Order from DHL arrived smooth as silk this morning. 
Estervals order response from C/S
- Thread starter spearheadbill
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I just noticed they don't have a minimum order anymore. It used to be $150 I thought. I ordered a couple tins of that HU Moroccan Bazaar I've been wanting.
My order also arrived smooth as silk today. All in all, from the time of shipping until receipt it was just a few days.Order from DHL arrived smooth as silk this morning.
Arrived without a hitch. Thank you for your input and may this little experience help someone else. I will definitely order from Estervals again using DHL.
Well, it happened to me… nearly $300 in fees and charges from UPS.
I will refuse delivery. Ridiculous.
I will refuse delivery. Ridiculous.
Almost 70% of what I paid for product. And it was not itemized - simply a demand for payment.
That’s a big nope from me.
Be carful guys. Depending on how this stuff is shipped internationally there is not always a guarntee it will be returned to sender if abandoned. If your product disappears its just gone along with your money. Most likely it will be but it really depends on a number of factors not controlled by the customer.
Man, that's a shame. I wonder if UPS thinks it's a B2B shipment. I use my personal name and home address and the 2 orders I've made from Europe including Estervals have been smooth.
Wow that really sucks. I’m sorry about that. I wonder if DHL would have been better for you. I chose the DHL option and I think it was a couple bucks more.
P
I received a breakdown of the charges after calling UPS. Nearly $100 of that $300 was BS (yes it is an acronym) “brokerage fees” and other assorted fees.
Perhaps but I’m leery of both at this point.
I received a breakdown of the charges after calling UPS. Nearly $100 of that $300 was BS (yes it is an acronym) “brokerage fees” and other assorted fees.
I really dont see how its worth the trouble. You guys in the US have tons of tobacco at bargain basement prices. Why chase unicorns? It makes sense to me that some folks in some parts of the world take chances to obtain their smokes but if you look around there has got to be at least one blend avaliable to take the place of what is outside the US. I do get that it can be fun. But it can also be a headache.
I paid the fees through PayPal, and then disputed the payment and got it reversed.
Brokerage fees are basically money you pay so that UPS can pay customs fees on your behalf. I simple told them that I would pay US Customs myself.
Unless Virginia is a state that applies the excise tax also on out of state purchases, that has nothing to do with it.
Those should be import taxes and duties and with the new administration this might get a lot worse.
I figured it was an opportunity to try new things and stock up on some favorites that are not consistently available. I hope the process of getting a refund (if it cannot be reshipped without highway robbery fees) is not difficult.
Because we see all your pretty pipes filled with Hans' goodies on the WAYS thread. And we're insatiable!
Besides, refusing to pay UPS' ridiculous fees was no trouble. Reshipping with DHL was also no trouble. Just an email and a little longer of a wait. But my cellar looks a heck of a lot better with it than without it and every time i load a bowl, it's with a smile and a story. Finding new loves is part of the adventure and the handful of HU blends i enjoy today on a regular basis: yep, worth it.
This is also Esterval's advice. If this is a recurrent problem, they should just take UPS off the shipping options list for the U.S.A. I have yet to hear of anyone having this happen with DHL.