Correct. I ordered from the Chinese site as I live in the USA as directed by the TFScamming-Express stealsite.

 

There was definitely a disclaimer on that site in the past. I've ordered at least 10 different items from them this year and the extra fees information is why I chose a higher upfront cost and likely later delivery by ordering from the UK based shipping site instead.

 

I did, actually, before I posted. And I just did again. Maybe I'm missing it but this, now, is the first time you've mentioned a response from DHL.

So, ok, is TFs Express did, indeed, incorrectly declare the package, it could have been a mistake. Have you tried contacting them yet? Heard back?

What would be the benefit of them incorrectly declaring the package? They don't get the brokerage fees?

Also, I dont, and I'm pretty sure no one expects you to pay the fees, or is saying you should. Nor is it your fault. It is, indeed, insane and ridiculous. It is just doesn't make sense, and I'd for sure want to hear back from TFs Ex before I make any judgements about them.

 

See post #52:

I have contacted both TFScammers-Express and DHL ... several times. Spent 2 hours on the phone with DHL today. They are a large worldwide corporation vs small relatively unknown unreachable disreputable website in China. DHL at several levels of their management has proven the fees were due to TFScammers-Express carelessness. Not mine, not DHL.

TFScammers-Express blames DHL and says they can’t help me and to contact DHL. Basically get lost.

No extra fees were disclosed prior to my payment. The possibility of such fees were not even mentioned on their website, or in emails, or even on my order confirmation, or payment confirmation. You’d figure a reputable company would at least mention some disclaimer to this affect right? Nope.

Then suddenly today TFScammers-Express website gets magically edited. As proven in the posts above. Completely honest company. Super trustworthy. Not.

 

Fair enough, that one sentence was easy to miss.

But now this, that youve just now said, is important info that would have been helpful to share earlier. That's the first real bit of info of what's going on.

If you dont mind, what did DHL say particularly, was causing the fees? I think it would help a lot of us if we knew to possibly avoid in the future.

 

Can’t say for certain as I’m speaking to people at DHL that are not in front of the package and working off their best guesses and past experience. DHL said they’d call me tomorrow with more info. But it appears that TFScammers-Express shipped it as a commercial shipment... or declared it as such... not consumer goods... or something to that affect more or less. TFS-Express screwed up.

 

This.

Ordered loads of stuff from them and service and delivery has always been top top notch, feel 100% comfortable vouching for TFS Express. Again all from UK experience.

 

I’ve had no problems with TFS-Express. Both of my most recent shipments did get charged duties/ taxes through CustomCollect, which did seem scammy at first until I looked into it and it’s just the shipping company sending the invoice through a 3rd party service. I’m in Canada so getting charged duty on shipments is pretty common. I suppose someone in the US wouldn’t be as used to it though due to the higher limits for imported items.

I’m sure in this case, if DHL and/or TFS-EXPRESS can sort out that your package is in fact for personal use, you shouldn’t have to worry about it. Bit of a pain that you have to deal with it in the meantime, but no need to drag a fairly reputable company through the mud for one mistake. Sh!t happens.

 

Got to step up for TFS express too. I've been a happy customer for many years. Nearly all the Takara Legends and masterpiece stuff I own I bought thru them. In those four years they once made a small mistake (forgot to send out a figure part of a stacked order). They immediately sent it after I contacted them about it. These people are not scammers. They are one of the best places to get Transformers in Europe. But all my orders were thru the Uk store.

 

yeah no way scammers i have used them for my transformers for years spent thousands on transformers with them and have been ordering since they were called omegalock before the name change , basicly most of my colllection has been bought from their store

 

I've ordered hundreds of things from TFS (UK) and never had any problems. I'm sorry you did.

 

I am gonna get flack for this, but screw it....You do all understand that you are arguing semantics yes?

The post office of each country has a way it does its job and charges for imports. Disclaimer or no disclaimer on the sellers part, its not his obligation to deal with the tax fees of a country thats not the one the item is been bought at. Not warn you about it, nor protect you from it, nor inform about for it. After all you dont go into a war wearing just your pants....The fact that Amazon & the Us postage carriers charge you up front and then return the difference, is an exception and not the rule.
DHL also has a permit, to do all these things that are been described. I hate it myself, but (I assume, I dont live in the states, but given that this is how they operate in every other country) that is how they handle things by lawful permit. Unethical yes, but there is no scam here.

The only problem here is misinformation and ignorance. And no, the fact that "Ιt worked that way for centuries and I never bothered to check if it changed'' is not an excuse. Ignorance is never a valid excuse.

Disclaimer1: Have no obligation to TFS.

Disclaimer2: I was in the same bind when I ordered from Mandarake my G2 Mp Bee. For a 40$ package, I was charged another 20, because the EU, charges import taxes for everything more than 22$. I had no idea about it (two months prior Delta Magnus passed without charges from the same store), and to this day IDK if Mandarake warns about it. And I dont really care. This was my fault for not checking. Lesson learned. Thats why you see markups of less than that when you buy figures that cost more than it. Its an attempt to evade import taxes.

