Have I been had by DHL?

[tonray]

6 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

 

Wireless air mouse remotes

They may be confused and looking for the wires

[ianf]

In my experience DHL in Thailand stinks. I've had many problems: Shipment from Taiwan of cycle clothing for my Thai wife where the DHL shipping charges, handling charges, extra charges, VAT, inmport duty ended up being more than the value of the items. I refused the shipment and it eventually got back to Taiwan and I had a refund. Condor Cycles sent me a new frame from London as a replacement for an old frame that had been damaged. I have been with Condor for years so I get a good discount. DHL added the discount back on, added the British VAT back on, charged me for handling the item, 7% VAT on all the charges including the British VAT and shipping etc, plus customs duty at 33% on the whole lot all meant in the end that I was supposed to pay them far more than I had paid Condor for the frame. Eventually they relented (I think pressure from the London DHL office) but I still ended up paying 5000 baht more than if they had applied the correct charges. This has happened a few times. In eight years it has never happened with shipments sent via EMS/Post Office.Each time I have to pay EMS charges they are fair, reasonable and acceptable. It makes me ask the question: What exactly is the relationship and deal between DHL and it's embedded customs officers. Their bat does not seem to be straight! So my advice: Avoid DHL like the plague - easier said than done because some suppliers only use DHL.

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, Jeffrey346 said:

 

Customs has been scrutinizing every package lately.

 

HiMedia sent me a Q10 for evaluation via DHL. DHL called me and said they wanted 3000 baht. They said customs valued the TV Box at 6000 THB and charged 1000B penalty for undervaluing the item.

I told DHL that there is no duty on a TV box  and I did not value the item, the sender did.

I was told they still wanted 2000 THB for customs and VAT + the 1000 THB penalty.

I told them to send the item back to the sender.

I contacted HiMedia and they sent another Q10 via the post. Customs charged me 580 THB for the second unit.

I was sent a Zidoo X9S which is cheaper than the Q10. It was sent via the post and was charged 728 THB

 

I received 2 Minix wireless keyboards they went right through. No duty no VAT.

I have a Z28 in route. This is a 2000 THB unit that should arrive tomorrow.  I am waiting to see what customs will do with this one.

 

Bottomline, I think customs is looking at every package that has a falang name on it.

Your last sentence coukd be an urban myth,but we will never know.That's why the missus name goes on it,no probs so far.

[ianf]

28 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Your last sentence coukd be an urban myth,but we will never know.That's why the missus name goes on it,no probs so far.

Actually you may be correct. When we ordered in the wife's maiden name we did not face such punative charges.

[thedemon]

From my ebay & Aliexpress purchase history I estimate that I have had about 300 items sent through the post from China/HK and only 1 has been stopped for tax collection. That one had declared value of USD50 which is above the de minimus value in Thailand.

 

All have been addressed to my English sounding name so my experience so far is that the receivers name (Thai or foreign) doesn't make any difference.

[louse1953]

5 hours ago, bubba said:

Really sorry that your shipment came by DHL. We do a lot of small shipments of electronics from USA and UK, but mostly from USA. From my experience over the past couple of years, I can tell you that DHL is almost always a complete and total pain the backside when it comes to their clearance procedures.

Just last week, I ordered something from USA, for our business and to our business address. I ended up paying the all-in charge for shipping and clearance services, including duties. This is the Global Shipping Service that Suradit mentioned above. Unfortunately, some shippers require this, but I didn't find it to be much more expensive that shipping + duties and VAT.

 

After arriving at BKK, we had to send two different stacks of paperwork over to DHL and they even wanted my original passport, which of course I refused to send to them as they said they needed it for two days! They also mentioned additional fees, although I had a receipt from the vendor and the global shipping service clearly stating that all fees were prepaid. One week and about fifty pieces of signed paper later, they delivered.  This is not the first time we have had major bureaucratic delays with DHL.

With Fedex for exactly the same type and value of product, we receive a notification by email, sign one piece of paper and email it back and our package is delivered the next day. That also states the amount of duty and VAT. If we need to pay those, their delivery person collects it we have our package.

 

Maybe I have just had bad luck with DHL, but I always avoid them if at all possible. 

I admit i don't know much about this but can you inform your suppliers that if DHL are used you will not accept the goods.Get DHL on some sort of blacklist.

[ableguy]

10 hours ago, shady86 said:

These are normal and most probably you will need to pay import duties applicable. Thai customs are quite strict and they do random checks of all items incoming regardless or size and value.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

They will also shaft you for unexplained charges ashas happnedto me. They are as corrupt as the bib and immigration. Pay the money and forget about it.

[The Dark Lord]

10 hours ago, Crossy said:

DHL do their own clearance, so it's possible there's been an adhoc exam as noted in your first image under "Next Steps".

