UPS Charged Me Storage After I Contacted Them Immediately — Delays Were Not Caused by Me

Very disappointing experience with UPS South Africa.

My parcel arrived on Friday, 7 August. I proactively emailed UPS at 12:49 that same day asking what was required for clearance. UPS acknowledged my email within minutes, yet I received no substantive response until Tuesday, 11 August.

UPS says they attempted to phone me on the 7th, but I later discovered they had used an incorrect telephone number. This does not explain why they didn’t use my valid email address when I had already contacted them and they had acknowledged my email.

I received the required invoice/documents on 11 August and paid/comp**** on 12 August. UPS confirmed the shipment cleared customs on the 12th.

UPS then started charging me storage from 13 August, yet the required documents for the subsequent SARB inspection were only submitted by UPS on 14 August.

I was eventually charged R276 storage.

When I disputed the charge telephonically and said I would not pay it, I was told in substance that UPS would simply keep my parcel. With storage potentially continuing to accrue, I ultimately paid the R276 under protest to secure release of my shipment.

My question to UPS is simple: What was I supposed to have done differently?

I contacted UPS on the day the parcel arrived, waited for UPS to provide the requirements, comp**** immediately thereafter, and UPS then charged me storage while its own processing of the shipment was still taking place.

I have formally disputed the R276 and have also lodged a complaint with ICASA.

I am requesting a full refund of the R276 storage charge and a proper explanation from UPS as to why I should pay for delays that the documented timeline shows were not caused by me.