I am one of the Dominicans living abroad who continue to make sacrifices to help loved ones and relatives back home.
From time to time I ship barrels, boxes and bins of personal effects and groceries to my family members, relatives and friends. However, I am very much appalled by the outrageous charges levied on them by cargo agents.
I can not believe that the cargo agent is charging the poor man $30 per box for the delivery note. The delivery note is proof that the bearer has a package in customs and that’s all it is for. After an in-depth review of the shipping process from its origin to its destination I was able to conclude that that some Dominica cargo agents are indeed robbing the poor people of their hard earned money for simple cargo delivery note which is referred to as (paper work).
I live on St. Thomas where I ship foodstuffs on a regular basis. When I compare dollar for dollar I can almost say that that it is cheaper to ship the items than to pay the agent in Dominica for what he charges for the paper work.
When asked what the charges are for, the agent gives various explanations. Sometimes he says it is for paper work fee, other times he says it is for landing fees. I found out that landing fees belong to Port Authority and that the cargo agent is not the one paying the fees to Port Authority. These fees are prepaid in St. Thomas together with the freight charges and are passed to Port Authority by the shipping company transporting the container to Dominica.
How long are we going to allow this blatant robbery to continue? How long will we have greedy agents continue to take advantage of the poor man in Dominica? My investigation led me further to learn that that all expenses relating to shipping and off-loading a container is paid by the shipper. The agent has nothing to pay and nothing to handle except writing a delivery note to each person who has items in the container.
Furthermore customs has implemented an electronic customs processing system whereby all shipping information is uploaded to the customs computer systems making the work much easier and less time-consuming.
Under this new system there is no need to seek the services of a customs broker or cargo agent for barrels and boxes that are considered as gifts or presents. All the shipper has to do is provide the person receiving the cargo with a bill of lading to take to customs.
Let’s face it, a container arrives in Dominica from St. Thomas, the boat lands the container, Port Authority off loads the container and stores the cargo in the custom warehouse. A cargo agent has nothing to do with offloading or handling of cargo.
Other information I received from the shipping company that I deal with on St. Thomas is that the company pays all the shipping, landing and port charges. Information I gathered from Dominica Port Authority and Customs Department is that the money the cargo agent charges the customers for paper work has nothing to do with government fees or port fees.
When you think of what is being charged by the agent for paper work is none other than highway robbery. Therefore, it goes beyond question that cargo agents are taking advantage of the poor man and the government should not cast a blind eye to this rip-off scheme but rather step in to bring relief to the poor people.
Something must be done now. Too long have our people been taken for joy ride by greedy and unscrupulous cargo agents who keeping sucking their blood dry while they blame it on government.
Would you believe that when cargo arrives on St. Thomas from Dominica we only pay $5.00 for delivery?
This Letter Is an attempt to appeal to the editor/editors. Sirs; Please obliege me and a multitude of other poeple, Dominicans and Non Dominicans alike. We are a group who are interest in the academic integrety, and development of our beloved Island Nation of Dominica.
Our appeal are based the contents of at least ninety per cent (90%) of the comments published here. They are loaded with grammatical errors, a lot of them clearly makes no sense at all. We understand the economics of editing every statement or comment however, it should be seen as a necessity. You see, we (Dominicans) are not the only people seeing and reading these articles. In my thesis research of some of these comments and statements this is the conclusion I came to: “A Common Anterior Insula Representation of Disgust.” Please keep in mind that Observation, Experience and Imagination Shows Divergent Functional Connectivity Pathways.
Here are a few suggestions to correct some of the “Coarse” statements and comments. Take a few moments to read over what you have just written. Listen for what it sounds like in your head. Ask yourself does this make sense to someone else other me. Probably you might want to ask some one to read and critique it so you can make the corrections, before communicating it to the public.
And in conclusion, in an international environment where the world is literally smaller due to real time communications, if we going to represent Dominica I think we all should be concious of little issues like these.
