UPS brokerage Germany holding my Digi-Key capacitors? [resolved .... sorta] - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 11:50:59 am
content: So, since it had to go intoprofessional equipment, for once I ordered with a real vendor, Digi-Key.Good name, well known. Bit pricey maybe, but should go well.Despite showing everything in Dutch, profiling a dutch website and support address, stuff had to be shipped from US, causing a €20 shipping on a €22 order.Worldwide 3-day express is their only option. Fine. I know that before I pressed the final order button.After the order was made, and despite receiving an email with order confirmation, my order vanished from my order history.Even now, 8 days later, no order history, and no response to an inquiry email on that.But more importantly: The UPS link on the one confirmation email I did get, showed the order arrived in Germany 1 day after ordering (is good) and still in Germany 8 days later (is bad).Apparently something called "UPS brokerage" is repeatedly holding the order. I called Digi-Key and they also do not know how or why, just that "UPS brokerage" can decide to keep the package up to 10 days if they feel.And this is not some gray China import with questionable declarations. This is all paid up from a reputable source in USA. Including VAT paid in full.Just some 20 film capacitors and 10 power resistors, so that should not trigger any warnings.Also, the way the Digi-Key support guy told me, this is at the moment a "big problem" in UPS Germany, many packages held.He made it sound as if Digi-Key has a Europe wide problem with UPS Keulen/Koeln in Germany.Anyone else affected?Edit: and to think I was only 30km away from Koeln last week myself for business. Should have driven there.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 12:02:33 pm
content: DigiKey has nothing to do with this. Contact your local UPS office about this.The problem is likely that because this is coming from outside the EU the package has to go trough customs. If any required import duties have been already payed then its just a matter of sorting out the import paperwork.The problem may be the new EU legislation that packages under 22€ are no longer exempt from import fees. This caused a massive increase in the customs workload overnight as now all the cheep 2$ crap from China has to go trough the process and clog up all the customs pathways that ware not made to handle such a volume. As a result things can get delayed a lot.I hate it. Not only is the result of this that my 2$ crap from China costing me quite a bit more than 2$ but it is also slowing down things massively.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 12:17:07 pm
content: As mentioned, all paid up, import fees and VAT.Also, in my experiance, since the China websites are now required to also charge and pay EU taxes, the delivery from China has *sped up*Yes, in the last 4 months, I have had faster deliveries. I pay $2 more to AliExpress, and it is there in less then 10 days. Good deal as far as I am concerned.Nothing to do with Digi-Key? Maybe not their fault, but I can only work through them, they are the client for UPS, not me.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 12:26:52 pm
content: Quote from: cybermaus on October 15, 2021, 12:17:07 pmThat's not what happened, anyone can still send stuff to EU tax-unpaid, it just gets held until the receiver pays the VAT/duty. The difference is that this now happens for all items where as before cheap items were exempt.There was a big media push to let international companies know that this was coming and to give them time to register for UK vat if they wanted to, so they could avoid their customers getting annoyed about having to pay it themselves on a cheap item.The media then blew it out of all proportion and made it seem like every international company was required by law to register for UK VAT and pay it on every shipment they wanted to send to UK. Which is completely untrue

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 12:33:35 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on October 15, 2021, 12:26:52 pmCould be, all I know is: AliExpress is now charging VAT on exit, and almost all packages from them arrived faster.Anyway, back to the original point:DigiKey put VAT and import on my invoice, I paid them, and it is supposed to be 3-day express.I know UPS cannot *garantee* 3days, and customs can do what they want. But it is unexpected from a USA company on a package that is all paid up, with a handling company (UPS) that knows how to handle the correct paperwork.And even more so if the DigiKey support hints that it is a broader problem specifically since last week on that specific entry airport.So I wonder if the latter is true at all: Anyone else affected?

