📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Unable to deliver parcel problem with charges

Options
We live in Cyprus, and rely upon the BFPO postal system for items from the UK to arrive.

We purchased an item online, the item did not have a weight stated on the site.

The item was cheaper than purchasing over here, so we purchased the item. The item was £159.99 delivered, we paid via Paypal using a credit card.


A few days later, the parcel was attempted to be delivered but the office that received the parcels could not accept it as it was over a weight limit.

We contacted the seller to ask them how much the item weighed, the parcel weighed 64kg's. We then contacted the BFPO office to find out that the weight limit is 30Kg's.

At the minute & time, the courier holds the item and the seller is pressuring us to give them an answer.

The BFPO address cannot accept the parcel, we did think about sending the parcel to a relatives house and breaking the parcel down ourselves if it was free, and paying the postal charges for 3x parcels ourselves, but this again incurrs a charge of £41.

If we return the item, the seller has said that they will charge us for the postage of the item both ways, to it will cost £88 to return the item. The item was £159.99, so just over £72 would be returned.


The problem with the BFPO office unable to accept the parcel, is this our fault, the couriers fault (inter express) or the sellers fault.

Any ideas?

Alias
«1

Comments

  • Andy_L
    Andy_L Posts: 13,027 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Unfortunatly your fault for not checking BFPO's weight limit.

    Can you just reject them under the Distance Selling Regulations? If there contract doesn't specifiy you have to pay, then the supplier will have to suck-up the return postage costs
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,917 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 16 August 2010 at 6:26PM
    Hi Andy,

    We dont mind paying the inital £40 postage costs if the item was returned, but the £80 is crazy. At that price we may well leave it and go with a Paypal dispute for non-delivery of the item.

    Postage was Free, so i really am shocked that they have quoted over £80.

    I am unsure of the distance selling regs. At the minute i am emailing the seller to see if they will meet us half way on postage costs, as think they might be telling me porkies not to accept the item back.

    Alias
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,917 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Would this cover it.?

    Can a consumer cancel an order before they receive the
    goods or where goods are lost in transit?


    3.35
    Yes. Where the DSRs give consumers rights to cancel, this right is
    unconditional.
    If consumers cancel before they have received the
    goods you must refund the total price of the goods, including any
    delivery charges. Consumers who have cancelled under the DSRs
    may refuse to accept delivery of the goods. Refusal in such a
    situation cannot be treated as a breach of contract.


  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 74,153 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I'm not sure you are covered though as the DSRs relate to UK buyers, I'm not sure they transfer overseas.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,917 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Soolin,

    I am a UK buyer.

    Alias
  • PopeSock
    PopeSock Posts: 552 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Soolin,

    I am a UK buyer.

    Alias

    But you're not. You've state you live in Cyprus which is not the UK. This means that either you bought this as an international buyer, or that you've incorrectly registered yourself or kept yourself as registered on E-Bay as living in the UK.
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,917 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Popesock,

    Yes as am a Uk buyer, and the item was not purchased from eBay.

    Regards,

    Alias
  • Sorry, but the BFPO set limits on parcel weights, so those living abroad do not set up courier agencies or others in competition with other carriers. The rates are subsidised to allow servicemen to recieve goods as if they are in the UK. The rate nowadays is a very generous 30 kg 9I cannot remember what it was when I was in, but it was nowhere near this).

    As your parcel is overwieght, they are rightly refusing to deliver it. Sorry, but is is harsh.
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,917 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Freddie,

    Have you read the thread.?, it reads like you have just read what you have wanted to from the first post, and just created a reply to what you have read.

    Alias
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 34,603 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Many switched on organisations state they will not deliver some of their stock to BFPO due to size or weight . Most seem to know to charge me extra due to my post code so why is BFPO any different. The seller screwed up by not checking. They should not have accepted your order. The DSR's should cover it. BFPO is a bit of a quirk but as Cyprus is in the EU the company are screwed either way. If they don't give a full refnd then Paypal INR.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177K Life & Family
  • 257.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.