So, my things finally arrived from Vancity via Belgium on the 27th of September at Tema harbour, and I was finally asked by my ‘agent’ to come to customs today. I got there at 10:00 am with 2 vehicles, one for transporting my stuff. Silly me, I was under the illusion that my things would be cleared today. After hours of sitting around, waiting for the agent to process documents (I wondered why he didn’t do all this before and what the point was of my being there), I finally went to see the freight forwarders around 3pm. My agent had told me weeks ago that I’d have to pay them about 300ghc for handling fees. Today he tells me that it’s actually over 500ghc and that he’s shocked himself at the increase in fees. He suggested I go and beg the woman at the freight forwarders office to ‘come down, small.’ (somehow I assumed that was his job??)
The woman there told me that the container had not yet been opened, so I’d have to come back on Monday when they opened it, but in the meantime I had to pay 520 GHC. I’m not skilled at begging or coaxing or convincing anyone to do anything, but I tried my darnedest to beg for a reduction. She insisted it was the standard and that if it was too much for me, I should pay half now and half on Monday.
“What the shippers don’t tell you in North America or Europe”, she added “Is that you have to pay here as well.”
So we sat there, for about 20 minutes, her with her arms outstretched waiting for the money, and me begging for a reduction, in shock at the exorbitant fee I had to pay. Perhaps the expression on my face showed what I was feeling inside, along with dismay, disappointment and incredulousness.
She brought out a fat calculator and punched in some numbers.
“OK, you’ll pay 410 ghc”, she said finally.
I was tired and just wanted to get out of there. I paid with pretty much all that I had on me. I was so disappointed with my agent. Unfortunately, I had paid him for his services already and so I was stuck with him.
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