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

[drussell]

Interestingly, currently most of FedEx' offerings do specifically state that they include complementary basic customs clearance, but maybe that is just because I'm looking at it on the .ca site, so they're only talking about shipping it out?  I honestly don't know.  They used to very specifically state that it was included on the highest service level or two, now in my cursory glance the other day it seems to always say included.  Very strange.

[KaneTW]

As I mentioned above, 100% of the time I have had success getting FEDEX to waive their charge by sending them the template email I posted. The import duty is still required to be paid, but you can avoid a disproportionate charge on low value items.

It's not clear if they invoiced you before or after delivery happened. If it's before, nothing stops them from telling you to sod off and not deliver anything.

They always invoice after delivery.

[wraper]

They always invoice after delivery.

Neither Fedex, DHL or any other does it where I live. Nor they do anything with customs clearance before contacting recipient, even if it's a company they have a contract with.

[Microdoser]

Quote from: wraper on Today at 01:19:01 pm>Quote from: Microdoser on Today at 12:35:02 pm

As I mentioned above, 100% of the time I have had success getting FEDEX to waive their charge by sending them the template email I posted. The import duty is still required to be paid, but you can avoid a disproportionate charge on low value items.

It's not clear if they invoiced you before or after delivery happened. If it's before, nothing stops them from telling you to sod off and not deliver anything

It was a while ago, I think they deliver then invoice you.
Like I say, this may only apply to the UK.
YMMV

[themadhippy]

look on the bright side,from jan 1st the uk will have a whole host of new rules,costs and confusion to look forward to when importing or exporting goods

[Siwastaja]

DHL for example used to invoice after delivery many years ago, but they probably got quite many replies in lines of "I'm not gonna pay for this bill, I have no contract with you, please sue me and show the court our contract", they soon realized it's better for their business to hold the packages hostage until 40EUR for automated one-minute job has been sucked out of the customer. At the same time, they came up with the idea that you can also do that one-minute job yourself and still pay 40EUR.

Oh boy they were widely hated after these changes.

Before that day, everybody totally loved DHL and FedEx because brokerage was free-of-charge and UPS was the only one billing for 20EUR for the job. But it changed so suddenly.

[thinkfat]

DHL require a contract with you before they do customs clearance on your behalf. Duties, taxes plus their service fee will be collected by them at point of delivery, your door. I actually sent their delivery driver away recently because he tried to collect cash. I afterwards had a quite unpleasant conversation with the help desk who only eventually, after a lot of complaining on my side showed me a web site that allowed me to pay online.

[wraper]

DHL require a contract with you before they do customs clearance on your behalf. Duties, taxes plus their service fee will be collected by them at point of delivery, your door. I actually sent their delivery driver away recently because he tried to collect cash. I afterwards had a quite unpleasant conversation with the help desk who only eventually, after a lot of complaining on my side showed me a web site that allowed me to pay online.

In Latvia by law only state owned Latvia Post is allowed to do clearance by themselves. Any other customs broker needs a signed authorization to act on behalf of recipient and upload its scan/photo into the customs system. Thus it's simply impossible for them to act behind your back. And since a few years ago any individual can do clearance online, so their service became pretty much redundant for any individual customer with internet and a little bit of brain. But effing DHL charges me EUR 12+ VAT even when I do clearance for my corporate shipments myself, for a favor of providing me required documents, and calling it "administrative service" (they don't charge individuals for that). The funny part is they forgot to charge me that when I made clearance myself for the first time. The second time they asked who will pay for that, and charged me for the previous shipment as well.  So fuck you DHL, now I avoid using them when possible and use FedEx instead, even if it's a bit more expensive.

[exe]

I wonder if one day a big Asian delivery service decides to expand in Europe and take a bite of dhl market share in delivery.

BTW, the process doesn't need to be that complex, I think. How it worked for me in the Netherlands: I paid +21% on top of value declared on the parcel plus 7euro "processing fee". Then I was let to take the parcel from the collection point.

