy of a clearance with no record of any fee. i.e. I have no evidence that DHL ever had to pay anything on 'my behalf'.

3) I am the recipient of this parcel. At no time did I ever agree to any contract for service with DHL and if this fee has indeed been paid by DHL (to Customs or Quarantine), I was never given the option to decline it. If the fee is legitimate, I would not have consented to receiving the parcel. Why was I not contacted in order to give my approval to proceed? I'll repeat that I am the recipient of the parcel and have not entered into any contract with DHL, at no point did I give consent for any fees or charges to be paid on my behalf.

4) I received the invoice today (16/02/2011), the date on the invoice is 09/02/2011 and the date due is also 09/02/2011. As the date issued and date due are the same, there is no possible way I could have received this by mail without it being overdue before I even received it.

I would appreciate a prompt response to these issues.

Regards
xxxxxxxx

I do not intend on paying for something I never consented to, the item was worth <$10, had I been given the option I would not have accepted the delivery. They did not inform me of any fees when I accepted the parcel.

When I raised this point with the lady at DHL she came back with 'So what, are we supposed to store your parcel while we wait for you to pay the fee?' - I'm like, hang on, I thought you said that the fee was paid to release it from Quarantine? Would they not be holding it?

Even if I decided that I would overlook the fact that they imposed a charge without my authorisation, and if I accept their claim that Quarantine (or Customs) charged a fee, how do I know they the fee wasn't $10 and the DHL added their own $37.30 'Paying a charge for you, even though you never asked us to' fee.

I have Googled it and found many people with the same issue. Everyone who questioned it has reported that the fee was either waived or they just received no response at all, didn't pay and never heard anything again.

Has anyone else had this before? What was the outcome?

Oh well, I hope they realise that even though they never agreed to it, my time in phone calls/email writing is charged at $150/hour plus GST with a minimum charge of one hour. I wonder what their reaction will be when they receive that invoice..

 

[_JC_]

Definitely sounds dodgy.

Wouldn't be the first time a company has included extra "service" charges though.

 

[standingroomonly]

you combed the terms and conditions of using DHL? wouldn't surprise me if it was hidden away somewhere in there.

 

[Niximus]

you combed the terms and conditions of using DHL? wouldn't surprise me if it was hidden away somewhere in there.

I am not bound by any terms as I never ordered any services from DHL.

The person who had the contract with DHL is the one who agreed to the terms.

To be bound by terms you need to be given the opportunity to accept/reject them.

 

[Lensen]

Have a look at this thread

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1361647

 

[Niximus]

Have a look at this thread

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1361647

Yeah, had found that. It just gets more dodgy.

Even though I never agreed to anything, I'm prepared to pay them whatever quarantine charged them to release my parcel. Their problem appears to be with showing that a fee was ever paid.

For all I know DHL pay quarantine to have a providing station on their premises. Quarantine then inspect parcels and process them quicker for DHL. To cover the cost of doing this DHL could just be charging everyone who gets inspected regardless of whether quarantine impose fees or not. That would explain why they can't tell me what quarantine charged, they didn't charge anything.

 

[Niximus]

Found this one as well - from the 2nd complaint onwards.

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/fraud-and-cheating-c102439.html

I have emailed AQIS, I'm expecting them to tell me about the Quarantine Entry Number thing.

 

[TownleyTime]

I'm a licensed Customs Broker & reading what you've stated, there appears nothing dodgy there. DHL have no control at what AQIS chose to fumigate/steam clean or put a direction on.

It depends where the goods orginated from. If they come from particular areas, regardless, AQIS will put a direction on it. The freight forwarder should have been aware of this prior to shipment.

You should receive a direction order if the goods are consigned to you. It will normally start with an AAA & end in numbers.

 

[Niximus]

I'm a licensed Customs Broker & reading what you've stated, there appears nothing dodgy there. DHL have no control at what AQIS chose to fumigate/steam clean or put a direction on.

It depends where the goods orginated from. If they come from particular areas, regardless, AQIS will put a direction on it. The freight forwarder should have been aware of this prior to shipment.

