Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Looking for suggestions for the receipt of packages from the UK via DHL.

Ordered from TTR. Package (6 lbs small box) was shipped and arrived in the US on the 8th with scheduled delivery on the 13th. Then received a duty notification on the 16th with storage charges. Paid the fees within 30 minutes of receipt.

No further word after repeated inquiry until this morning after spending a good bit of time on Friday trying to track package.

Still no word on why I have not received package. Don't know when I will get package.

Sh#t happens, but in dealing with UPS or FedEx one usually gets pretty good updated information. DHL not so much.

Any suggestions on how to avoid this mess in future other than not buy from across the pond?

All my experiences with DHL (international) have been exceptional, far better than UPS or FedEx. Better rates, faster delivery, more reliable communication (via their website and text updates) - enough better that I ask if DHL is an option when it isn't automatically offered.

Delivery time experience is likely regionally influenced (I'm in NC), but surprised to hear your communication experience. Probably a good reminder that our own individual experiences are quite small samples and not necessarily indicative of what others experience.

Henry,

Thanks for the reply.

Communication has been very poor. The DHL website has not been updated since the 16th. Their voice communication has not been updated since the 16th. I have been to the local DHL service center for Tulsa twice. They have not information.

Very frustrating.

Glad you have had good service.

I would vote hit and miss, not being based in USA-likely they care less.
To me, most things have, like customer service gone since covid. Companies may have cheques and balances but do they work anymore.

edit; wasn't awake

I've had mostly positive experiences with DHL, with only one shipment last year being held up for Customs clearance and payment, and then languishing. My sense was the problem was the backlog with Customs clearance agents that sidetracked DHL on the shipment. It took several calls and emails to get the shipment moving again.

However, I've had really negative experiences in the past and just recently with Fedex international shipments, the most recent from TTR. The tracking info was not updated for many days, and as above, the shipment was delayed for over a week waiting first for Customs clearance, then for Fedex to get the shipment moving again. I had to send many tracking requests and make several calls, and TTR had to have their shipping agent check with Fedex several times before it got moving again. Considering the value of the boxes, this was really irritating. If I recall, it was almost 2 weeks in transit.

Overall, in my experience over many years, DHL has been superior to Fedex for international shipments to me, but I agree - customer service is hit and miss, as it is with UPS, USPS, etc. Sign of the times.

Same here, DHL have been better that others. Had 2+ week delay on TTR Fedex order and was left having to do all the paper work for it and supply import number etc. Fedex were pretty rubbish. The package also got a real kicking during shipping, even damaged the shock tubes in the package.

I think its just one of those things. If you package gets pulled for extra custom checks etc it going to be slow and painful no matter which company.

One thing I'll add; Fedex forced me to fill out an importer's declaration form that was not at all straightforward since I am just an individual. For 5 days after, they had no record of me submitting the form, even though they acknowledged receipt of the form and forwarding to Customs immediately after I submitted it. Every customer service person I spoke with told me the form was due, even though it wasn't. For several more days no one could tell me what the hold up was, even though their tracking site reported the shipment had cleared Customs and was en route (it wasn't).

I'm definitely not happy with Fedex.

Conversely, the online Duty payment process with DHL was all I needed to go through - fast and easy.

TWebb wrote:Looking for suggestions for the receipt of packages from the UK via DHL.

Any suggestions on how to avoid this mess in future other than not buy from across the pond?

I live in rural Iowa, and in my case DHL hands over the "final mile" delivery to the local post office, which can add about a week to the delivery. (More time to reach the US than to make it the last 15 miles!)

On my last inbound UK shipment, after being contacted about import fees, I changed my delivery instructions to hold the package at the local depot for pickup, which was only about 15 miles away. So was able to pick it up the package same day as the customs notification.

Update:

After much nashing of teeth I have been able to speak to a human. The package is now considered lost and a search is being conducted. Kind of funny they asked me for a photo of said package. TTR shipped. I presume they do not photo every package that leaves the shop. I have asked TTR none the less.

Now it is a wait process before a claim can be filed. I believe it is another 2 weeks.

Argh..

I had this same problem with DHL they are a crap service.
It took them 6 attempts to pickup a Hardtop.
Then they lost it for a week at their distribution centre. They only found it when i sent sent an Email and told them to get off their backsides behind the computor and do a physical walkabout in the Warehouse.
They charged me £420 to transport from UK to France a Ripoff price.
Never again.
Alan

Just as a follow up...the issue with shipping had absolutely nothing to do with TTR.

This is all on DHL. Hopefully the replacement parts will be on their way soon.

Cheers

+1 DHL PROBLEM
Alan

I guess it's just the luck of the draw these days whether shipping carriers are on time or not. I ordered some parts from TTR last May on a Monday. They went out DHL the following day and they arrived on my doorstep in Wisconsin around noon on Friday of the same week! I had a small import duty to pay which was easily handled with a credit card online to DHL. Count me one happy customer - both with TTR and DHL!

To and from Australia I have generally found DHL to be good with best price and quickest delivery over the years ..... until they lose something and then its a real pain to get them to find it again. Luckily they have not often lost stuff for me.

cheers
Rohan

I think they are all horrible when this happens - none worse than our US Postal Service. I've watched packages on their app go from point to point then disappear - they won't research it until it hasn't moved for 30 days, by which time, of course, it's long gone. And I don't think they really do anything other than put the info in a file in case a damaged package without a label turns up. I do wonder how big of a warehouse the American public is paying for to store the mountain of lost, unidentified, and/or damaged packages for USPS - a bureaucracy that big never throws anything away!

FedEx has been the unpredictable one for me - sometimes packages I expect in 2-3 days will arrive overnight, and other times I'll watch on the app as it ping pongs back and forth between our regional center and Memphis several times before finally heading out for delivery days later.

rgh0 wrote:To and from Australia I have generally found DHL to be good with best price and quickest delivery over the years ..... until they lose something and then its a real pain to get them to find it again. Luckily they have not often lost stuff for me.

cheers
Rohan