So I have some hardware coming from Italy today.  It's a 777 throttle unit and 777 Display Selector piece.  Total price for both was ~1,100 Euros which isn't much more in dollars so I was ok paying the price.  

I got my delivery notification from UPS last night that it was coming today and just got an email and text from UPS that I owe $661 in fees which includes tariff charges.  offensive initials not allowed????   60% in fees and tarriffs???  $661 to collect the hardware I already paid for so I can't refuse or I would just be out the money altogether.  What a load of garbage.  Of course there is no one at UPS I can speak to but if you are ordering anything via UPS, be aware you could end up with fees for more than the value of what you ordered!!!

Just giving others a heads up.  I am really upset.  $661 or I don't get the package I already paid over $1000 for...  

That's the last piece of HW I order from anywhere.  Even if it's free shipping who knows what the shipper is going to charge.

So be very aware when ordering hardware from overseas now and try to get all shipping costs/fees in advance.

It is not UPS.  I ordered a different grip for my VKB throttle.  I had to pay DHL just over 50% as well.  Luckily for me that was about $28.

15 minutes ago, Joe L said:

It is not UPS.  I ordered a different grip for my VKB throttle.  I had to pay DHL just over 50% as well.  Luckily for me that was about $28.

Yep, coming out to over 65% here.

What's interesting is I ordered something from them from Fedex just a few weeks ago and had no surprise charges...

I was wondering, is it really related to UPS ?

I thought it was a general rule/law, that if you order some goods from another country (from a different economical reagion, I mean, like out of EU for example), you have to pay the import taxes (VAT or whatever it is) on them ? And the only reason we sometimes don't have to pay, was purely out of luck ?

Please keep the political comments to yourself!

14 minutes ago, Daube said:

I was wondering, is it really related to UPS ?

I thought it was a general rule/law, that if you order some goods from another country (from a different economical reagion, I mean, like out of EU for example), you have to pay the import taxes (VAT or whatever it is) on them ? And the only reason we sometimes don't have to pay, was purely out of luck ?

UPS has implemented a new "auto" brokerage policy they never used before.  It is new as a result of the changes you are correct however there has never been a 65% surcharge on things shipped into the US.  65% is ridiculous!  

Buyer beware from now on...   That is the only point I wanted to make.  

 I don't want to get into politics but I do want to give other simmers a heads up and make sure no one else gets A "SURPRISE" $661 bill.... 

Just be very aware ordering from overseas, ask about shipping method and try to inquire about duties and charges upfront.  

I feel like UPS just extorted me for $661 with no explanation of the fees, how they got to $661 or where the fees are going.  45 minutes later and still on hold with UPS LOL

Quite angry about this and feel like I was literally just scammed out of over $650

Edited June 18, 2025Jun 18 by psolk

37 minutes ago, psolk said:

UPS has implemented a new "auto" brokerage policy they never used before.  It is new as a result of the changes you are correct however there has never been a 65% surcharge on things shipped into the US.  65% is ridiculous!  

Buyer beware from now on...   That is the only point I wanted to make.  

 I don't want to get into politics but I do want to give other simmers a heads up and make sure no one else gets A "SURPRISE" $661 bill.... 

Just be very aware ordering from overseas, ask about shipping method and try to inquire about duties and charges upfront.  

I feel like UPS just extorted me for $661 with no explanation of the fees, how they got to $661 or where the fees are going.  45 minutes later and still on hold with UPS LOL

Quite angry about this and feel like I was literally just scammed out of over $650

Are you absolutely sure this is not some sort of scam? How does UPS know the value of the package? Being an old auditor this just sounds fishy. Maybe the new world order. Things get more bizarre as time goes on.

 

Bill W

1 minute ago, BillW said:

Are you absolutely sure this is not some sort of scam? How does UPS know the value of the package? Being an old auditor this just sounds fishy. Maybe the new world order. Things get more bizarre as time goes on.

 

Bill W

Positive. That was my first thought as well LOL.  I always go into scam protection mode but verified it with UPS via phone. 

It's real...

Chances are, it's not UPS who determines the price, but the customs which checked the package when it went through in the airport...

9 minutes ago, Daube said:

Chances are, it's not UPS who determines the price, but the customs which checked the package when it went through in the airport...

I got a hold of a dispute email contact so I am trying to find that out... 
It "appears" UPS is doing it as a customs broker on my behalf.  No idea how they are coming up with $650 in fees.

My post was deleted. How predictable

13 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

My post was deleted. How predictable

Then why did you make that post?  🤔

24 minutes ago, psolk said:

No idea how they are coming up with $650 in fees.

Let’s assume 1200$ as the price. 50% customs/tariffs, 5% brokerage fee, makes a total of 660$, correct?

As a small US throttle maker, one issue when shipping internationally was finding an appropriate custom code for throttle quadrants. Customs does not have  a specific code, so I used the term "custom gaming joystick". This prevented high tariffs for some customers in some countries. At one point, I used only USPS international, which had maximum size and weight for one price. I had to design my quadrant to fit inside a USPS standard box.

After Covid,I decided that shipping internationally( and sometimes, domestically) would cost more than the price of the quadrant, so I stopped making quadrants all together. 

Just for perspective, one small bag of screws from McMaster Carr( in the US) might be $2.99. With shipping, this one bag would total 10.99. 

No problem for high volume mfg, but stifling for small producers. 

One airline pilot has asked me to make him a quadrant. I wont tell you how much I've paid just in shipping fees, but the total cost places shipping fees for all the materials and screws I've had to order to almost 50% of my cost.

Because of shipping fees and paypal fees, service and or returns of the product are almost impossible.

1 minute ago, SierraDelta said:

Let’s assume 1200$ as the price. 50% customs/tariffs, 5% brokerage fee, makes a total of 660$, correct?

That would be a fair assumption but there is no blanket 50% import tariff on everything from the EU to the US that is currently in place.   

Anyone applying a blanket 50% charge TODAY (like UPS)  is simply taking advantage of the situation and ripping off the consumer in the process in my opinion. 

My money had to go to UPS not customs and I had to trust UPS on the amount or I can't get my package.

THAT is a UPS issue in my opinion