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> If you accept the package in a way where they pay the import taxes for you (you are not paying the government directly, they pay first then you pay them), it

> If you accept the package in a way where they pay the import taxes for you (you are not paying the government directly, they pay first then you pay them), it does indeed become your problem. They conducted a service on your behalf, with the expectation that you will compensate them, and the brokerage fees represent their labour in paying for you. What happens is they drop a package on your porch without giving you a chance to refuse the package and clear it yourself. They have to give you that opportunity by law. It would be similar to showing up at your house, cleaning your windows and then sending you bill. You never asked for that service, in the case of UPS you never agreed for them to act as your broker to clear your package.

rekabis 3y ago
I have never had a shipping company pay import taxes and then just drop the package off. They have always rung the doorbell to get me to accept it in person, or if I was not at home, tried delivery again another day. They come up to the door with credit card reader in hand, expecting you to make payment then and there, and will not give you the package if you don’t pay. The exception is if CBS takes a long time to determine actual value, and therefore, taxes. Usually on used items with unclear but significant value. It’s happened a handful of times that they made delivery with no notice of brokerage fees or import taxes. Then, suddenly a few weeks to a month later, I got an invoice in the mail: they had paid the import taxes for me after delivery due to a delayed judgement by CBS, and so I was on the hook for both those taxes and brokerage fees. I still went to CBS with my BoL and paid the taxes directly to the government in order to avoid those brokerage fees. > It would be similar to showing up at your house, cleaning your windows and then sending you bill. You never asked for that service, in the case of UPS you never agreed for them to act as your broker to clear your package. But you did agree, by choosing them as a shipper. Certain fees can be implied as required in order to complete the transaction. In order to get your package across the border, the shipper needs to do what is necessary to get the package in your hands. Dealing with CBS and paying import taxes is the step needed to keep the package moving. If they waited for everyone to pay on their own then there would be billions of packages stuck at border warehouses, gumming up the works.
- ryan-c 3y ago
  Other people can ship things you didn't ask for to your home without your consent, or not tell you in advance what shipping company they're using.
- mnw21cam 3y ago
  > But you did agree, by choosing them as a shipper. The contracts are between the seller and the shipping company, and between the buyer and the seller. There's no contract between the buyer and the shipping company. And in this case where parcels are being randomly sent to an address un-asked-for, that is most definitely the case.
- dghlsakjg 3y ago
  Read the article. This lady is receiving dozens of packages despite a note refusing delivery. I have also received packages that were left behind when I wasn’t home. I received an invoice later and told them to show me where I accepted the package. Didn’t hear about it again.
- jean-bonneau 3y ago
  In addition to what others have said, they are required by law to allow you to clear the package yourself, even if that means they need to keep the package on hold for days. Choosing UPS as a brokerage to handle this for you is a separate contract from the shipping itself, that is between the sender and UPS.
  - rekabis 3y ago
    > even if that means they need to keep the package on hold for days. Yes, but this would be at the final distribution points immediately prior to delivery, not at border warehouses right smack in the middle of the transport chain. Local distribution points will only ever have a limited number of packages waiting to get picked up, even if a lot of people decide to self-clear; THAT volume is manageable. Border warehouses would end up with millions gumming up the works and getting in the way. That ISN’T manageable. Having things pile up at major transport nodes is a recipe for failure and system collapse.

rekabis 3y ago

I have never had a shipping company pay import taxes and then just drop the package off. They have always rung the doorbell to get me to accept it in person, or if I was not at home, tried delivery again another day. They come up to the door with credit card reader in hand, expecting you to make payment then and there, and will not give you the package if you don’t pay. The exception is if CBS takes a long time to determine actual value, and therefore, taxes. Usually on used items with unclear but significant value. It’s happened a handful of times that they made delivery with no notice of brokerage fees or import taxes. Then, suddenly a few weeks to a month later, I got an invoice in the mail: they had paid the import taxes for me after delivery due to a delayed judgement by CBS, and so I was on the hook for both those taxes and brokerage fees. I still went to CBS with my BoL and paid the taxes directly to the government in order to avoid those brokerage fees. > It would be similar to showing up at your house, cleaning your windows and then sending you bill. You never asked for that service, in the case of UPS you never agreed for them to act as your broker to clear your package. But you did agree, by choosing them as a shipper. Certain fees can be implied as required in order to complete the transaction. In order to get your package across the border, the shipper needs to do what is necessary to get the package in your hands. Dealing with CBS and paying import taxes is the step needed to keep the package moving. If they waited for everyone to pay on their own then there would be billions of packages stuck at border warehouses, gumming up the works.

ryan-c 3y ago
Other people can ship things you didn't ask for to your home without your consent, or not tell you in advance what shipping company they're using.
mnw21cam 3y ago
> But you did agree, by choosing them as a shipper. The contracts are between the seller and the shipping company, and between the buyer and the seller. There's no contract between the buyer and the shipping company. And in this case where parcels are being randomly sent to an address un-asked-for, that is most definitely the case.
dghlsakjg 3y ago
Read the article. This lady is receiving dozens of packages despite a note refusing delivery. I have also received packages that were left behind when I wasn’t home. I received an invoice later and told them to show me where I accepted the package. Didn’t hear about it again.
jean-bonneau 3y ago
In addition to what others have said, they are required by law to allow you to clear the package yourself, even if that means they need to keep the package on hold for days. Choosing UPS as a brokerage to handle this for you is a separate contract from the shipping itself, that is between the sender and UPS.
- rekabis 3y ago
  > even if that means they need to keep the package on hold for days. Yes, but this would be at the final distribution points immediately prior to delivery, not at border warehouses right smack in the middle of the transport chain. Local distribution points will only ever have a limited number of packages waiting to get picked up, even if a lot of people decide to self-clear; THAT volume is manageable. Border warehouses would end up with millions gumming up the works and getting in the way. That ISN’T manageable. Having things pile up at major transport nodes is a recipe for failure and system collapse.