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 01:26:21 pm
content: I was actively involved in a large group that shipped a lot of used electronics and computers to Canada for many years and this has been a FREQUENT problem with shipping items from the US to Canada viaUPS. UPS turns the items over to "customs brokers" somewhere along the path and the "brokers" then try to extort additional fees from the buyer. This has been going on for over 20 years and the people that I know that refused to pay the additional fee all got their goods eventually. None of the "brokers" actually seem to do anything other than extort money from the buyers.Overseas shipping via UPS is already expensive without the additional fees. The next time, have your stuff send by USPS. It is (was?) a lot cheaper to ship overseas and there are no fees other than the customs that your country imposes.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 02:57:37 pm
content: Search for Digi-key on this forum. This is a known problem with them.Their website is extremely misleading, giving the impression that they operate from Europe, even providing EU contacts, etc. Except they are not, they are shipping everything from the States, which ends up making it pretty expensive and messy.Digikey can't be bothered to file the necessary paperwork required for getting the goods into the EU and rely on UPS to do it. And, of course, UPS will charge you, the recipient, a flat fee for filing the customs declaration, even when no customs or VAT are due (the declaration needs to be done for every import, regardless of whether or not the customs need to be paid). Until it is paid they will keep your package.Most likely there is something wrong with the customs formalities and the package didn't make it through customs - or the broker (who is handling the paperwork) is missing some information from you/Digikey (often whether or not VAT has been paid - you may have to pay it separately and provide a proof, don't know how exactly UPS is managing this).This has been like this for years and it depends a lot on in which country you are in. E.g. in Denmark I could order from DigiKey without issues, in France I had this hassle.Buy from Mouser, Farnell or RS/RadioSpares, those all ship from EU warehouses and you won't have this problem.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 04:44:56 pm
content: Quote from: janoc on October 15, 2021, 02:57:37 pmAnd I bought from Mouser and Farnell before.Not that I often do so, small time hobbyist with the occasional "real" job.But I figured, many people talk about Digi-key all the time, lets try them.Not sure if I really should blame them. But it is true, they present themselves all local, and only at the last moment is it clear it has to come from USAOn the other hand, when I called the Dutch support hotline, I immediately got a person on the line.Instantly, no forwarding and call routing. And without doubt a born and bred local, not some global call centre. So they are trying?Quote from: Stray Electron on October 15, 2021, 01:26:21 pmUSPS was not offered. Only one possible shipping, which was 3 days express.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 04:58:31 pm
content: Digikey shipping is supposedly DDP. At least on digikey.fi. AFAIK it should be the same everywhere, it's their business model.Google DDP for explanation if you don't what it means.This shit just should not happen. It's all included in the price. You already paid it to be delivered to your door, no questions asked, no money asked, no delays.Given the order disappeared from the order history, clearly this isn't "normal" behavior even for finished orders, so there is some bug in their system and they somehow *cked up. Maybe they mismanaged the paperwork as well.I had my order completely disappear from the order history once, too. Had to contact customer service, they magically made it re-appear with no proper explanation why it happened. This is horrible customer service. I switched from Farnell to Digikey years ago to avoid this kind of BS, but now Digikey has become unusable as well, so I have mostly switched to Mouser.It's clear Digikey has failed this transaction (seeing the order history has disappeared). It's still possible UPS hasalsofailed this. Maybe they both *cked up. Wouldn't surprise me the least.In modern times, you just need backup plans, order same parts from multiple vendors using different shipping companies, and hope at least one package gets through to you. This in addition to the component crisis. No STM32 for you. No shipping for you.When dealing this situation professionally, you just need to pass it to your customers. 3-month, $10k project is now 2-year, $100k project. Good luck.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2021, 05:57:34 pm
content: Quote from: cybermaus on October 15, 2021, 11:50:59 amDigi-Key makes no secret of having only one warehouse. On the contrary, they actively advertise that fact since it means every order always comes from one place, no issues of one item being in one warehouse, another somewhere else…Quote from: cybermaus on October 15, 2021, 11:50:59 amAt €50, you get free shipping to NL. Instead of wasting €18 on shipping, next time just pad the order with something you want, or restock your regular components, buy some solder or flux, etc. At work, we keep a big list of things we need to reorder at our leisure, specifically so that we can pad small Digi-Key and Mouser orders.Quote from: cybermaus on October 15, 2021, 11:50:59 amAnyhow, I checked the DK website, and UPS orders to the NL always ship DDP (all duties and customs prepaid). So I concur that this is entirely on UPS.Quote from: janoc on October 15, 2021, 02:57:37 pmIt was an issue in the past perhaps. But for years now, DK has made it very, very clear how each combination of destination country, shipping, and currency affects incoterms, and Europe is now very well covered by DDP incoterms.Go tap on the flag on the website. It’ll say what the incoterms are for the selected country and currency. (Yes, there are countries where some currencies are DDP and others aren’t.)DDP means the shipper has filed the paperwork. Switzerland is nightmarish about this, so I rely on companies that ship DDP to prevent nasty surprises.What amazes me is that Digi-Key orders get here faster, and more predictably, than orders from Germany or the UK. Every one so far (and that’s a lot over the past 2 years) has been exactly on time, within 48h.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 01:03:14 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on October 15, 2021, 04:58:31 pmNo it is not. At least not everywhere. They don't offer the same shipping options to every country, so what applies to you in Finland doesn't apply to someone in France or Romania. We have been discussing this before, I believe.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 04:36:46 am
content: Quote from: Psi on October 15, 2021, 12:26:52 pmNow this is completely offtopic, but the media didn't say that;the government did.If you've actually managed to locate and parse the applicable legislation, I'm all ears.

