A warning to American consumers about FedEx
Hi everyone! I just wanted to offer a warning to any Americans buying pole gear, since a lot of companies in this space are overseas.
If you make a purchase from an overseas company with FedEx for shipping, you should know that tariffs/duties/import fees are not always included in the cost of shipping. Unlike other carriers who will either hold the item until the duties are paid or charge you upfront, FedEx will instead deliver the item first and send you a bill later. These bills can be massive, depending on what you spent.
I made a purchase for $100 from Dragonfly for pole shorts recently and got a bill over a month after delivery for $60 from FedEx that I am obligated to pay now. This was not included anywhere on the purchase page, and was only determined upon arriving in the US. Similarly, my sister purchased a Lupit pole with FedEx as the shipper, and got a bill months later for hundreds of dollars.
To be clear, I am aware of the fact that this is the fault of the idiot in office, and know how tariffs work. What I didn’t know is that the way FedEx structures their contracts with retailers allows them to set up a delivery without an upfront, agreed upon cost for the consumer. I felt pretty blindsided and wanted to warn others in the US before they make a purchase from a company shipping with FedEx.