A few weeks ago, I posted an e-mail which was sent to me by G Q regarding Net-A-Porter's duties fees policy.
Yesterday, I have received a reply from Net-A-Porter's representative Emily Fischer clarifying this issue. Here's what the e-mail said:
Dear Confashion,
I hope you don't mind my contacting you but I was alerted to a post on your blog that outlined an issue concerning taxes and duties fees, in reference to the article that ran in the Kuwait Times on January 6th 2008 titled 'Online Shopping Blues - Overcharges, Hazy Fees'.
At NET-A-PORTER we take feedback of any kind very seriously, especially where there is concern over an issue such as this.
As such, please find below some information that your readers may find useful when looking to understand the shipping terms to Kuwait.
Statement:
NET-A-PORTER introduced its DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) service in April 2007 in response to high customer demand. In light of feedback from our Kuwaiti customers, we initiated this service to improve the shipping process and to provide customers with a clear breakdown of all duties and taxes associated with their order prior to payment.
All Kuwaiti duties and customs charges are included in the purchase price with no additional hidden charges and are clearly indicated before any payment is taken by NET-A-PORTER. Another added benefit to this introduction means that customers are now able to purchase from our website and receive their order without the need to instruct their own import customs broker in Kuwait or to have to individually contact DHL. In short, we are now able to provide a complete service to our Kuwaiti customers in line with that which we provide to the vast majority of our worldwide customers, meaning customers in Kuwait can now order and receive their items within 2-3 working days.
NET-A-PORTER prides itself on offering the customer exactly what she wants - unprecedented access to the hottest looks of the season. The move to DDP was implemented as a positive step to provide seamless, convenient and hassle-free shopping from the moment the customer places an order until it arrives at her house.
We have a dedicated email address that we would like to offer as a way of your readers contacting us with any queries or feedback they may have. We would like to ask that you print this on your site to enable direct contact to the NET-A-PORTER team: ddp@net-a-porter.com
Yesterday, I have received a reply from Net-A-Porter's representative Emily Fischer clarifying this issue. Here's what the e-mail said:
Dear Confashion,
I hope you don't mind my contacting you but I was alerted to a post on your blog that outlined an issue concerning taxes and duties fees, in reference to the article that ran in the Kuwait Times on January 6th 2008 titled 'Online Shopping Blues - Overcharges, Hazy Fees'.
At NET-A-PORTER we take feedback of any kind very seriously, especially where there is concern over an issue such as this.
As such, please find below some information that your readers may find useful when looking to understand the shipping terms to Kuwait.
Statement:
NET-A-PORTER introduced its DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) service in April 2007 in response to high customer demand. In light of feedback from our Kuwaiti customers, we initiated this service to improve the shipping process and to provide customers with a clear breakdown of all duties and taxes associated with their order prior to payment.
All Kuwaiti duties and customs charges are included in the purchase price with no additional hidden charges and are clearly indicated before any payment is taken by NET-A-PORTER. Another added benefit to this introduction means that customers are now able to purchase from our website and receive their order without the need to instruct their own import customs broker in Kuwait or to have to individually contact DHL. In short, we are now able to provide a complete service to our Kuwaiti customers in line with that which we provide to the vast majority of our worldwide customers, meaning customers in Kuwait can now order and receive their items within 2-3 working days.
NET-A-PORTER prides itself on offering the customer exactly what she wants - unprecedented access to the hottest looks of the season. The move to DDP was implemented as a positive step to provide seamless, convenient and hassle-free shopping from the moment the customer places an order until it arrives at her house.
We have a dedicated email address that we would like to offer as a way of your readers contacting us with any queries or feedback they may have. We would like to ask that you print this on your site to enable direct contact to the NET-A-PORTER team: ddp@net-a-porter.com
Thank you,
Emily Fischer
I give Net-A-Porter a warm applause for taking the initiative and replying to our post. What do you think dear readers of this clarification?
Emily Fischer
I give Net-A-Porter a warm applause for taking the initiative and replying to our post. What do you think dear readers of this clarification?
Comments
What we need clarified is:
1) What happens to the unused yet paid fees? Do we get refund?
2) Why don't we have the option to pay the fees at purchase or at kuwait customs?
3) Since the items are personal items, why should we pay anything at all? Isn't this a problem that net-a-porter should for the sake of it's customers figure out with Kuwait customs?
Is it an issue of customers purchasing too many items? or is it the cost of the item that is causing them to impose a tax?
THAT is what needs to be solved.
The way I see it is net-a-porter has taken the easy way out by pushing the problem onto the customer to pay for.
nice for them to be concerned but to have a package delivered in a few days was never the issue; the issue is that NO additional customs should be asked to be paid if they have introduced the DDP.
and what does the DDP account for?
why pay duties in the first place anyway.
i am sorry but they were better off NOT addressing this issue at this point.
i would suggest for them to come back when they realise how much one has to pay for no reason just to buy something off them that they can get in kuwait anyway without duty nor shipping charges!!!
and my bigger concern would be the shipping charges anyway........
maybe they should solve that issue ;)
I don't know if they do collect customs in Kuwait, but if they don't, then something fishy is going on at Net-a-Porter.
However, truth be told, I have had good service from them and speedy delivery, so no complaints there.
I agree, there should be an option where the customer can choose to either bear custom fees or get charged instantly by net-a-porter. I think this will solve the problem to a certain extent.
Shopa
I hope Emily will send us another e-mail and be more specific in their explaination.
falafel
You're right. I didn't find anything wrong with their shipping and delivery back then before the fees were imposed... On the contrary, all of my orders were delivered on time.
pomegranate
True, we need to know what happens to the duty fees after their collection? Are they sent to Kuwaiti customs or are they kept with NAP?
Shop Owner
I suggest you call their customer service representative and file for a complaint. Maybe they'll find a way to compensate you?
Net-a-porter is doing a great job for us,I am a regular on-line shopper and believe me I have being paying customs on every single item I recieve,it takes around 3 days to release a package of a value 100$ (I pay 12-17Kd)DHl collects it for NAS(national avation services)just ask who does the company belong to and you will know !!!!
By interducing DDP service from Net-a-porter I found out that I pay less than When I pay customs in Q8.