OT: Upset with Amazon

ddj · 05-23-20, 10:12 AM

I wonder if anyone here has had this happen to you?

Back in March, I ordered a forehead thermometer from a third-party seller on Amazon. The company was called FlyByte, and all I could find about them was that they had very good ratings. So I ordered.

The thermometer shipped within a couple of days, and it was only then that I discovered it shipped from China. It was supposed to arrive by April 2, but came seven days later.

Today I received a bill (A BILL!!!) from FedEx saying I owe them $36 in duties and taxes.

There was nothing on the product page that indicated I would have to pay this. Does anyone know what on earth is going on?

sherry7899 · 05-23-20, 10:19 AM

Dede, was there a customs form with a value for the item written on it? I am so sorry that happened.

Please contact Amazon about it. You paid for shipping, but depending on the value listed customs taxes I think can be charged.

bzar · 05-23-20, 12:34 PM

thanks for the warning.

i wonder if this is the impact of the tariff wars between the US and other countries?

wendug · 05-23-20, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bzar

thanks for the warning.

i wonder if this is the impact of the tariff wars between the US and other countries?

I was wondering the same thing. My dh often orders parts from China so I'll let him know, too.

ETA- Could it be a phishing scam? Someone trying to get additional funds from you? I would check with Fed Ex to see if it is legit.

BunnyHop · 05-23-20, 12:45 PM

I've never heard of such a thing.

Definitely check to make sure that the bill you got is really from Fedex, not some scam. (That would be my first thought)

It was my understanding that such duties are collected at the time of delivery, but then again I've never dealt with Fedex on such a thing, just the USPS.

bzar · 05-23-20, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendug

ETA- Could it be a phishing scam? Someone trying to get additional funds from you? I would check with Fed Ex to see if it is legit.

excellent point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BunnyHop

I've never heard of such a thing.

Definitely check to make sure that the bill you got is really from Fedex, not some scam. (That would be my first thought)

It was my understanding that such duties are collected at the time of delivery, but then again I've never dealt with Fedex on such a thing, just the USPS.

that's true regarding collected at time of delivery. we bought something from Japan via eBay a few years ago, and the delivery company collected it when the item was delivered and would only release it after paying the duties taxes.

VainJane · 05-23-20, 01:07 PM

Definitely contact Amazon. I'm a long-time customer and former employee, and I've never heard of third party sellers trying to spring "surprise" customs charges on people. Most of Amazon's first-level support workers are based offshore and not knowledgeable about US customs, so request to speak with a manager until you get someone who's based in the US and can resolve this for you.

Joni O · 05-23-20, 02:13 PM

I recently ordered a make-up bag on Amazon. Had no idea it was coming from China. I got it, no additional charges.

Sounds phishy to me. Almost every time I order from Amazon, I get an email saying my account has been frozen and that I need to Click Here to update something in my account. One look at the sender’s email address tells me it didn’t come from Amazon.

ddj · 05-23-20, 04:30 PM

I'm not the only one this has happened to. I checked FlyByte's feedback again and they've had 52% negative feedback in the past month.

I tried to contact Amazon. They aren't taking calls right now, so I initiated a chat. They won't work with me until I contact the seller, so I did. If I don't get a response in 48 hours, then they will talk to me.

What I got from FedEx came in the mail. There were several detailed pages about the transaction.

I won't do anything until I talk to Amazon.

As for a time frame, I got the package around April 9 and didn't receive the letter from FedEx until today.

Sherry, there was no paperwork of any kind that came with the package. Just the thermometer in a FedEx envelope.

amoodygirl · 05-23-20, 05:17 PM

When the stay-at-home began, I decided to do some heavy cleaning and replace the lining in my kitchen cabinets, which includes under the sink. I found a nice mat made just for that but when I got the shipping notice, it was shipping from China - nowhere did it say that anywhere! I immediately contacted the seller and told them to cancel the order, which they did.

