"Beware of FedEx fees" Topic

This may be common knowledge to some, but it caught us by surprise. My wife received a $21.30 USD FedEx bill for a package from Europe worth $33.93 USD. This represents a charge of roughly 63% when the current tariff is 15%. When we got the itemized bill, it turns out the tariff fee was $6.30 USD and the extra $15.00 USD was a "disbursement fee."

According to the internet: "As of January 2026, the FedEx disbursement fee for importing into the US is the greater of US $15 USD or 2% of the duties, taxes and merchandise processing fees. This fee is charged when FedEx advances payment on your behalf to customs authorities to expedite delivery . . ."

I am sure that FedEx was unduly burdened by having to advance $6.30 USD on our behalf, but the shipment was certainly not expedited. We will be careful to check which shipping companies overseas merchants are using in the future, and to check if the merchant has figured out how to deal with the tariffs. I have dealt with several companies who had no problem with that at all.

Yeah, I've been avoiding UK companies that haven't sorted out how to use the Royal Mail's tariff collection up front. Going through that hoop is a set-up headache for them and their shopping cart software. If they haven't though, the excess fees are a killer at this end.

DHL hit me for $32 USD in December. That, combined with shipping from Europe, put my postage cost at 75% of the order's value.

I am just not ordering from overseas until all this is sorted out.

Nothing is that important that it cannot wait.

Ignore them, let them get their rebate from the government.

They should have let you know about the fees before delivering the package, not months later.

I am planning to order a roughly $100.00 USD order from England about July. The vendor uses Royal Mail, so I am hoping I will avoid this kind of nightmare. I am wondering if I should follow huron725's lead and just wait until the dust settles. Will it settle?

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Royal Mail from the UK will let the shipper pay the tariffs up front and so avoid these fees. All other shippers have these kinds of fees.

The dust will not settle until we get a democratic administration, if ever.

I have been ordering from England as I have been before tariffs. It is a bit more expensive than before, but I have not ever been charged by any delivery service. But all my stuff comes via USPS.

If the company is using Royal Mail, you will know and pay for all the fees up front. No surprises, and not gouging at the back end like FedEx, UPS, and DHS.

DHL will return the package to the sender if you do not pay their fee.