Thank you, Sincerely
Correction – that phrase should read (there should be no additional fees.)
There are too many comments to read at this point; however, regardless to how barrels, boxes, or packages are sent home there should be not additional charges after all costs are paid for from the shipping point. I have realized that it is better to send the money home instead of shipping or mailing anything. It is up to the individual on how they decide to support their families. There is a particular year that I went home on vacation and I had oil and soap in my possession, both items were taken from me by a customs agent at the airport. I was told these items were not allowed. I did not know that. My question to that agent was, when you take these items from me what do you do with them? his answer was “I put them in a barels.” I would like to know what happens to all the items taken from travelers that they are not supposed to travel with? The only answer is that these items end up in their homes. It is a shame to take our items from us and to say you just put them in barels. Honestly, in barels? Only fools would believe that statement. Even if we have to pay port fees we should not have to pay so much. We are really paying much more than the items cost. It is really a SHAME.
THE SAME THING GOES TO THE GUYS WHO WORKS AT THE AIRPORT. I STOOD THERE WHILE THIER IS ABOUT 6 PEOPLE AHEAD OF ME AND HEARD THE GUY SAID i HAVE NO CHANGE WHEN IT CAME TO ME HE SAID THE SAME THING TO ME,
I TOLD HIM I HAVE YOU ON TAPE WITH YOUR FACE CLEAR AS DAY IF YOU KNOWS WHATS GOOD FOR YOU, YOU NEED TO GIVE ME MY MONEY AND DO SO RIGHT NOW.. HE DID I LAUGH CAUSE HE BELIVE ME AND I TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULD STOP THAT.
THE SAME GOES TO THE AGENT WHO GETS… THEY DOES THE SAME THING AM STILL WORKING ON THEM… AM GOING TO GET THEM AND DO SO REAL SOON……….. CAUSE DOES CHARGES IS CRAZY……
Depending on the shipping company even if you pay in full in the US, when your cargo gets to DA, you pay extra money; just last week it cost me more to get some barrels than it would normally cost to get a container;\ With Tropical Shipping the landing charges but with Econo Carib it is extremely expensive. $485 just for landing charges at the tail gate offfice is just too much; another thing you have to look at is that they take the money for landing charges and they have these guys in ordinary clothes who opens your barrels and then they ask for money; the port authority is responsible to help you find your cargo and so on but thye dn’t even care. You pay them for the service and you get NOTHING.
its time start talking about that man when to send something for your family you know you pay full in here in usa but when it get to da they change twice the amount you pay for the items and the amount u ship it for i pay 129 for someting here and $45 dollars to ship it when it got to da they pay 300 to get out of the place and they tell man that ting is expensive in the state wee guys its makes laugh at them they the ones pocketing the money and it the government making hard the the people the government need to do someting about that real fast
I have the answer: All the customers who are using the shipping service in St. Thomas should write the shipper a letter letting him or her know that he must stop ding business with the agent if the paper work fee is not reduced. I am sure that there are other people who would be happy to do the same paper work for less money. The agent can be eliminated totally because 99% of the stuffs that are shipped are pratically gifts and presents and requires no agent or broker to prepare any formal customs entry. The shipper can submit the manifest directly to customs electronically and give each customer a Bill of Lading with the number of pcs, discription and amount paid to ship the items. You do not need an agent or broker for that and life will be a dream.
what this concerned citezen is saying is so true,the same thing happens when i send food for my mom she is so mad at this that she no longer wants the food she want’s the cash but it makes no sence because when i shop here she get’s her money’s worth but back home u spend alot n u get less so i really think that this problem should b addressed.oh n whenever my mom sends me a box i only pay 10 US dollars to get it please get this problem fixed
So Why Did DNO not publish My comment? I said Nothing wrong or or Made any Deragatiry statements like some others that i see on here.
Come on, truth is truth, and if you keep hiding some of the truths that happening in our country, then how can it be expected to be fixed.
Chuck:
If you have nothing to say please stay away. You failed to notice that someone posted a comment under the name of salop and I was just replying to her comment. Please look before you leap.
