Stay away! False customs declaration causes massive extra fees and headaches
Title: Stay away! False customs declaration causes massive extra fees and headaches
Review:
I strongly advise against ordering from this shop if you are based in Europe.
The seller declared my commercial purchase (item value: €170) as a private "gift" and put a completely false, heavily undervalued amount on the parcel. While some might think this is meant to help the buyer, it causes nothing but serious trouble: the shipment was immediately flagged and stopped by customs and DHL Express.
This resulted in an absolute ordeal:
The parcel was held up in customs for days.
I had to intervene personally, submit official proofs of payment, and correct the seller’s false statements.
On top of standard duties and VAT, high processing and disbursement fees from DHL Express were added—resulting in almost €70 in extra fees on a €170 order!
Any business selling internationally must be able to issue a proper commercial invoice and declare items legally. Because of this unprofessional practice, you end up paying significantly more and dealing with days of bureaucratic hassle.
Never again. Save your money and your nerves, and buy from reputable retailers instead.
Réponse de Lucky Elephant Muay Thai
Hi Chris, we are sorry to hear you were frustrated by the customs process. As we detailed in our email correspondence, the €69.46 billed by DHL consisted entirely of standard German Import VAT (19%), standard EU Customs Duty, and DHL's routine disbursement fee. While a clerical error at our 3rd party fulfillment center meant customs had to request your purchase receipt, this administrative pause did not result in a single penalty, fine, or punitive charge. You were simply assessed the exact national taxes legally required for importing goods into Germany. Having said that, we are glad your new gear was delivered safely and wish you the best.
