First, check whether the checkout promise included customs, duties, or taxes. If the seller or marketplace said they were included and you were still charged on delivery, dispute the fee with the seller or marketplace and ask for reimbursement. If nothing was promised, the next step is to verify whether the charge is a real import charge, a carrier handling fee, or both.
Do this in order:
- Save the order confirmation, checkout page, and any message that mentioned “duties included,” “taxes included,” “DDP,” “import charges included,” or similar wording.
- Save the carrier’s notice or invoice showing the extra amount, the parcel tracking number, and any customs or clearance reference.
- Check whether the charge is coming from customs, from the delivery company, or from a customs broker used by the carrier. The name on the demand matters because the right contact depends on who asked for payment.
If the seller promised an all-in price, contact the seller or marketplace support and say:
- the order number
- the tracking number
- the customs fee amount
- the exact wording from checkout that suggested fees were included
- that you are asking for reimbursement because the parcel was charged again on arrival
If the seller did not promise that, contact the carrier first and ask for a written breakdown of the fee. Ask them:
- what part is import VAT or duty
- what part is a clearance or handling charge
- which customs declaration or import entry the parcel was filed under
- why the amount was not shown at checkout, if the shipment was supposed to be prepaid
This matters because some international orders are sold with taxes excluded, so an extra payment can be a normal import charge. But if the checkout price was meant to be final, or the seller advertised free duties, the charge may be disputable.
If the parcel is still held and you need it quickly, you may need to pay first to get it released, then dispute the charge with the seller or carrier. If you pay, keep the receipt and the release notice; those are the key documents for any later complaint.
If the amount looks wrong, check these details before arguing:
- the item value used by customs
- the shipping cost included in the customs calculation
- whether the carrier added an admin fee on top of tax or duty
- whether the product description or invoice matches the parcel contents
If the seller refuses to help and the marketplace was involved in the sale, escalate through the marketplace order record, not just private messages. If the carrier charged a fee that seems incorrect, ask for their formal complaints route and the reference number for the customs entry.
Practical tip: screenshot the checkout page now, before it disappears from your account history, because that is often the clearest proof of whether customs charges were disclosed.