[ve7xen]

"Customs clearance is included with every FedEx Express international shipment, "
https://www.fedex.com/en-ca/shipping-services/service-options/international-broker-select.html

Daveismissing and the group,

I would be careful with this option. Fedex will clear the packages through customs, by providing brokerage services, but there is a reasonable charge for them doing this. On low value shipments, this charge seems disproportionate to the value of the shipment and the taxes collected. There is very little info on the Fedex website regarding these brokerage charges. I wouldn't be surprised if brokerage charges are a big profit center for Fedex.

The only safe way, is if they says 'DDP'.

Digikey, when you order from Digikey.ca, ships DDP from their warehouse in the USA. They have worked out a special rate with Fedex. They do it right.

I am just about to order from JLCPCB for the first time. I am ordering multiple boards and I will use the DDP option.

Regards,
Jay_Diddy_B

FedEx services on the FedEx Express 'network' (which includes International Priority) include the brokerage and its fee. You will be billed COD for any tax/duty that is due as well as at least the Disbursement Fee (min $10, 2.5% of owed tax/duties) for lending you the money. Be careful if your order has a lot of line items. I find this is usually cheaper and much more likely to be available than a DDP service, but you do take on a bit more risk. All of the fees are outlined here: https://www.fedex.com/en-ca/ancillary-clearance-service.html

You must still be very careful though as there are other FedEx services that don't include this, and it's not always clear in the shipping options exactly which service is meant or whether it is FedEx Express or not. I have also had shippers claim they will use one service, and substitute a different one that then charges. UPS and DHL are both pretty bad with the fees, FedEx isn't too bad as long as it's an Express service. It's very frustrating how opaque they make this though, I also think that while assessing the duty/tax in every situation is unreasonable to expect, they should know the declared value up front, and thus should be able to include most of the 'fees' up front too.

The safest option is either a DDP service or something that is delivered by the regular mail (e.g. ePacket). At least in Canada, Canada Post usually doesn't bother to charge the taxes at all, and when they do, the fees are reasonable.

Only DHL has ever tried to collect anything from me on an exempt shipment (<$20 CAD, except from NAFTA countries <$40 CAD).

[Alex Eisenhut]

I wonder if you can invoice UPS or FEDEX or whoever for a "handling fee" to pay their invoice?

[Microdoser]

I wonder if you can invoice UPS or FEDEX or whoever for a "handling fee" to pay their invoice?

Reminds me of a scam I heard about years ago where a person would make up a legitimate-sounding business and then send an invoice to a large company where the only item on the invoice was for billing.

The idea was that larger companies would just rubber-stamp an invoice that looked legitimate under some set amount.

[Terry Bites]

DHL Woes
God I hate them interfering in my TAX. Fair enough if I'm importing materials for commercial purposes but for my own meager private projects, nah. Some PCB houses in the far east will label your box as gift on the customs label (I've heard).

DHL are also incredibly unhelpful in giving you information that helps you claim back duty. Boycott!

[JohnnyMalaria]

Perhaps someone can shed some light on this - it's the shipment tracking information for a JLCPCB order that's on its way. It replaces an identical order that was sent DHL but never arrived even though DHL claim to have delivered it.

Note the reason for shipment: "Temporary export other,"

The package has cleared US customs and, as far as I know, it will be delivered without me having to pay anything extra.

[thinkfat]

I'm nowadays exclusively using the DDP option when ordering from jlcpcb. I'm sick of the hassle with DHL and their dysfunctional tax and customs handling.

[Microdoser]

I'm nowadays exclusively using the DDP option when ordering from jlcpcb. I'm sick of the hassle with DHL and their dysfunctional tax and customs handling.

Same here. As far as I can tell it costs less than paying later and you don't get unwanted delays to your boards.

[ricard2k]

I use DHL customs clearance as I use this boards for work. Usually I buy them with SMD mounting, and I don't want deal with Customs.
The service is not cheap, true. But it is not too different from UPS or other carriers.
About the concerns of the use of your personal data. I don't understand... This is the required data from customs.