I recently ordered $270 worth of Mini parts from my usual source, Mini Spares. With DHL shipping, it came to $297.
Once the order arrived in the states a couple days later DHL sent me an email saying I owed them $130 in Import Fees (aka:tariffs), and if not paid within five days, the order was going to be shipped back to the UK.
Two days later, I received another email stating that I had three days to pay the "import fee".
On the last day, I paid them the $130 and I receive the shipment the following day.
Not a good situation at all. The cost of British car ownership has just increased significantly.
I have an order on the way so waiting to see what I need to pay. 50% seems high, I thought we were down to around 20%?
From reading several posts/articles about recent shipping from Europe/UK and the tariff situation, the published % tariff is just the "government" portion. All of the shippers are now also charging full "brokerage fees" on top of the tariffs. When the "de minimus" was still in effect, they would not charge brokerage fees or tariffs on anything under $800 and we all got spoiled. Now we get hit with both the tariff and the brokerage fees on everything.
As Scargo says: "Not a good situation at all. The cost of British car ownership has just increased significantly."
Yep, ever since my local Mini owner buddy got hit for $500-600 on a $2K order, I've been dreading ordering anything from Europe - even used parts are subject to the tariffs.
And its not like any American firm is going to step in and start making Mini parts.
Well mine came out to about 20%
I see now in the bill breakdown that $17 of that is DHL charging an admin fee to pay the duty and taxes.
So, only $9 is actual duty on $100?
$8.50
I'm going to assume dhl charges more based on whatever the total duty is. Even though the paperwork and admin time can't be anymore.
Yeah, looks like a big money grab on their part, or them thumbing their corporate noses at the US for imposing these bullshit tariffs in the first place. Hard to say, but as usual we take it in the shorts.
Scargo- what does your breakdown look like?
Yeah, it's chaos with importing stuff right now. I spent a couple of hours last Friday and again a couple of hours again this morning with the wonderful UPS regarding a shipment I was expecting from Belgium. It wasn't for my Mini, it was a used analog clock for my Land Cruiser from an auto salvage yard in Belgium.
These particular clocks are really hard to get a hold of, so I thought finding a used one for the price of €35 was pretty good. I bought it through an online site that was all in Dutch and it was a little difficult navigating through the site and getting emails that were in that language. I decided to purchase it and honestly I did not expect shipping to be very expensive, based upon my past experience buying auto parts from the UK and from the Middle East for my JDM cars.
I was wrong, as I got an email saying it was already shipped and they were charging me €55 for that. But it was a done deal at that point so nothing I could do. Friday morning UPS contacted me saying the package would arrive on Monday (today) and there would be $108 charge due before it was delivered. WTF?! UPS said that "government charges" were $94 and "customs brokerage" was $14. Of course, there were no breakdowns provided on what the government charges were supposed to be. Call me crazy but $108 for a €35 item seemed a little much.
Then I began trying to contact UPS to find out what was going on, how they made the determination, and what I needed to do to fight it. It was pretty much a nightmare of different phone numbers, long waits on the phone, and finally talking to various call center people in India with heavy accents, who wasted my time, did not know anything, and basically just stuck to their written scripts.
I was trying to get a resolution on the import charges before I would have to pay to receive my package, but that did not work. Several hours on the phone this morning to various UPS phone numbers and some online text chats on the UPS website got nowhere. It became clear to me that if I wanted the clock, I would need to pay the money for the package, and then fight it afterward with UPS. Otherwise, if I refused the package, it would probably go into limbo and I'd have no way of getting the clock or my money back from the auto salvage place.
If UPS wasn't bad enough before :embarrassed:
So I finally got an email address to dispute the custom charges with UPS and I sent them a clear email along with a copy of the invoice from my purchase from the Belgian salvage yard. My theory was they just made up the customs charges to more than cover their butts without looking at any of the documentation, such as the invoice, from the shipper. That invoice contained the information they needed, including the proper coding for used automotive parts to determine the tax, or duty or tariff calculation to be used.
Several hours later, UPS responded saying basically "oops, looks like we've already cleared the package through customs so we can't help you. You need to contact a different organization in UPS that deals with disputes for customs entries that have already occurred. Sorry."
Lovely.
So, I wrote another email with basically the same information to a different internal organization within UPS saying I was disputing the "government charges" as they seemed excessive.
UPS responded back with an email that indicated they are running three months behind (!) in handling customs disputes.
Here's exactly what they said:
———————
"Please read this message as it contains important information.*
Thank you for contacting the Post Entry Mailbox about your US import shipment. Your request is very important to us!
Recent changes to US import guidelines have created a significant backlog of disputes for both UPS and US Customs. Our team is currently responding to emails from weekending 06/21/2025, so anything sent to us after that date has not yet been reviewed.
Post Entry prioritizes our work based on the Liquidation Date with US Customs; typically, 1 year from when the shipment made entry into the US. We do this to avoid being assessed penalties by US Customs and to treat all UPS customers equally. When your dispute comes up in a researcher's queue, they will follow up with you to confirm the details of your dispute and to request necessary substantiation. Some examples of substantiation that could be needed would be things like product literature, color photos, etc.
Post Entry has received your communication. Please be patient and refrain from sending multiple emails to this mailbox about the same issue. Multiple emails only create more work for our team and add additional time to resolving your dispute. Again, our team is currently responding to emails from weekending 06/21/2025.