My sister shipped a user car home and the price they charged her to take it out was more that she paid for it. She eventually had to sell the car for someone in dominica for far less than she paid for it. That is the only way she could have get out of this crooked situation. The customs no exactly what they are doing , which is robbing their own poor people.
Very sad. Say D/cans are thieves everybody get vex, but from what I see it is like a plague in different forms. Even the guys who sit outside the port to help with paperwork rip of customers. $50 for ten minutes to help fill in a form.
If you leave the front of your house to go to the back, you have to lock the front, when you come from the back to the front, you have to lock the back. Give a d/can money to carry home, when the envelope gets there, the money is not in it, as for those who put someone in charge of building their house, 2 houses building on that money, and the money is never enough to finish the first house…..and I have countless more examples to support my statement.
Again its upbringing, and a lack of proper management why people do what they want over the counter. Why those things don’t happen elsewhere. What about receipts and audits?
Shame on Dominica yet again.
the person who identifies his/herself as surprise has to have some respect for others and not use deragatory words to others. its a forum to express opinions. yes opinions. take your attitude to the river side. thanks
my friend whoever you are, your article is 100% truth. but i am afraid to tell you this fell on dead ear and of course those concerned are all involved. the agency charging these poor people is owned by the big men of d/ca. they know whats going on. they are aware. they are involved. its corruption to the highest degree in our land. if u follow some persons and they only make mention to so and so then the fees are waived. its hard to go undercover in d/ca. its a village population and everyone is singing for his or her supper. its a sad place to live. i dont mean to visit. to live.
if i never agreed with someone before i surely agree with the person writing this article. i have ersonally experienced what he or she has gone through. the sad part is that we cant complain to the government about the the shipping agents because the government is hitting us even harder at customs. within the last two months i have shopped online and upon clearing my items at the port, i came very close to paying in custom duties and taxes the amount that i paid for the items plus shipping. i felt very angry, cheated and frustrated. i feel now that we in Dominica have no choice because when we shop here things are too expensive…when we order online to save or get things sent to us from relatives we get robbed by agents and the customs.i have seen vehicles online for 900 $US dollars, upon doing calculations, one would end up spending over $16000 EC to get that vehicle here.(tell me if thats fair). Alot of the things we think that are expensive are very affordable out there, yet those responsible have us living in Dominica like we poor and cannot afford anything while our little sister islands enjoy everything and at the end of the day we always ask why Dominica not moving forward…our own people crippling us!
I am so happy somebody besides me have the guts to let the, public know what is happening
because for too long these people in Dominica are taking the poor man for a ride and when you look they have a house with so many bedrooms they can’t count.
And the poor man can’t even get the things from the customs so many times people have to leave the things on the port because they can not pay for it, thank you very much for opening
our eyes.
Very good letter to open our eyes. De agent them too voleur.
yes yes yes sometimes i wish some people would think before they put nonsence on DNO! Pure Rubbish……..what happen all you want everything for free except all you country Dominica? You all done sell it for Haitians, Chineses, Spanish, Cubans, Venezuelans and who else is sharing it?……I think i missing some of the shareholders! LOL
WHAT IS WRONG IN D/CA!:
After reading all them posts If you don’t know what is wrong with Dominica then you will never know. Paper work is paper work. Is the same paper used by all agencies. Why is it that some agaencies charge $2.00 while others charge from $30.00 up to $500.00 for the same thing? Come on! tell me why. If you don’t see it as robbery then either you are one of those good for nothing tiefing agents or you just a nincompoop.
stop talking crap this is some serious bs if we have a tax to pay it certinely should not b that one
ask the shipper to send directly to Tropical.
The Agency affilaited with the … is the one chageing these fees
FOR SURE I PAY $2.00 FOR M PAPER WORK AT TROPICAL SHIPPING …NUFF LOVE TO TROPICAL
NO WONDER EVERYBODY RUNNING AWAY FROM DA.
yah, time for all them wicked things to stop, once i went to clear only three bags, which had only used clothes and people made me pay $50 for landing charges. WHO IS THE MINISTER OF THE POOR???
