Bad experience with JLCPCB and DHL – things you should know before ordering PCBs

[Warhawk]

Just to finish the loop...
JLC really changed the shipping option for me. I asked for the "PostLink DE" option. The package has arrived in 6-7 working days.
To my surprise, it was re-sent from Grolsheim in Germany. The original package went there and then somebody sent it to me.
For this reason, no surprises in a form of additional charges .

I am happy with the quality and the cost.

[thinkfat]

Talking about DHL delivering to Germany only - the extra fee only applies if the total price of the shipment (goods and delivery) exceeds a certain amount, I think it's 25€ or thereabouts. Above this, you're required to pay import VAT and potentially customs duties for certain goods. If you let DHL handle it, they apply a quite hefty fee for laying out the money on your behalf and for collecting it at your doorstep on delivery.

If you stay below the magic amount, there is no fee to be paid. I used PostlinkDE for delivering PCBs from JLCPCB, too, but while no single packet has yet been lost, delivery times vary a great deal. Sometimes quick (e.g. two weeks) but sometimes it can take a month as well. For the last few prototypes I therefore opted for DHL shipping and it was always fast and reasonably priced.

[chevell69]

I think if did some looking into the broker fees and stuff you would not  be upset it understable if u live out side of chinna that there is going be fees to inport in to ur country 

[electronus]

Got an order with 6USD merchandize and total 20USD with DHL delivery.
Paid 21CAD on COD.
Then figured out, that's DHL took 20USD for Value for duty, but accroding to CBSA they shouldn't do that, since shipping cost should be not included to Value for Duty.
Called DHL and explained the situation, they gave me an email address where I should write a request to get that 21CAD COD refunded back. 

[SiliconWizard]

Then figured out, that's DHL took 20USD for Value for duty, but accroding to CBSA they shouldn't do that, since shipping cost should be not included to Value for Duty.

Yeah this is an issue that many of us have already noticed (and run into).
If you can get an answer, and better yet, a refund, please report back.

[thinkfat]

Then figured out, that's DHL took 20USD for Value for duty, but accroding to CBSA they shouldn't do that, since shipping cost should be not included to Value for Duty.

Yeah this is an issue that many of us have already noticed (and run into).
If you can get an answer, and better yet, a refund, please report back.

German regulations are that shipping cost is to be included in value for duty :-( So at least for me, I don't have any option to have that refunded.

[sotos]

Same here in Greece. They rip us out.

[SiliconWizard]

Then figured out, that's DHL took 20USD for Value for duty, but accroding to CBSA they shouldn't do that, since shipping cost should be not included to Value for Duty.

Yeah this is an issue that many of us have already noticed (and run into).
If you can get an answer, and better yet, a refund, please report back.

German regulations are that shipping cost is to be included in value for duty :-( So at least for me, I don't have any option to have that refunded.

Oh. I'll have to check that for over here, that may be the same actually... which would explain the thing, but I think UPS for instance doesn't do the same? (Again for over here in France...)
And postal services definitely don't, at least last time I checked.

[thinkfat]

I wonder, if I had a DHL account and let JLCPCB use it (there's an option to input one in the shipping dialog), DHL would bill me directly for the shipping and it would not show up on the JLCPCB invoice? That would definitely reduce cost. Hm....

[SiliconWizard]

I wonder, if I had a DHL account and let JLCPCB use it (there's an option to input one in the shipping dialog), DHL would bill me directly for the shipping and it would not show up on the JLCPCB invoice? That would definitely reduce cost. Hm....

Oh, maybe yeah.

[wraper]

I wonder, if I had a DHL account and let JLCPCB use it (there's an option to input one in the shipping dialog), DHL would bill me directly for the shipping and it would not show up on the JLCPCB invoice? That would definitely reduce cost. Hm....

First of all you unlikely to have rates as low. Secondly you'll pay VAT on shipping to begin with. Oh, and DHL likes to add "statistic value" of shipping cost.

[wraper]

Then figured out, that's DHL took 20USD for Value for duty, but accroding to CBSA they shouldn't do that, since shipping cost should be not included to Value for Duty.

Yeah this is an issue that many of us have already noticed (and run into).
If you can get an answer, and better yet, a refund, please report back.

German regulations are that shipping cost is to be included in value for duty :-( So at least for me, I don't have any option to have that refunded.

Shipping cost is not included into maximum goods cost free of customs clearance. But not free of VAT as such.  You have max limit of EUR 22. Say if goods cost EUR 20 + you have shipping cost of EUR 30, you don't need to pay anything. But if goods cost EUR 25 + EUR 5 shipping, you need customs clearance and pay VAT for both.

