FedEx invoiced me for £100 "duty/tax" charge, on top of the cost of shipment

redux · 13 May 2014 at 10:11PM

Why are you refusing to pay their handling charges?

These are standard terms. It may unfortunately seem a bit high compared to the goods value, but the admin tariff probably goes in bands, and might not be a lot more for handling £50 or £100

[Deleted User] · 14 May 2014 at 10:37PM

Just pay the bill.

meer53 · 15 May 2014 at 9:12AM

I don't want to contribute helpfully. Pay the bill. If this is all you have to worry about in your life, you are very lucky. Take it as a lesson learned, next time you'll know.

timbo58 · 15 May 2014 at 10:14AM

unfair contracts act non adherence ok here then.
thanks for your opinions, we're all entitled to them of course.

It isn't a bill or anything I believe I actually owe -I have no contract with them and have not had any service I asked for.
Would either of you simply pay up if I slapped a charge on you for services you hadn't asked for?

Anyway -it does seem, unfortunately, that all I am going to attract is opinions (valid as they might be) and not any experience of whether this collections company have any teeth or not, so I think I'll just remove my posts rather than just upset those who think throwing money at someone to shut them up is a valid way of money saving.

meer53 · 15 May 2014 at 12:37PM

12.6 FedEx reserves the right to assess extra Charges for customs clearance or for services ancillary to the customs clearance of Shipments ("Ancillary Clearance Service Fees"). Customers should contact FedEx for more information on the Ancillary Clearance Service Fees.

timbo58 · 15 May 2014 at 4:19PM

Thanks meer53, Unfortunately these terms were never (and have never) been supplied to me.
So I couldn't agree to them (or not) either implicitly or explicitly.

The supplier of the goods didn't specify which delivery agent they would use at that time and have nothing in their terms about accepting delivery fees incurred as an admin charge, which is what I understand is where the breach of the unfair contracts act comes in.

All I need to know really is whether this firm now sending letters has any power at all to pursue what I strongly feel is a speculative invoice and nothing more.

paddyrg · 15 May 2014 at 4:52PM

timbo58 wrote: »

The supplier of the goods didn't specify which delivery agent they would use...
All I need to know really is whether this firm now sending letters has any power at all to pursue what I strongly feel is a speculative invoice and nothing more.

Maybe take this up with the supplier - some shipping companies will allow the shipper to pre-pay import taxes and fees (although shipping costs would have increased, naturally).

You're right in that the invoice may be unenforceable (or at least they may or may not attempt to enforce it) but they did spend this money on your behalf and sure as chips they'll prevent you from using their services again if they don't try debt collection companies etc first.

Buzby · 15 May 2014 at 4:58PM

Given what you have said, you even know it isn't a speculative invoice - having already paid their service charges previously. The nature of FedEx is to get the goods to the customer in as fast a time as possible, and let let paperwork catch up. Which you are bound to pay having signed for the acceptance binds you to their terms.

If the shipper used a less high profile carrier - the local agent (say) of Royal Mail Worldwide not only the fees would have been less, but the chances of it being delivered without taxes would have been greater.

If you do not pay - FedEX recall the payment they made to HMRC on your behalf and flag you on their system as a non payer. This results in a refusal to deliver anything else to you and it is simply returned from your local depot as undeliverable. As to HMRC, yes they can come to you directly and pursue you for the unpaid tax. Whether they look into your affairs to see if you are worthwhile becoming 'of interest' is anyone's guess.

Clearly the sender was in on the scam to defraud by underdeclaring - but I have to question why anyone would believe the false declaration, and why you would expect them to!

timbo58 · 15 May 2014 at 5:24PM

Sorry Buzby- my own fault for removing my previous posts but the OP is not mine so my own personal issue is not 'under declaring'

I bought goods from Vietnam which 14 days after delivery led to an invoice appearing from fedex for £9.26 in HMRC taxes plus an £11.75 fedex charge for paying these fees on my behalf.
I disputed these charges until they were explained and then paid the tax part only when 'control account' got involved.

I don't agree that I should pay what (is definitely IMHO) a speculative invoice for their fees in the service of paying HMRC fees (?).

I didn't specify I wanted fedex as a courier and didn't see any terms before I bought goods or after other than the suppliers which didn't in any way lead me to believe I could be charged in this manner.

I was asking on this thread specifically if CA had any teeth whatsoever to understand whether, despite being legally correct, I could be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

Paddy -thank you, that was very constructive and I am sure you are probably right. One day I will be dealing with someone who can ONLY get me a delivery via these shysters and I'll be blocked because of £11.75 which is a bit silly.

Ho hum - as soon as CA send me a new invoice for that I'll send them a cheque.
On the bike parts forums that specifically deal with this supplier I've already (no doubt) cost fedex many times this as the supplier allows a few different methods I now know and at least their customers have been informed of fedexs little scam.

[Deleted User] · 15 May 2014 at 5:59PM

timbo58 wrote: »

so I think I'll just remove my posts

Unfortunately, your whole original post was already quoted at #11 of this thread. So it remains forever!:p

I still think you'll have to pay the bill...;)

FedEx invoiced me for £100 "duty/tax" charge, on top of the cost of shipment

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