I read all the comment and was very interesting to here the cry of our people .some places we cannot compier Dominica with them let us look for another solution to help our family back home we connot abandon them some of them are depending on us 100% as others say as my self let us send the money it comes out cheapper for some of us the same amount we paying western union or other company we will save a lot.so we will not have to pay some body or wast gas, pay the boat pay costums and waste time so let us send the money and look in our own interest
I dealt with one agent in Dominica recently. I purchaced an item for $25US in St Thomas. I was charged $10. US to ship it, yet the agent”s charges in Dominica was $139.00 ec. No customs duty was charged on the item. I suggested to the agent that this was one case where the candle was costing far, far more than the funeral.
i totally love this article…the price we pay for teh goods inside the barrels or boxes in nothing compared to the price we have to pay to pick it up in Dominica. why do we give out our relatives phone numbers and the company doesnt call them to let them know that their barrel has arrived but insteadcharge $30 for a pice of paper? on top of all the extra charges the workers still make it a priority to help themselves to whatever they want from the barrels, this i have seen and heard from friends and family. our leaders need to help the poor and not steal from the poor!!!!!!
its not dominica alone..it happens in antigua.It all depends which shipping agency yOU USE SHIPPING INSTEAD.
This is so true I, as a Dominician living in the USA have questioned this process over an over again and you get the run around, I beleive the custom management have their cut in it, because these practice only take place in Dominica. speaking to other caribbean nationals they donot pay for paper work. Am so happy this was brough to the attention of DNO news we have to stand together and fight these corruption which has been going for so long . ‘Fight the power.’
I think agents are charging very high prices for boxes just to write a delivery paper you have to pay so much money, and each box is $40.00 I am calling on the authorities responsible to help the poor ppl, I knoe labour say they are for the poor these are the things we the poor needs to be relieved from. Lend us an ear Mr Prime minister
PEAPLE THIS ISNT A HEALTH CARE SERVICE WHICH THESE PEAPLE ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE…THESE ARE PEAPLE WHO INVEST IN BUSINESS,WHO PURCHASE PLANES,BOATS ETCS…WHO LEASE FROM INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES AND PROVIDE SERVICES YOU CAN CHOOSE TO REQUEST IF YOU SO DESIRE….WE HAVE A FEW SHIPPERS IN DOMINICA…YOU HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE…CHOOSE THE ONE WHO BEST SUITS YOU AND DO BUSINESS…..IF THAT IS A PROBLEMS BUY A BOAT AND BRING YOUR BOX DOWN YOURSELF….’SIMPLICITY!!!!!!!
Strength:
You have missed the plane and more so the boat. These agents own no planes or boats. They have not leased any type of carrier whatsover. They are just paper work peddlars and facilitators who do nothing but write a piece of paper. They do not load or off-load boats or planes. They operate like parasites. If no cargo is shipped to relatives and friends from abroad they make no money. How comes there is no middleman to pay when cargo is shipped by air? It should be the same for cargo shipped by sea.
YES we the PEOPLE of Dominica should buy our own boat….booboo the fool…and we will all buy you an airplane as well…
You must be an agent yourself….voleur
you are stupid and ignorant shot up
Hello Salop:
Can you please explain your good service???? Tropical Shipping gives good service for $2.00. Whitchurch gives good service for $13.00. But your good service cost 4 and 5 times more than them. I would like to know what is so special about your service ? However, coming to you for service is beyond my control. But remember that robbery and exploitation can take a man to the top but it will not help keep him there. Time will tell. Amen.
This is very crude. You mean you put this on the Internet? Shame.
Dominican in the USA: This is not crude this is how the poster identify his or her self in her posting earlier today. Liberate your mind. Salop is just a word. You interpret it how you want.
