Longtime import client lashes out when faced with a $200K tariff bill, demands her importer cover the cost, when they refuse she attempts to handle it herself, racking up higher error costs: 'Come back to kindly ask us to do her imports again'

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Jan 20, 2026 1:00 PM EST

Part of receiving and utilizing a good or service is paying for them. Shocker, I know…because if you receive a service, you don't expect the company who provided said service to cover your costs of using them…Well, you don't, unless you're this woman. Who isn't quite as familiar with the in's and out's of importing and the charges that come along with it, despite doing it every single day. 

This woman has imported millions of goods over the last few years, however when she is notified about the $200k tariff bill she has racked up, she is left felling gob-smacked. Demanding that the importing company cover the costs of her tariffs. 

Now, let me paint this picture: You don't go to the ice cream shop, order a chocolate scoop, medium size cup, and then demand the man working the till pays for your ice cream, do you? So how is this any different. 

Besides the point, they are not responsible for collecting the bills, the government is…So when they refuses, she reaches full freak-out mode, and in the spur of the moment tells them she'll be handling her own imports going forward. Now if she wasn't familiar with tariffs, we're interested to see how thing will unfold…Oh wait, we already know! 

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  • Now she's running back with her hands held together in a plea that they take her back. Ending up with a loss on shipments and duties owed! Expenses are not something that can be avoided, as intimidating as they may seem, it is part of life, and especially part of running a business. Yes we wish there was just one enormous Target that held everything we could dream of, from French Croissants to China's steel, so that nothing would ever have to be imported or exported again. But unfortunately that Target only exists in the figments of our imagination. 

    So for now, we keep importing, and with that…we keep paying.

  • Worried woman on the phone
    via valery-kazlitsinaus-images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My client didn’t want to pay her US tariff bill and thought she should get special treatment.

    I work as a customer service person in importing for the U.S. and have a client who has hired my company to import millions of goods for her over the past couple of years.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • With tariffs recently increased, we showed her the bill of almost $200K she would owe in Tariffs alone (that does not include shipping costs) and she had a complete meltdown over it, asking what we can do to get her a discount since she's worked with us for years and she doesn't want to pay that much "for nothing".
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • I politely reminded her that my company does not collect tariffs, the government does. We were just showing her the bill of what it WOULD be, but we cannot control the government or change the pricing of the tariffs.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • She then asked that we "cover" the tariffs for her or split the price of it lol.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • Why should we pay for YOUR import, lady????? After several nasty calls and emails with me, she escalated and submitted a complaint against me to my CEO, who also gave her the same response, and then decided to go on her own path of doing the import herself.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • A shipment of exports on a boat in the ocean
    via truecreatives

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • After claiming she would quote "NEVER work people like you who treat their customers like this", has come back after 4 months to kindly ask us to do her imports again.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • Apparently she fumbled the paperwork and ending up paying much more for BOTH the shipment and
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • My CEO gave me the green light to not take the job and put my focus on other more agreeable clients.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • No idea who she imports with now.
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • igramigru101 She was trying to haggle tariffs 800
    via igramigru101
  • OP True-Syllabub7988 "Sure thing ma'am, let me call the U.S. border and see if Hannah Smith (not her real name) can get a special discount on her specific import"........ Lol what?
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • Accomplished-Many547 It's ok to fire bad customers. They take up time you could actually be helping good customers who appreciate your hard work.
    via Accomplished-Many547
  • OP True-Syllabub7988 Agreed and why I love my CEO, he always sticks up for our team and does not take sh*t from any customers, regardless of how much revenue they bring to the company. Don't like it? Go somewhere else! Bye bye!
    via True-Syllabub7988
  • Woman having a discussion with her coworker while he references documents
    via gettysignature

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • bigDeltaVenergy I'm in Canada, we raised the price of our product by 32% for the US, shipping included. Cuz we where done with US customers not understanding how their own system works, arguing with us and trying to bargain with us like we where their border agency. Now they are convinced they are making a deal. We provide the service of hiding how fucked they are and our clients appreciate it.
    via bigDeltaVenergy
  • dragon_atomic_1 Unfortunately too many average citizens have fallen for the "tariffs are paid by the source country" spiel.. they themselves are to blame for this
    via dragon_atomic_1
  • Cybeer69 Tariffs have been pre-haggled by your government for your convenience.
    via Cybeer69
  • jakeofheart That client FAFO'd.
    via jakeofheart
  • Realistic_Let3239 How do these people still not know how tariffs work...
    via Realistic_Let3239
  • Quirky-Attitude 1456 I would have told you to take her back but upcharge her an additional 50%
    via Quirky-Attitude1456
  • Tasty_Sample_5232 You're lucky... our director would gladly take her back. Some clients are more trouble than they are worth.
    via Tasty_Sample_5232

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rules clients tarrifs covering-costs entitled people
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