{"id":5242,"date":"2020-07-16T08:33:10","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T07:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=5242"},"modified":"2025-04-23T10:07:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T10:07:52","slug":"how-not-to-get-ripped-off-when-shipping-from-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/how-not-to-get-ripped-off-when-shipping-from-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Be warned, there is no such thing as free shipping"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many UK importers, allowing their Chinese suppliers to pay for freight sounds like a great deal. However there’s no such thing as a free lunch, writes Gary Wilcox of logistics company JAG UFS<\/a><\/h2>\n

For many years now, UK importers have fallen into the trap of letting their Chinese suppliers \u2018pay\u2019 for freight of LCL (Less than Container Load) shipments from China to the UK.<\/p>\n

On the face of it, it seems like a great deal. The supplier is offering to pay the freight costs and is taking on the headache of arranging the shipment. However, the reality couldn\u2019t be further from the truth.<\/p>\n

The actual arrangement involves Chinese consolidators (in conjunction with their UK counterparts) offering the suppliers a \u2018rebate\u2019 scheme. In return for using their consolidation service to the UK, the consolidators will offer the supplier a rebate of up to \u00a3200 per cubic metre of freight given to them.<\/p>\n

Someone somewhere has to recover this amount of money being offered, and in simple terms, that someone will be the UK importer. When the shipment arrives in the UK, the importer will be made to pay overinflated, made-up costs so that the consolidator recovers the \u2018rebate\u2019 and can share these unscrupulous profits with their UK counterparts.<\/p>\n

On their notice of arrivals document, they will see made-up charges such as:<\/p>\n