If a package entering the United States was charged too much, first identify who imposed the charge. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) duty or tariff is challenged through the customs entry process. A carrier's brokerage, advancement, or billing fee is disputed with the carrier. If the seller promised that duties were included, the seller may also need to resolve the problem.

The person who paid the bill isn't always the importer of record or the person entitled to file a CBP protest. Keep that distinction in mind before sending a complaint.

Identify the charge before disputing it

Read the invoice line by line and separate government charges from private service fees.

Carriers often advance government charges so a shipment can enter the country, then bill the importer or recipient. UPS describes this arrangement in its import-fee guidance. The carrier's invoice may therefore contain both money paid to the government and the carrier's own fee.

An unexpected bill isn't automatically an erroneous bill. Free shipping, a low product price, or a seller's description of an item as a gift does not by itself establish that no duty was due. The entry documents and the sales terms matter.

Gather evidence that explains the overcharge

A persuasive complaint connects a specific charge to a specific document. Collect:

• The carrier invoice, tracking number, and shipment date
• The order confirmation and checkout page showing shipping and duty terms
• The seller's commercial invoice or packing list
• Proof of payment, including the actual price, currency, quantity, and discounts
• The customs entry number and entry summary, if available
• Any liquidation or other CBP decision notice
• The product's material, function, model, and country of origin
• A written classification or valuation explanation, if a broker or specialist prepared one
• Proof of a duplicate payment or a prior refund
• Emails with the seller, carrier, or broker

Compare the declared value with the real transaction record. Check that the invoice uses the correct currency and quantity, and that freight or insurance wasn't counted incorrectly. For a classification issue, gather product specifications rather than simply asserting that a different tariff code has a lower rate.

Use accurate records. Do not ask a seller or broker to create a lower value or a different product description solely to reduce duty.

Dispute a UPS, FedEx, or other carrier invoice

A carrier complaint is the right starting point when the problem is the carrier's own invoice or when you need records before deciding whether the customs entry is wrong.

Follow these steps

1. Request a full breakdown. Ask which amount was remitted as duty or another government charge and which amount is brokerage, advancement, storage, handling, or another carrier fee.
2. Ask for the entry details. Request the entry number, declared value, classification used, exchange rate if relevant, and the name of the importer of record.
3. Compare the bill with your documents. Point to the exact line, amount, shipment, or term that is wrong.
4. State the remedy clearly. Ask for a corrected invoice, removal of a duplicate charge, or a refund of a specified amount.
5. Save the submission and response. Keep the case number, invoice, attachments, and dates. Check the carrier's current invoice terms for any internal dispute deadline.

For UPS, its customs explanation page explains that the party responsible for charges can depend on the shipment arrangement and delivery terms. FedEx and other carriers also use their own billing procedures, so don't rely on a generic 30-day or 90-day deadline unless it appears in the applicable invoice or account terms.

Use a written complaint even if you first called customer service. A phone call can open a case, but a written record makes it easier to show what you challenged and when.

Carrier customs-fee complaint template

Subject: Dispute of customs charges for tracking number [NUMBER]

Dear [Carrier] Billing Team,

I dispute the following charge on invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for tracking number
[NUMBER]: [DESCRIBE THE LINE ITEM AND AMOUNT].

The shipment was purchased for [AMOUNT AND CURRENCY]. The attached order
confirmation, proof of payment, and commercial invoice show [EXPLAIN THE ERROR].
Please identify the portion remitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and
the portion charged for your services.

Please correct the invoice and refund [AMOUNT] to [PAYMENT METHOD OR ACCOUNT].
If the government assessment must be corrected through the importer or broker,
please provide the entry details and explain the next required step.

Attachments: [LIST DOCUMENTS]

Sincerely,
[NAME]
[CONTACT INFORMATION]

If the carrier says the government amount is valid but the entry data is wrong, ask whether it can provide the entry records or coordinate with the importer or broker. A carrier billing review does not replace a CBP protest.

File a CBP protest when the agency decision is wrong

A formal CBP protest is used to challenge certain customs decisions, including issues involving classification, valuation, duty rates, and liquidation. The governing rules are in 19 CFR Part 174, and CBP provides practical instructions on its official protests page.

For entries made on or after December 18, 2004, the general protest deadline is 180 days after the relevant CBP decision. The decision may be liquidation or another decision covered by the customs protest rules. The date of delivery or the date printed on a carrier invoice may not be the date that controls.

Older entries have different historical deadlines. If the entry is close to the deadline, do not wait for a carrier's internal review or a seller's response.

CBP protest steps

1. Find the entry and decision date. Ask the importer of record or customs broker for the entry number, liquidation date, and decision being challenged.
2. Confirm who will file. A recipient who paid a carrier may not be the importer of record. Confirm whether the importer, consignee, surety, or an authorized representative must submit the protest.
3. Check for a pre-liquidation correction. The available correction method can depend on whether the entry has been liquidated. Ask the importer or broker to check promptly.
4. Use the ACE Protest Module when available. CBP says trade users must establish and maintain a protest filer account for electronic filing.
5. Complete the filing carefully. CBP says protests are generally filed on CBP Form 19, but there is no statutory requirement that a protest use that form. Follow the current filing instructions for the relevant entry.
6. Describe each contested line and the requested result. Explain the correct classification, value, origin, rate, or other treatment and calculate the refund requested.
7. Attach supporting records. Include the documents that prove the facts instead of relying on a general statement that the bill is unfair.
8. Keep the confirmation. Save the protest number, filed copy, attachments, and any later CBP decision.

