When UPS charged me a $684 tariff on $355 of vintage computer parts

I had this happen with FedEx. They released the package and delivered it without me paying. I submitted a dispute, which they say could take up to 6 months to process. I hate having this hang over my head, as I don’t want anything going to collections, but figured if I paid it I would have a harder time getting my money back.

Mine was for a watch I got serviced. My own watch that I shipped out being returned to me… not a new import. If I end up having to pay what FedEx is saying I owe, it would have been cheaper for me to buy a new watch than to get it serviced, which is very upsetting. The whole process has been a horrible experience from the very start and I regret the entire thing. I should have just risked getting it serviced locally… or not done it at all.

There's something called a "carnet" for that case.[1] When something is leaving the country temporarily but coming back, there's a way to register that. This comes up a lot if you're doing trade shows or performances.

[1] https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summ...

> I should have just risked getting it serviced locally…

Sounds like tariffs working as intended?

It more likely would have been the second option, “or not done it at all.”

Unfortunately the world is far too globalized for tariffs like these to ever be a good solution.

There isn't another niche guitar pedal hardware manufacturer that does the same thing as on in Belgium.

better not use UPS; goods moving under ATA carnet are on their prohibited list

At work, when we send stuff From USA to Canada for repair, we just need to put the correct Canadian customs code and "For warranty repair" on the packing slip.