[NHCOLL-L:4868] RE: Don't use DHL to ship

Thu Jul 15 09:58:38 EDT 2010

Hi Deb,

if I understood right, your samples were shipped with DHL express ? 
There is a difference between DHL express and DHL worldpost (the fromer 
Deutsche Post - that's why I am asking), these are two completely 
different companies united under the DHL brand name. (DHL worldpost 
parcels are handed over to and delivered  from USPS inside the US. To my 
knowledge there haven't been any hold problems with DHL worldpost so far)

I've forwarded your complaint to the DHL headquarters here in Germany. 
If I don't receive an email answer, I will try to get a direct contact 
at DHL.
If available, could you email the tracking number of the shipment ?

Could you please also check whether the docs you'd mentioned were added 
accessible on the outside of the parcel, or not ? Customs and especially 
carrier staff are no allowed to open parcels to retrieve the docs needed 
for customs clearance. In many cases there is only a commercial invoice 
added on the outside, which lacks in many cases the relevant information 
needed for customs clearance.

All the best
Dirk

Am 15.07.2010 13:52, schrieb Schneider, Gregory:
>
> I've never had a problem with DHL, especially their customer service.  
> (Actually, my experience has shown DHL customer service to be 
> outstanding.)  But I've had difficulties with U.S. Customs regarding 
> clearing wildlife shipments, and especially regarding customer 
> service.  I think we all know there are at least two sides to the 
> story.  You may have a choice of international shippers, but they all 
> must clear U.S. Customs.  Some ports are better than others.
>
> Greg Schneider
>
> Division of Reptiles and Amphibians
>
> Museum of Zoology
>
> University of Michigan
>
> Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079
>
> 734 647 1927     734 763 4080 (FAX)
>
> ges at umich.edu <mailto:ges at umich.edu>
>
> *From:* owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu 
> [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] *On Behalf Of *Trock, Debra
> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:58 PM
> *To:* NHCOLL-L at LISTS.YALE.EDU
> *Subject:* [NHCOLL-L:4861] Don't use DHL to ship
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> We have recently had a horrible problem with DHL that I want to relate 
> to all of you.  We had a visitor coming from Madagascar.  He left 4 
> large boxes of plants with DHL in Madagascar on July 1, along with the 
> required phytosanitary certificates, export papers and an extremely 
> thorough list of the species enclosed.  The boxes arrived at the 
> Cincinnati DHL hub on July 3^rd .  The customs inspector "did not like 
> the look" of the phytosanitary certificate and held up the shipment on 
> July 4^th .  On July 7^th our departmental Admin. Assistant contacted 
> DHL and they told us the package was on its way to San Francisco.
>
> When it had still not arrived on Monday, July 12 we called DHL again 
> and were told that the shipment was going to be put on a plane back to 
> Madagascar that night.  All the while our visitor, whose sole purpose 
> for coming all this way was to work on those specimens, was here 
> waiting for them.  I spent all day on Monday calling our contacts at 
> USDA, people at DHL,  customs at the Cincinnati airport, and finally, 
> at 10:00 p.m. ET was able to talk to the Ag Specialist customs guy who 
> held the shipment.  When he put a hold on the shipment, DHL was 
> supposed to contact us to let us know, and they never did.  DHL was 
> also supposed to supply the shipping list, which they said they didn't 
> have, but had been given to them with the phytosanitary certificate.
>
> I sent a species list to the customs agent and he immediately cleared 
> the shipment and told me that he would try to get DHL to put the 
> shipment on the plane Monday night to get it to us.  Once again, DHL 
> did not get it done.  In fact, we called on Tuesday and they assured 
> us that they had received the clearance from customs and that the 
> boxes would be on the plane on Tuesday night.....it was not.  Now they 
> have assured us that it will be on the plane tonight, Wednesday.
>
> This customs agent told me in no uncertain terms and repeated in a 
> later e-mail that DHL is notorious for not contacting shippers and 
> consignees when there is a problem with paperwork......they just don't 
> do it!!  He further urged me to keep track of these problems and 
> complain.....here is the text of what he said.
>
> "If you have trouble shipping material through DHL, be sure to have 
> everyone involved with the shipment write a complaint letter (paper, 
> not email) to the company.
>
> Emails just get deleted. Paper letters are more likely to get read, 
> especially if they are sent certified mail."
>
> From my verbal conversation with him he indicated that this is a 
> systemic and growing problem with DHL.  I know that some of you prefer 
> to use DHL rather than USPS, but this particular customs agent seemed 
> very emphatic about their shortcomings.
>
> I hope this prevents some of you from having the same problems we've had.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Deb
>
> Dr. Debra Trock
>
> Senior Collections Manager
>
> Botany Department
>
> California Academy of Sciences
>
> 55 Music Concourse Drive
>
> San Francisco, CA 94118
>
> PH:  415-379-5363
>
> FAX:  415-379-5737
>
> dtrock at calacademy.org
>

-- 
Dirk Neumann

Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

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---------

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Fax: +49-89-8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

postal address:

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The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
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