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Shipping giant DHL has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that the company secretly tacks on a $17 delivery fee to packages coming from outside the U.S., and hides the fee as an import tax.
The class action lawsuit was filed in New Jersey on June 2 by lead Plaintiff Noam Martin who alleges that DHL emails consumers notices demanding “import duty” payments before packages are delivered, without disclosing the hidden and unauthorized $17 charge that is included, Law360 reports.
Martin says that the extra charge is “not any type of import duty, tax, or other government-mandated charge or fee.”
“The DHL notices demanding reimbursement of alleged import duties do not reveal that any part of the additional amount demanded from the class member is anything but an import duty and/or that any part of that amount is an additional service charge being imposed by DHL,” the claim reads.
It adds that the emails claim that DHL Express has paid the duty for consumers’ parcels and demands that a specified amount be paid to DHL for that supposed duty.
“That notice goes on to state in uniform language: ‘If the duty is not paid within 5 days, the parcel will be returned to the shipper,'” the class action lawsuit alleges.
Once a consumer has paid the fee, DHL sends an email saying, “Thank you for paying the import duty due on your DHL Express shipment.”
“DHL drafted the uniform language of the email notices in question and in doing so, DHL purposely chose to describe the entirety of the additional amount being demanded in the notice as reimbursement for import duties advanced by DHL, without any mention of the $17 service charge imposed by DHL which was not any type of duty, tax or government charge,” the claim reads.
According to the complaint, DHL was “fully aware that this language was deceptive and misleading in that the average consumer reading the DHL notice would believe that the entirety of the additional amount being demanded in the notice was reimbursement for import duties.”
Originally filed in the New Jersey state court, DHL has removed the matter to New Jersey federal court.
Martin wants to represent New Jersey residents who have received similar DHL notices. He is suing for violations of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act and Truth in Consumer Contract Warranty and Notice Act.
Have you been sent an import tax bill by DHL that included a $17 delivery charge? Let us know in the comments section!
Martin is represented by Stephen P. DeNittis of DeNittis Osefchen Prince PC.
DHL is represented by Steven P. Benenson of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman PC.
The DHL Hidden Fees Class Action Lawsuit is Noam Martin v. DHL Express (USA) Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-13363, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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13 thoughts onDHL Misrepresents $17 Package Delivery Fee as Import Tax, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges
They are doing this still. I just got a bill with this $17 charge for a Canada-US shipment
Was just charged $25 for parts ordered from England that were made in the USA – the mfg company is out of business, was based in San Jose.
I was told that it’s a US government fee that is attached to every imported package. I’ve been purchasing components for 30 years – this is a first, I’ve got two more packages in the DHL system