Consignee Terms of Service

Effective Date: February 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of duties-taxes.com (the “Platform”) and the import duty and tax payment services provided through it (the “Services”). The Platform is operated by Teleship Limited, a limited liability company incorporated in England and Wales (Company Registration number: 15361774), and its affiliates (“Teleship”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

By accessing the Platform or using the Services to pay import duties and taxes, you (“you” or “consignee”) agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Teleship with respect to the Services. If you are accessing the Platform through a branded subdomain, Teleship Limited and its affiliates remain the contracting party providing the Services, regardless of any co-branding or white-label presentation.

1. Who We Are and What We Do

Teleship Limited arranges international parcel delivery on a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) and Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) basis and, in connection with that role, acts as a limited collection agent on behalf of the appointed customs broker or carrier to collect import duties, taxes, and related charges from consignees prior to customs clearance. We are not a carrier, customs broker, freight forwarder, importer of record, or licensed money transmitter. We do not sell goods. All payment processing is performed by Stripe or Revolut, that are licensed third-party payment processor. In certain cases, Teleship may also have a separate commercial relationship with the merchant or shipper as provider of cross-border shipping facilitation services under the Teleship.com Merchant Terms of Service. Where this is the case, that relationship is governed exclusively by the merchant’s own agreement with Teleship and does not create any additional rights or obligations in favour of the consignee beyond those set out in these Terms.

Our role in connection with your shipment on duties-taxes.com is limited to the following:

Calculating or presenting the estimated import duties and taxes assessed or to be assessed on your shipment by customs authorities;
Collecting payment of those duties and taxes from you prior to or in connection with customs clearance; and
Remitting the government-assessed portion of collected amounts to the appointed licensed customs broker or carrier responsible for clearing your shipment, acting as a limited collection agent and not as a money transmitter or payment facilitator.

The merchant who sold you the goods and the carrier or customs broker handling clearance are separate parties. Teleship is not responsible for the sale of goods, the accuracy of product descriptions or valuations, or the timeliness of delivery. Where Teleship provides cross-border shipping facilitation services to the merchant, Teleship acts solely as a technology platform connecting the merchant with licensed carriers and, where applicable, arranging customs documentation on a non-fiduciary, arms-length basis. Teleship does not act as freight forwarder, non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), customs broker, or logistics agent, and assumes no fiduciary, carrier, or agency obligations to you in connection with the physical movement of your shipment. Any arrangement between Teleship and the merchant is res inter alios acta (a matter between those parties only) and confers no rights on you.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, to use the Services. By using the Platform, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement and that you have the legal authority to make the payment being requested.

3. The Payment Process

3.1 Duty and Tax Calculation

The amounts presented to you on the Platform include government-assessed import duties and taxes calculated based on shipment data provided by the merchant and/or carrier (including declared value, product description, Harmonized Tariff code, and country of origin), plus a Customs Charges component (see Section 4). Customs Charges are Teleship’s own fee and are not a government-assessed charge.

Teleship is not a licensed customs broker and does not provide customs advice. The appointed customs broker for your shipment is responsible for the accuracy of customs declarations. Teleship calculates and presents duty and tax amounts solely based on shipment data supplied by the merchant and/or carrier, including declared value, product description, Harmonized Tariff Schedule code, and country of origin. Teleship makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or finality of such data, or as to whether the amounts presented reflect the duties that will ultimately be assessed by CBP or other customs authorities. If customs authorities reassess, adjust, or audit the declared value or classification of your shipment after clearance, any resulting additional duties or penalties are the responsibility of the Importer of Record and are not covered by or recoverable from Teleship. Teleship shall have no liability for duty shortfalls, post-entry adjustments, or audit findings arising from inaccuracies in the shipment data provided to it.

3.2 Payment

You authorize Teleship, acting as limited collection agent on behalf of the customs broker or carrier for your shipment, to collect the amounts presented to you on the Platform. Payment is required prior to or in connection with customs clearance. All card and payment processing is handled by PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment processors; Teleship does not store your full card details. Teleship does not hold your funds as stored value and does not maintain payment accounts or balances.

Accepted payment methods are displayed at the time of payment. Payment processing fees may apply and will be disclosed prior to completion of your payment.

Your payment is non-transferable and applies solely to the specific shipment identified in your payment request.

3.3 Payment Confirmation

Upon successful payment, you will receive a payment confirmation. This confirmation does not guarantee a specific delivery date or customs clearance timeline, which remain dependent on the customs broker, carrier, and applicable government authorities.

3.4 Tracking and Branded Shipment Communications

Where Teleship acts as cross-border shipping facilitator for a merchant, Teleship may provide end-to-end shipment tracking under Teleship branding. Such tracking is provided for informational purposes only and is compiled from data supplied by the appointed carrier and logistics partners. Teleship does not take physical custody of your parcel at any point and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of tracking information.

The appearance of Teleship branding on shipment tracking, notifications, or payment pages does not make Teleship a carrier, freight forwarder, or bailee, and does not impose on Teleship any duty of care in respect of the physical movement, condition, loss, or damage of your parcel. All claims relating to loss, damage, delay, or mis-delivery must be directed to the appointed carrier. Teleship’s liability in connection with any tracking or shipment communication service is limited to the correction of manifest errors in information under Teleship’s direct control.