author: Oldtestgear
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 09:52:35 am
content: I placed an order with Digikey on Monday of this weeK & parts were delivered by UPS on Wednesday morning. The system is working here in the UK anyway. Agreed that the only sensible way to deal with gigikey is to pad an order over the £33 minimum for free shipping. I did not use Digikey because of the USA shipping but they were the only distributor with stock of the parts needed to refurbish my 3458a DMMs.FWIWPhil

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 01:39:43 pm
content: Quote from: janoc on October 16, 2021, 01:03:14 amYou’re correct that it varies by country, Siwastaja was wrong about that.But your characterization of the situation is also wrong. Have you even looked at Digi-Key’s site in detail? I just looked at the options for France, and it is indeed one of the countries where the incoterms vary not only by shipper, but by currency: if you pay in Euro, UPS is DDP only for business customers with a VAT ID. But if you pay in USD, UPS shipments are DDP for everyone.With that option, you should have NONE of the issues you report.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 03:10:55 pm
content: Yes and the OP is in a country where Digikey's DDP.Thanks for correcting me though, there clearly are some countries where they don't ship DDP incoterms. I don't understand why, it would be simpler, and good customer service, to follow one policy.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 03:40:04 pm
content: Since I've rarely heard good things about UPS for international shipments, surely everyone should be complaining to Digi-Key about their use of UPS? After all, it is their choice of shipping agent that is affecting their customers?As a positive contrast, I recently had something shipped by DHL from the UK to the USA. It was picked up by DHL in London at 5pm on Wednesday, and it was in my hands in San Diego at 2pm on Thursday. USPS cannot even deliver letters that fast to an address in a neighboring city!