Here is contact information for other UPS departments, depending on your need:
Exporting Customer Concerns – 1-800-782-7892.
Brokerage Accounting for billing concerns – 502-485-2222 or 866-493-7140.
Entry packet or ACE report requests – sdfupsusfileprep@ups.com.
Temporary In-Bond (TIB) shipments – UPSSDF-SPTIBGROUP@ups.com.
Government Contract shipments – UPSUSSPGovernmentContracts@ups.com.
Canada/Mexico Ground shipments – casbseattleground@ups.com.
Thank you for choosing UPS, and we look forward to resolving your dispute.
Best regards,
UPS Post Entry Team"
———————-
So I guess I'll be lucky if I hear something by the end of this year. I'm hoping to get at least a partial refund. Who knows?
In my view, UPS has definitely not risen to the occasion in dealing with changes in import duties and tariffs.
Here's something I learned today as I was trying to figure out what a correct custom duty would be on my €35 used clock. Turns out that it's not just the value of the item being shipped. It's the cost of the item, the shipping cost, and the insurance cost (if that applies). So in my case, it's the €35 clock and the exorbitant €55 shipping cost that is to be used. I guess the rationale for doing it that way is people would play games with the value of the items against the cost of the shipping.
For example, the calculation is:
"When importing an item from overseas into the US, the basis for calculating customs duties (tariffs) is the customs value of the goods, which under the standard transaction value method used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) includes not only the cost (invoice price) of the item itself but also the international shipping (freight) and insurance costs to the port of entry. This is commonly referred to as the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value.
Key Details:
• How It's Calculated: Duties are typically a percentage rate (based on the item's Harmonized Tariff Schedule or HTS code) applied to this CIF value. For example, if your item costs $900, shipping adds $50, and insurance is $10, the dutiable value is $960. A 5% duty rate would then be 5% of $960 ($48)."
Mine after shipping was $125 and some change.
Back to UPS. When I got stuck with storage fees that they jacked up themselves, I disputed it and never paid it. Over a year later they called me and had me pay it. They went through different employees during that period of time and the latest group finally got to my dispute and stamped it shit out of luck.
Okay. Let's see what effect the current tariffs should be on a placed with a UK based Mini parts supplier such as MiniSpares shipping to us in the US. I asked an AI I use to determine tariffs due on a shipment of new automobile parts from the UK to the US.
Here's the answer I got for a hypothetical order of a new $100 Mini part from the UK to the US with $50 in shipping costs using the appropriate HS classification codes for the car parts item being shipped:
———————-
"Hypothetical Import Calculation:
New Automotive Parts from UK to US
For this scenario, I'll assume the shipment is via a commercial courier (e.g., FedEx or DHL, non-postal) to qualify for informal entry procedures, as the $50 shipping charge suggests express shipping rather than standard postal.
The goods are classified under HS heading 8708 (parts and accessories of motor vehicles, suitable for new vehicles), a common code for new automotive parts like brakes or filters.
Under the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal effective June 30, 2025, eligible UK-origin automotive parts under HS 8708 face a preferential 10% ad valorem duty rate (reduced from a prior 25% reciprocal tariff). This applies to the full CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value.
Step 1: Determine the Dutiable Value (CIF)
• Cost of goods: $100
• International shipping (to US port of entry): $50
• Insurance: $0 (assumed negligible; if applicable, add it here)
• Total CIF value: $150
Step 2: Calculate Duties
• Applicable rate: 10% ad valorem (value-based) under the US-UK tariff rate quota for automotive parts.
• Duty amount: 10% × $150 = $15.00
Step 3: Calculate CBP Fees
• Entry Type: Informal entry (applicable for shipments ≤ $2,500; no bond required if automated via ACE system).
• Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF): For automated informal entries not prepared by CBP personnel, a flat $2.62 per shipment (effective rate as of September 2025; increases to $2.69 on October 1, 2025).
• Other Fees:
• Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF): $0 (typically 0.125% for sea shipments; waived for air/express).
• No additional brokerage or informal entry fees charged directly by CBP (though your courier may add handling charges separately).
Total Estimated CBP Charges
• Duties: $15.00
• MPF: $2.62
• Grand Total: $17.62
Additional Notes
• Payment and Process: Duties and fees are collected by the carrier upon arrival and remitted to CBP. Expect 1–3 days of hold for processing. File via the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) or courier's system with accurate HS code, invoice, and commercial docs.
• Variations: If postal (e.g., USPS), a flat specific duty of ~$100–$200 per item could apply instead until February 28, 2026, potentially higher than ad valorem. If the parts qualify for further relief (e.g., specific subheadings under 8708 with lower base rates adjusted to 10%), consult CBP.
VAT/GST from UK is already handled at export.
• Recommendations: Use CBP's online estimator or a customs broker for exact subheading (e.g., 8708.99.8180 at base 2.5%, but overridden by 10% UK rate). Rates can change; verify via HTS.usitc.gov.
This is a simplified estimate—real scenarios may include state sales tax or carrier surcharges."
——————
So, about $18 tariff in this hypothetical situation of a $100 part like an alloy wheel. That's not nothing, but that's not a massive dealbreaker either.
Assuming this is all correct it would be great if UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc. would get with it and charge appropriately.
The AI I used for this query is Grok. For those of you that use a different AI perhaps you could ask a similar question and see what response you get.
I'm going to use reality AI and placed a 2nd, much larger order, and will see what I get hit with. Waiting on a shipping quote before I click buy.
