Shipping DHL and the USA

I have received packages from companies using DHL and it is indeed fast and being in USA I do not get charged custom fees that is definitely something other countries have to deal with.

 

I have used DHL with different companies throughout my time here and I have yet to be charged another fee, I live in the US and I think I've had....at least 7 DHL deliveries at my current address, don't ask me how many previously because I have no idea.

 

I've received two DHL deliveries fairly recently, one from Parabox and one from another DoA member in Mexico. I live in New York, and was charged no additional fees. I was impressed with how fast DHL is.

 

I’ve been using dhl for most of the year and I live in the US and have not been charge fees

 

I’m also in the US. I’ve been using them frequently since EMS from China started taking over a month this past year, and there haven’t been any extra fees after the initial shipping cost. They’re pricey at the outset, but that’s it.

 

I’m also in the US, and I’ve never been charged any fees with DHL. The shipping has been really fast, about three days from Japan.

 

DHL will deliver to your door, so you can sign at the door. They will deliver to your door even if there is no DHL location near your area. My "area" is actually one state away.

You also have the option to waive signature at delivery. They will text you with this option when your package is on the way.

I HAVE been charged fees for doll deliveries. So...there is that. The charge itself was not so much...but there is a $20 fee for DHL pre-paying customs.

 

I've used DHL several times over the years, though I don't think for any dolls themselves...? Mostly for anime merch, haha. I've never been charged an extra fee, since I'm in the US. (Actually I don't believe I've ever been charged a fee for any package I've received, from any service. Yay America....?) Back in the Before Days I often found DHL to be slightly less expensive than EMS, but obviously a global pandemic has really made everything shipping-related go haywire...

 

I received a Ringdoll Grown boy in April via DHL and didn't get hit with any other fees (it might depend on what the package is declared for, though). He also only took 7 business days to arrive, whereas EMS and other services have taken a month or more. Heck, he arrived faster than some dolls sent via USPS Priority within the US...

 

@Epona
Yes, it was a fullset Volks Rapunzel from Mandarake.

 

Getting any custom fees seems pretty unlucky, even on a large order; I’ve had $1000+ DHL packages in the past (albeit non-doll items) and never gotten them. With your doll being in the $300s I don’t think you’d encounter it, it’s technically a possibility but I’ve been importing things for years without a problem.

In the pandemic I’ve found them to be the most reliable carrier for overseas items personally, EMS and Fedex have had their dodgy moments ime. At least from Japan the EMS fee increases also make it the cheaper option as of late…

 

I've received a doll, a costuming item, and a number of mystery boxes (with and without food items) via DHL, with no charges on any of them. (They did obliterate one food box, but it was replaced.)

 

The customs limit for DHL packages to the US is $800. If the package is declared at a value above that, it should cause DHL to file a customs form, but it looks like that hasn't always been the case for others upthread. I've been using DHL almost monthly since the pandemic started to order things from Japan and have never been hit with a customs charge. However, I use a forwarding service that is willing to underdeclare, so my packages are never declared at a value over $800. In my experience, BJD companies almost always underdeclare unless you tell them not to, so I doubt you'll have any trouble! I ordered a Withdoll boy last year and they underdeclared him.

 

Have any U.S. buyers been charged import fees when purchasing from Volks International in Japan? I'm purchasing a DD Kaito directly from someone who can't keep him, and we have to pay DHL an import fee. Neither of us has ever had import fees on Volks shipments from Japan before. Thanks for any input.

Edit: After chatting with my seller and looking on the DHL website, it's looking more like a fuel surcharge than anything else. We're just wondering why not every DHL shipment gets it.

Linda S.
galatia9