IN ST. MARTIN I ONLY PAY US$10 TO SHIP A BOX HOME, A BIG BOX AT IT, AND MY MOTHER HAS TO PAY ALMOST EC$60 TO GET IT. PAYING EC$30 FOR A PAPER AND ALL SORTS OF STORY. THAT IS ROBBERY. HIGHWAY ROBBERY!
I live in ST Maarten too and i would like to know where and on which boat you pay $10 to ship a box to Dominica.This is a false statement because i send boxes to Dominica every month and the least you pay for a box is $25 or $30 dollars and if it is going to Roseau you even pay an extra five dollars we always spread the wrong information to people.Unless you sending a heavenly water box with groceries.
i hope u saw the difference,,,,st martin and st maarten just thought i’d point that out lol
I totally agree with u concerned citizen; over the christmas i experienced it and I vowed to call Matt to speak about it: can u believe that the agent for STT charged $30 for the paper work for one average size box of frozen and $50.00 for three average size boxes with groceries? Ah Mah gwa ca? I received a barrel with Tropical Shippin and the paper work cost only TWO DOLLARS……….. And the clerk at his office is tellin me that you pay for the documents based on the number of boxes u have……. I remember the days when Hodge up in Green’s lane was the agent and we would not pay a cent since the person sending the box has already done so…….. Dominicans must rally against these agents that’s just unfair………………..
Don’t be fooled by the AGENT. $30.00 is the baseline price. I shipped some items and was charged $400.00 for paper work at .. Hundreds more. people can support me on that. The $30.00 charge is for one small package. The more packages you have the more money you pay for the same paper work..Just another form of robbery. There is a tarriff for goods entering the customs warehouses. How comes there is no tarriff for paper work?
Its so obvious that that some agents are just being greedy. How comes Tropical Shipping and HHV Whitchurch charges are so less compared to the other agents. IWhy can’t it be the same price across the board. What will the agents do when customs introduces the system whereby you go straight to cutoms with your bill of lading instead of going to an agent?
This is a complete rip off. This situation needs to be investigated as this is a crucial detriment to the poor man.
Some people love freeeeeeeeeneeessss and still want good service.Hate to see a poor man go up the ladder.Dominicans hard to please,few of them i guess.
Ok, no one said they wanted free shipping service but what it seems everyone is complaining about is the price disparity between local agents. I to ship from time to time to Dominica and I can tell you that I am appalled at the charges. I do believe that price control should be issued against such behavior by local agents. So Salop when you comment think wisely about the comments you make and how make you seem. If you where in our position and you had to provide for love ones on the island you would have the same attitude.
name names…let us know who the unscrupulous business people are. if you do not expose them they will never change their ways and they will keep on robbing the people.
la verite
if u put the names DNO Admin will delete it
What for them to delete they not deleting
Some people on a whole are just too greedy and jealousy . Who knows how hard people have to work to send whatever to their loved ones? When they see barrels reach they want a share of it
.Just sitting like crabs and ripping off the poor man
that is a conspiracy to bleed the poor people, i wander weather these guys does do paper work for the chinese, the high price of goods in D A ,if people doe send stuff for their people, this country go suffer” you know.” these guys think that’s the eaiser way to make money,some of them while they working for port or agents in the shipping industries,they are the pirates that need to be investigated.what seems to be worring me there is the choice of goods that’s getting free pass on taxes,I hearing that police present in chinese stores selling high powered guns , on guard while sales booming, and no balls or bats or sportings goods being shopped.while you pay high duty for sporting goods, theses chinese must be getting free taxes on there goods . we need to remember Dominica is ours. COME ON MAN!!!
The Government should really regulate the fees charged by these agents. I it absolutely ridiculous….Customs officials themselves know that those fees are outrageous as some have even left customs to be shipping agents….more money in thier pockets…
Groceries are cheaper in Dominica than St.Thomas if you convert the currency, so it is better to send money home and let your family shop here.
Say what?????