Reality AI. :grin:
I only glanced over this thread and I won't hit you with details to ruin your breakfast.
I just wanted to say, as far as import fees, duty, taxes and whatever else goes:
Don't move to :a102: ! Canada. We oftentimes get hit really hard on those items coming from the lower 48 (always, not just recently) . Inflated (ahem) "brokerage fees" :undecided: would sometimes make you gag.
I just paid I think it was a $169.00 CDN "brokerage fee" to a major carrier you all know on a $249 weather station I bought out of the USA. This is in addition to the actual price, the exchange from USA>Canadian money, shipping costs, Canadian taxes and one other small cost I now forget. In the end this low end weather station cost me just shy of double.
Amazing right? :rolleyes:
Well the quote from spares was pretty high. I went over to Somerford and they gave the option of fedex as well as dhl. Fedex was $140 cheaper. These are large panels so was expecting it to be expensive. Going to see how fedex does.
Ve9aa- that has been my experience trying to ship items overseas as well. It gets so expensive it's not worth it. Unless you REALLY need something sent.
My advice would be to make sure whoever is sending the parts does their homework and includes on the invoice the proper HS codes so the parts fall into the correct category for auto parts. Otherwise the recipient may be charged the wrong tariff or the shipping company may just guess how much to collect - like UPS seems to do.
The other thing is that companies like MiniSpares and Sommerford have been shipping to the US for decades, but probably 90% of what they've shipped has been under the previous de minimus exemption of $800. That exemption went away three weeks ago at the start of this month. I wonder if these companies have stepped up their game realizing that ALL shipments to the US must now contain more information on the invoices (like HS codes) and that information must be presented to the shipping company.
Well I'm about to find out. Next question, will fedex send me a bill like DHL just did.
Edit: I see the tarrif codes are on the invoice
That code is 10%
Fascinating.....I've known that shipments into Canada were over the top expensive, especially when you add in the exchange rate - something we're dealing with more and more too as the value of the dollar falls.
A buddy of mine in western Canada crossed over into Montana to pick up something he bought (a super 7 frame) so he could avoid a lot of those fees. Apparently there's a warehouse there set up exactly for this, where people can ship stuff and Canadians can simply cross the border and pick it up, I guess avoiding excess brokerage fees?
Great. Now they're limiting you to 100,000 units Dan. :grin:
"Hello Somerford, I need everything you have in your warehouse, times 2"
Obviously, it's not the same thing, but when you juxtapose all the hoops that have to be jumped through, and the hassles and the uncertainty and the frustration with importing things and then compare that to the absolute ease we have of seeing something on Amazon at 7pm and, clicking on it, and then magically having it appear on your front porch by 9am the next morning it's crazy.
Quote from: BruceK on September 23, 2025, 08:58:58 AMthe absolute ease we have of seeing something on Amazon at 7pm and, clicking on it, and then magically having it appear on your front porch by 9am the next morning it's crazy.
That sort of convenience is for sure dependent on where you are, generally an Amazon order for us takes 4-5 days to show up and many times even longer. Most of the time it does not even enter the shipping system (UPS, ETc...) for 2 to 3 days.
Quote from: BruceK on September 23, 2025, 08:58:58 AMObviously, it's not the same thing, but when you juxtapose all the hoops that have to be jumped through, and the hassles and the uncertainty and the frustration with importing things and then compare that to the absolute ease we have of seeing something on Amazon at 7pm and, clicking on it, and then magically having it appear on your front porch by 9am the next morning it's crazy.
I was actually thinking this earlier. I'm spoiled on my prime account where I get everything free shipping next day.
Quote from: cstudep on September 23, 2025, 09:13:50 AMThat sort of convenience is for sure dependent on where you are, generally an Amazon order for us takes 4-5 days to show up and many times even longer. Most of the time it does not even enter the shipping system (UPS, ETc...) for 2 to 3 days.
I discoverd that Amazon only marks something as "shipped" when it actually leaves their warehouse system for either delivery direct from them or transfer to a shipping partner. If they have to move your items between warehouses to consolidate your order, they do not mark anything as "shipped" until the whole order is consolidated together. The delays between ordering and shipping often account for the time needed to consolidate your order at the nearest warehouse.
Yeah that has been a thing for a while but since 2020 it's just been complete shit in general. Prior to then we would regularly get things in 2-3 days max, since then we never get anything in less than 3-5 days regardless if it's a single item or multiple items that could potentially be pulled from multiple warehouse locations.
I'm sure it's a combination of amazon not really caring anymore and the carriers doing the same. I am rarely in a huge hurry for anything, living in the middle of nothing important has certainly ingrained in me the need to plan ahead a little better whenever possible LOL.
I suppose living in or near the city helps me with Amazon. Sometimes rather than leave my shop to grab various items and kill an hour or 2 of my day, I just buy on Amazon and get them the next day.
Back on the tarrif stuff. Fedex appears to have a way to pay online. Once my order is plugged into their system it looks like I can select it and it spits out a bill. Otherwise from what I'm reading on their site is they deliver it and then send you a bill. I'll post more info as I get it.
DHL sure doesn't deliver then bill, you have to pay first. Although, in the past when I'd get the email about customs due, I would pay it online and it only seemed to delay my shipment the one day.
