Computers & Electronics

Company charges me AFTER I buy product!! >:(

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  • Feb 9th, 2011 8:23 pm
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Jr. Member
Feb 22, 2009
157 posts
1 upvote
Canada

Company charges me AFTER I buy product!! >:(

So, I bought this computer chair from madisonseating.com.

I bought the chair for 200 plus 75 shipping, Total cost: $274.99.
That's what the online invoice says and that's what I paid with my credit card.

Now, more than a month and 1/2 later, I get an email telling I owe them more money! Here's the exact email:

Hi [redacted],

Thank you for your recent purchase with Madisonseating.com, the leader in selling brand name office chairs at discount prices.

FedEx advises you requested we should bill you for the $91.65 owed in duty charges and an entrance fee.

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach us directly.

Susan

Finance Department
Madisonseating.com




Does anyone know what they're talking about? Is this some standard charge or what for large item? I buy quite a bit online and this has never happened before. I don't think I'll be paying, but still, I wanna make sure I'm not missing anything.


And yes, I know this isn't computer related strictly speaking...but it is a computer chair...
32 replies
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
38383 posts
12008 upvotes
East Gwillimbury
Looks like Fed-Ex charged Madison for brokerage and taxes

You purchased the chair from the US
It shipped to Canada

When it crossed the boarder, you had to pay GST / HST + $40 brokerage to Fed-Ex

Usually Fed-Ex collects this from you at the door. But they screwed up and it was charged back to Madison

They now want to invoice you for the charges.

The evil one here is Fed-Ex

So much for free trade.
Deal Fanatic
Jul 4, 2004
9473 posts
2650 upvotes
It looks like there was brokerage and duty fees applicable. I love where they wrote back to you and said that you had requested to pay them. Write them back and tell them that they got it wrong. You didn't agree to pay for anything more and that those shipping fees are theirs to pay.
Deal Fanatic
Jul 4, 2004
9473 posts
2650 upvotes
Gee wrote: Can you really blame the vendor here?

No, it's not the vendors fault but why not have some fun with this. The OP has been incredibly lucky not to be charged before in the past.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Sep 3, 2006
5546 posts
3065 upvotes
Winnipeg
Gee wrote: So much for free trade.

You understand that we don't have free trade agreements with all countries, right?

OP - where was the chair made?
This isn't a blog.
Jr. Member
Feb 22, 2009
157 posts
1 upvote
Canada
Frankie3s wrote: No, it's not the vendors fault but why not have some fun with this. The OP has been incredibly lucky not to be charged before in the past.


The only reason I bought the chair was because of the price. I thought it was an OK price, even after I found out about the 75$ shipping cost (they were advertising free shipping...but only if you live in the US) but 275$ was pushing it and there's no way I would've agreed to pay anymore than that for a computer chair. I would've bought some chair at staples if it cost any more than that.

In any case, I didn't agree to any 90$ charge so I won't be paying. What are they gonna do? I already have the item.
Jr. Member
Feb 22, 2009
157 posts
1 upvote
Canada
jcon wrote: You understand that we don't have free trade agreements with all countries, right?

OP - where was the chair made?

I don't know where it's made, but I bought it from the US.
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
38383 posts
12008 upvotes
East Gwillimbury
adassus wrote: I don't know where it's made, but I bought it from the US.

Since you purchased the chair in the US, it was probably manufacturered in China and that is why they slapped you with the duty.
jcon wrote: You understand that we don't have free trade agreements with all countries, right?

OP - where was the chair made?
Free Trade is useless. It only applies to items manufacturered in US and Mexico.

How many items are manufacturered in North America these days?
Deal Addict
Feb 11, 2005
4250 posts
460 upvotes
Gee wrote: Since you purchased the chair in the US, it was probably manufacturered in China and that is why they slapped you with the duty.



Free Trade is useless. It only applies to items manufacturered in US and Mexico.

How many items are manufacturered in North America these days?

Canada Goose jackets are made in North America but they're still 500% more than a jacket made in China... after duties...
Deal Fanatic
Oct 25, 2003
9294 posts
415 upvotes
Gee wrote: Since you purchased the chair in the US, it was probably manufacturered in China and that is why they slapped you with the duty.



Free Trade is useless. It only applies to items manufacturered in US and Mexico.

How many items are manufacturered in North America these days?
300 billion dollars worth of stuff a year? And that's just coming from Canada :-)
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 1, 2004
2778 posts
119 upvotes
Sudbury
adassus wrote: In any case, I didn't agree to any 90$ charge so I won't be paying. What are they gonna do? I already have the item.

