Consumers and Businesses May Be Entitled to Refunds
Sauder Schelkopf is investigating potential claims on behalf of consumers and businesses who paid import-related fees, customs duties, tariffs, brokerage fees, or similar charges.
What’s Happening
Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the federal government’s authority to impose certain tariffs, shipping carriers and large corporations are now seeking refunds of duties and tariffs they previously paid. In many instances, those same charges were passed through to consumers and downstream businesses at the time of delivery.
If carriers or corporations recover those funds from the government without passing them back to the people who ultimately paid them, affected consumers and businesses may have legal claims for refunds or restitution.
Sauder Schelkopf is also investigating potential claims on behalf of individuals and businesses that purchased finished goods—such as vehicles, appliances, machinery, or equipment—where tariffs or customs duties were built into the purchase price.
Who May Be Affected
You may have a claim if:
- You paid import fees, customs fees, duties, tariffs, brokerage fees, or handling fees to a shipping carrier;
- The fee was demanded after your purchase was completed, often at or near delivery;
- Your package was held or delayed until the fee was paid;
- You were told the charge was required by law, customs, or government authorities, or were given no clear explanation; or
- You are a business or importer that paid tariffs or duties that are now the subject of refund efforts.
Why This Matters
Refunds sought by carriers or intermediaries are generally paid to the entity that advanced the funds to U.S. Customs—not automatically to consumers or downstream payors. Without legal action, individuals and businesses who bore the economic burden of these charges may never be repaid.
Sauder Schelkopf is evaluating claims to ensure that any recovered funds are returned to the people and businesses who actually paid them, and to address potentially unfair practices surrounding post-purchase import fee demands.
What You Can Do Now
If you believe you were affected:
- Gather any invoices, receipts, payment confirmations, or delivery notices showing the import-related charge;
- Note when you first learned of the fee and whether delivery was conditioned on payment; and
- Contact Sauder Schelkopf to share your experience.
There is no cost or obligation to contact us, and doing so may help protect your rights if refunds or settlements occur.
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
We Want to Hear from You
If you were required to pay an excessive import fee or tariff, you can contact the attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf by filling out the form on this page.