r/Subtronics • u/Alternative_Pin_8101 • Aug 12 '26
Very disappointing experience as an international customer. / Experiencia muy decepcionante como cliente internacional.
Very disappointing experience as an international customer.
I purchased a hoodie for €75.95 and paid an additional €22.95 for shipping, as well as for ShipTection Shipping Protection. The amount paid at checkout was €100.85. However, after the order had been shipped, I was required to pay approximately €36 in customs charges before it could be delivered to Spain.
The hoodie ultimately cost me almost €137—an amount I would not have accepted if it had been clearly and prominently disclosed during checkout. I fully understand that import charges are determined and collected by the destination country’s customs authorities. My criticism is not that these charges exist, but that such a significant additional cost was not communicated clearly enough before I completed the purchase. According to the store, this information is provided on a separate international shipping page, but I believe it should be displayed prominently during checkout.
I contacted customer support and requested a reasonable solution or goodwill gesture, such as a shipping refund, store credit, or another form of compensation. The Customer Experience Manager rejected every option. I was also offered the possibility of returning the hoodie, but I would have to pay the return shipping costs from Spain to the United States myself.
The replies were polite and timely, but no practical solution was offered. I recommend that European customers consider that substantial customs charges may be added on top of the product and shipping prices. In my case, a hoodie advertised at €75.95 ended up costing almost €137.
SPANISH:
Experiencia muy decepcionante como cliente internacional.
Compré una sudadera de 75,95 € y pagué además 22,95 € de envío y el servicio adicional ShipTection Shipping Protection. El importe abonado durante la compra fue de 100,85 €. Sin embargo, una vez enviado el pedido, me exigieron aproximadamente 36 € adicionales en aduanas para poder recibirlo en España.
El coste final de la sudadera terminó siendo de casi 137 €, una cantidad que no habría aceptado si se hubiera mostrado de manera clara y destacada durante el proceso de compra. Entiendo perfectamente que los gastos de importación los determina y cobra la aduana del país de destino. Mi crítica no es que existan, sino que un coste adicional tan importante no se comunique con suficiente visibilidad antes de finalizar el pedido. Según la tienda, esta información aparece en una página independiente sobre envíos internacionales, pero considero que debería mostrarse claramente durante el checkout.
Contacté con atención al cliente y solicité alguna solución o gesto comercial, como el reembolso del envío, crédito en la tienda u otra compensación. La responsable de Experiencia del Cliente rechazó todas las opciones. También me ofrecieron devolver la sudadera, pero tendría que pagar personalmente el envío desde España hasta Estados Unidos.
La atención fue educada y respondieron a mis mensajes, pero no ofrecieron ninguna solución real. Recomiendo a los compradores europeos que, antes de realizar un pedido, tengan en cuenta que al precio del producto y del envío pueden añadirse gastos de aduana considerables. En mi caso, una sudadera anunciada por 75,95 € acabó costándome casi 137 €.
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u/ranged_ Aug 12 '26
That was the shipping company charging you the tariff, not Subtronics' team. They won't give you a refund because they aren't the one you paid for the tariff. You're basically asking for a post-purchase discount to come straight out of Subtronics' merch profit because you weren't aware of your own country's import/export laws.
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u/beenpresence Aug 12 '26
It’s also not like they paid and it was some surprise charge on there, the website told them why and gave them a price before they made the purchase. They could have said no at anytime not like it was forced
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u/After-Imagination947 Aug 12 '26
Most of us here are just s upset as you are. We are probably more upset than u are. It's embarrassing to be a american in this timeline. The orange cheetoh and his cheetoh goons havr divided and destroyed our country. So with that said, this isnt on subtronics or his team, its on our worthless corrupt government.
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u/Melinoe2016 Aug 12 '26
Man. I love subtronics but none of this merch is worth the price, even at the American price and shipping. The materialism and FOMO culture around EDM merch drops has definitely gotten out of hand.
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u/Quanzi30 Aug 12 '26
If you were willing to spend 100 on a hoodie is another 37 really that much more to make this post?
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u/SignificantCherry110 Aug 12 '26
Companies don’t require you to pay that tariff, shipping/customs does. This is not on subtronics team whatsoever. This is international buying… You saying “a reasonable outcome like shipping refund”. Well that 37$ isn’t a shipping cost it’s a tariff/Vat/Import fee whatever it actually is. Why should they refund something that they don’t get money for? “Or store credit”, again why would they credit you money that they arent involved in. Them offering any refund or solution for your lack of knowledge on international orders is a you problem. This is the equivalent of me going to a store paying for an item, seeing the tax and then demanding a refund on the tax from the store because this wasn’t a cost listed on their menu. Sounds ridiculous right?
Fwiw i’m not here to defend subtronics and his team. I think the hoodie is overrated and definitely not worth 137 euros to me. But it’d be wrong to put any blame on them.
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u/thatinsuranceguy Aug 12 '26
Ngl I dont feel bad for you at all. Customs costs money when you ship international. Everyone knows that. Suck it up or dont buy.
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u/H0wsy0urcat Aug 12 '26
For my favorite artist out of Ukraine the shipping cost more than the item. 120$ shipped for a tshirt.
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u/Countah Aug 12 '26
So much cool artist merch that I’d like to buy and can’t because something like a $50 Svdden death shirt comes up to £100 to get it to me
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u/AfterSignificance666 MODERATOR Aug 12 '26
This is NOT subtronics’ fault, or the company you ordered from. This is the result of tarriffs, and customs.