*******, expensive, robbing company!!!!

My mother and i came to the uk to visit family in 2019 before covid started, when covid hit we had to rush back home before the borders closed and my mother and I were in such a hurry that we left some of our things at our family's home where we were staying. I came back to the uk to collect what was left behind and decided to use dhl to send a few things back because of the lack of luggage space. I bit the bullet and decided to go for the £72 box to fill up with some items we had left behind, old as in owned by my mother and I second hand goods. The guy at the shop that assisted me with my box, who went through all the items with me said that I needed to write down every item in there and how much I THINK it costs! Else I am not allowed to send the parcel, as in dhl won't accept my parcel!!! I told him I don't know because it's all old stuff but he said it doesn't matter just write down what i think it might be.... so I spent my time giving rough estimates of the old stuff, gave him the dhl paper i had written out on and he filled out the form on the pc to finalize everything. He said to me that i must not worry, I am not declaring anything, dhl just want to know what is in the box. I thought this was just incase of *****ing. Afterwards he finished the paper work and I paid for the parcel and felt relieved that I had at least started my journey on sending home some of our things.... but then the nightmare happens!!!

My box was sitting at customs???? Apparently I declared all my old stuff???? I was forced to pay import duties on old second hand things!!! Things that were bought how many years ago in South africa!!! And a few gifted items from family that were also hand me downs!!! The worst thing was I was paying for guesses!!! You charged me R1211.23 import duties and taxes!!

I was forced to pay this before I could get any of our stuff back!! And customs went through my parcel and looked at everything!!! Yet still wanted to charge me import duties!! My mother's old spec savers reading glasses from i dont know how many years ago! was In there as an example!!

I emailed so many times to have the issue sorted out but kept getting back there is nothing they can do because it already went through customs! That i should of addressed it to myself to have avoided the issue! Not my fault! You should do your job and train staff properly so they give the customer the correct information!! I told the guy its old stuff probably about 5 or more times, and that i had left it here because of covid!!

I paid around R3000 for a small box of old things!! Clearly you guys need money because of this pandemic and are *****ing it from the pockets of your customers and *********ing them with their own goods to get it! I emailed again after I was forced to pay and asked if there was a way to get my money back for the duties as they had witnessed what was in there, and I got ignored! Absolutely wonderful!! I guess now that you have your money you don't have to give a damn anymore.

I am so appalled by this pathetic service! Never in my life would I use dhl again or recommend them! Absolutely ******* company!!