TheRaceWorks Reviews 497

Reply from TheRaceWorks

Jul 21, 2025

Dear Eurico,

Thank you for your review, and we're pleased to hear the overall ordering experience met your expectations.

We're sorry to hear you were disappointed by the customs fees upon delivery. We completely understand how frustrating it can be, particularly when comparing similar purchases from different vendors. However, there’s some key context around recent changes to US importation rules that may help clarify the situation.

The United States applies a de minimis value, currently $800 USD, which allows most shipments below that value to enter without duties. However, as of 2nd April 2025, new US customs rules mean this exemption no longer applies to goods with a country of origin of China or Hong Kong.

This means that while an F1 cap manufactured in Turkey or Europe might clear US customs without additional charges, a similar cap manufactured in China, regardless of price, will now be subject to duties.

While we ship from the UK, the country of manufacture for many licensed F1 products (including the one you purchased) is China, a detail that directly affects how US customs processes the item. It’s very likely that the other vendor you mentioned shipped a cap that was not made in China or Hong Kong and therefore avoided the same treatment.

Unfortunately, these recent changes are beyond our control, but we always aim to make the possibility of import fees clear at checkout, particularly for non-UK customers. We also welcome any questions in advance of ordering and are happy to provide further information on product origin when needed.

Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope this helps to explain the issue more clearly. We would be glad to assist with any future queries.

Kind regards,
Josh

Reply from TheRaceWorks

Jul 21, 2025

Dear Joanne,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're genuinely sorry to hear you were unhappy with your experience.

We’d like to offer some context in case it helps clarify what happened. Your order was placed at 8:55pm on Thursday, 3rd July, with next day delivery selected. As explained in our reply to your email the following afternoon, our cut-off for next day delivery is 2pm on working days. This is clearly stated on both our delivery information page and during the checkout process.

Because the order was placed after the cut-off, it was dispatched with DHL the following day (Friday 4th July) and delivered in line with the service you selected.

You requested to cancel the order after our initial reply, and we explained that our refund process begins once the item is returned to us. Before we were able to recall the parcel, you then responded asking us to leave the order in place, as you preferred to receive the item rather than wait for a refund.

We do understand how easy it can be to miss information around cut-off times, particularly when ordering late in the day, but we do our best to present this as clearly as possible throughout the ordering process.

Throughout the exchange, we responded quickly and aimed to communicate clearly and helpfully at every step.

If there's anything further we can assist with or clarify, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly.

We hope you enjoy the item you purchased from us.

Kind regards
Josh