Dhl delivered my minispares order today. So at least they're quick as usual. The thing I'm most curious is if fedex tacks on admin fees. Or makes it a nightmare with paperwork like UPS does ordering certain items from minisport. A simple 10% bill I click pay now would be ideal in a perfect world. I don't mind 10%, but I think it's BS if shipping companies are going to add on extra fees at an unknown amount each time just because they can. A flat $15 per order for the intern at DHL to plug it into the system is OK. Part of doing business I suppose. If DHL ends up being abnormally expensive throughout all this, I may start placing orders from Somerford on most items. $140 less on the upfront shipping is pretty significant in itself.
Are their prices pretty commensurate with Spares?
Well spares wanted $442 for these 2 panels and Somerford I got them for $429. The DHL quotes were pretty much identical. So tach on $140 less with the fedex option and thats $153 in savings. I'm sure that varies between items, but worked well in this situation.
This is what I am waiting on to populate within fedex once they receive the package to be able to pay the duty and taxes.
Quote from: MiniDave on September 23, 2025, 07:07:14 AMFascinating.....I've known that shipments into Canada were over the top expensive, especially when you add in the exchange rate - something we're dealing with more and more too as the value of the dollar falls.
A buddy of mine in western Canada crossed over into Montana to pick up something he bought (a super 7 frame) so he could avoid a lot of those fees. Apparently there's a warehouse there set up exactly for this, where people can ship stuff and Canadians can simply cross the border and pick it up, I guess avoiding excess brokerage fees?
Yep. There's probably one near every significant border crossing. Not really warehouses, but more like privately owned mailbox outlets. Also works for companies that won't ship out of the lower 48 - that's a thing too. The minister of our church would take regular trips over the border for books and other reading material he'd ordered.
They don't ask you about it when you come back over into Canada?
"You were only there for 20 min, what did you do?"
Canada huh, almost made it.
Quote from: MiniDave on September 24, 2025, 08:53:54 AMThey don't ask you about it when you come back over into Canada?
"You were only there for 20 min, what did you do?"
I've not done a trip myself, but that's probably pretty much how it would go. Canada Border Services knows about these outlets and would recognize regulars. The other question would be "Anything to declare?". You'd be best telling them what you are bringing back, and they may send you in to pay duty. Of course there are random selections to "Secondary". Saying "nothing to declare" would get you short-listed.
Quote from: 94touring on September 24, 2025, 10:20:10 AMCanada huh, almost made it.
Of course you'd have to pronounce "poutine" correctly!
In real life I say poontine. It's just better that way.
Quote from: Dan Moffet on September 24, 2025, 03:35:36 AMQuote from: MiniDave on September 23, 2025, 07:07:14 AMFascinating.....I've known that shipments into Canada were over the top expensive, especially when you add in the exchange rate - something we're dealing with more and more too as the value of the dollar falls.
A buddy of mine in western Canada crossed over into Montana to pick up something he bought (a super 7 frame) so he could avoid a lot of those fees. Apparently there's a warehouse there set up exactly for this, where people can ship stuff and Canadians can simply cross the border and pick it up, I guess avoiding excess brokerage fees?
Yep. There's probably one near every significant border crossing. Not really warehouses, but more like privately owned mailbox outlets. Also works for companies that won't ship out of the lower 48 - that's a thing too. The minister of our church would take regular trips over the border for books and other reading material he'd ordered.
I think it's mostly to avoid expensive shipping fees (and brokerage fees), not to avoid duties and taxes. Shipping is often an order of magnitude more expensive for shipping internationally. Like Dan said many US companies only ship domestically to avoid international shipping hassles, so it's kind of like using a VPN to watch Netflix shows that are unavailable where you are. Another fun example: I wanted to add the factory trailer wiring harness to my Honda. From a dealer in Canada, it's $500. The identical part from a US dealer was $50. US dealers can't/won't ship to Canada. In the end, I made my own harness, but if I lived closer to the border I would have taken advantage of one of these mailbox services.
I have some things I want to send to a VW guy in Sweden. Nothing big. It's too expensive on the shipping and would make no sense. Since it's low priority, next time I'm on a trip and end up near him I'll just toss it in my bag. I "smuggled" back a 123bt distributor for him not long ago to send to a guy in Michigan.
So ... I was thinking about my situation with UPS overcharging me on who-knows-what under the mysterious heading of "government fees" and then telling me it's going to be AT LEAST 3 months until they UNILATERALLY decide whether they 1) actually review the import charges, and 2) whether they refund a portion of the charge to me.
That's messed up.
So I've decided that I want to even the playing field a bit. I'm planning on contacting Visa and tell them I want to to dispute the $107 credit card charge I paid to UPS. I'm hope to make Visa work for me to get UPS to substantiate the charge or make it go away.
I have no idea if this will work, but I'm not going to sit on my butt for three months waiting for UPS. At least this way it'll be documented that the charge is in dispute because Visa has only a 60 day window for disputes as opposed to UPS's current 90 day delay.
It's worth a try.
I was perusing around my fedex account while I've been waiting for the duty charges to show up. Then I saw a bill for $59. Thinking it was for this shipment clicked on it to see how they itemized it. Well it was duty and admin fees from a year and a half ago on another order!
Makin em wait for it!!! :grin:
Panels left Memphis, still waiting for the bill. Arrive at my place in a couple more days.
Quote from: 94touring on September 27, 2025, 07:34:40 PMPanels left Memphis, still waiting for the bill. Arrive at my place in a couple more days.