ThatsTrue
WHO FOOLING U ……………………I TRIED IT CAME HOME WITH JUST MY CLOTHES AND SHOP FOR GROCERIES IN DOMINICA DARLING NOW WAY IT CHEAPER ……………………..LETS NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT THE BRAND ……………………………
Overseas based Dominican, I strongly agree with you and these comments . These agencies are really robbing the people of DA.
I leave in Europe, and I do send parcels to my parents on a regular basis via DHL, and UPS.
These parcels are paid for before leaving the destination
However upon picking up these parcels , the agency always asks for payments of these parcels
Although I have already paid for the PARCELS INCLUDING THE SHIPPING COSTS
The Agencies needs to explain what are these further charges for
Its just a rep off to collect a box or barrel in Dominica and last year the Government said that those things was going to be almost free. Well all thats the NEXT LEVEL i guess…
This is just ridiculously.It is not only the shipping agents that overcharged the poor people of this country but the customs too.when you consider that 95% of the contents of a barrel is food stuff and that you are charged over $100.00 or sometimes close to $200.00 for a barrel because the customs officer propably see a pack of pamper or a hair clipper in the barrel this is just ridiculous.It’s high time that we poor people of this country are treated fairly because the so called big man who has the money and friends in high places sometimes don’t even pay half what we poor people pay.This is not hear say I know exactly what i am talking about.It happens everyday.sometimes you wander if you should send anything to your beloved country,but then again your loved ones needs it and besides dollar for dollar sending the money home is not worth anything much because the local busineesses in DA is another killer.For example what $100.00 can give you in the U.S when you send it DA its practically nothing when you go to whitchurch or to Mr.Brizee.At christmas people in our sister island St Lucia get their first barrel free and pay a small fee on the others.why are we so different from the rest of our sister islands?Hold strong dominicans we will survive
It is amazing the way people find to cheat each other out of their hard earned cash!
Imagine , at the POST OFFICE the same thing happens. I sent a package ( a small box) the postal officer told the receiver $200 to clear it. she told him she not paying more than TWENTY dollars. he told her ok, and she get her package. you see the Cheating is everywhere. no regulations. if you send a box via amerijet same thing. people spend all like $500 to clear a barrel, and the stuff in there isnt even worth that much.
I just think that you pay to by the stuff, you pay to ship it, they pay to clear it. that is paying for the same merchandise three times.
Something really needs to change.
OH my God !…u really do sound like your name (HIghway Robbery)……a liar is a thief and a thief is a liar………What you said about the Post Office is so untrue…….that has never, never happened at the Post Office……..i am a worker there and i can pledge to that! The receiver maybe wanted to give her/his mouth some air so they opened it talking shit! OR you just looking for something to say…if you do not have nothing to say on DNO keep your F****** mouth shut OK!
I would really like that person to come back at the Post Office and tell me that that really happened at the Post Office……in my face! Maybe is someone we even help already….most of them never have money when they come to collect their mails/parcels or they pretend not too…..there were times when i personally took out money from my purse to help a customer (even today 27 DEC 2010)…SHAME ON YOU BASTARDS always trying to give the Post Office a bad name. Well stop coming there to do business. WE DO NOT NEED ANY OF YOU! SEND IT CUSTOMS OR BETTER YET……….F*** OFF!
to GPO worker; you should not be working in a government institution, your attitude stinks. Have you ever considered getting a job in the market or on the street corner that goes better with your person.
Thats how it is the poor must be oppressed, so that the rich man can put a gold chain in his dog neck. but Dominicans all you foolish eeh. I never see some foolish and coward people. I ready to start the revolution. who with me.
i ready when you ready call me!
i ready some blood need to run now in dominica time to pick up arms
I live abroard well said…… I am going home for carnival next year also ,will be clearing a few barrels .. I will deal with with these reap off dominican agent wanting to profit on me.
Lol, isn’t it FOREIGN?
Thanks for enlifhtening us my friend.My eyes are opened now!