3.5 Currency

Duties and taxes are presented and collected in US Dollars (USD) for shipments destined to the United States. For shipments destined to other countries (where applicable), amounts will be presented in the destination country currency. Currency conversion, if applicable, will be handled in accordance with the payment provider terms disclosed at checkout.

4. Service Fees

Your total payment on the Platform will include the following components, each disclosed to you before you complete payment:

Import Duties: The government-assessed duty on your goods, calculated based on declared value, HS code, and country of origin. Remitted to the customs broker or carrier for settlement with customs authorities.
Governmental Charges: Other government-assessed charges associated with importation (for example, merchandise processing fees, harbor maintenance fees, or equivalent). Remitted to the customs broker or carrier for settlement with the relevant authority.
Customs Charges: A per-shipment charge retained by Teleship comprising (a) a service fee for duty collection, remittance, and platform administration, and (b) a risk and variance management component that offsets potential liability Teleship assumes by collecting and remitting duties on a DDU basis without being the Importer of Record, including exposure to duty shortfalls arising from valuation discrepancies, classification errors, or post-clearance assessments. Customs Charges are not a government-assessed charge and are not remitted to any customs authority or government body.
Payment Processing Fee: A fee charged by Stripe, the third-party payment processor, for card processing. This is passed through to you at cost and is not retained by Teleship.

All applicable fees will be clearly disclosed to you before you complete payment. You agree to pay all fees as presented.

5. Payments, Fees, and Refunds

5.1 General Non-Refundability

All amounts collected through the Platform (including Import Duties, Governmental Charges, Customs Charges, and the Payment Processing Fee) are final and non-refundable once payment is processed. The government-assessed components (Import Duties and Governmental Charges) are promptly remitted to the customs broker or carrier for settlement with customs authorities and cannot be recovered once transmitted. Customs Charges and the Payment Processing Fee are earned by Teleship and Payment Processors respectively at the time of payment and are likewise non-refundable.

5.2 All Duty and Tax Payments Are Final

ALL PAYMENTS OF IMPORT DUTIES, TAXES, AND ASSOCIATED FEES COLLECTED THROUGH THE PLATFORM ARE FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE. This applies regardless of the reason, including but not limited to: over-collection relative to the amount ultimately assessed by customs authorities; non-delivery; parcel return; consignee refusal; carrier failure; customs seizure; or adjustment by any broker, carrier, or government authority. No refunds or credits will be issued for any such circumstances.

Where customs entry documentation confirms that the payable duties are lower than the amount collected, Teleship may remit only the amount reflected in such documentation and shall have no obligation to refund, credit, or return any over-collected amount to you or any third party.

5.3 Service Fees

All Teleship service fees are non-refundable once payment has been processed. Any claims related to non-delivery or returns should be directed to the merchant or carrier; Teleship has no liability for such matters.

5.4 Discretionary Goodwill Remedy

Notwithstanding the non-refundable nature of all payments under Sections 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3, Teleship reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to issue a partial or full goodwill credit or refund in exceptional circumstances where Teleship determines, acting reasonably, that a material error has occurred in the duty calculation or collection process that is directly attributable to Teleship. Any such remedy is purely voluntary, does not constitute an admission of liability, does not create any obligation or precedent for Teleship to provide a remedy in any future case, and may not be relied upon by you or any third party as a basis for any claim.

To request consideration for a goodwill remedy, contact us at the address in Section 13 within 30 days of your payment date, providing your shipment tracking number, payment confirmation, and a description of the circumstances. Teleship will review requests on a case-by-case basis and has no obligation to respond within any particular timeframe or to provide any remedy.

5.5 Undeliverable Shipments and Duty Drawback

If your shipment is undeliverable, refused, returned to sender, or seized by customs authorities for any reason, Teleship has no obligation to refund any duties, taxes, Customs Charges, or fees collected through the Platform. Teleship is not the Importer of Record and has no standing to file, initiate, or facilitate a duty drawback claim with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or any equivalent customs authority.

If you believe you may be entitled to a duty drawback or recovery of government-assessed charges following a return or re-export of your goods, you must contact the appointed licensed customs broker or carrier for your shipment directly. Duty drawback is a statutory right of the Importer of Record under 19 U.S.C. § 1313 and is administered exclusively through CBP; Teleship is neither a party to nor responsible for any such process. Teleship accepts no liability for any failure to file, late filing, or unsuccessful drawback claim, regardless of the circumstances.

6. Data Collection and Privacy

Your use of the Platform is governed by our Privacy Policy. By using the Services, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in the Privacy Policy.

We collect and process your personal data solely for the purpose of facilitating duty and tax payment and customs clearance for your shipment. We do not use your information for marketing purposes without your separate consent.