This needs to be addressed with Amazon. On eBay, it is very clearly stated in what country a seller is located. Amazon should have the same transparency.

Diane

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05-23-20, 10:12 AM
ddj VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008	OT: Upset with Amazon I wonder if anyone here has had this happen to you? Back in March, I ordered a forehead thermometer from a third-party seller on Amazon. The company was called FlyByte, and all I could find about them was that they had very good ratings. So I ordered. The thermometer shipped within a couple of days, and it was only then that I discovered it shipped from China. It was supposed to arrive by April 2, but came seven days later. Today I received a bill (A BILL!!!) from FedEx saying I owe them $36 in duties and taxes. There was nothing on the product page that indicated I would have to pay this. Does anyone know what on earth is going on? __________________ Jumping for joy is good exercise.

05-23-20, 10:19 AM
sherry7899 Join Date: Jun 2003	Dede, was there a customs form with a value for the item written on it? I am so sorry that happened. Please contact Amazon about it. You paid for shipping, but depending on the value listed customs taxes I think can be charged. __________________ "Say you are tired and you will be. Believe you are strong and you are." (Sean O'Malley) The cat in my avatar is my sweetheart named Bonkers

05-23-20, 12:34 PM
bzar Exchange Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: PalmTreeVille	thanks for the warning. i wonder if this is the impact of the tariff wars between the US and other countries? __________________ ~jeannine Miyagi: Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. [walks away, still making circular motions with hands] ~ Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, 1984 disclosure: in the years 2002-2004 i had a professional relationship with a distributor of fitness videos; see profile.

05-23-20, 12:45 PM
BunnyHop Join Date: Nov 2008	I've never heard of such a thing. Definitely check to make sure that the bill you got is really from Fedex, not some scam. (That would be my first thought) It was my understanding that such duties are collected at the time of delivery, but then again I've never dealt with Fedex on such a thing, just the USPS. __________________ Anna

05-23-20, 01:07 PM
VainJane Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Seattle, WA	Definitely contact Amazon. I'm a long-time customer and former employee, and I've never heard of third party sellers trying to spring "surprise" customs charges on people. Most of Amazon's first-level support workers are based offshore and not knowledgeable about US customs, so request to speak with a manager until you get someone who's based in the US and can resolve this for you.

05-23-20, 02:13 PM
Joni O VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Twin Cities, MN	I recently ordered a make-up bag on Amazon. Had no idea it was coming from China. I got it, no additional charges. Sounds phishy to me. Almost every time I order from Amazon, I get an email saying my account has been frozen and that I need to Click Here to update something in my account. One look at the sender’s email address tells me it didn’t come from Amazon.

05-23-20, 04:30 PM
ddj VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008	I'm not the only one this has happened to. I checked FlyByte's feedback again and they've had 52% negative feedback in the past month. I tried to contact Amazon. They aren't taking calls right now, so I initiated a chat. They won't work with me until I contact the seller, so I did. If I don't get a response in 48 hours, then they will talk to me. What I got from FedEx came in the mail. There were several detailed pages about the transaction. I won't do anything until I talk to Amazon. As for a time frame, I got the package around April 9 and didn't receive the letter from FedEx until today. Sherry, there was no paperwork of any kind that came with the package. Just the thermometer in a FedEx envelope. __________________ Jumping for joy is good exercise.

05-23-20, 05:17 PM
amoodygirl Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NY	When the stay-at-home began, I decided to do some heavy cleaning and replace the lining in my kitchen cabinets, which includes under the sink. I found a nice mat made just for that but when I got the shipping notice, it was shipping from China - nowhere did it say that anywhere! I immediately contacted the seller and told them to cancel the order, which they did. This needs to be addressed with Amazon. On eBay, it is very clearly stated in what country a seller is located. Amazon should have the same transparency. Diane __________________ "When ignorance screams, intelligence moves on.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Never have I been a blue calm sea I have always been a storm Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diane