At the port in Marigot SXM, they charge 1 euro when you collect a box from Dominica. On the Dutch side, you pay nothing. I always ask why all the running up and down, just to collect your barrel or box.
u are so true right now after 17 years out of DA i not sending no barel any more ,as for them agent in possie they self more thief. puerto frieght charging $25 us per barell and 20us for the landing charging u can have 10 barell u pay one landing charge but u pay per barell for the shipping .but in Portsmouth they charge from st martin $200ec for one barell and then u have to pay for paper work , look at that if a barell is already pre paid they still charge the people in da for some paper work i would realy like to know why should there be a next charge from the agent.and u have to pay customs on the freight charge `don’t u all find that is damn thief.all them island down south have barell free from november 15 to december 24 what happen to us in DA.
you couldnt have sent it better in the United States its totally free to receive packages. They have been profiting from this rip off scheme for many years and no one has addressed the problem.
Man $30 you crying about?
The Cargo agent is not a charity organisation. The Cargo Agent is the shipping Company’s representative on the Island and he/she or the organisation/company is responsible for the ship.
The Port Authority and customs are not the ones responsible. The Port Authority ensures that the infrastructure – cranes, warehouse and security is in place while the Customs ensures that the appropriate tariff codes applied and revenues collected for the state.
Regardless of the computerization of the customs this only serves to speed up the delivery process whereby the Cargo Agent or Ship Agent had to make or pass an entry describing the contents of a box or container with the relevant tariff codes. These entries would have been lodged and could have taken as much as three days before getting clearance.
The Bill of Lading gives you entitlement of the good only in so far as you have paid all relevant monies to the many parties involved.
The Cargo Agent does play a vital role: he reconciles what is on the manifest to what is actually on the ship. That adds value to the receiver of the goods – peace of mind – that what you ordered or what you were told was sent to you , that you actually received.
The Ship Agent like any business has workers and overheads to contend with and is in business to make a profit.
The paper you talk so much about has to be purchased, someone has to spend time to go and get that paper, that persons has to be paid, that paper has to be stored in a facility that rent is paid for. Utilities also have to be paid for as well and pens must be purchased!
Quite frankly $30.00 is a reasonable fee since the Ship Agent is in business for 12 months in a year and only gets robust business activity during the Christmas, carnival, Easter and Independence season. The other months are flat and these guys hardly break even except for the telephone companies that order replacement parts and equipment when there was a storm or lighting strike.
Simple put … you can’t afford the service…don’t use it. There are other means, check out other competitors and there prices, and see if their prices are cheaper! My fellow Dominicans you guys are complaining too much…about the wrong things. Wake up its a new world!
I SO AGREE…..dominicans like too much freeness……that is why the country going down so…is because they do not have a choice and they so broke they using the customs service but they still complaining..PEOPLE ITS CHEAPER so keep quiet…….you all spending more than that to get aids and all kind of diseases in your bodies….GET A LIFE!
Again agent no one is asking for a hand out, but when you charge fees that appear to be appalling people will notice and don’t explain the operational cost to me because your are putting your foot in your mouth. When you purchase forms you don’t pay for individual forms but rather for a buddle, and sending a staff member on an errand does not add to the cost. The matter relating to 12 month operations what does that have to do with the price of tea in England. Are you using the carnival and charismas seasons as a price reduction season? Let me answer this for you “NO” but yet you complain about the seasons that business is at its peak. Like every industry there is a high and low period for your market. $30.00 is very high and you know it and there is no justification you can provide. I am in to supporting local but when local businesses are committing acts exploitation on the community I advise people to stop using the services of such businesses. Use other agents and these businesses men will understand it’s a consumer market. Remember the over head you mention is not that much and it is already paid for in advance. And the service you so speak of makes you a middle man and that can always be eliminated. Remember agent no customer no business.