[Zoli]

Last August same happend to me: DHL ding'd me for ~25 CAD for an order of 18.xx CAD+shipping. I've filed out a complain on DHL's online portal(sorry, don't remember exactly where, but it would be easy to find), and attached a copy of the invoice. One month later I've recevied an e-mail, with contact info, phone # included, which I've used to receive the refund.
As side note, before submittind my complaint to DHL, I've contacted JLCPCB via e-mail, and during that conversation they mentioned that is a possibility to get 2(two) invoices for an order, with separate invoice for shipping, which invoice won't be submitted to the courier; the courier will get only the invoice for the PCB's.

[electronus]

If you can get an answer, and better yet, a refund, please report back.

Got an answer in a few hours, got refunded within 4 days. e-mail is: codhold_ca at dhl.com I guess it is specific for Canada 

[SiliconWizard]

If you can get an answer, and better yet, a refund, please report back.

Got an answer in a few hours, got refunded within 4 days. e-mail is: codhold_ca at dhl.com I guess it is specific for Canada 

Thanks.
So yeah it's likely that it depends on the country and local regulations.

But in your case (Canada), that basically means (it's certainly not an isolated case) that if you don't ask for a refund, you just get silently ripped off.
Good job DHL.

[electronus]

But in your case (Canada), that basically means (it's certainly not an isolated case) that if you don't ask for a refund, you just get silently ripped off.

Yeah, that's true. But in my case I ripped them, since they refunded to me a full amount, and they already paid to the State $4.7 of taxes 
I advised my friend, who was paying that duty all the times, he'll pull commercial invoices from JLC orders and will try to get refunds as well...

[SiliconWizard]

But in your case (Canada), that basically means (it's certainly not an isolated case) that if you don't ask for a refund, you just get silently ripped off.

Yeah, that's true. But in my case I ripped them, since they refunded to me a full amount, and they already paid to the State $4.7 of taxes 

That would almost look as though they didn't know what they were doing.

[Zoli]

That would almost look as though they didn't know what they were doing.

Considering that the JLCPCB invoice clearly states: sub-total and freight cost close to the end, I would like to ask the clerk responsable for this mess, if s/he does the same with the personal invoices(not reading to the end) ? 

[electronus]

Wording in invoice from their site differs from a paper invoice enclosed to the package. And paper versions says at the bottom: Total Value  Which includes shipping. So DHL clerk just pulls this number and initiates whole process  for nothing
Looks like I will contact them with a request to change Total Value to Grand Total, or just Total....

[Zoli]

Sorry for the late repply:
I never received paper invoice from JLCPCB(which I consider a pozitive pennypinching), lonly some self-promoting materials, more or less useful :

[emsnickw]

Trust but verify. The second you stop checking you will get screwed. So many companies nickel and dime you in hopes you either don't notice or can't be bothered to do something about it. Good for you. 

[Zoli]

JLCPCB now offers DDP(Delivery Duty Paid) with DHL express shipping; I estimate it in the 5-10 USD handling + government cut ballpark, so it's way cheaper then DHL's robbery.
I've placed an order with DDP(it was under the 20CAD limit, so it's not really relevant; I've added DDP to support it as positive initiative), and it arrived without any problems.

[aerobaticant]

It's not JLC's fault, but how DHL work. I ordered some fully assembled boards (QFN packages, components both sides) from PCBWay. The total order was about $250 and so I got hit with a big DHL bill (about £60). It looked as if they even charge VAT on the VAT they collect, plus the $15 fee for collecting the fees!

I've had a few of smallish orders from JLC without issues.

My latest, larger, order is about to ship. 100 boards (80 x 50 mm) plus DDP DHL express shipping for just over $100 all in.  The shipping is considerably more than the cost of the boards and is listed separately on the invoice. I'm still amazed that this works out at about 85p per board. I couldn't buy bare double sided copper clad board here in the UK for that price.

We shall see what happens!

[logiclrd]

I just placed my first ever order with JLCPCB. I'm in Canada, so the $5 USD cost of the order was converted to $6.25 CAD. In the past, when ordering things with FedEx, my experience has been that they just dump the item at your doorstep, then they wait 3 weeks and mail you an invoice for their brokerage service, which has a $50+ base fee. So, I never use FedEx if I can avoid it. I picked DHL Express, which cost $19 shipping for my $6 order. The package is now in the country, and DHL have just sent me an invoice for an additional $20 to get it through customs. Surely at $6.25 CAD, this order doesn't even have any customs to be paid. DHL is wanting to be paid over $40 in order to deliver a tiny box with 10 small PCBs valued at $6. Not impressed. If I want to self-clear, I need to deliver documentation by hand and pick up the item from their depot, both of which are near the airport, a half hour drive away. Waiting to hear back if they'll let me do that at this point. :-/

[exe]

That's why I'm very happy that they have "Royal Mail & Austrian Post". Last order (two months ago, components from lcsc) was delivered in less than week without any troubles.