A complaint that says only “the fees are excessive” is weaker than one that identifies the entry, the exact decision, the correct treatment, and the evidence supporting it.

CBP protest outline

Importer of record: [NAME]
Entry number: [NUMBER]
Decision challenged: [TYPE AND DATE]
Amount protested: [AMOUNT]

Grounds:
The merchandise on line [NUMBER] was classified as [CURRENT TREATMENT].
The correct classification or valuation is [PROPOSED TREATMENT] because
[FACTUAL AND LEGAL EXPLANATION].

Attached records show [SUMMARIZE THE KEY EVIDENCE].

Requested relief:
Recalculate the affected line and refund the resulting overpayment through
the applicable CBP refund process.

Name and contact information:
[DETAILS]

A customs broker can help interpret entry data and prepare a filing, but ask exactly what the broker will submit and whose name will appear as the protestant. For a high-value shipment, a licensed customs professional can help identify the correct procedure without allowing a carrier dispute to consume the filing window.

Understand ACH refunds separately from the underlying claim

ACH enrollment concerns how an eligible CBP refund is paid. It does not prove that CBP accepted the protest and does not replace the protest itself.

CBP's ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQ says companies should complete enrollment before a refund is issued to help avoid refund rejections and to provide bank information. Follow the current ACE instructions for the importer or company receiving the refund.

Do not assume that:

• ACH enrollment automatically creates a refund
• ACH enrollment extends the 180-day protest deadline
• A carrier's promise to investigate is a timely CBP filing
• Every individual recipient uses the same refund process as a business importer

Use the official ACE Portal rather than sending bank details in response to an unsolicited email. If you are a consumer who paid a carrier but aren't the importer of record, ask the seller, importer, or broker who is responsible for receiving and passing through any government refund.

Ask the seller to honor duties-included terms

The seller's checkout terms can determine who agreed to pay import charges. Save a screenshot or PDF showing phrases such as “duties included,” “duties paid,” or “duties unpaid,” along with the order confirmation and receipt.

Send the seller:

• The promised delivery or duty terms
• The carrier invoice
• Proof that you paid the charge
• The amount you want reimbursed
• A request for a written explanation if the seller says the charge was your responsibility

A seller may be able to correct information supplied to the carrier, but a private promise between seller and buyer doesn't necessarily change the customs entry. If the government assessment itself is wrong, the importer or authorized representative may still need to use the CBP process.

Escalate in the right order

Use a short timeline with the order date, import date, invoice date, complaint dates, and any deadline. Then escalate based on the type of problem:

1. Carrier billing issue: Contact the carrier's billing or customs-dispute team and request a case number.
2. Broker service fee: Ask the broker's billing supervisor for an itemized explanation and review the brokerage agreement.
3. Seller promise: Send the evidence to the seller's customer-resolution team.
4. CBP entry issue: Confirm the importer and file a timely protest through the appropriate route.
5. Large or technically complex claim: Consider a qualified customs broker or attorney, especially if classification, valuation, trade remedies, or court review may be involved.

If CBP denies a protest, customs law may provide a route to seek judicial review, but eligibility and deadlines are technical. Obtain jurisdiction-specific advice before filing a court action.

If the shipment entered the UK, EU, or another country

The CBP 180-day rule applies to U.S. customs procedures. It does not establish the deadline or form for an HMRC, EU, Canadian, or other foreign claim.

For a shipment imported elsewhere, identify the country whose customs authority assessed the amount. Then check that authority's official refund or appeal procedure and the carrier's local billing terms. Separate import duty or tax from brokerage and disbursement fees, because they may have different claimants, deadlines, and refund routes.

Don't assume that a U.S. protest, a carrier complaint, or a seller refund request preserves a foreign customs deadline.

Mistakes that commonly weaken a complaint

• Challenging the total bill without identifying the incorrect line
• Sending the complaint to the carrier when the CBP entry is the real issue
• Assuming the recipient is automatically the importer entitled to protest
• Relying on a product description without technical classification evidence
• Treating a seller's “gift” label or free shipping as proof of exemption
• Waiting for a carrier investigation until the CBP deadline passes
• Asking for a refund without stating the amount and payment record
• Using a corrected invoice that doesn't reflect the real transaction
• Treating ACH enrollment as a substitute for filing a protest
• Mixing a private brokerage-fee dispute with a government duty challenge

Quick checklist before you submit

• [ ] I know whether the disputed amount is a government assessment or a private fee.
• [ ] I have the invoice, order terms, proof of payment, and shipment records.
• [ ] I know the importer of record and entry number, if a CBP decision is involved.
• [ ] I checked the relevant CBP decision date rather than relying only on the delivery date.
• [ ] I stated the exact error and refund amount.
• [ ] I used the carrier's billing route or the CBP protest route, as appropriate.
• [ ] I saved the confirmation and will follow up in writing.

Start by asking the carrier for the entry number and a line-by-line breakdown. That information will show whether you need a billing correction, a seller reimbursement, or a formal CBP protest.