You should receive a direction order if the goods are consigned to you. It will normally start with an AAA & end in numbers.

I had seen this mentioned on some of the discussions related to this. I asked the lady I spoke with about the code starting with A's as there was none on the information they sent me. She said they didn't have one as they're done in bulk.

With your experience, how am I to verify
A) That DHL has paid a fee
B) The amount that was paid

Do I need this AAA code to do it? How can I verify if they don't supply it.

My job involves invoicing clients. On most occasions, these clients are Government agencies. There are occasions where I need to pass on fees (accommodation, travel expenses). When I do this, I need to supply them with a receipt. No receipt and they will refuse to pay. It's not good enough to just say, "Hey I stayed at a hotel and so now you owe me $400".

I am asking the same thing, if this is a fee that is being 'passed on', I just want to see the receipt/record of payment that they made to customs.

All of the above though still disregards that I never authorised them to spend my money. I made no arrangement with DHL, that was the person who shipped me the parcel.

I was never given the opportunity to reject the charges/delivery.

I could go overseas and post 1000 paperclips to you individually. If 0.5% of them were checked you'd get an invoice for almost $250. You would only get this invoice a week after these paperclips have shown up. Would that be your responsibility to pay?

 

[TownleyTime]

[/b] I had seen this mentioned on some of the discussions related to this. I asked the lady I spoke with about the code starting with A's as there was none on the information they sent me. She said they didn't have one as they're done in bulk.

With your experience, how am I to verify
A) That DHL has paid a fee
B) The amount that was paid

Do I need this AAA code to do it? How can I verify if they don't supply it.

My job involves invoicing clients. On most occasions, these clients are Government agencies. There are occasions where I need to pass on fees (accommodation, travel expenses). When I do this, I need to supply them with a receipt. No receipt and they will refuse to pay. It's not good enough to just say, "Hey I stayed at a hotel and so now you owe me $400".

I am asking the same thing, if this is a fee that is being 'passed on', I just want to see the receipt/record of payment that they made to customs.

All of the above though still disregards that I never authorised them to spend my money. I made no arrangement with DHL, that was the person who shipped me the parcel.

I was never given the opportunity to reject the charges/delivery.

I could go overseas and post 1000 paperclips to you individually. If 0.5% of them were checked you'd get an invoice for almost $250. You would only get this invoice a week after these paperclips have shown up. Would that be your responsibility to pay?

They have varying numbering. I mainly deal in containers as opposed to FAK/smaller shipments.

Just ask the forwarder for a copy of the AQIS direction. Tell them you won't pay the charges unless you see the direction.

If they can't produce it, don't pay it.

As a general rule, Freight Forwarders are dodgy. I have only worked/work for Terminal Operators, they (the FF's) hide stuff such as "storage" charges if their operator stuffed up picking the goods in the free day period & the like.

 

[Niximus]

They have varying numbering. I mainly deal in containers as opposed to FAK/smaller shipments.

Just ask the forwarder for a copy of the AQIS direction. Tell them you won't pay the charges unless you see the direction.

If they can't produce it, don't pay it.

As a general rule, Freight Forwarders are dodgy. I have only worked/work for Terminal Operators, they (the FF's) hide stuff such as "storage" charges if their operator stuffed up picking the goods in the free day period & the like.

Will the AQIS direction have the fees on it? They sent me a photocopy of a form saying that it had been inspected by quarantine but there is no indication that any fee was incurred.

If they can't show me anything that has a record of a fee being paid to quarantine then I can't be sure whether:
a) A fee was paid at all; or
b) If a fee was paid, that it wasn't $10 and the remainder is just additional DHL fees being passed off as a 'passed on' quarantine charge.

The lady on the phone was definite that she wouldn't be able to give me anything that showed what was paid to quarantine.

 

[TownleyTime]

Will the AQIS direction have the fees on it? They sent me a photocopy of a form saying that it had been inspected by quarantine but there is no indication that any fee was incurred.

