Maersk Demands $470 in Unexplained Charges for CIF Shipment
I imported a container shipment from overseas under CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) terms. On April 1, 2026, I received an email from Maersk Türkiye's Finance Department demanding payment of $470 without providing any explanation whatsoever. The email contained nothing but the amount and bank account details. There was not even a single sentence explaining which services or charges this amount was supposed to cover.
This approach is completely irresponsible and unprofessional. For a shipment delivered under CIF terms, demanding additional payment by simply sending a figure in an Excel spreadsheet and an IBAN, without explaining why the charge is being requested, is absolutely unacceptable for a corporate company. It is unreasonable to expect customers to understand every aspect of the import process while failing to provide even the most basic information about the charges being imposed.
Even worse, despite repeatedly trying to contact the Finance Department during business hours, nobody answered the phone, and I could not reach anyone who could address my concerns. The fact that there is no responsible employee available to answer calls even during working hours clearly demonstrates how poorly managed these operations are and how little importance the company places on its customers. Nobody contacted me before sending the payment demand, nor did anyone follow up afterward to explain the situation.
I demand that Maersk provide an official, itemized invoice and a detailed explanation showing exactly what the requested $470 covers, including the unit price of each charge and the calculation method used. I also want written clarification of which tariff, contractual provision, or international trade regulation forms the basis for these charges and why I am being asked to pay them despite the shipment being under CIF terms. I further expect Maersk to clearly specify when the relevant services were provided and exactly what they included.
Sending customers a lump-sum payment demand and an IBAN without any explanation, then completely obstructing the process by making the Finance Department unreachable even during business hours, is not professional business conduct. I demand that Maersk immediately correct this irresponsible and unexplained practice, provide the necessary information, and start taking customer communication seriously.