It is a well known fact that the cargo agent is the shipping companies representative and by extension is an employee of the shipping company, therefore if any fees has to be paid the cargo agent should look to the shipping company for payment, since the person sending the barrels has already paid the shipping company. This fee for paper work is only a deceptive way of collecting a double fee. As the name suggest an agent (Cargo Agent) is an employee and should look to his employer for payment, All barrels are shipped prepaid so therefore the consignee has no fee to pay .
To you double dippers read PROVERBS ELEVEN
yea i would like the port to keep a meeting with dominicans to explain them the rates & fees we paying when we come to collect a cargo. (what are the payments are for)
your absolutey right they are a ripoff and the government is in on it.
Trust me its really too expensive but who can we really turn to for help. Its just opromises after promises and nothing is being done.
See those labourites disagree boy…. LOL they suffering silently. LOL
LOL.U SO RIGHT
Keep the politics out of it. It is true the shipping agencies are asking to much money for paper work. They are making millions for no work. The Department for the port should look into it. My people are Labourities and they too are feeling he squeeze of the shipping agencies.
US$5 correct?
I agree with you. Been there myself. One agent who is also in a dealership business charged me $40.00 for documents for a barrel. Some time ago he increased the price by $5.00 (from $35.00) and told me that it was because the port had increased the cost of the printed material. When i inquired at the Port they told me that the cost of one booklet had been increased by $5.00. Each booklet has 50 – 100 sheets by my estimation. So the agent turned around and charged $5.00 more per sheet. Well i did my paper work and found out if u shipping from the States you just have to ask whoever u deliverying your barrel to, or whoever is collecting it to send it to Tropical Shipping. Guess what? Since then i paid $2.00 for documents for my barrels, whether is 1 or 3! Do your research.
that’s what I do, Scottie will gladly deliver it to Tropical for you.
WELL SAID …ELEHEMENT DOING THE SAME MAYBE ALL THAT PLACE YOU WRITE THAT ABOUT ANYWAY…….THEY TIEF
element is a broker
Instead of sending the barrel, send the money to the man and he can buy the same things that you are sending to him in Dominica. That takes off he middle man and he can enjoy the same things.
@ Bawi boy: This may be the answer we are looking for. Shipping a barrel from where I live cost me:
Empty Barrel US$ 40.00
Shipping Barrel 150.00
To fill barrel 500.00 or more
Truly speaking it’s not worth it, let’s send the money instead and cutt of the middle man.
hold on, you got to be living in tortola.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU BUT YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE CUSTOMS AND PORT CHARGES PLUS THE PAPER WORK FROM THE AGENT AT 30.00 OR 35.00
So true… And in that way some revenue is coming into the island. All the hassle is not worth it in the long run
you think so boy? check that out again boy!!
imposible bcuz a bottle of bbq sauce in d.a is $15, e.c in the u.s we can get it for $1, a bag of cheetos in d.a is $10 or more i can get the same cheetos puffs for $1. now if am sending clothes items old navy flip flops for example summer sale $1 on a regular 2 for $5 in dominica $35 on sale so pl z tell me if I can full a barrel for $250 how much would the person get in d.a for the same amount?
I AGREE
Oh my lord thast so cool thanks for the info.why cheetos why not send them the money to support our farmers so they can purchase the natural fruits and vegetables.
I agree with sister souljah. A small box of pancake by whitchurch is 22XCD. My aunt sent me a big box of pancake(5lbs) and tht only cost 3USD.
That is juss highway rubbery
Plenty if they stay away from cheetos and vinigrette is what we grew up using on our meat.People in d/a need to go back to old school.I go d/a and eat like i use to eat when i live there do not want anything foreign when i’m home and i aint sending down no junk for any family member of friend.I send cash spend it how u want down there enough or not.Broker would be in his garden planting dasheen if we all did that.
I well agree with you, we need to learn to eat what we grow in D/A. What bbq sauce and cheetos they talking about, qui diab cheetos you talking about when it have so much Haitians selling roast plantains by the road side? I living in the foreign for 13 years now and i never send down a barrel and i never will. I sending the money instead. Do like the Jamaicans send the money home!
totally agree.