Customer service, no customer blackmail...
Possibly the worst customer service experience known to man...
I had a parcel sent from Hong Kong and it arrived quite speedily in Cape Town when DHL informed me to pay the necessary VAT/import duties.
The parcel was then 'randomly' picked for inspection by customs.
Three weeks later I'm being held hostage by DHL/customs for near to R6000 in ADDITIONAL VAT/import duties, penalties for mistakes made on a waybill in Hong Kong(which I had no control over) as well ADDITIONAL  admin fees from DHL as result of the inspection.
I had to scramble to get together the money to pay them in order to release the parcel, otherwise I would remain liable for the invoice until such a time it is paid....meantime my parcel can still be auctioned off by customs, leaving me liable for the full amount and making it impossible for me to import ANYTHING ELSE EVER until this invoice is settled.
Finally, now that I've been extorted/blackmailed and paid this invoice(double the actual value of the parcel I might add) I'm still not sure when I can expect to receive my parcel having paid the invoice 3 days ago AND I made sure to effect payment immediately.
ALL THE ABOVE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF EXTORTION AS WELL AS HORRENDOUS SERVICE.
Now, heading into the fourth week of my nightmare, I have basically received no informative communication besides for the automated system responses from various parties involved....until now, in order for this whole debacle to get resolved I've had to phone DHL DAILY to get updates, at every call I was promised to get updated by DHL staff as things progress....I have not received a call with updates to this day...
To name and shame seems to be the only way to get an email addressed to me personally with an explanation or update...
So, Carmelita Marchant, Moneeba Esau, Mohammed Shabodien...if you manage to lay eyes on this complaint....I hope you take the criticism to heart and get your act together, because together you have proved yourselves to be everything but interested in customer service...rather customer frustration seems to be your game at this stage.....