eBay

arkh_angel · ‎06-11-2025

About a month ago an USA customer who bought a drum for its printer (for 90$ CAD + shipping) contacted me saying UPS tried to charge them $146.25 USD in duties/taxes when they attempted delivery. Customer had refused the delivery and the package was on its way back to Canada. However, somewhere in transit, UPS re-attempted to do the delivery to the customer but that time without claiming any money. Then, a few days after, customer received an invoice by mail asking them to pay the aforementioned amount. They said they would contact UPS to fight the invoice and I have not heard back from them since then - that was 9 days ago. Nothing changed in the tracking data.

Today, another customer, who bought a computer for 311$ CAD plus shipping, received an email saying they owe $149.27 USD in duties and taxes to UPS.

Between these two incidents, I have sent numerous items by UPS, including some worth more, to the USA, without any comeback from customers. I know item worth under $800 USD sent to the USA were free from duties, and I haven't heard it changed lately, but I don't know what to think about this.

Anyone had a similar experience? Both labels were purchased using eBay's shipping service. Amounts charged are very similar. I know UPS have a reputation to charge fees over fees and - Oh even more fees - at fixed amounts, with only a small part of the final amount being taxes/duties. This time they've really pushed the ridiculous up a notch.

itolduandso · ‎06-13-2025

There could be a credit card chargeback in future.

That could .. a nice way to mention by the way there is a sleeping dragon that will swallow those ebay seller protections mentioned earlier. Essentially seller is on the hook if buyer refuses acceptance. That's the worse case scenario but one that would sting since you also deal with having to request ebay from reversing the 20 dollar penalty from Ebay plus hey, there could be penalty from the buyers bank for the charge back. ...

arkh_angel · ‎06-13-2025

@randomchans wrote:
How was UPS able to email your second customer??

As far as I know sellers don't have access to buyer emails (just an encrypted ebay email) so just curious how UPS managed to email him

I may be wrong, but when filing a claim to UPS for a damaged or lost eBay item, the (awfully long) procedure to file a claim requires you to have an account on UPS with the same email address you use for your eBay account. This means they already got your email address as well as the buyer's when the waybill was created, even if not shown anywhere. I suspect the same goes for Canada Post.

For most purchases I did on Ebay lately, I got an email from Canada Post when the tracking has been created. I didn't give my email address to the seller.

This only goes that way when using eBay's shipping service.

arkh_angel · ‎06-13-2025

@cottagewoman wrote:
Here's the problem (stated elsewhere) - if the item was tariffed as CN goods by CBP, these tariffs fall under the emergencies act declared by Trump. These tariffs CANNOT be refunded. UPS automatically pays the tariff to have the item cross the border, where the tariff is collected. They then will seek to collect from the recipient of the package. If they refuse the package, then UPS has no way of having the tariff refunded to them. So, they bill the shipper for the tariff. This is all due to the nature of how the tariffs were applied under the emergencies act.

If UPS wasn't that greedy with fees over fees over fees again, people would pay and swallow it. I still cannot understand why a 90$ item has been charged roughly the same amount as a 311$ item. If Tariff is 30%, the charges should be quite different!

That also means I'll be charged at least 2 times about $150 USD by UPS because the package has been refused and since they will not be paid by the buyer, they will happily pilfer the money in my eBay account and I will have nothing to say about that.

nhl_automotive · ‎06-15-2025

I use UPS all the time and have never had an issue. There shouldn't be any tariff or duty as long as it's under $800 USD and as long at the country is not China.

brettjet38 · ‎06-15-2025

UPS = Users Pe Screwed

arkh_angel · ‎06-16-2025

@nhl_automotive wrote:
I use UPS all the time and have never had an issue. There shouldn't be any tariff or duty as long as it's under $800 USD and as long at the country is not China.

Well in my field, most parts are made in China, so relying on UPS for any shipping to the US has been put to an halt. USPS either doesn't apply the Tariff or does it in a way people do not mind to pay a reasonable amount.