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Imports to Chile with DHL (Hidden Charges + Tax)

From: andrew cooke <andrew@...>

Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 12:25:49 -0300

I just received a package from DHL (more on that in another post) and thought
I would record the various costs here, because they came out as more than I
expected and might be interesting to others.

The final total includes:

 1 - The product cost
 2 - The shipping cost
 3 - The insurance cost

  These 3 are what I paid to the company selling the product

 4 - Tax on 1+2+3 (19%)
 5 - A small anmount (less than 1.000 CLP inclusing tax) for
     storage while in customs

  These 2 are "official" charges, and as expected - I actually thought
  tax would include an additional 6%, which seems not to be the case.

 6 - Additional DHL charge "Cargo Terminal"
 7 - Additional DHL charge "Deconsolidacion"

  These 2 come to $20.200 CLP + tax and are described at 
  http://www.dhl.cl/es/express/centros_de_recursos/preguntas_frecuentes_a_servicio_al_cliente.html

So even though I had already paid shipping, DHL charges an *additional* 24.000
CLP.  And most of this is fixed charges that could have been included in the
price of shipping but weren't (they are tabulated at the line above).

Once you realise that DHL are going to charge extra there are various comments
already available on the web.  For example
http://www.reclamos.cl/reclamo/dhl_worldwide_express/dhl_cobro_excesivo_por_internacion

Andrew

Deciphering DHL Status Reports

From: andrew cooke <andrew@...>

Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 12:43:22 -0300

This may also be useful, if you decide to use DHL anyway.

DHL give you a tracking number which can be entered at their web site to
display the package status.  Most is self-explanatory, but when it says

  Processed for clearance at SANTIAGO - CHILE

then you need to call DHL on 02 666 2050 (or 800 800345 from a landline) and
confirm various details (perhaps they will eventually contact you - nothing
they required was not included in the papers they had, as far as I can tell,
except perhaps my RUT; in my case the seller told me to call DHL).

You will then see

  Broker notified to arrange for clearance

which seems to mean that the paperwork is OK and DHL (or their subcontractor)
should be doing something.  In my case nothing happened for a couple of days
and that mesage was repeated each day.  Eventually something does happen and
you see

  Clearance processing complete at SANTIAGO - CHILE

After which it was delivered same day.  I paid the charges above in cash when
the delivery arrived.

In short, the simplest interpretation I can see is that the customs are fine,
but DHL are slow.

Andrew

Update on Charges

From: andrew cooke <andrew@...>

Date: Wed, 14 May 2014 00:23:58 -0400

A random person on the internet (who works for a shipping company, apparently)
explained to me that the charges above are normal, but that's it's unusual for
the "Deconsolidacion" charge to be applied to a single parcel.

Unfortunately I didn't record the split between those two (6+7) (and the link
seems to have changed) so I don't know what that amount there was.

Andrew

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