You still would owe duty and taxes to the government. You can try to fight the brokerage fee with FedEx but it is standard practice for these companies to charge it for shipping stuff across the border so it might go to collections.
"What an emotionally wrecking of the stomach game"
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jan 4, 2011
5819 posts
3844 upvotes
West Vancouver
Step 1 - dont pay them

Step 2- call your credit card companie to block them from charging you

Step3- enjoy


Thats my opinion. If you were not charged duties on delivery, then somebody did a mistake somewhere and its not you and you shouldnt assume this mistake for somebody else.

You have what you wanted- your computer- now let them run.

Kenny Blankenship wrote: You still would owe duty and taxes to the government. You can try to fight the brokerage fee with FedEx but it is standard practice for these companies to charge it for shipping stuff across the border so it might go to collections.
No. The government has been paid by the computer companie or by fedex. Fedex or the computer companie in question is now asking for money. Nothing to do with the gov. now.
Moderator
User avatar
Aug 20, 2009
9825 posts
5933 upvotes
From the Terms of Use (which you also agree to during the order process):
All orders shipped with a free freight discount and returned for refund will be charged the original shipping charges. Our “free-shipping” covers all standard shipping and handling charges to get our product safely from us to you. It does not include expedited shipping, non-standard shipping, return-shipping, customs and/or import/export fees, or fees charged by any party other than MadisonSeating.com.
I mean, you may not like it but I think it's disingenuous to imply that you weren't advised. This is a pretty standard thing in the industry too, I've been charged duty after the fact on several items in the past.

Can you get out of it? Maybe. It's a lot harder for them to collect after the fact but most companies don't mess around with FOB fees and will send you to collections over them. Is it worth impacting your credit score to escape a small charge that's legitimately yours? I don't think so but I guess the decision is yours.
Jr. Member
Feb 22, 2009
157 posts
1 upvote
Canada
Redmask wrote: From the Terms of Use (which you also agree to during the order process):



I mean, you may not like it but I think it's disingenuous to imply that you weren't advised. This is a pretty standard thing in the industry too, I've been charged duty after the fact on several items in the past.

Can you get out of it? Maybe. It's a lot harder for them to collect after the fact but most companies don't mess around with FOB fees and will send you to collections over them. Is it worth impacting your credit score to escape a small charge that's legitimately yours? I don't think so but I guess the decision is yours.

That's the thing. I did NOT get the FREE SHIPPING offer they advertised since I don't live in the US. They charged me 75$ for shipping which is what they need to use to pay FedEx. I didn't agree to any other charges besides the 75$ shipping.
Moderator
User avatar
Aug 20, 2009
9825 posts
5933 upvotes
I'd suggest going through a fake order and see if you get properly advised of possible extra charges during the procedure then. I'm willing to bet you do unfortunately, most companies have a standard CYA clause somewhere in the order process about customs/duties fees.
Banned
Jan 11, 2004
19816 posts
572 upvotes
Gee wrote: Looks like Fed-Ex charged Madison for brokerage and taxes

You purchased the chair from the US
It shipped to Canada

When it crossed the boarder, you had to pay GST / HST + $40 brokerage to Fed-Ex

Usually Fed-Ex collects this from you at the door. But they screwed up and it was charged back to Madison

They now want to invoice you for the charges.

The evil one here is Fed-Ex

So much for free trade.
Actually, this shows free-trade works, if the chair was made in US/Mexico, no duties would've been collected

Free trade doesn't mean no taxes nor no duties on everything that ships from the US/Mexico
Deal Addict
User avatar
Dec 12, 2006
4360 posts
585 upvotes
Messed Up Area
All cross boarder shipping sites have a customs warning sayin customer is responsible for any customs/duties owed.

Shipping is different from this.

Your only alternative is return item and contact customs and they will revert charges once they verify item returned to states side after investigation
Jr. Member
Feb 22, 2009
157 posts
1 upvote
Canada
Follow ups:

Apparently, this is how it works.

When the merchandise crosses the border, Fedex contacts you with the duty and custom charges. Once they receive payment from the recipient the product gets released. Since Fedex was unable to procure the duty and custom fee from you, they charged our account on your behalf.

So it seems they charged the company on my behalf. I never authorized the charge and I would have refused if I had known. They charged the company and released the product (which they shouldn't have done). Now they want me to pay them. Ya right. If they want, they can come pick up the chair. I'm not giving them anything. They f*cked up, not me.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 1, 2004
2778 posts
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Sudbury
adassus wrote: That's the thing. I did NOT get the FREE SHIPPING offer they advertised since I don't live in the US. They charged me 75$ for shipping which is what they need to use to pay FedEx. I didn't agree to any other charges besides the 75$ shipping.

You did agree, it's in their terms of service.
"What an emotionally wrecking of the stomach game"

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