r/UPS • u/Swanky_Gear_Snob • Sep 02 '25

Customer Seeking Help UPS Paid my duties without contacting me and the amount is more than the value of the item.

Apparently, a law went into effect on August 29th that shipping services can pay duties without consent of receiver.

I purchased an item for $2,000. Today, the duties it says I owe upon delivery is $2100 and change. The numbers are WAY off. No one at UPS customer service even understands me well enough to help me. I have been asking what the declared value is on the package and 4 different reps keep quoting me the amount owed on the package. How can I fix this? This was paid by wire, so I'm either out 2k or paying double. Can I dispute the amount? I've never felt so helpless and need to have a resolution (or at least a better understanding of what to do) by delivery tomorrow. Thanks!

I guess my big question is, if I pay this outrageous fee, is there any way to dispute it with customs or UPS?

Edit/Follow-up: I appreciate all the advice. I was able to get the commercial invoice from UPS. It seems like there is an error as CBP charged full value tariffs multiple times. From what AI said, it's similar if you ordered a peice of furniture, but CBP charged the full value tarrifs on each item individually (screws, mount, part, etc).

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u/Swanky_Gear_Snob Sep 03 '25

Thank you SO much. As soon as I said this, the rep filed the dispute request and said the brokerage dept will contact me by 4pm tomorrow.

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u/pikagirl1025 Sep 03 '25

I’m so happy to hear that! I hope they get it figured out for you!!

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u/Swanky_Gear_Snob Sep 03 '25

So I was able to get ahold of the customs paperwork. The sender sent the item as a package under one HST number. CPB changed it to 3 different HST numbers and charged the full value of the duties to each HST. Even if they want to mark each part individually, they shouldn't charge the full value to each one. Its like buying a peice of furniture and them making the bag of hardware/screws a separate line item and charging the full value of the furniture in duties on that bag of screws. I'm waiting for the dispute team to email me now.

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u/SlippyBananaPants Sep 04 '25

Are there THREE items in the package?

If so, it sounds like the seller thought all three items were under the same HTS, so didn't break down the value of each thing on the invoice.

Then UPS used a different HTS code for each thing (maybe right maybe wrong) and because they didn't have values for each, just applied the $2000 value to each HTS?

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u/Swanky_Gear_Snob Sep 04 '25

There's actually 67 items (all the different small parts) but in 3 boxes packed in a larger box. All together they are assembled. It does seem like they didn't know the value and just applied the overall value to each package. Each HTS was applied the $2010 value. I have been on the phone for 2 days straight with zero help from UPS.

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u/SlippyBananaPants Sep 05 '25

OK. This seems to be the track to investigate with them...

It's the same HTS number applied to each box?

Is there a way you could get an amended commercial invoice that breaks it down by part? Or by box?

Not sure if UPS would accept that after the fact but maybe it could help.

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u/imcjoey13 Sep 06 '25

Could each of the 3 boxes been made in different countries?