EU urged to crack down on unexpected E-commerce parcel fees

Europe’s consumer federation (BEUC) and prominent EU lawmakers are pressing the European Commission to crack down on unexpected delivery charges hitting online shoppers.

The friction follows the European Union's recent implementation of a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value e-commerce items under €150, which took effect on July 1.

Illegal Charges:

Consumer advocates point out that postal and courier operators are sometimes sticking buyers with unexpected administration fees or conditioning parcel delivery on extra payments.

Under EU law, full price disclosure is mandatory at checkout, making surprise fees at the door illegal.

Platform Responsibility:

The European Commission has reiterated that online platforms and businesses not individual consumers and they are legally responsible for covering customs duties.

Ideally, these costs should be factored into prices or collected transparently at the digital checkout.

Market Compliance Variances:

Major international platforms handle the shift differently; companies like AliExpress and Temu bundle estimated duties into checkout totals, while others rely on EU-based warehouses or leave adjustments pending.

The temporary €3 per-item duty was introduced to curb a massive surge in low-value imports and level the playing field for traditional European retailers, acting as an interim safeguard until the bloc's centralized EU Customs Data Hub goes live in 2028.

BEUC, the umbrella group for consumer organisations from 31 European countries, says consumers must know the total price, including duties.

 The group said it found that duties are sometimes only shown late in the checkout process or not shown at all, leading to a possible unanticipated surcharge.