Reply from International Sea & Air ShippingDec 15, 2020
We very much sympathize with your situation. However, your accusations are inaccurate and misleading. We do not have any control over Customs, port authorities, government, and border control.
As you are well aware, your container was pulled for inspection by CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol) at the port of exit in Long Beach CA, as well as by Costa Rican Customs at destination. The examination conducted on your container led to the delays and additional charges you referenced.
Our shipping agreements cannot include or foresee charges resulting from a U.S. Customs exam, as this is a random selection process which we have absolutely no control over. This is why we clearly indicate in our contract that the price does not include Custom Inspection, Storage and Demurrage charges, Port charges, and import taxes if applicable.
On July 27: We loaded your items into a container and transported it from your residence to Long Beach terminal for export.
On July 29: We received notification that your container was placed on hold by U.S. Customs and informed you on this same day. We Indicated that additional charges would apply as determined by Customs, the steamship line, and U.S. port authorities.
On July 30: We sent you an online tracking link to the Custom Exam Site portal so you could see in real time the progress of the examination.
On August 4: We informed you that your container was still at the Customs Exam facility pending inspection.
On August 6: We informed you that the Customs Exam was complete and would confirm the associated charges.
On August 7: We informed you of the exam charges and noted additional fees would apply for demurrage at the port and terminal. You replied to acknowledge and accept the charges.
On August 11: We sent you the new shipping schedule on the next available vessel following the completion of the Customs exam. The departure date was just 6 days after the intended vessel.
On August 15: We received the final charges from the steamship line for demurrage, drayage, rollover, and gate fees. We sent you an itemized list and explanation of all the associated costs. We also sent you back-up invoices and documentation.
Regarding the packing list discrepancy: Items removed from the original packaging during the U.S. Customs inspection were not loaded back into the container in accordance with our inventory list. Unfortunately, items were loaded loose following the Customs inspection which led to increased number of packages than stated in export documentation. When your container arrived in Costa Rica, it was pulled for inspection by Costa Rican Customs at random. They identified a discrepancy in the pieces count which resulted from the reloading process at the Customs Exam facility following U.S. inspection. This was not performed by our movers or any personnel from International Sea & Air Shipping.
On September 8: We were informed of this issue by our affiliates in Costa Rica. To help resolve this matter, we worked with our agent to draft and notarize a letter to present to Costa Rican Customs.
Unfortunately, these matters are out of our hands and we did everything within our power to fulfill moving services and provide full transparency.
Again, we apologize for any inconveniences and extra expenses that you incurred, and hope you understand they did not result from wrongdoings or flawed business practices on our part.