This may be a dumb question, but will FedEx deliver and then bill you the custom duties/fees? Or is delivery contingent on having that already paid?
It says it needs to be paid before delivery but they haven't sent me a bill yet and it's being delivered today :017:
Well it was delivered and I've yet to see a bill.
Quote from: 94touring on September 29, 2025, 02:12:46 PMWell it was delivered and I've yet to see a bill.
Beats the hell out of the apparent UPS method of demanding you pay a ransom of a made-up amount to receive your package, then try to fight them to explain or justify the amount. After at least a 3 month wait!
I'll keep an eye out for something after the fact, but yeah I prefer the non ransom method of delivery too.
Maybe they've collected so much tariffs they don't need any more? :rolleyes: :grin:
I keep checking my account waiting for something to pop up. Dunno. I'm guessing DHL, UPS, and Fedex are barely keeping up with all the changes which is why some of us get overcharged and then others don't get charged at all.
Zac had ordered some wheel bearings for his car, and he was able to get my seat diaphragm added to his order, so we'll see what they charge us......Dan you don't suppose they added the tariff into the price of the sheet metal?
No it wasn't added into the cost of the parts from Somerford. They were already a little cheaper than spares to begin with too.
Edit: also the invoice said I'm responsible for import duties and tarrifs.
One thing that would be very helpful is to ensure the seller is adding the correct HS Codes to the invoice. HS codes are used to identify what is being imported. Once that is done the correct tariff can be applied.
If the seller has provided the HS codes that is half the battle because you don't have to argue with the courier about what they are transporting for you.
For example the clock I imported from Belgium had HS Code 87089900 on the invoice. That means my fight with UPS is just on the tariff and import costs that applies for auto parts. I don't have to argue with them as to the proper classification of the item being imported.
Any company that regularly sells overseas should be able to ensure they are putting the proper HS code on the invoice they issue for you.
And HS codes are used internationally by all countries to identify items being exported and imported. They are not unique to the US or the current tariff situation here.
The invoice had the HS codes on it too.
Toss in the mix the various court rulings as to whether the recent tariffs are even legal or not. Maybe the shippers are just as confused as the public as to when tariffs get charged and when they don't let alone how much they are supposed to be as that seems to keep changing at someone's whim.
True, it's a mess right now - has been since February.
I have some parts coming this week from Spares....I usually get the email from DHL once they hit the states but before they deliver. I'll see what happens this time......
Boys- let me remind everyone a quick way to royally get me pissed off is begin to play troll my forum with politics. Stay on topic of how, how much, and when we get billed for our car parts.
Nothing political about my post, that's simply when tariffs took effect, which affects the price of our parts ordered from Europe.....no different than commenting on an increase is shipping costs - which have also gone up but not necessarily because of tariffs.
Also not political to mention that the rules have changed frequently in the last 6 months......which makes it difficult to know what something will cost.
My comment was as Dave says - noting the frequent rules changes as a point of confusion. I try very hard to stay out of politics.
Dang... I need to buy new stub axles and a list of other things. I should have ordered it months earlier to avoid the extra costs and uncertainty of how everything will end up...
Stuff seems to be coming thru well enough, it's just the extra potential costs and not knowing how much it will be.....
I just ordered about $758 worth of parts from Mini Spares and got the duties invoice total of about $94.
This included $17 for the processing fee and about a dollar and change for some import fee, so the actual tax was $76 even.
I guess my order clocked in at 10%?
Alright so processing fee seems to remain constant.
I ordered a single line brake master cylinder, they've doubled in price ($65 to $128), and the minimum shipping seems to be about $26, no idea what the customs duty will be yet.
So my recent order of about $300 required a tariff of $118 from DHL. Subtract the $17 flat fee, the tariff is right at 30%. I paid it to get the package moving, but I'll be contacting DHL for a partial refund, and possibly disputing the charge with my CC if DHL doesn't comply.
I dug into the HTS codes on the duties form and found out the codes should trigger a 2.5% tariff for each type under "Column 1." Countries with "NTR" meaning normal trade relations fall under column 1, so the UK should be included. Column 2 with 25-35% tariffs are meant for countries with trade sanctions. According to the CBP website (https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1117?language=en_US), the only countries that fall under column 2 are: Cuba, North Korea, Russia and Belarus.
The DHL tariff invoice says it's computer generated, so I believe these are just automated charges without looking into if they are correct.
What was the shipping cost?
My invoice from DHL didn't have any of those codes on it, and I wonder if that's why they refunded the whole charge? Took them three months to do it, but I got it at last. It might be worth a follow up phone call, maybe if they get enough people bitching about incorrect charges they'll do something - or maybe they're just waiting for the US to come to its senses and drop all this tariff foolishness. Who knows?
I have an order with a bunch of small rubber parts in it - about $300 worth! - at MiniSport right now, shipping quotes start at £52 for Fed Ex ground, £67 for DHL and £112 for UPS expedited. The box can't weight over 10lbs.
Quote from: scalpel_ninja on January 10, 2026, 09:28:23 PMQuote from: 94touring on January 10, 2026, 04:01:24 PMWhat was the shipping cost?
35.21 GBP, so $47.21
Yeah they definitely billed you wrong. Seems like DHL can't figure this out yet.
My MiniSport order came in today, $500 of parts and no tariff charges.....yet!
My buddy Zac says he didn't get charged either on his last "Sport" order, and that was weeks ago.