 

Unless they start demanding $$$ then you should be ok (that doesn't mean there will be no duty / VAT).

 

What's in the package?

 

EDIT for next time avoid the couriers, particularly on low value items, regular (registered / tracked) post works very well and most packages avoid duty.

Sorry Crosby old bean but my experience using Thai Post to send sensitive documents from Khorat to Singapore by registered delivery was dreadful.

 

Not only did each article take in excess of 18 days to get delivered ( backing up my exasperated claim that I could walk there faster) but six registered delivery letters were not signed for and one containing full details of my bank accounts and addresses went missing.

 

thai posts best ( and only) response remains four months after their first fail " the matter has been passed to an investigation officer. If he replies we will let you know"

 

so so I strongly recommend avoiding that little scam.

[abab]

11 hours ago, shady86 said:

These are normal and most probably you will need to pay import duties applicable. Thai customs are quite strict and they do random checks of all items incoming regardless or size and value.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

 

Wrong ! it's courier companies as DHL or Fedex that do the customs clearance on behalf of customs and ask customers to pay.

 

Why do you think that they are allowed to bring parcel quicker all over the world ? The only reason is the revenue that they AUTOMATICALLY bring to customs !

 

And yes, the OP will pay FOR SURE, and he deserves it, as I cannot imagine anyone not knowing that DHL must be avoided mike plague.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[abab]

7 hours ago, Inepto Cracy said:

My two setangs worth, it is not the fault of the courier services, but Customs. They are getting very strict now because so many people in the past have been declaring false values to everything in order to pay less or no tax.

Anything marked as a Gift is still subject to have a declared monetary value on it. If not, the parcel and your name gets flagged, so even in the future, anything coming in, in your name will be pulled aside for an inspection.

How do I know this, I have had many run ins with customs and being polite and truthful normally helps in the long run.

I went to see the customs folks at Phuket and I fully understand their concerns now and my articles, big or small are delivered to my door and I just pay the customs duty requested.

EMS or other postage means without a tracking number , stands a very chance of not arriving here at all, especially post from Royal Mail.

Hope you get your wireless mice.

 

 

Totally wrong.

As if customs or anybody from post office would look at what is written on the form !

Only courriers companies do it, because if they do not bring enough revenue they could be band from the country !

So easy and clear to understand.

 

"EMS or other postage means without a tracking number%  REALLY ? you really have no idea about what you talk about ?!

 

 

[IamNoone88]

You need to find the HS code or Harmonised Shipping code for the item. Go online and find it. It is the code used for every product and if have that, you have the duty rates - which may be zero rated on computer accessories such as these. You can then speak on equal terms with DHL and Customs. At the moment you are general clearance. However, if you have under declared the value significantly you take your chances. Go find the codes and appropriate description and duty rates and then you are informed. 

[Jeffrey346]

8 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

You need to find the HS code or Harmonised Shipping code for the item. Go online and find it. It is the code used for every product and if have that, you have the duty rates - which may be zero rated on computer accessories such as these. You can then speak on equal terms with DHL and Customs. At the moment you are general clearance. However, if you have under declared the value significantly you take your chances. Go find the codes and appropriate description and duty rates and then you are informed. 

I provided the HS code for Android TV Boxes which are duty free. Customs couldn't care less and rejected my code and used some other code that has a 10% duty charge + VAT

[varun]

A simple fact of the matter is that the assessed value (by the customs officer)

will get precedence over the declared value by the sender.

 

This is exacerbated further in Thailand where cross-border customs practices are scrupulous at best.

 

12 hours ago, louse1953 said:

I contacted HiMedia and they sent another Q10 via the post. Customs charged me 580 THB for the second unit.

I was sent a Zidoo X9S which is cheaper than the Q10. It was sent via the post and was charged 728 THB

 

As you can see the value assessment isn't really based on any logical framework.

What goes on in Somchai's head while he is making the assessment is anyone's guess.

[Langsuan Man]

23 minutes ago, varun said:

What goes on in Somchai's head while he is making the assessment is anyone's guess.

No guessing from me, the amount is decided by how much he needs or can get away with while he is making the assessment 

[Grumpy Duck]

21 hours ago, bubba said:

Really sorry that your shipment came by DHL. We do a lot of small shipments of electronics from USA and UK, but mostly from USA. From my experience over the past couple of years, I can tell you that DHL is almost always a complete and total pain the backside when it comes to their clearance procedures.

Just last week, I ordered something from USA, for our business and to our business address. I ended up paying the all-in charge for shipping and clearance services, including duties. This is the Global Shipping Service that Suradit mentioned above. Unfortunately, some shippers require this, but I didn't find it to be much more expensive that shipping + duties and VAT.

