R2,752 "multiline" fee on a 1 kg parcel, and four emails with no real answer

I imported electronic parts from Hong Kong. Waybill ***. One package, 1 kg. The goods are worth about R4,300.

DHL wants R3,872.98.

Only R901 of that is duty and VAT for SARS. R2,971.88 is DHL's own fees. Most of it is a "multiline entry" fee of R2,751.88.

DHL made 40 lines on the customs entry, one for each part number on my invoice. But a customs line is not one part number. It is one tariff code plus one country of origin. My parcel has 17. DHL's own customs guide says a line means "different commodities or different countries of manufacture". On 17 lines the fee would be about R943.

DHL also added USD 50 for "freight and insurance" to the value of my goods. It is not on my invoice. It is not on my waybill. Nobody charged it to me. Their own agent told me on the phone that their system adds it automatically.

I have written four times since 28 August. I have had two replies. Neither reply mentioned the value or the line count. Each reply opened a new reference number, with a new advisor who had not read the previous emails.

While this was happening, DHL sent me 25 automatic payment demands in three and a half days. 13 emails and 12 WhatsApp messages. Most of them threaten to return my parcel to Hong Kong. All 25 ask for R4,096.10, which is R223 more than the R3,872.98 on DHL's own invoice, and nobody has explained the difference. All 25 call the money "import duty/tax". It is not. Most of it is DHL's own fees.

I am not refusing to pay. I have asked DHL to correct their own draft entry, and I have said in writing that I will pay the corrected amount the same day.

Please can someone senior actually read my emails.