Unexpected Customs Charges Kit

Four tools, in the order you'd actually need them — every one of them completely free to use.

This kit follows the real sequence for a surprise customs duty, import VAT, or courier handling fee on a delivery: check whether the charge is actually legitimate, calculate and document exactly how much you're disputing, then file the formal dispute. Every tool in this kit is completely free to use — no account, no payment, no catch.

The sequence

Fake "customs fee" texts and emails are a common delivery scam — check any payment request against the courier's official tracking page before you pay anything.

Step 1 · Check it

Is the charge legitimate?

What makes a customs, import VAT, or handling charge legitimate — and what to check before you pay it or dispute it.

  1. 1Unexpected Customs Charges Checklist →

Step 2 · Calculate it

Work out what you're disputing

Break down every charge billed against what you should have been charged, with the shipment and declaration details and the evidence behind it.

  1. 2Customs Duty & Import Fee Dispute Worksheet →

Step 3 · Dispute it

File the formal dispute

A formal dispute of an incorrect duty, import VAT, or handling fee, requesting a recalculation and a refund of the difference — the main tool in this kit. If the seller or platform is also at fault, prepare a cross-border complaint against them too.

  1. 3Customs Fee Dispute Generator →
  2. 4Cross-Border Consumer Complaint Pack →