Revealing the Tricky Tactics in Air Freight to Middle East: What Forwarders Do to Rip You Off
Let’s talk about the tricky tactics some freight forwarders use in air freight to Middle East, so that shippers can avoid falling into these traps in the future.
1. Price Traps
Some forwarders first attract you with low prices. After you book the space, various surcharges start popping up—fuel surcharges, peak season surcharges, overweight fees, and the rate can jump from 22/kg to 30/kg.
Besides, they intentionally don’t explain how volumetric weight works for air freight to Middle East. Later, they’ll tell you that the cargo type has changed, so the original rate is no longer valid and needs re-calculation. Since your goods are in their hands, you have no choice but to pay the extra money.
So newbies in foreign trade must ask forwarders for a formal quotation at the very beginning, making sure all items are clearly listed. More importantly, it should specify when the price won’t increase and when it will.
Unlike us, when quoting for customers using air freight to Middle East, we list all charges at once and add notes for sensitive items. Our goal is to let customers understand everything clearly, feel assured, and build trust with us.
2. Operational Issues
Fake space booking is common. Some forwarders get a fake scan record at the destination port to make it seem like the goods have arrived in the Middle East, but actually, the goods are still in Shenzhen. They then shift the blame to the airline, claiming there was a temporary adjustment due to load limits.
There are also cases of malicious customs clearance with false declarations. A forwarder may accept your general cargo at a very low price, but secretly mix cigarettes in it. If the goods are inspected, you’ll be wrongfully affected.
3. Contract and Document Traps
Watch out for unfair exemption clauses and cargo ownership transfer traps. When signing a contract, clarify the reason for each clause and strive for terms that are favorable to you as much as possible.
4. Overseas Transportation Tricks
There are many tricks in overseas transportation too. Customs clearance agents at the destination port may collude with shippers to overcharge, and insurance fraud also happens.
To put it simply, you must figure out the type of insurance, deductible amount, and confirm the insurance policy in detail.
Why These Tricks Happen Mostly to Small Forwarders
In fact, these issues usually occur with small forwarders. They lack the ability to cooperate with fixed, regular agents overseas and end up working with unqualified ones.
We’re different. Our partner agent in UAE has over 20 years of service experience, more than 50 trucks, and hundreds of employees. Large-scale forwarders like us make reasonable profits through formal operations, without any deceptive practices.
Tips for Newbies
Newbies should be especially careful: some forwarders make profits using contracted rates, but they require you to use a specific shipper name—you can’t proceed without that company’s header. They may also steal large customers’ prices to sell to you for a profit, or set up virtual overseas warehouses to charge random fees.
Specify the storage fee standard and upper limit in the contract. It’s extremely important to conduct an on-site inspection of the forwarder. I often take the initiative to invite customers to visit our company.
No matter how well I describe our services, you won’t believe us if you don’t see the reality—you might think we’re just a small team of three or five people, engaging in petty conflicts. But when you visit our 1,800-square-meter Grade A office building (purchased by ourselves) with nearly 100 employees, you’ll be fully assured.
About DL Logistics
DL Logistics is one of the top 5 companies in air freight to Middle East. We have exclusive rights to 20 weekly pallets from two major airlines, enjoy priority clearance at UAE airports, and get priority in picking up goods from warehouses.
Our local logistics team is available 24/7—someone answers calls even at 2 AM. Goods sent in the morning arrive at noon, and those sent at noon arrive in the afternoon. We truly deserve to be one of the top 5.
DL Air Freight to Middle East—everyone who uses it says it’s smooth.