Disclaimer3: The only thing that can be done here is IF (and thats an If because I dont know the import taxes of the US limits), the imported goods didnt exceed the threshold of taxable imports. If they didnt and DHL decided to charge then they violate standing law. And that can be handled by just providing the appropriate article (been there done that). Know though, that when we are talking about a threshold, that threshold includes the price, shipping costs and any insurance. That is the TOTAL price of the package.

EDIT: The easy way around this, if its not DHLs fault, or if TFS express messed up the declaration forms somehow, is to provide screen shots to DHL about the purchase. Whatever receipts you have through mail, TFS account or even paypal/credit card. To my experience this is also a legal way to do it and indisputable.

 

They are under no obligation to understand your country's import/export laws other than they're not sending any obviously illicit substances, it's between your country and the courier chosen all the fees that happen after they send the shipment. And by that shipment cost from China, you obviously opted for some kind of upgraded shipping service through DHL, like 2 day or something like that, so it's not surprising to me that you're eligible for more fees, or if your address is a weird one to ship to that can cause fees also. Just ask any EU person who has to deal with import taxes on basically everything, and then VAT, and then everything else...the seller doesn't have to warn you about that, it's your own responsibility to know what you are on the hook for.

 

You are lucky you don’t live in the U.K.
Where it’s £20 limit or some such crap
Anything from bigbadtoystore costs me a fortune at this end on top of the heavy shipping costs, but occasionally it’s the only place to get something
Last customs fees to get a bigbadtoystore item from U.K. customs was about £85 including a handling fee..

I ordered from Tfs-express mp-44 no problems in the U.K. and others, I don’t think it will be Tfs-express fault

 

If I have it straight, TFS-Express apparently declared the shipment in question incorrectly, causing duties and fees to be collected for the shipment in question to USA. TFS-Express refused to accept the responsibility for the incorrect declaration while DHL claims that TFS-Express made the declaration that resulted in the duties and fees.

If that's correct, I wouldn't say TFS-Express is trying to scam (since they don't benefit from this, I don't see the point of them doing it on purpose), but they should take responsibility on those additional duties and fees. This will make me think twice about ordering from them in the future. Or at the very least avoid the DHL shipping option from them.

 

Wait a sec then

So if you guys don't have to pay import taxes or duties up to 800 dollars how's this guy having to pay then? i dont get it at all
so have tfexpress declared it as more than 800 dollars then? then that's there fault i dont see why this guy should have to pay for there mistake? that's a huge mistake to

I was kinda on the side of tfexpress here, but i'd read that it's true you can recive up to 800 dollars of goods before tax, so why it he having to pay?
Unless this is some sort of scam by dhl to falsey mark up the value of a parcel, if that can even be done, or tfexpress as marked it over 800 dollars which is there error and why should the buyer be made to pay for there mistake

I really cannot belive that you guys get 800 dollars grace, that shit is fucking insane compared to 22 quid here which is fucking a joke

 

I'm just here for the spectacle. Keep going guys.

 

It's quite simple. DHL is claiming that TFS-Express erroneously declared the package as a commercial package which follows different rules and is subject to a more complex customs procedure. In this case, we don't know whether the original poster would be asked to pay anything extra for customs or not, but DHL is asking him to pay their brokerage fee in advance so they can start the customs procedure in the first place.

What I initially advised is to make sure they are aware this is not a commercial package but is intended for personal use. I recently had to go through the same fucking thing with Fedex in my country, and what I had to do is obtain a new invoice from the seller which explicitly stated that the package was for personal use and it had to contain the keyword phrase "DAP parity" somewhere on there. I solved it by opening the original PDF invoice in an editor, adding those things, and then re-sending it to Fedex after which they immediately released my package and I did not have to pay anything.

 

Basically this. TFSuckers-Express messed up the customs paperwork and caused DHL to treat it as a commercial import package. Thereby causing more unnecessary brokerage fees, more paperwork, inspections of contents, and other stuff to take place. Completely their fault, not DHL.

When I emailed TFSuckers-Express they blamed DHL, even though it was clearly their fault, TFSuckers-Express refused to help me or even contact DHL to clear up the error. They shipped the package, they picked DHL (there was no other shipping option on their website)... and basically told me to get lost and eat the extra $85USD fee due to their malfeasance.

TFSuckers-Express was clearly in the wrong, did not care about helping me after getting paid, and refused to clear up the problem they created with DHL. Then they edited their website after I made this post here on TFW2005 to cover their @$$es. Caveat emptor. It's all fun and games until it happens to you.

 

If that is the case, you still have the paper work of the purchase to prove them wrong to DHL and clear the issue. There is no extra charge cleared till you present your paperwork. All DHL has at the moment is a declaration from the seller, which as far as any (them included) customs authority is concerned is ballocks. You can still provide receipts,creditcard/paypal statements and be done with it. TFS doesnt still play a role in this (though its a dick move on their part).