I'm building up a front subframe for a Mini buddy - he's owned his car for many years now and has been working on it a little at a time, a few months ago he suffered a stroke, and while in the hospital they discovered he has Afib and bladder cancer.....so several of us in the Mini community are banding together to see if we can get his car together and drivable while he's still with us. He came out of the stroke much better than I expected, he's mobile and can speak just fine, but he's weak and his brain is not working 100% now....and of course there's the heart and cancer issues.
My part is to build the front sub so they can get it on its wheels and over to another guy's shop to put the motor and wiring harness in. The rear sub is in already. The motor came out of another car and should run just fine once it's bolted into the car.
Poor guy.
Afib: been there, done that. I lost count of the number of times I was in emerg for it. 4 ambulance rides before it was suggested I wait an hour before getting help, but not to ignore it because the turbulence it produces causes clots, which can lead to stroke. After that my wife would just drop me off at emerg. In the cubicle section I would be put in, there are 10 beds. I used 8 of them.
(The only cost to me was a nominal ambulance fee of about $40. No personal health insurance involved.)
Yeah, Bill's been an active part of our racing and Brit car group far longer than me, he's been a photographer for the Lawrence All British Club and has been at all our events, it's sad to see the sudden decline. Like all of us he's had other health issues his whole life and that's why we're trying to get his car together - so he can drive it at least a few times and feel the accomplishment after so many years of effort.
I got most of what I need to put the front subby together, the only thing I'm shy are ball joint shims, somehow they all went missing, even tho I have a full set of new ball joints. I didn't realize they weren't in the package with the ball joints till after I'd made the order to MSport and Bill has looked all over his house and can't find them. I've managed to scrounge a few used ones from local guys and probably have enough to do two ball joints now, but still need some for the other side. I'm hoping I can get some from one of the local Mini guys....
Quote from: MiniDave on January 22, 2026, 10:07:46 AMYeah, Bill's been an active part of our racing and Brit car group far longer than me, he's been a photographer for the Lawrence All British Club and has been at all our events, it's sad to see the sudden decline. Like all of us he's had other health issues his whole life and that's why we're trying to get his car together - so he can drive it at least a few times and feel the accomplishment after so many years of effort.
I got most of what I need to put the front subby together, the only thing I'm shy are ball joint shims, somehow they all went missing, even tho I have a full set of new ball joints. I didn't realize they weren't in the package with the ball joints till after I'd made the order to MSport and Bill has looked all over his house and can't find them. I've managed to scrounge a few used ones from local guys and probably have enough to do two ball joints now, but still need some for the other side. I'm hoping I can get some from one of the local Mini guys....
I'd measure the OD and ID and go to Amazon for shim sets.
Today marks 4 full months since I filed my dispute over unspecified "government charges" with UPS over vague import items having something to do with tariffs and brokerage fees.
Of course I have heard absolutely nothing back from UPS on this issue.
But you got your money back from the CC company, right?
I was surprised as anything when I got the credit from DHL!
I don't know why we're not getting dinged on our MSport orders, however one of Zac's buddies bought a BUNCH of sheet metal from Sport (close to $2K worth) and it was held up in Memphis for over 2 months, they finally shipped it to him and they did hit him with over $600 in tariffs.
So who knows what the hell's going on.....
I did look at Amazon for shims, everything they had seemed to be for shimming gun barrels - couldn't find anything in the correct size tho. Mcmaster didn't have anything either....MPlayle has some, he dropped them in the mail today but who knows when they'll get here if this storms screws things up.
I'll put the word out to the locals and see if anything turns up.
Yes. The credit card company did make me whole when I disputed the charges with them. However, UPS does not know that and my UPS dispute is lost deep in their corporate bureaucracy. Or they don't care to ever deal with it and are just hoping I will forget about it. Yeah, if they ever get back to me, I'll ask them to detail their mysterious charges – just out of my curiosity – and I will eventually tell them it was taken care of on the credit card end. So at this point, it's just kind of a novelty to see if they'll ever, ever address the dispute.
I got the left side done on Bill's subframe, and have packed the bearings and installed them on the right side, as well as replaced the needle bearings in the upper control arm, so those parts are ready once (or if) I get the shims I need for the ball joints.
So, between all my local Mini friends and my own stock and one far away friend (thanks, Michael Playle) I managed to find enough shims to get all the ball joints done. I went to install the axles and found that I had ordered only one stub axle nut, because there were a couple used ones in the parts he sent me, however after I got the axles all put together I found two things - the threads on the end of the stub axles fit my new nut, but not the old ones. Second, I wonder if these axles are long enough? I know they came from a drum brake car but I also think I've done brake kits like this and re-used the drum brake axles. They just look too short.....
As there was a used set of disc brake stub axles in the parts box and I had a few old axle nuts, I checked and those fit each other. So, either I take the completed axles apart and swap out these stub axles or I need to buy one more of the correct nuts so I can use the new ones. The used stub axles look to be in perfect shape.
In the meantime I went ahead and bolted in the used stub axles so if nothing else they can get the car to roll once the subby is installed in the car.
The castle nut threads are determined by whether the outer CV joint is for drums or disks.
The axle length is determined by the type of inner joint. Pot joints are shorter and take a slightly longer set of axles than the older style 'u' joints or Hardy-Spicer joints.
Yes and no, I have two sets of stub axles with different threads on them, one set fine the other coarse. So you're suggesting one set were from the original drum brakes? Cause I always thought the drum brake CV's were smaller, and used a smaller nut on the outer end?
