Post AxdA7EAPF0QXEFgLVA by mntmn@mastodon.social
 (DIR) More posts by mntmn@mastodon.social
 (DIR) Post #AxdA7BN3dVlSYcZuIy by mntmn@mastodon.social
       2025-08-28T13:23:32Z
       
       1 likes, 1 repeats
       
       on our very recent shipments of MNT laptops to the US, i can see that a number of people had to pay "government charges" via UPS before delivery. there is no transparency on these charges, we can only see the dollar amount. the amount is never the expected 15% (EU->US agreement), but usually around 25%, in some cases more. even taking sales taxes into account it doesn't add up. so far no one can explain to us how the charges are calculated or how to appeal. this is beyond frustrating. any ideas?
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdA7CKc45P3XKRT8K by jfred@jawns.club
       2025-08-28T13:37:22Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mntmn From what I've heard the US government isn't providing key information like "where do we send payment to?" and the exact amounts they need to charge for different products. My gut feeling is that UPS is charging extra to cover the risk of getting it wrong on some packages + the cost of figuring out how to deal with the new systemThat's my feeling because other postal carriers have halted shipments altogether, which makes me think they decided the risk is too great to continue shipping
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdA7D7t6soo09UowC by mntmn@mastodon.social
       2025-08-28T13:43:27Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @jfred i don't think that is the case. UPS is not a postal service, but a courier. only traditional postal services have halted small parcel stuff because normally the bulk of them didn't need customs processing because of de minimis <$800 rule, which suddenly went away, and they don't have the infra to handle all the new declarations.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdA7DfD6zTPfV5QsS by jfred@jawns.club
       2025-08-28T13:49:23Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mntmn DHL also suspended shipping to the US though, aren't they also a courier?
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdA7EAPF0QXEFgLVA by mntmn@mastodon.social
       2025-08-28T13:53:50Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @jfred deutsche post dhl is postal, dhl express is a courier. two different services.
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdA7GUgaZpyRjBZOC by mntmn@mastodon.social
       2025-08-28T13:24:51Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       (my key accounter at UPS in germany can also not explain it nor access the invoices)
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdAjo4QCWvNaNHLGa by socketwench@masto.hackers.town
       2025-08-28T13:25:35Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mntmn Hearing this detail explains why so many countries are cutting off parcels to us...
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdAuS60F4LkcP5vMW by xan@xantronix.social
       2025-08-28T13:29:47Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mntmn possibly related to the Certificate of Analysis requirement bullshit regarding Cu/Al/steel content in PCBs defaulting to assuming the entire PCB is copper?
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdAuTUr29p4xljHjk by xan@xantronix.social
       2025-08-28T13:30:16Z
       
       1 likes, 1 repeats
       
       @mntmn ah here we go, found the posthttps://olimex.wordpress.com/2025/08/26/we-regret-but-have-to-temporary-suspend-the-shipments-to-usa/
       
 (DIR) Post #AxdcWoOwSNTjZ2T8Pw by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2025-08-28T19:22:10Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mntmn UPS specifically seems to be acting oddly in this brief moment before the end of de minimis on 29 Aug.  Last week I received a package from China via DHL, that went smoothly. A prior one via UPS, very complicated and puzzling, they tried to charge late fees from delays they made, etc.