DHL México

This review is about the ludicrous & unfair treatment, the constant lying & unhelpful customer service at DHL Mexico and the subsequent return of my package, which is looking very doubtful will ever reach it’s destination.
On May 19th 2020, I contracted the services of the UK shipping service Parcel Hero.
I had purchased online over the previous months, 4 bikinis, 3 men’s t-shirts, 2 lady’s blouses, a purse, a small measuring jug & to make up the weight and space, 4 packets of KP peanuts, (store bought & vacuum packed) each weighing 450g.
I was covered up to 50 pounds sterling should my package fail to arrive, but to be sure, I paid extra to cover the complete value. Total paid for door to door service 54.01 GBP.
The parcel was collected from my sister in the UK the following day, 20th.
It arrived in Mexico City on 25th May. The status of the package was listed as “Uncontrollable clearance delay”
It stayed like this, and I had no correspondence from either DHL in Mexico or Parcel Hero in the UK until Monday 1st June.
This is when I received the first email from Parcel Hero telling me the carrier (DHL) were trying to reach me by phone but the number is invalid. The number is not invalid, first lie. They provided me with an email address, phone number and name of the Import Agent at DHL, ***.
I tried to call, but was told she was not available, when prompted by the man I was speaking to, for my tracking number, he said the package would not be released due to the peanuts, saying food items are not permitted into the country.
A second email from Parcel Hero came, this time, saying DHL had made numerous attempts to reach me but got no answer. Second lie. I had no missed calls, despite having phone switched on 24/7. Plus, if the number is invalid how did they manage to call me?
I sent *** an email confirming my phone number and address. She replied saying “because of the type of merchandise we cannot release the package, please share details of the broker or give authorisation to return”.
I replied “I don't understand what "broker details" are? Please explain to me.
She replied “It is to release the package via your personal customs agent”
I replied “I do not have an agent, my sister sent me the package using the shipping company Parcel Hero”.
To which she replied “Then we can only send it back to provider.
At this point (and after various other attempts through various other channels) Seeming like I had no other option, I said OK.
When I asked what the next step would be, she said “The return process starts, as soon as the tracking number is generated with which the shipment to origin will be shared to you.”
I replied that on the DHL Mexican website “chat” (see below) I was told the peanuts were not the problem. I asked if they could open the package and take the peanuts out. He said they are not allowed to do this.
She replied “The goods, all together require a series of permits, for that reason we cannot carry out the dispatch”
Upon further questioning she simply copied and passed her previous reply “The return process starts, as soon as the tracking number is generated with which the shipment to origin will be shared to you.”
I also tried to get a response from DHL Mexico chat online in their website.
I was in communication with a lady called ***. When I told her that I had been told the reason for not being released was due to the package containing peanuts, she responded “At no time would we say it is due to peanuts, but you do need to fill in forms from the Mexican Tax Administration Service”. When I asked for me details, she asked me for my email address then ended the chat. I never heard anything more from anyone other than Diana.
I had called the number given for Diana 15 times, trying to get help and a resolution over the past 2 days.
At one point I was told I needed to register with the Mexican Importation Agency.
Upon trying this I learnt that this is for commercial and frequent large imports, it is not applicable to me, therefore I was unable to fulfil this impossible requirement.
I then asked a friend who is a Mexican business man if he would call *** and see exactly what is required.
She treated him the same way as she has been treating me, unwilling to help, just saying I need an import license.
When he asked her to provide me with the way of getting this, she said the package is now in the process to be returned by request of the client and she cannot do any more.
Eventually, each time I got through to DHL, upon hearing my tracking number, they said “hold the line I will transfer you” Then the line went dead.
Clearly, they were no longer willing to provide me any curtesy.
Because of this, at one point when I got through, I said “before you ask me the tracking number I have just one simple question”
The man agreed to listen.
I asked how long it takes to prosses a return order? He relied 20 to 30 days.
Determined to leave no stone unturned, I also tried getting help from DHL Mexico on WhatsApp. This was met with automatic robot replies. No help whatsoever.
I also tried DHL Mexico on Messenger, also automated response from a robot. Fruitless!
I also asked a friend whose brother works in Mexican Customs. He could not help as it is in the hands of DHL Customs, but he did say there are no restrictions on peanuts, and that they are allowed to open packages and remove items not allowed. His siter told me she had a similar situation with a package sent by DHL from Germany to Mexico. It contained a particular spice that was prohibited and she told me she instructed them to remove it, they did so, and she received her package.
Meanwhile, each morning I receive an email from Parcel Hero telling me the carrier has not received the information required from me, and if I do not supply it within 72 hours, they are not responsible and the package will be sent back.
This is despite the statement in one of their emails “Please notify to shipper that customs will not allow RTO (Return to Origen) by type of product”.
So, on the one hand Parcel Hero say it will be shipped back within 72 hours, on the other hand they state RTO is not allowed.
And DHL say I need to give them permission to send back, AFTER Parcel Hero tell me it will be sent back within 72 hours, regardless, if they do not receive the information.
Today I see on the tracking update on the Parcel Hero site “Returned to shipper”
On the DHL tracking website, it says “Returned to origin”
So I sent *** another email asking for the tracking number.
She replied “No tracking number is generated yet for return to origin, the process takes 12 to 15 working days.”
If indeed the package has been returned, surely there must be a tracking number?
This morning, another Mexican friend in Mexico City tried to help by calling ***.
This is what she wrote to me…
“Hi Pauline, after calling many times without being able to contact ***, I called again and begged another woman to give me reports of your package. She simply told me that your package is already in the process of being returned and that the interested one (that is you) had given permission. I asked her if there was no other option and she replied that NO and that the problem with the package had only been peanuts because they do not bring "presentation for sale" (they never told me what that means). The truth is, I feel very bad for not being able to help you and the worst, that the people here do not lend the same to help the client, quite the opposite in fact.
So yet another conflicting reason why the package was not released.
I have never been told by DHL, this was the reason, quite the contrary, I was given 3 others conflicting reasons.
Parcel Hero never advised I would need to provide a sales receipt for the peanuts. Nor did they advise me personally or on their website that I need to hire a personal broker to receive a package of just a few personal items.
Why? because it is not needed.
All of this is just lie after lie & excuse after excuse on the part of DHL Mexico.
*** should not be in the Customer Service business. She does not know the meaning of these words.
From the outset, it was clear through her curt words, her unfriendliness & unwillingness to try to help, that my package was doomed from the time it got to DHL Mexico.
I ask you; For, 4 bikinis, 3 men’s t-shirts, 2 lady’s blouses, a purse, a small measuring jug & 4 packets of KP peanuts, do I really need to register with the import authorities? Do I really need to fill in a tax form for commercial business? Do I really need to hire an Import broker?