Forward2Me

Hi Shaun,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.

We understand your concerns regarding shipping costs. Since you're shipping perfumes or fragrances, there are additional surcharges applied by DHL. These products are classified as dangerous goods due to their chemical composition, often containing flammable ingredients like alcohol. To ensure safe transportation, strict regulations are in place, and surcharges are applied when shipping such items with DHL. For more details, you can check the list of surcharges on the DHL website http://www.dhl.co.uk/en/express/shipping/shipping_advice/surcharges.html.

Since you're shipping to Australia, we also need to charge the 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax). This applies to all goods valued at $1000 AUD or less, as well as on the shipping service itself. For goods over $1000, GST is charged upon import. If you're a registered Australian business with GST approval, you can add your account details to your Forward2me profile to avoid being charged for GST on shipping.

We hope this clears things up!

Many thanks,
Forward2me

Thanks for the feedback Rodrigo. I will try to address the two key points -

1. We were unable to recall your shipment after you sent it. This is absolutely correct, we were unable to recall it. You paid GBP 9.99 for the cheapest shipping service available - indeed it is so cheap we sell it at a loss. That particular shipping service is untracked from the moment it leaves our warehouse. Once it has left, it is impossible for anyone to intercept it, recall it or do anything at all - this applies to forward2me, customs, the police and the Almighty. For this reason we do provide a warning when people select it - possibly you clicked to proceed without reading the text.

We maintain the service in order to provide a low cost option for people shipping low value goods when they are unconcerned with tracking or delivery times. If you need to track or recall your package, or speak to someone in customer service (all impossible with untracked shipping), I would strongly recommend paying a little more for a different service.

2. We declared the value of the shipping on the commercial invoice / CN23. Again, you are totally correct, we did declare the shipping. In fact, we declared two things on the document - first GBP 10 for the included video game and second, GBP 9.99 for the shipping. Given the 60% duty rate on low value goods in Brazil, the additional costs should have been GBP 6.00. If you feel this is too much, it is best to take it up with your local customs office in Sao Paulo.

We are legally bound to declare the value of both the goods and the shipping. If we do not, we risk delays, fines and additional charges for us and our customers. Some forwarding companies do declare shipping at zero and sometimes they can get away with it but it is a dangerous game that can dramatically backfire because every customs officer in every country of the world knows the game! Forward2me has very large discounts on international shipping rates. If you have paid $100 to forward2me in shipping that means the underlying service with FedEx, DHL or UPS would be around $500 for a person without an account. If forward2me declares shipping as zero value or gift, the customs agent will often go online to find the list price of the shipping service and calculate the duty based on the $500 list price - they don't care that you really paid $100 and then tried to not declare $100. In the case of someone in Brazil with 60% duty, that is the difference between $60 duty on $100 actual shipping cost vs. $300 duty on $500 list shipping price. Generally speaking it is not worth the risk to most customers.

Thanks,
Lee
CEO

Thanks for the feedback.

Perfume is considered a dangerous good due to its flammable liquids, so we must follow strict packaging regulations. To ensure safe delivery, we will need to repack the items to prevent any risks like leaks or damage. Shipping carriers also impose Dangerous Goods (DG) charges to cover the extra safety measures required for handling hazardous items.

We ensure your package is shipped safely and follows all regulations. If you think the packaging wasn't done correctly, please contact our Customer Experience Team, and we'll gladly investigate.If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out, and we’ll be happy to assist.

Kind regards,
Forward2me