FEDEX - Admin Fee

deggles

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but thought I would share that I had a similar experience with Fed-Ex a while back...

I bought a Christmas present online that was shipped from Hong Kong, and some weeks later Fed-Ex sent me several invoices demanding payment of duties plus their ~£17 'admin fee'.

My better judgement told me you don't mess with HMRC (even though I disputed the actual amount of VAT/duty - it was slightly higher than I thought it should have been), however I was certainly not going to pay Fed Ex a penny. I had already paid $50 shipping to the sender and I had no contract Fed-Ex. So I sent them a cheque for the VAT/duty and politely told them to whistle for the rest. I can post a copy of my letter if you wish

That should have been the end of it, however much later still I started getting demands from a debt collection agency for the full amount of the original Fed-Ex invoice! :mad: Fortunately they soon went away once I had demonstrated proof of Fed-Ex not only receiving my letter (recorded delivery) but also cashing my cheque!

Moral of the story, don't be bullied by faceless & incompetent companies, especially those you have no legal contract with

Regards,
Dan

injustice-gene

Hi Dan,

No need to apologise... this is still current and ongoing! Thanks for your reply, you sound just like me over paying these faceless wonders.

I've contacted them by website e-mail (nearly two weeks ago now) but am still awaiting a reply. I've also tried to speak to them by phone but they refuse to do so as they say it is being dealt with through the e-mail enquiry!!!!

I really won't pay them a penny for bringing a GIFT to me and trying to charge me VAT duty (when none was required) and trying to charge me around the same amount in admin fee.

It was their mistake and they should pay for it.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and for giving me some heart to continue with taking the fight to them! :T

Regards, Tony

deanos

injustice-gene wrote: »

Thanks Pedant. Yes, the recipient was an individual and the gift was for a special occasion (birthday). I've sent an e-mail to FedEx asking for review of the charges... I might just be lucky!

Was the item for yourself then , sent by a relative to you ?

injustice-gene

Hi Deanos,

Thanks for contacting me.

Yes the item (gift) was for me... no it wasn't off a relative.

Regards, Tony

custardy

injustice-gene wrote: »

Hi Dan,

No need to apologise... this is still current and ongoing! Thanks for your reply, you sound just like me over paying these faceless wonders.

I've contacted them by website e-mail (nearly two weeks ago now) but am still awaiting a reply. I've also tried to speak to them by phone but they refuse to do so as they say it is being dealt with through the e-mail enquiry!!!!

I really won't pay them a penny for bringing a GIFT to me and trying to charge me VAT duty (when none was required) and trying to charge me around the same amount in admin fee.

It was their mistake and they should pay for it.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and for giving me some heart to continue with taking the fight to them! :T

Regards, Tony

you mean HMRC?

injustice-gene

Hi Custardy,

No, it's not the fault of HMRC. FedEx actually submit the items for duty payment after calculating themselves from the HMRC table of tariffs - they make the decision from the shipping sticker attached to the parcel. Unfortunately, FedEx mistakenly disregarded the fact that my item was a gift and that it was below the HMRC allowance.

Regards, Tony

custardy

injustice-gene wrote: »

Hi Custardy,

No, it's not the fault of HMRC. FedEx actually submit the items for duty payment after calculating themselves from the HMRC table of tariffs - they make the decision from the shipping sticker attached to the parcel. Unfortunately, FedEx mistakenly disregarded the fact that my item was a gift and that it was below the HMRC allowance.

Regards, Tony

HMRC levy the tax.
if they dont check what the carrier calculates then thats down to HMRC
by your account then customs do nothing,in which case the carriers clearence fee must surely be justified?

injustice-gene

Hi,
The Goverment levy the tax and not HMRC, HMRC only see to its collection and to ensure regulations are complied with.
HMRC check what is submitted, but if FedEx are so incompetent as to submit to pay duty when there is no need or requirement, then obviously HMRC won't be questioning such decisions, will they?
According to Goverment guidelines, which HMRC issue, there is no mention whatsoever about carrier charges other than those levied by Royal Mail or Parcelforce. The guidelines stipulate that BEFORE any parcel is handed-over to a recipient that recipient must be informed of the duty owed and that the recipient must then pay that duty before reciept. There is no mention of FedEx anywhere in the guidelines! FedEx are a private company who have been employed by the SENDER of the item - not the recipient. They are not a Government or HMRC agent. They completely disregard the guidelines by handing-over the item to the recipient BEFORE any recipient notification of duties owed and BEFORE outstanding duties have been reimbursed!

custardy

injustice-gene wrote: »

Hi,
The Goverment levy the tax and not HMRC, HMRC only see to its collection and to ensure regulations are complied with.
HMRC check what is submitted, but if FedEx are so incompetent as to submit to pay duty when there is no need or requirement, then obviously HMRC won't be questioning such decisions, will they?
According to Goverment guidelines, which HMRC issue, there is no mention whatsoever about carrier charges other than those levied by Royal Mail or Parcelforce. The guidelines stipulate that BEFORE any parcel is handed-over to a recipient that recipient must be informed of the duty owed and that the recipient must then pay that duty before reciept. There is no mention of FedEx anywhere in the guidelines! FedEx are a private company who have been employed by the SENDER of the item - not the recipient. They are not a Government or HMRC agent. They completely disregard the guidelines by handing-over the item to the recipient BEFORE any recipient notification of duties owed and BEFORE outstanding duties have been reimbursed!

and yet everyone moans that RM/PF hold the items before duty is paid
so which is the solution?

injustice-gene

Hi,
I have no problems with RM/PF holding the goods before payment at all - it's the legally written way things should be done.

The solution is for RM/PF to have the monopoly of British postal deliveries. British jobs for British workers and all that! I'm really annoyed that a foreign-owned company is trying to muscle in and manipulate guidelines.

Failing any monopoly, then guidelines/legislation should be changed to encompass foreign-owned carriers to do the job and claim the fees - at present they are not included.

All that I have to say on the situation is that rules should be complied with and not manipulated.