I ordered some computer components from California, USA to be shipped to me in Lusaka, Zambia. The items arrived at Lusaka International Airport on time on Sunday, but here is what happened on:

UPS’ authorised local contractor, Mercury Express Logistics, phoned on Monday, 9 November 2009, to find out if it was okay to clear the items, so I said yes but they need to let me know the clearance charges. They told me Kwacha 173, 800 (Zambian Currency). She said they would let me know by lunchtime if that was the final charge.
3 O’clock came and went and still no call from them. I phoned them to ask what was going on so the man who answered, Jerome, said I could come and collect the packages if they were ready. As I was working, I asked if I could send my son to go and see them as it would be easier to receive clarification, which they said was fine.
My son went there and was told that the items had not been cleared as payment needed to be received first. This was around 1530 – 1600hrs.
He was told to wait so they could find out what the charges would be. After a few minutes the woman at their branch located at Lusaka International Airport spoke to him on the phone and said they couldn’t give a clearance charge as they did not know what any of the items are except for the cables. Correct me if I am wrong but surely it was on the waybill that these are computer parts/components etc.
After another 15-20 minutes he was then told he had to pay Kwacha 1, 335, 325 that was for customs duty, clearance and VAT. As he did not have enough money he said he would come back the next day to pay.

So, my sent went at around 13:40 on Tuesday, 10 November 2009, to pay:

He was given the amount to pay, the same as yesterday, and paid it in full
He asked when the items were delivered and they said, most likely, only Thursday (bearing in mind that the distance from the airport to them to my house is something like 15 kilometres).
As my son is sorting out the shipment he just got a call from Mercury Express to say that they thought we had paid AIT (Advanced Income Tax – which is only meant to be for goods for commercial and not personal use).
She then turns round and says she didn’t think we would have to pay the AIT after she said she thought we had already paid AIT.
That means we will now have to go and pay another amount and as it is there is already a fuel shortage at the moment and I cannot be going there everyday just to have them say something else is wrong.
On top of this, my son has taken time off studying to receive shipment, then to sort our payment etc. so basically they are just messing us around.

Something very strange is going on. I don’t see how UPS can claim that “An unforeseen event has occurred” when all that has happened is that they have given false information and bad service. I knew that I would have to pay duty and clearance fees but it is not my job to chase them up to find out what these are, only to have them give me a different answer every time!

Is there anyone at UPS I can contact to make an official complaint and ask for a refund because this is now just ridiculous?