If they can't show me anything that has a record of a fee being paid to quarantine then I can't be sure whether:
a) A fee was paid at all; or
b) If a fee was paid, that it wasn't $10 and the remainder is just additional DHL fees being passed off as a 'passed on' quarantine charge.

The lady on the phone was definite that she wouldn't be able to give me anything that showed what was paid to quarantine.

Normally when the Broker lodges the "entry", the charge is on the particular p/w. The only entries I do are on containers, the figure for the actual direction is included.

Make sure you have been sent all pages of the direction. This catches a few people out, it will say "Page 1 of 2 pages", etc.

The girl you are speaking to you is wrong. I'd chase that up, AQIS on the whole, are very anal & arrogant. Just ask the forwarder in the morning what directive was taken on the goods, sometimes you can get a direction from AQIS yet there is no fee for their services.

 

[Niximus]

Normally when the Broker lodges the "entry", the charge is on the particular p/w. The only entries I do are on containers, the figure for the actual direction is included.

Make sure you have been sent all pages of the direction. This catches a few people out, it will say "Page 1 of 2 pages", etc.

The girl you are speaking to you is wrong. I'd chase that up, AQIS on the whole, are very anal & arrogant. Just ask the forwarder in the morning what directive was taken on the goods, sometimes you can get a direction from AQIS yet there is no fee for their services.

Yeah, that's why I'm following it up - the parcel was about the size of an envelope and contained only two plastic attachments shaped like spoons that are tongue cleaners for my Waterpik. They reckon it was checked because the declaration included "home & garden - for personal use". I know that it was checked but what I'm questioning is the fee. They would have known as soon as they opened it that there was nothing wrong with it and there was no fumigation or anything.

If they show me a record of the payment made 'on my behalf' I'll reimburse them (even though they never gave me the option to decline) but so far they have refused to do so.

I have sent the email from the OP to them so I'll wait to see what I get back from that.

In your work, if the fee isn't paid, is the item siezed/re-exported/destroyed?

 

[BomberFletch31]

They reckon it was checked because the declaration included "home & garden - for personal use". I know that it was checked but what I'm questioning is the fee. They would have known as soon as they opened it that there was nothing wrong with it and there was no fumigation or anything.

The $47.30 was for AQIS Processing, nothing else. If there was to be fumigation done on it, it would cost a whole lot more than $47.30, I can tell you that much. That is a standard AQIS fee, even if the AQIS officer spent no more than 2 minutes inspecting the cargo before giving it the all-clear.

If they show me a record of the payment made 'on my behalf' I'll reimburse them (even though they never gave me the option to decline) but so far they have refused to do so.

I have sent the email from the OP to them so I'll wait to see what I get back from that.

In your work, if the fee isn't paid, is the item siezed/re-exported/destroyed?

I have worked for a freight forwarder as the customs broker's bitch (sorry, compiler ) so maybe I can assist, though my memory may be a bit rusty as it has been more than two years since I quit.

Where I used to work, the standard procedure with our commercial clients was to pay out the AQIS fees and duty so that the item can be cleared and removed from the wharf. Ultimately, if it were to sit on the wharf or at the airport it would cost a whole heap more than if it were to sit in our warehouse. That expense is paid on behalf of the client without the need to confer with the client. Dodgy? Perhaps, but most (if not all) of our clients understand the process involved as they have imported many, many shipments through us before. We would usually only notify the client if it has been ordered for fumigation or other types of treatment, because this is where the unknown is: we don't know whether it will be ordered for further treatment, and when it is, we don't know how much that treatment will cost, as it depends on the size of the shipment and the AQIS certified depot we send it to. It is written in our standard terms of service that our charges excludes all customs duty, quarantine processing and quarantine treatment fees. Both the Quarantine Order and the Final Release from Quarantine documents, down the bottom, shows the fee payable (and fees paid) to AQIS. None of our clients, to the best of my knowledge, have actually asked for any proof of payment to AQIS, but I'm sure there is a system of retrieving this information.

If the fee isn't paid, the item will not be released. It will sit on the wharf or the bond store accumulating storage charges until it is collected by the consignee, or re-exported.

