In a new Modern Retail article, Kelly Martinez, Co-President and Founder of ePost Global, offered expert commentary on the unexpected tariff bills some Quince customers received after completing their online purchases.
The issue – which stemmed from a FedEx billing error – resulted in approximately 9,000 Quince customers receiving duties and taxes invoices days or weeks after their items were delivered. Quince confirmed that it covers those costs on behalf of customers and worked quickly to refund those affected, even when FedEx was at fault.
Martinez helped clarify what may have caused the confusion:
“One of Quince’s manufacturers likely shipped an order internationally using a Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) service, meaning duties and taxes were not prepaid and were instead billed directly to the customer.”
She emphasized that most brands proactively prepay these fees to avoid this exact scenario, but in this case, FedEx issued the charges to customers, prompting frustration and confusion.
Martinez also noted that tariff-related fulfillment challenges are becoming more common as regulations evolve:
“With new tariff regulations recently implemented, previously reliable shipping strategies are being re-evaluated. Retailers are now reassessing their cross-border fulfillment models to prevent delivery delays, unexpected costs and customer dissatisfaction.”
