TNT - Inordinate delay in delivering air-freighted life saving medicines by TNT from Bangalore to Houston

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on February 26, 2003:

From: Raj Soni [Email User]

RE: TNT - Inordinate delay in delivering air-freighted life saving medicines by TNT from Bangalore to Houston

Subject: Consignment 940584724 dtd 29th Jan. 2003 on TNT Having written to the Media Relations Department of TPG, the holding company of the defaulting courier company- TNT, and got not even an acknowledgement, I would like to bring to your kind notice a horrific incident that points to: Poor character of TNT officials in Customer Service in Houston (USA) and Bangalore (India) who tell lies, and who deflect issues to cover up their own inefficiencies. Case in point: Using TNT’s global services, my father (in India) air-freighted a package on 29th Jan. 2003, containing life-support medicines for me- here in California, USA. He was informed in India that this air-freight containing life-saving medicines would take only 3 days to reach me here in the US. I received the package after 14 days, and after so much interaction and communication with TNT staff in US in Houston, and in India- all of whom are least apologetic for their lapses, have had no courage of conviction to own up responsibility for their mistake, and who have tried, though in vain to shift the blame on the US custom authorities, worldwide security procedures, a tragic and unfortunate incident occurred in the US…. Let me re-iterate that I understand, and have regard and highest respect for US security/ customs measures, authorities and their corresponding procedures- On checking the workflow and package-tracking schedule and you will see that delays are caused by the laxity on part of TNT. I was without my life-saving medicines for 11 days and all that TNT officials have to comment is that it was on account of US customs? Nothing can be farther from the truth. Words such as 'customer first' are used by TNT more as slogans, without any effort to understand the intrinsic meaning of the word- and am horrified at the latest situation where my father (from India) informs me that some representative of TNT called him up at home and said that these delays are normal- after assuring him just over a fortnight ago that all was in order- Doctor's prescription et all- and it would take just 3 days for the package to reach Fremont, California, USA. Is all this a one big joke for TNT? Regards, Rajiv Soni Fremont CA-94555, USA. Tel: 510-608-6078

Comment On This

I have a question for: TNT Express

My question is about:

wrongly asccesed custom duty and exploitation of customer by compelling to pay abnormal

extra ordinary highest handling charges

Dear Sir,

We are retail and wholesale opticians

We had appointed TNT couriers to collect a parcel containing reading glasses 28 pieces

from china.

The Airway No is GD 921 893 232 WW.

The parcel was dispatched along with Proper Invoice.

The total value of the parcel is $12 USD i.e approx INR 480.

However for unknown and unspecified reasons it was accessed of value 6 times more than the

original value i.e instead of Rs.480/= it was accessed as Rs. 2800 and duty was charged

accordingly. Instead of Contacting Us for specifications regarding the Duty and assessment

charges, TNT couriers had accepted the charges without even contacting us.It is TNT\'s

Duty to have the assessment done strictly according to Invoice value and if not the client

( US ) should be informed for further instructions. The values incurred were totally

unexpected very high.

With the duty charged on 6 times the original amount, the octroi charges were levied on

the higher amount too.

More to add to their total atrocities they have charged a handling charges of Rs. 394.

which is almost equal to the product value.

On complaining for the wrongly charges and worst customer services, TNT Manager did not

even try to resolve any of the problems and said nothing could be done.

Here are the figures.

Original Parcel value : Rs. 480

Accessed value by customs ( without TNT informing us about the same ) : Rs. 2800

Duty Charged :Rs. 412 ( It should have been Around Rs.82 )

Octroi Charged: Rs. 177 ( iT should have been around Rs.32)

Handling Charges: Rs. 394 ( No details provided on how such a high value was charged . The

amount is almost equal to the total parcel value)

Courier Charges : Approx. Rs. 2000

Total charges that should have been occured on Original Value : Approx. Rs. 200 + Courier

Charges

Total charges that is charged on over assessment : Rs 1000 + Courier Charges

i.e. More than 6 times the usual.

As the reading glasses are necessary medical aid product and they are very very low priced

.we do not know how TNT agreed on 6 times the assessment value without intimating us for

the same and more over to that collecting abnormal extremely highest handling charges ?

First of all every one in world is not dis-honest. Our case is genuine. we had been sent samples of non prescription reading glasses by overseas manufacturers.As the products which are medical aid products which are used by common people who can not afford to pay luxury spectacles made to order.

To day once again under The TNT track no. is CT105277270CN. which was sent by

China manufacturer along with proper invoice on which custom

duty was to be charged, but instead of charging duty based

on invoice value . Instead of that it was paid accessing

product value very very high ( more than 10 times ) it was

paid without informing us. This is second time within this

week. In previous parcel which was received on dt 13/3/08

under your receipt no 86117 same way duty was paid accessing

value of goods Rs 2800/= how ever it's original value is Rs

480/=. same way handling charges also added is extremely

very high for both the consignments.