Customs Beware of DHL shipping for US buyers

Just a warning in case anyone ever choose to us this shipper who lives in the US,

I am not sure if anyone else had the same issue but here is what happened.

I bought a doll from Japan and had him shipped via EMS, received like normal and no custom charges.

My husband bought one for me from the same place as a gift but used DHL as his work place uses that. After we received her, we were also charged an extra $48 (custom duty plus DHL fees)

I called to pay and asked about it. Apparently EMS is from usps and dont charges for toys imported (long list) but to DHL, they do charges these fees. It said plastic figures but they dont consider that toys for some weird reason.

So if you are buying dolls, i would recommend EMS, never had to pay custom charges for over 10 years, but first time with DHL, i got charged.

I know some people also got charged using UPS but i never used them for international shipping before.

 

I read both of the threads...what i was told was that what was toy from EMS via usps is not toy for DHL, it is not brokerage fees, that is the extra they charged on top of what they said is custom duty.

This is the same as EMS, but with DHL and not usps. I used all methods via Usps for over ten years. this is the first time my husband order and used DHL (which has been around for a while too).

Looking at my bill, it said "Custom Duty Invoice". i was on the phone with her a while. I also read the letter send with my bill saying anything imported for sale or use will be charged custom duty.

So the bottom line is that other companies like usps do send in custom forms but label them under toys for exemption while DHL send in something else that is not the same as usps.

It's the choice and how DHL handles that part. Again, not brokerage fees, it's custom duty charges, then there is a DHL filling fee they add onto that.

 

Cynthia....we might be saying the same thing, but hope i am clearer in this post.

--First off, All packages no matter by private carriers or not will go through the same US customs, was what i was told period. I had to pay two fees, one for custom duty and the other for DHL filling fee.

The list of exempts and such is the same for all carriers. What I am trying to say is that the sender does not choose what item belongs in what list but just put down what the content is. My package was labeled "plastic figure" this is the same for pvc, dolls, action figures and anything that has plastic in it. for the last 10 years, i used EMS, they all fall under toys as the usps claimed them when summiting to the US custom. Now, when i told DHL about it being a toy, the lady said the sender did not put down as toy. So they sending in form claiming "plastic figure" as anything taxable other than toys which is exempt. She told me it was charged by customs, but this way, they also get to charge the receiver a fee for their service on top of "suppose" custom fees.

so yes, Cynthia is right, I am fine if they say that it's their fees. But the invoice is for custom duty that was from the US custom plus their fees. Since i know it's toys being imported and exempted, the rep was trying to lied through her teeth telling me that I dont now the list at all. I told her i read it very well for over 10 years and had a long talk with USPS a while back. This is where she said she is not sure and hung up on me.

So bottom line, you can buy a doll, EMS will summit it as a toy and you pay no tax. OR DHL or other companies will summit it as "anything taxable" and you pay the import tax(custom duty is what it called) plus the fees for the carrier you used.

 

They finally responded to the bbb, saying that "plastic figure" can mean anything other than "toys".....i questioned them again what can it be then??

So like i said, it is up to DHL to submitted what it falls under so to them, it is not toy hence that custom duty tax. So if you use them, ask any of your seller/shop to put down the word "toy" also.

 

Hm....it doesn't matter because its what they decided to put in under when submitting it and custom goes by that. What it end up is that DHL consider "plastic figure" not a toy but a taxable good. While usps consider that toy. HOpe that will clear it up.

 

US is different in this duty fee part compare to uK or other international countries.
We have only one custom that all goes through, said also by DHL. Companies cannot have their own duty period. They can charged you a process fee, which I also paid for. What i said is pretty much a close to a quote from them.

So the only time people get charge are via private ones, the EMS by the government is the main one and dont charge on toys period. they submit as toy and clear custom within hours. If private ones submit the same, you dont get the custom charge or their fees either.

i dont pay a flat rate, i paid 4.5% import and their fees, i believe was only less than $6.

Like i said, first time international with DHL (used them domestic before), and i will not even try UPS or Fed-X, I will pay the higher shipping for EMS to cover this aftermath. Though DHL and other private ones are cheaper if you sending o value stuff to families

 

went back to look at their answer....so everyone, make sure when you buy plastic figure, have your seller put down "plastic toy" , not "plastic figure" So "doll" should "doll toy" to be save....

So simply make sure to have the word "toy" and you are SAVE!!! 13 years of buying online and first time using DHL that i learn this??

here is quote from them:

"We thank our customer for the extra details provided in order to thoroughly research this further. After further review, the description on the Commercial Invoice that was provided does state plastic figure, and does not indicate that this is a toy. The shipment was submitted into US Custom’s based off the detail listed on the invoice. Due to this is the shipment was classified under HTS 7116.20.3500.

For future shipments containing toys, please ensure the shipper is clearly stating on all customs paperwork that the contents is a plastic toy."