 

After arriving at BKK, we had to send two different stacks of paperwork over to DHL and they even wanted my original passport, which of course I refused to send to them as they said they needed it for two days! They also mentioned additional fees, although I had a receipt from the vendor and the global shipping service clearly stating that all fees were prepaid. One week and about fifty pieces of signed paper later, they delivered.  This is not the first time we have had major bureaucratic delays with DHL.

With Fedex for exactly the same type and value of product, we receive a notification by email, sign one piece of paper and email it back and our package is delivered the next day. That also states the amount of duty and VAT. If we need to pay those, their delivery person collects it we have our package.

 

Maybe I have just had bad luck with DHL, but I always avoid them if at all possible. 

With me it was just the opposite. A year ago I lost my bank card, citibank replaced it using Fed Ex overnight. After 8 days Fed Ex delivered a notice that they could not locate my address. (Note; they delivered the notice to the address on the envelope they could not locate) it took 11 days to finally receive the package. A month ago I lost the card again, Citibank used DHL the card was sent on a Thursday I received it on the following Monday morning. 

[JacChang]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 5:05 PM, ThaiWai said:

I investigated these service before and found them outrageously priced and just followed your link to run some numbers.  Not cheap.  Side story:

I had a family member box a few pet toys up and ask the US Post Office for a quote....wait for it..... $350 USD.  I had the same box given to a friend who used her mailroom which uses UPS...$40.  God only knows how the post office is in business ass raping like that.

Yea, me too. I considered using these services as well, it ranges from 40-70 dollars just for a simple shipment. How many people claimed it to be better amazes me. Businesses however do get special deals with their couriers if they make the minimum amount of quota each month. For example, if you will be shipping 2,000 packages per month, the cost per shipment is usually around 4 dollars or less if in the 2kgs category. That pricing we could never get as an individual, ours always start from 25+usd. I regularly buy from iherb, and post office is definitely the way to go, no hassles. FedEx and DHL requires you to email or fax them documents and signatures, a lot of fuss.

4 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

With me it was just the opposite. A year ago I lost my bank card, citibank replaced it using Fed Ex overnight. After 8 days Fed Ex delivered a notice that they could not locate my address. (Note; they delivered the notice to the address on the envelope they could not locate) it took 11 days to finally receive the package. A month ago I lost the card again, Citibank used DHL the card was sent on a Thursday I received it on the following Monday morning. 

You keep losing your credit card, the mailman keeps losing your mail. Same same. haha sorry :)

[janclaes47]

Today I got another message that after 3 full days they still haven't made up their mind how much they gonna rip me off.

 

I called and they told me that the storages is 100 Bht/day, so that's easy money to make with delaying, but I doubt the sender's gonna pay them anything as that is the direction the package will go.

[janclaes47]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:17 PM, abab said:

 

 

 

And yes, the OP will pay FOR SURE, and he deserves it, as I cannot imagine anyone not knowing that DHL must be avoided mike plague.

 

 Who said DHL was in bed with the customs? For sure can't be me

 

EVENT CATEGORY
21 Apr 17 5:50 PM - Customs status updated - BANGKOK,THAILAND

Further Details - Shipment has been given a release by Customs.

 

Confirmed already that there will be no fees or taxes.

[thaipod]

I'm just having a issue with DHL where I ordered products from a company in Germany on the 27th of March and explained due to Songkran approaching please process it quick as possible, so they used DHL and still have not received it. They normally use a forwarding company which takes 7 day's and we get notified by a company to pickup from customs which we use an agent which is cleared and delivered the next day .

 

Now using the tracking number it shows it has arrived in Thailand Post on April 11 and processed and have called DHL and they say Thailand post is contracted to process the goods and Thai post will give no info and keep telling us we have to wait. This has become very frustrating and now I have had to stop  orders and keep apologizing to customers due this holdup and now have customers paid up front asking for refunds.

[janclaes47]

9 minutes ago, thaipod said:

I'm just having a issue with DHL where I ordered products from a company in Germany on the 27th of March and explained due to Songkran approaching please process it quick as possible, so they used DHL and still have not received it. They normally use a forwarding company which takes 7 day's and we get notified by a company to pickup from customs which we use an agent which is cleared and delivered the next day .

 

Now using the tracking number it shows it has arrived in Thailand Post on April 11 and processed and have called DHL and they say Thailand post is contracted to process the goods and Thai post will give no info and keep telling us we have to wait. This has become very frustrating and now I have had to stop  orders and keep apologizing to customers due this holdup and now have customers paid up front asking for refunds.

 

Seems your sender in Germany has messed up, because it wasn't sent by DHL, otherwise it could never end up at Thailand post.

[Crossy]

Just now, janclaes47 said:

Seems your sender in Germany has messed up, because it wasn't sent by DHL, otherwise it could never end up at Thailand post.

