I’m in Canada and won a trainer tire from Kurt Kinetic in a contest. It was delivered about three weeks ago, shipped from the US. Today I received an invoice from FedEx for taxes/advancement (duty? I presume) for $17.74. Anyone experienced this before? Did you pay FedEx?
Usually this comes with the delivery, and they won’t hand over the shipment until they’re payed. At least that’s my experience with UPS.
Be glad it’s only $17. For me it was $64 on a bike.
I am in Toronto and also won a KK tire. FedEx came yesterday and the bill is $20.54.
Its a free prize and yet KK put a value of $49.99.
I will call FedEx and dispute the charge. If i knew I was being billed $20.54 I would not have accepted the package. UPS on the other hand never
leaves a package without collecting their fee. What is wrong with sending it USPS ??
From FedEx site : Please note: As per the contract of carriage with FedEx®, the shipper is ultimately liable for any duties and taxes assessed on the shipment. If the recipient refuses the package or the recipient or third party FedEx account holder refuses to pay for duties and taxes, the original shipper will be billed for duties and taxes.
Yes, I’ve been surprised/shocked/freaked out with extra fees at the time of delivery with a UPS delivery in the past but I guess I figured since 1) it was a prize and 2) they didn’t ask for payment when it was delivered that there wouldn’t be a charge.
Yes, only $17 but on a bill of $50, pretty steep %wise. I know I’m still ahead but I honestly, I would have just said no thanks on the prize.
Hope your $64 was worth it 
Cheers.
julie
I don’t think it’s duty. It’s brokerage fees.
Sounds like we are in the same boat. Curious why your bill is $20.54 and mine is $17.74. My tire is also valued at $49.99. HST on $49.99, Advancement fee $10, HST on Advancement Fee $1.30 comes to $17.74.
Like I said above since they didn’t ask for $ at the door when it was delivered I didn’t give it a second thought. If I had known there would be a charge I too would have said no thanks.
I’m sure it sounds like lots of whining for a trainer tire for $18 but its the principle both on account of KK - sending it as a prize and also re FedEx wanting to collect after the delivery has been made without notice that an invoice would follow.
Keep me posted regarding action with FedEx.
Thanks for replying.
Cheers.
julie
So you have the tire already, and now fedex wants extra money?
I would say that’s bad situation for them… because you already have the item, and you never signed anything saying that you would pay them any brokerage fees.
That happened to me once, with Fedex actually… I got something and 2 weeks later got an invoice for some “related fees”. They didn’t get any money from me, and they never sent me another notice.
I think its duty. FedEx site says…
FedEx Advancement Fee:
In some circumstances FedEx is required to pay certain duties and taxes, in advance, on our customers’ behalf. For instance, FedEx may pay an advance fee when countries require that duties and taxes be paid prior to customs’ release or prior to certain items clearing customs. In these circumstances, FedEx will assess an Advancement Fee surcharge that will be billed to you, the shipper or to the party designated to pay duties and taxes.
Thanks for responding. This is exactly what I’m thinking. I wondered if anyone out in ST land had the same experience and whether FedEx hounded them or sent it to a collection agency. Seems crazy for $17 but up here our highway toll company sent $22 to a collection agency all on an accounting error. I wonder if FedEx sends out the invoice in hopes of getting paid. I also wonder too whether when I signed for the package in the first place I was also signing some fine print condition I was unaware of stating that I could be charged at a later date for fees.
I know for my delivery, I never even signed for it; they left it at my door and I opened it when I got home. No signature involved.
Nope, they didn’t send me out to the collection agencies Good thing too, because what legal basis do they have? You didn’t contract them for the shipping, you didn’t sign an agreement, you simply got a box that was addressed to you, opened it, and kept the contents. I see no binding contract to Fedex in there If you were the shipper, then you might be on tap… but as a shipper, if you don’t want to pay duty… take the extra time and ship it USPS!!
Julie I think in your case none of it was duty. In my case it was $2.xx in duty and the rest in HST/Advancement Fee/HST on Advancement Fee
Import/Export subtotal is 13.78 then on the next line it says Total $20.54 ( not sure what the difference is for )
I will keep you posted.
I agree - all good points. I’ll hire you as my lawyer/agent!
I’ve had a similar problem with FedEx shipping from the US to UK. The charge was made up of a combination of tax and a standard handling charge. I had no objection to the import tax but the “standard handling charge” of an additional $30 IMO is unacceptable.
They know from the outset that international shipping from A to B for a value of X will incur a tax fee so therefore should include their own handling charge at the time of shipping and in the initial shipping cost leaving the justifiable import tax to the recipient. It is double charging for the shipping really or like what a lot of the airlines got into trouble for when they advertised prices that did not include fixed unavoidable fees.
I waited to see what would happen and they sent their debt collectors after me. A carefully worded letter and recorded phone call confirming that I accepted my tax liability but was disputing the additional fees for something that was standard to an international order resulted in a revised invoice for just the tax element (without the handling fee) and a written confirmation that the matter was settled in full and not flagged as a bad debt.
Check the invoice and see if there is purely a handling fee or if there is an element of import tax/duty. I would say that you have to pay the tax part but can argue the handling fee. Just make sure to put it in writing though.
Since then I use USPS for anything from across the pond. When it arrives in the UK I get a card delivered telling me to collect from the local depot who deal with the import duty, the invoice clearly shows the tax and fee, the fee usually being between about $3 - 5 which i would say is fair for the UK postal service to deal with.
Similar story with FederalExpense. My wife left for our home in Singapore to visit her parents in Canada and left a toiletry bag behind. As she needed it while she was there, I thoughtfully sent it FedEx and clearly marked the shipping label as “personal items” and put a nominal value on the bag of SGD 30. She was ecstatic that her package arrived the day after she did, but she was asked to pay CAD 64! She only told me about the cost on her return, but I wouldn’t have paid that for items that have no commercial value.
Today I received an invoice from FedEx for taxes/advancement (duty? I presume) for $17.74. Anyone experienced this before? Did you pay FedEx?
Don’t pay.
FedEx will have KK pay up.
KK should learn the rules about FedEx ground shipping to international locations.
Similar story with FederalExpense. My wife left for our home in Singapore to visit her parents in Canada and left a toiletry bag behind. As she needed it while she was there, I thoughtfully sent it FedEx and clearly marked the shipping label as “personal items” and put a nominal value on the bag of SGD 30. She was ecstatic that her package arrived the day after she did, but she was asked to pay CAD 64! She only told me about the cost on her return, but I wouldn’t have paid that for items that have no commercial value.
You should have shipped this package at your post office and declared a value under $20.
Probably different provincial sales tax if you are in a different province.
Actually same province. This is always part of the frustration when having something shipped to Canada. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason as to how they (UPS/FedEx and/or Canadian customs) collect fees. I’m okay with paying extra to have it shipped to the Great White North (actually 1 hour north of the US border) but I just want to know how much will it cost to land it at my door. No surprises please. Seems simple enough but rarely is. Rant over.
I know, I’m in Canada too and just paid 90 dollars for customs/duty/tax whatever on a 190 dollar tri suit… ended up sending it back for a refund and have applied for a refund of the taxes paid so hopefully I get it.
I’m in Canada and won a trainer tire from Kurt Kinetic in a contest. It was delivered about three weeks ago, shipped from the US. Today I received an invoice from FedEx for taxes/advancement (duty? I presume) for $17.74. Anyone experienced this before? Did you pay FedEx?
Send FedEx an invoice for $17.74 as a “package receipt fee” then offer to call it even.