16-05-2025
American woman stunned after being asked to pay $300 fee to import $125 order from popular Australian brand
A former Miss Houston competitor has slammed a popular Australian brand after she was charged $300 to import the package to the US after Donald Trump 's tariffs.
Taylor Toftemark, 24, posted a TikTok on May 7 after she received an email telling her that her $125 order required a duty fee payment of US$193.51 (AUD$300).
'I ordered $80 worth of stuff from an Australian company. Today, I get an email saying I have to pay $200 to get it shipped here,' she said.
'What are you f***ing talking about. Why would I pay double what I paid?
'Why wouldn't you tell me this at checkout and I could have saved myself a hassle?'
Ms Toftemark, who participated in Miss Houston 2024, said she initially thought it was a scam but, on further inspection, discovered it was legitimate.
She captioned the rant 'fking orange man's tariffs', seeming to acknowledge the steep cost would have been a result of Donald Trump's global import tax.
It comes just weeks after fellow American, Nani Franzitta, said she was hit with a US$1834 (AUD$2,851) import duty on her order from White Fox Boutique.
@taylortoftemark
I'm so mad and sad rn like wtf is this #tarrif #trump #dhl #shippingorders #australia
♬ original sound - TayTay
Aussies were quick to defend Glassons after taking issue with Ms Toftemark's argument that the brand should have informed her of the fee.
'Why are you blaming Australia for American tariffs?' someone said.
Another quipped: 'It is not the job of foreign companies to educate Americans about American taxes'.
'Welcome to what being an Aussie has always felt like! We don't order from America because it usually costs double or more to ship than the item,' a third said.
On April 2, Donald Trump slapped Australia with 10 per cent tariffs on goods exports to America as part of a global policy, impacting online shopping orders.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Glassons for comment. In the FAQs section of its website, it answers the question: 'Can you ship to my country?'
'Please note that customs or import duties may be charged when the order reaches its destination country. These must be paid by the recipient. We have no control over these charges and cannot predict what they may be,' the brand states.