 

[Niximus]

I have worked for a freight forwarder as the customs broker's bitch (sorry, compiler ) so maybe I can assist, though my memory may be a bit rusty as it has been more than two years since I quit.

Where I used to work, the standard procedure with our commercial clients was to pay out the AQIS fees and duty so that the item can be cleared and removed from the wharf. Ultimately, if it were to sit on the wharf or at the airport it would cost a whole heap more than if it were to sit in our warehouse. That expense is paid on behalf of the client without the need to confer with the client. Dodgy? Perhaps, but most (if not all) of our clients understand the process involved as they have imported many, many shipments through us before. We would usually only notify the client if it has been ordered for fumigation or other types of treatment, because this is where the unknown is: we don't know whether it will be ordered for further treatment, and when it is, we don't know how much that treatment will cost, as it depends on the size of the shipment and the AQIS certified depot we send it to. It is written in our standard terms of service that our charges excludes all customs duty, quarantine processing and quarantine treatment fees.

But at what point was I given the opportunity to accept/reject these terms? The agreement the courier has is with the sender of the parcel is it not. I could sed you parcels without your censent and under this model, you would be expected to pay charges for them.

Both the Quarantine Order and the Final Release from Quarantine documents, down the bottom, shows the fee payable (and fees paid) to AQIS.

The only document they gave me is a record of it being inspected and cleared. There is no mention of any fee.

None of our clients, to the best of my knowledge, have actually asked for any proof of payment to AQIS, but I'm sure there is a system of retrieving this information.

There isn't according to the lady I spoke to. My first question for her was about who they paid their document told me customs or quarantine. The other thing I wanted to know was if I could have a receipt to verify it. As I mentioned, in my job that is standard. If you can't supply a receipt, you can't pass on any additional charges. This request resulted in a lot of hostility and that made me suspicious.

Looking closer at it and realising that it was set up to be overdue before I even got it just makes it look worse.

I have had things stopped and checked before and never had a fee.

 

[Niximus]

Got a call from AQIS, I didn't have the paperwork with me at the time so they are going to call back. They are going to track it down and confirm what was charged for my parcel.

If it comes back that they did charge DHL $47.30 I'll pay it (even though I still object to them delivering a parcel without disclosing charges to the recipient and sending out an invoice due the same date it was issued so that it is overdue on arrival).

It would still be a joke though as if they have paid something then my initial request for a receipt shouldn't have been a problem.


I have also noticed on the envelope that it was processed on 14 February (a whole 5 days after the invoice was issued) - are they expecting me to believe that they posted it on the 9th and it took 5 days for Australia post to even look at it?

At best it was posted on the 12th at which point the invoice was already 3 days overdue.

 

[Niximus]

I've heard back from DHL

[FONT=&quot]Good Morning Nicholas,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Please note that the charge of $47.30 is actually an inspection fee charge, and is not from the Quarantine department as suggested. It is due to the limitations of our system that it has been remarked as Quarantine Processing Fee.[/FONT]

In other words this is a fee that DHL charge when your parcel is inspected. It does not reflect any fee from AQIS and so their claim of having 'Paid Government charges on your behalf" is bogus.

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I have attached a copy of the documents that we have regarding the inspection.[/FONT]

The same document they sent me in the mail that mentions nothing about a fee.

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Please note that DHL provides a door-to-door service, and DHL will pay on behalf of our customer’s first if there is any customs delay for the shipment delivery. As this is an inspection fee, the charges from customs usually will come to us later than the shipment being shipped. Thus in general, the Inspection Fee bill will arrive to our customers late.[/FONT]

That doesn't explain why they set the due date as the day the invoice it.

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]We do however provide our customers a one time off of having the charges waived off. Please let me know if you want us to waive off these charges, which we will then absorb the charges internally.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thanks and have a nice day.[/FONT]

Absorb $47.30 in charges for something that would have cost about $12 to ship? Why wouldn't they just send me the evidence of paying it so I'd save them from making a loss?

Anyway, they have confirmed the fee being waived. I'm still waiting to hear back from AQIS though.