Also since we're using the standard rubber u-joints (it's just a 998 motor) these axles should be the same as on disc brake cars? Because I'm assuming these were the drum brake axles.
So it sounds like I need to find another of these newer axle nuts with the fine threads or just use these drum brake outer CV joints.
I know the drum brake outer CV joints are different from the disk brake CV joints. I think the nuts are the same size, but different thread as well as the actual CV being different.
I have doen the disk brake convertion on a 998 with the inner rubber joints. The axles are fine as the "missing length" in taken up by the rubber 'u' joint end of things.
You would use the disk brake outer CV joints. I may have extras of the castle nuts. I will check my "stash" and let you know.
Dave,
I stand corrected.
I checked my stash where I know I have a set of the castle nuts for disk brake CVs as well as a spare, new drum brake CV with its hardware.
The drum brake CV is indeed smaller diameter thread size and thus a smaller castle nut.
I know you can use the axles you have as they are the same as were on the white Moke I restored and I converted it to disk brakes while still using the original axles.
I do not know if the disk brake castle nuts I have are fine thread or coarse thread - nothing to compare them with. I am willing to donate them to the cause as well if needed. Call me and let me know if you want them.
The disc brake stub axles that came with the kit have fine threads, just FYI. They probably had the new nuts with them too but like the ball joint shims got misplaced in his garage....
However, I bought a set of disc brake uprated stubs for my hot rod, and they have the coarse threads!
The set of used CV's I put in this front end used the same large nuts, just coarse threads. It's very confusing!!!
So as part of my order for building the subframe I ordered 2 locktabs for the steering arms, turns out I ordered two sets of locktabs, and MiniSport only had one, so they went ahead and shipped the one set they had with the order as requested. A day later they put the other set in an envelope and sent it via Royal mail.
I've only had a few things sent to me via English mail and it has always taken for evar, and this time is proving to be the same. It was picked up on Jan 20, but took 5 days to leave England. Got to Chicago on the 26th and was turned over to customs.....and it's been there ever since.
For two flat pieces of metal about 2" long, worth about $2.
I don't need them now although I will eventually use them on the hot rod front end once they get here.....
I'm waiting for the tariff notice on them :cheesy:
BTW, haven't heard a word on tariff charges due on the last order I got from MiniSport.
I filed a dispute with DHL a few months ago and my CC company replied today stating DHL pushed back on the dispute twice, insisting the 30% tariff was correct. So in essence, I lost the dispute, but the CC company took care of the discrepancy and credited me the amount I was disputing.
Quote from: scalpel_ninja on March 03, 2026, 05:49:14 PMI filed a dispute with DHL a few months ago and my CC company replied today stating DHL pushed back on the dispute twice, insisting the 30% tariff was correct. So in essence, I lost the dispute, but the CC company took care of the discrepancy and credited me the amount I was disputing.
Was the 30% something that was directly referenced by DHL or was that just a calculation you made based upon what they were charging you?
I'm asking because I'm wondering whether DHL did what UPS was doing and adding in brokerage fees, service charges, and who knows what else to pad what they were charging the recipient.
Quote from: BruceK on March 03, 2026, 07:36:29 PMWas the 30% something that was directly referenced by DHL or was that just a calculation you made based upon what they were charging you?
I'm asking because I'm wondering whether DHL did what UPS was doing and adding in brokerage fees, service charges, and who knows what else to pad what they were charging the recipient.
DHL charges a flat $17 admin fee. The rest was what I calculated against the total sale price.
The DHL invoice made no sense. Each item with its HTS code had "2.5%" as the rate and its corresponding tariff amount on the same row. Nowhere did it give a total or how they came up with an amount way over the sum of the rows. Prior DHL shipment tariffs from Mini Spares landed somewhere between 7-10%. When I looked at the HTS tables for car parts from the UK, this seemed to be about right when using "column 1" for rates on merchandise from "normal trade relation" countries. If "column 2" is used, then rates jump to 25-30%, but only a limited list of countries fall under that category of sanctions, such as North Korea, Russia, etc.
The invoice did say it was computer generated, so I'm guessing it might have been a glitch. But I tried calling DHL to clarify, with absolutely no response and no one to answer the phone. All I could do was pay the amount to release the shipment, then dispute the charge.
Didn't congress strike down his stupid tariffs?
My last shipment from MiniSport either had them built into the price I paid or somehow escaped them as I haven't been charged anything supplemental.
When I disputed the $66 charge on the $155 master cylinder I bought from Spares with DHL, they (DHL) refunded the entire amount.....eventually.
I bought a welder from an Ebay seller and wasn't charged any tariff, but maybe that's because it was already in the states?
Quote from: scalpel_ninja on March 04, 2026, 07:20:10 AM..... If "column 2" is used, then rates jump to 25-30%, but only a limited list of countries fall under that category of sanctions, such as North Korea, Russia, etc.
Which day did that list only hit countries such as North Korea, Russia etc.? What time of day?? At one point even an island inhabited only by penguins was being tarriffed. :undecided:
Quote from: Dan Moffet on March 04, 2026, 06:11:06 PMQuote from: scalpel_ninja on March 04, 2026, 07:20:10 AM..... If "column 2" is used, then rates jump to 25-30%, but only a limited list of countries fall under that category of sanctions, such as North Korea, Russia, etc.
