Is your conduct Ethical or lawful DHL? 
Is this what you subject all your customers to?

Is this legal or ethical?

1. Family sent a small Christmas parcel pre-paid from the UK.
2. Vat & customs duties amounted to R345 
3. DHL 's invoice included an additional "advance payment Fee" charge of R200  i.e. they slapped on a 60% surcharge on the Vat/duties (for a service that was already paid for by the sender)
4. When we queried what this R200 fee is for they said it was for an advance payment to SARS for the duties and VAT
5. DHL, like all other VAT vendors in SA does not pay SARS immediately  but does this later.
6. It took 2 days and numerous phone calls to reach their supervisor , Lungi , to respond.
7. Lungi admitted that DHL does not pay SARS in advance and then said this R200 was a disbur*****t fee? A disbur*****t for what????
8. She then had the arrogance to say that they would revoke the R200 fee if we paid SARS the VAT/duties directly ourselves and send them proof of payment.
9. It is not our job ,DHL, to liaise with SARS. It  yours and  is included in the fee paid for by the sender.
10.Neither will DHL release the parcel until they receive payment in advance, effectively holding a customer to ransom. 
11. Why DON’T  TNT & Fedex  levy an "advance payment Fee"?

Bottom line:

-As an organization you receive all monies due in advance before releasing the shipment
- Assuming you charge all other customers an "advance payment Fee" raises the question as to whether this is either ethical or legal

A principle issue DHL…..

Shame on you Lungui

Shane on you DHL