7. Platform Use and Prohibited Conduct

You agree to use the Platform only for its intended purpose of paying import duties and taxes for a specific shipment directed to you. You agree not to:

Provide false, inaccurate, or misleading information in connection with any payment;
Use the Platform to make payments on behalf of others without proper authorization;
Attempt to circumvent, hack, or interfere with the Platform or its security features;
Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose, including in violation of applicable sanctions, export control, or anti-money laundering laws;
Engage in fraudulent chargebacks or initiate a payment dispute with your card issuer or payment provider in respect of any charge collected in accordance with these Terms. You acknowledge that import duty and tax payments are non-refundable as set out in Section 5 and that initiating a chargeback for such a payment constitutes a breach of these Terms. Teleship reserves the right to recover from you the full amount of any chargeback, including any chargeback fees, dispute processing costs, and reasonable legal fees incurred in contesting the chargeback; or
Use the Platform if you, the merchant, or any party associated with the shipment appears on any sanctions list maintained by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the US Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, or any other applicable governmental sanctions authority. Teleship reserves the right to decline, cancel, or reverse any transaction and to terminate access to the Platform immediately and without notice if it reasonably believes that a sanctions violation has occurred or may occur in connection with a shipment or consignee.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Teleship Limited, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, customs brokers, and carrier partners from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to:

Inaccurate, incomplete, or false shipment data provided to Teleship by the merchant or shipper on your behalf, including under-declared values, incorrect HS classifications, or misrepresented country of origin, that results in a duty shortfall, CBP audit, penalty, or post-entry assessment;
Your breach of any provision of these Terms, including the prohibited conduct in Section 7;
Any fraudulent, unauthorized, or illegal use of the Platform in connection with your shipment; or
Any chargeback, payment dispute, or reversal initiated by you or on your behalf in respect of a valid payment made in accordance with these Terms, including all associated fees and costs incurred by Teleship.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, TELESHIP LIMITED, ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM OR SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CUSTOMS DELAYS, DELIVERY FAILURES, OR ACTS OF GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES.

TELESHIP’S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU IN CONNECTION WITH ANY CLAIM ARISING UNDER THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU TO TELESHIP IN THE TRANSACTION GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including liability for fraud, gross negligence, or wilful misconduct.

10. Force Majeure and Government Action

Teleship shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms to the extent that such failure or delay is caused by circumstances beyond Teleship’s reasonable control, including but not limited to:

Acts, orders, directives, or decisions of any government, customs, or regulatory authority, including CBP holds, examinations, seizures, sanctions enforcement actions, or changes in tariff classifications or duty rates;
Natural disasters, pandemics, acts of war, terrorism, civil unrest, or other events of force majeure;
Failures or disruptions in third-party infrastructure, payment networks, telecommunications, or carrier systems; or
Changes in applicable law, tariff schedules, trade agreements, or customs regulations that alter the duties or taxes applicable to your shipment after your payment has been processed.

In particular, Teleship accepts no liability for any additional duties, tariffs, or charges that become payable as a result of changes in US trade policy, executive orders, or CBP regulatory guidance issued after your payment is processed. No refund will be issued in such circumstances.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TELESHIP MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE ACCURACY OF DUTY AND TAX CALCULATIONS, THE TIMELINESS OF CUSTOMS CLEARANCE, OR THE UNINTERRUPTED AVAILABILITY OF THE PLATFORM. DUTY AND TAX CALCULATIONS ARE ESTIMATES AND MAY DIFFER FROM AMOUNTS ASSESSED BY CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES.

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall first be submitted to Teleship in writing for informal resolution. If not resolved within 30 days, either party may pursue resolution through the courts of competent jurisdiction in the courts of London, United Kingdom.

If you are a consumer resident in the European Union, nothing in these Terms affects your right to bring claims before the courts of your country of residence or to benefit from mandatory consumer protection provisions applicable in your jurisdiction.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, a payment dispute, or a refund request, please contact us:

Teleship Limited
69 Church Way, North Shields, NE29 0AE
Email: support@duties-taxes.com
Website: https://duties-taxes.com

14. Amendments

Teleship reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Revised Terms will be posted on the Platform with an updated effective date. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of any revision constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. We recommend reviewing these Terms periodically.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

16. Branded Subdomains

The Platform may be accessed through branded subdomains operated on behalf of merchants or logistics partners. Regardless of the branding displayed, Teleship Limited is the operator of the Platform and the party providing the Services, and these Terms apply in full. The presence of third-party branding does not create any contractual relationship between you and that third party with respect to the Services.

17. Payment Services Disclaimer

Teleship Limited and its affiliates are not banks, financial institutions, money services businesses, or licensed money transmitters. Teleship does not hold, transmit, or store funds on your behalf. All payment processing on the Platform is performed exclusively by licensed payment processor and money transmitter subject to applicable financial regulations. By using the Platform, you are transacting with the payment processor; Teleship acts only as a limited collection agent directing the application of collected funds to the customs-related obligations associated with your shipment.

Teleship does not maintain payment accounts, stored value, or balances for consignees. Funds collected for Import Duties and Governmental Charges are transmitted to the customs broker or carrier promptly following payment confirmation. Customs Charges are earned by Teleship at the time of payment as compensation for the service and risk management obligations Teleship assumes in connection with the shipment.