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 03:44:59 pm
content: Nah, all the couriers are full of BS. Everyone complains about UPS but OTOH everyone complains about DHL as well, and so on.Try Fedex? Again, everyone complains.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2021, 05:15:24 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on October 16, 2021, 03:40:04 pmFrankly, I had far more trouble with UPS shipmentswithinUSA than I have had with UPS shipments from USA to here!And don’t forget that the complaints you see online tell usnothingabout how widespread any problems are, since we only hear about the extreme failures. We don’t know what percentage of packages aren’t delivered uneventfully, but it’s likely to be the overwhelming majority.Regardless, even if there were a superior alternative, which there isn’t, Digi-Key and UPS are intimately intertwined. Digi-Key operates has what amounts to its own private UPS sorting facility, such that they basically deliver containers to UPS ready to load onto a plane.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2021, 01:18:38 am
content: Quote from: IanB on October 16, 2021, 03:40:04 pmTo many countries Digikey offer a choice of carrier to the customer (as do other competitors such as Mouser). So, no, the customer usually has a choice but just leaves it on the default (UPS).For most people the choice of carrier makes little difference, but in some locations specific services are worth picking one over the others (nearest Fedex pickup location to me is 4 hour round trip! yeah, no).

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 02:57:23 pm
content: Well, as OP bringing back on topic:I briefly hoped it was solved, as itdid notgive the "delay" message for 2 days.But I guess this is simply because it was weekend, maybe this part of UPS does not work in the weekend.We are back to the old daily rhythm, I believe this is day 12 now.I'll be calling Digi-Key again tomorrow, I want my Euro 50 back (I suspect I will not get it).

author: khs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 03:10:18 pm
content: The same happened to me some time ago. It's an UPS problem.It can be solved by Digikey only, so it's a good idea to call Digikey.

author: jc101
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 03:41:28 pm
content: Slight drift, I have a DPD package being held for payment of customs duties and taxes. But DPD only have my landline number on the details. The *only* way I can pay is for them to send a link to my mobile or e-mail address, and they say it is impossible to update their records with either of these details. So they can't send me a link for payment, and will be returning the shipment to the sender as "receiver refused to pay customs charges". Even the shipper isn't permitted to update the details.As the package is a batch of custom machined parts, it looks like I have to wait for it go back to the factory and get it reshipped via a different courier. The return can take up to 3 weeks apparently. This is a shipment from the EU to the UK.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 03:42:04 pm
content: Quote from: khs on October 18, 2021, 03:10:18 pmBut remember: *Also* my order vanished from my Digi-Key order history. So they probably do not even have any process checking up on the UPS package anymore.Or maybe, (virtual) paperwork cannot be accessed due to the dropped order, causing the customs issues.I find it too much of a coincident they would both have dropped the ball independently.At this moment, it seems all I have to prove I have an order at all is the UPS tracking number, and the payment on my PayPal

author: woody
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 03:49:33 pm
content: Must say that my experience with Digikey is very good ever since I started using them more frequently in recent years.I order some special components from them a couple of times a year. Price wise they stack up to the competition (although the components I need are bl**dy expensive). For some reason I like their website better than these of the competition, clean and simple. They have my VAT number which gives me a VAT-free invoice. Shipping is free over €50,-. Usually my order reaches me within 2-3 days, by UPS Express. And, as already mentioned, if you have a question you can call them and get someone on the phone right away.If I compare this with Farnell in particular these last two aspects became much worse over the last year or so.Paul

author: khs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 04:27:35 pm
content: Quote from: cybermaus on October 18, 2021, 03:42:04 pmAfter placing the order you should received an email with something like an order number..

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2021, 04:29:48 pm
content: Yes, that what gave me the UPS linkThe UPS link still work. The order number seems to not exists anymore.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2021, 01:51:11 pm
content: We seem to have gone into a next phase.After repeating "late processing by UPS Brokerage" daily for about 12 days,it is now repeating "released by the government agent" for 2 days already.I guess that is progress?Not that it matters. I got an apology, refund, and instructions to discard the package should it ever arrive.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2021, 07:42:02 am
content: Well, as closure:Under the assumption the delay was so bad it must be an outlier, I ordered some more capacitors (ran into equipment with some more, but different, Rifa's).And this time, ordered on Sunday (not a working day, so lets call it Monday), arrived Wednesday. So that is 2 working days, pretty good.