 

I seem to recall someone mentioning that DHL in Germany is actually EMS post, never really understood that.

 

But yes, stuff I've received by via DHL here has come in a truck marked DHL. Note, we are in greater Bangkok, it's possible they use Thai Post in the remote areas.

[CharlieH]

DHL is the National Post Office for Germany.

[bubba]

DHL offer two different services.

 

Their Global Mail service is a cheaper service that utilises Thai Post. 

DHL Express is the one that provides door to door delivery via DHL couriers, but if you live upcountry, they will hand it over to Thai Post EMS.

 

Either way, I avoid DHL if at all possible.

[janclaes47]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

I seem to recall someone mentioning that DHL in Germany is actually EMS post, never really understood that.

 

But yes, stuff I've received by via DHL here has come in a truck marked DHL. Note, we are in greater Bangkok, it's possible they use Thai Post in the remote areas.

DHL is owned by Deutsche Post, doesn't mean it is the German post service.

 

He would be able to see from the tracking number if it was sent by DHL or Deutsche Post. DHL tracking has only numbers, while post parcels have 2 letters ate front and end of tracking number

 

 

[bubba]

DHL Global Mail has a DHL tracking number; however, once it reaches Thailand all they can tell you is that it was handed over to Thai Post. I know this once from experience, when I didn't receive the parcel for more than a week after DHL tracking stated they had handed it over to Thai Post.

[abab]

12 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

I seem to recall someone mentioning that DHL in Germany is actually EMS post, never really understood that.

 

But yes, stuff I've received by via DHL here has come in a truck marked DHL. Note, we are in greater Bangkok, it's possible they use Thai Post in the remote areas.

 

 

DHL delivers in Germany parcels that you send from Thailand by using EMS.

 

French post also has a special service for EMS parcels called Chronopost.

 

 

 

 

[wayned]

15 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

I seem to recall someone mentioning that DHL in Germany is actually EMS post, never really understood that.

 

But yes, stuff I've received by via DHL here has come in a truck marked DHL. Note, we are in greater Bangkok, it's possible they use Thai Post in the remote areas.

I live in a remote area of Nakhon Sawan Province.  The last package that was sent from the US via DHL, even though I requested USPS, was delivered by the motorcycle noodle vendor that comes to our Village everyday.  It was delivered after DHL had declared that it was "lost somewhere in there system in Thailand".  The noodle vendor's husband is a driver for a Thai "fly by night" delivery service. 

 

I ship a lot of farm equipment and repair parts and never use couriers.  I also never use the eBay Global Mail Service, if I can help it as they are all a rip offs. The international mail services in the country of origin are the best if the package qualifies.  Otherwise I normally ship by sea, either consolidated or a full container.  I use  an International Logistics company to coordinate the whole process on both end s including customs clearance and delivery here.  They have their own customs department.

 

Unfortunately I now have a small package from eBay, worth about 8 GBP that is being sent by their Global mail service.  I  didn't realize it at the time that I ordered.  I just can't wait to see what happens.  The supplier shipped it to them on 18/4.  If they had shipped it Royall Mail International Tracked, which is what I thought I paid for, I expect that it would be here next week with no duty applied since it is less than 1000 baht.

[baneko]

DHL offer two different services.
 
Their Global Mail service is a cheaper service that utilises Thai Post. 

DHL Express is the one that provides door to door delivery via DHL couriers, but if you live upcountry, they will hand it over to Thai Post EMS.
 
Either way, I avoid DHL if at all possible.

DHL second to none....passport and docs from my village to Luanda on several occasions and back. No problems. Docs from UK to Thailand. Not a problem. Germans tend to do a lot of things right.

[bubba]

Seems you were lucky, compared to others of us who have experienced nothing but headaches with DHL's delivery and customs clearance services in Thailand.

[wayned]

I agree that DHL is useless, read post 57.

 

An update on my first , AND LAST, shipment by Ebay GPS.  They sent me an email yesterday with a big SUCCESS on it.  Your package has been delivered.   Maybe it was, but not to me.  The email was one that you could not respond to so I went through their website and complained.  I got another email from them, no response allowed,  stating that I needed to wait a while for the seller to straighten it out.  The seller delivered to GPS and GPS is ebay so I responded as such again though their website..  This morning I got an email, again no response allowed, from a real person apologizing for the problem and stating that they would check by contacting the agent here.  He also said that I should ask for a refund but that their system would not allow me to do that until after the end of the delivery window that was May 3.  I respond again through their website terminating the email  that IMHO the only resolution to the problem was euthanasia of the entire GPS staff and have yet to hear back.

 

IMHO the only reliable service from either the UK or the US is the postal system!  I'm sure others will disagree!