 

[TownleyTime]

It seems like they were trying to charge you for storage & passed it off as something else. That might explain the dates being late on the invoices. Did they give you a due date/shipment no. & it was late?

$47.50 for an AQIS fee seems too small.

 

[Niximus]

It seems like they were trying to charge you for storage & passed it off as something else. That might explain the dates being late on the invoices. Did they give you a due date/shipment no. & it was late?

$47.50 for an AQIS fee seems too small.

I never got a due date as such.

I have gone to their site and tracked the parcel. It appears it arrived in Adelaide on 3 Feb and was held in storage until delivery on 7 Feb.

The AQIS form I have says that the parcel was inspected and cleared on 3 Feb.

It looks like they were trying to charge me for the extra few days they took to deliver it.

 

[Niximus]

Response from AQIS

[FONT=&quot]Hello Nicholas,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your enquiry to AQIS on Wednesday, 16 February 2011, in relation to receiving an invoice of $47.30 you have received from DHL described as a [/FONT][FONT=&quot]“Quarantine Processing Fees”[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) assess all imported cargo to ensure they do not present a quarantine risk to Australia’s Agricultural Industries and Environment.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]W[/FONT][FONT=&quot]e have investigated the circumstances that led to the inspection of your consignment. Your consignment was declared by DHL to AQIS as `Home Garden (packing list was not enclosed)’. Therefore, the consignment required an inspection by AQIS to verify the Item “garden” were either new or used and that they were free from quarantine risk materials (e.g. soil, grass etc). Upon inspection, no item of quarantine risk was found and the consignment was released from quarantine. This is consistent with AQIS’s processes to maintain the quarantine integrity of Australia.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Express Carriers (e.g. DHL, FedEx, UPS and TNT) generally book AQIS officers for a block of time and present multiple consignments for inspections during that period. AQIS officers invoice the carriers for the inspection time, which, on an average, equates to approximately $17 per consignment.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Your carrier, DHL may have invoiced you to cover the AQIS costs, plus their own administration charges, and described the total amount as “Quarantine Processing Fee”. You may wish to contact DHL for an explanation of any non-AQIS fees that have been charged. [/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]For more information on AQIS Fees and Charges please visit: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]www.daff.gov.au/fees/aqisfees-charges.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your enquiry and your cooperation with quarantine requirements. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

$17 is a hell of a lot less than $47.30.

As suspected, they are adding their own fees on top and then try and pass it all off as a Government Charge so that you just pay up.

Their tactics of sending on overdue invoice are just attempts to bully you into paying.

 

[TownleyTime]

I only do entries for FCL (containers) but their broker should have included the logdgement of the packing list, which it shows they haven't. Freight Forwarders generally are dodgy & you have to be very wary, as it can be a costly exercise if you don't chase them up for everything.

 

[Helicopter Punt]

We do however provide our customers a one time off of having the charges waived off. Please let me know if you want us to waive off these charges, which we will then absorb the charges internally.

Thanks and have a nice day.

What a try-on.
I would resolve the amount due prior to accepting DHL's offer.
It might be argued next time you are 'billed' whatever they choose that if you accept they waive this fee as is, you must then by extension accept that the fee was legitimate (who would agree with the terms of a fraud?).

I'd stick to your guns. Good luck.

 

[Niximus]

What a try-on.
I would resolve the amount due prior to accepting DHL's offer.
It might be argued next time you are 'billed' whatever they choose that if you accept they waive this fee as is, you must then by extension accept that the fee was legitimate (who would agree with the terms of a fraud?).

I'd stick to your guns. Good luck.

Even if that were the case. If they claim that I accept the fee as legitimate it has no baring on whether the fee actually is.

If it ever happens again I'm backed up by my correspondence with AQIS.

I'm thinkng I might make a report to the ACCC anyway though. Surely passing your own fees off as 'Government Charges" has to be illegal?

Their bullying tactics of sending invoices already out of date can't be right either.

All this has done is made me wary of who the places I buy from ship with. Next time I'll make sure that they don't use DHL before I buy.