Which day did that list only hit countries such as North Korea, Russia etc.? What time of day?? At one point even an island inhabited only by penguins was being tarriffed. :undecided:
Yeah, the "penguins only" island was apparently included intentionally back in April 2025, along with similar obscure locations. The rationale of the very long list was to close potential "loopholes" or prevent other countries (such as China) from rerouting goods through virtually unknown territories or locales as a countermeasure to evade higher US tariffs.
Did the package arrive looking like it had been opened for inspection? if so, perhaps some inspector type saw a "made in ..." label and decide it was all from a column-2 country?
Quote from: MPlayle on March 04, 2026, 07:58:50 PMDid the package arrive looking like it had been opened for inspection? if so, perhaps some inspector type saw a "made in ..." label and decide it was all from a column-2 country?
The Mini Spares tape was completely intact. I think DHL just arbitrarily generated the tariff bill.
I think you're right - maybe they've realized most people won't bother to fight it so it's an enhanced source of revenue....
Quote from: MiniDave on March 05, 2026, 11:30:19 AMI think you're right - maybe they've realized most people won't bother to fight it so it's an enhanced source of revenue....
Yes, 100%.
I think there's a bunch of factors here. Primarily there is a ton of inertia at these courier companies to continue to do things the way they've done for decades. I realize the imposition of the tariffs and the elimination of the $800 de minimus loophole was not something they were expecting, but they sure have not risen to the occasion in terms of customer service. I totally believe they are basking in the confusion and using it as an opportunity to profiteer over the situation.
The most damning thing is that even if you contest the tariff and other charges, the courier companies completely control the process, and can arbitrarily deny any challenges. Or, in the case of my dispute with UPS, just never respond to it. It's their world and they control it. They have no incentive whatsoever to be responsive to the general public who may only receive one international package a year.
I went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.
Good grief...
Quote from: 94touring on March 06, 2026, 08:26:36 AMI went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.
Two weeks ago I purchased two small items from an Etsy seller in the UK and my items were put in a stiff envelope sporting a £3.80 stamp with King Charles portrait on it. What's keeping MiniSport from doing that?
Quote from: BruceK on March 06, 2026, 06:41:31 PMQuote from: 94touring on March 06, 2026, 08:26:36 AMI went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.
Two weeks ago I purchased two small items from an Etsy seller in the UK and my items were put in a stiff envelope sporting a £3.80 stamp with King Charles portrait on it. What's keeping MiniSport from doing that?
Their disdain for King Charles would be my guess.
Quote from: 94touring on March 06, 2026, 09:11:03 PMQuote from: BruceK on March 06, 2026, 06:41:31 PMQuote from: 94touring on March 06, 2026, 08:26:36 AMI went to order 4 $1.00 circlips from minisport usa yesterday and they wanted $40.82 for shipping. You could stick them in an envelope with stamp.
Two weeks ago I purchased two small items from an Etsy seller in the UK and my items were put in a stiff envelope sporting a £3.80 stamp with King Charles portrait on it. What's keeping MiniSport from doing that?
Their disdain for King Charles would be my guess.
Haha. :grin:
I suppose they could draw a mustache on him. At least we have the option of using an Elvis stamp. Or a Snoopy one!
I'm really struggling with this today, as I need to order a fairly expensive bunch of parts from England for my Mini (tyres, suspension cones, shocks and other bits) and I'm really not anxious to get hit with thousands in tariffs because the shipper can't figure out how much to charge me because the damn rules keep changing. First all the tariffs were struck down and the next day the 10% on everything was increased to 15% added to the original 2.5%, unless it's car parts which are still at 25%.......or are they? who knows?
Last shipment I got from Sport over a month ago was more than $600 in stuff and a month later I still haven't been billed any tariff money for it. Yet I read and hear all sorts of stories of people getting outrageous bills for even small items under $50.
At the same time I read that FedEx is now charging up to $150 "dispute fee" on tariffs that even if you win you don't get back.
On top of that, it seems the tyre stores have also lost their minds - it used to cost $25 a tire for mount and balance, today more than 5 stores contacted claim $60 ea or more for carry in tires. Discount says $25 if you buy the tires from them, but they don't carry any that will fit my Mini - of any brand, otherwise $60 ea. WalMart has some sketchy brands in 13", but still nothing that fits my Mini (50 series).
I was debating between the Yoko A539 that I have on the car now and really like, and tho they have plenty of tread left they are going on 11 years old. I don't know if I can trust them on a 3K mile trip this summer. Sport and Spares also carry the Nankang brand in the right size that are 1/2 the cost of the Yokos.....I'm not nearly as aggressive a driver as I used to be and I wonder if those wouldn't do just fine from now on?
Analysis paralysis is killing me!
25% but appears that is reduced with the exemption.
Tire Rack and Discount Tire are owned by the same company now. But obviously they are different entities and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. I have enjoyed Discount Tire's lower in-house mounting services with tires that I "bought" online from Tire Rack and that I carried into the local DT store. Just sayin'
That $150 charge by FedEx to dispute a tariff calculation is highway robbery. Resolving customer issues should never be a profit center. As we can all see that gives them carte blanche to do what the hell they want because they're gonna make money either way.
I would hope that MiniSpares and MiniSport are behaving professionally enough to include the correct HTS codes on their invoices necessary for tariff calculations AND providing their information to their shipping courier companies.
Make sure they actually got it wrong I guess.