Parcelforce 'Clearance fee'

akelna

My sister in law regularly sends gifts from California and we receive them with out problems. However she sent two this time because there had been two nieces born this year. Each parcel was held by Parcel Force who had sent us an Invoice for £32.18 for one and £32.44 the other, each had an £8 parcel force clearing fee £9 import duty and VAT £15. What I don't understand is why the charges?:mad: all that was in the boxes were a couple of baby books, and a few items of clothing like pyjamas and tshirts. The total value of both boxes could not have exceeded £30. Why then after my sister in law had paid postal charges in the US did we need to pay £64 on top of this to recieve the gifts? I have read the threads and still feel a bit confused as to the other charges that have been applied. Can anyone help?

custardy

well have you contacted PF/HMRC?
what was the declared value?
were they marked as gifts?
postal charges paid in the country of origin are nothing to do with customs in the receiving country.2 seperate things

oronare

I have contacted the following people regarding these issues:

Parcel Force - All the way up to the MD's office.
Postcom
Dept for business and enterprise.
Consumer direct.


As far as everyone is aware, parcelforce can retain your item until any fees, charges etc are paid. Not just the customs charges, but their own £8/£13 fee as well.

Refer to section 105 for how they are exempt from previous sections on retaining an item for a lien.

Sorry all.

youngb10od

geolabuk wrote: »

Hello again,

I have been told yesterday by Sean O'Hara (Post Comm) that Royal Mail have not provided legislation that allows them to hold packets in lien for their clearance fees. PostComm is sympathetic with my view that our right to pay import duties directly to Customs has been taken away and is approaching Post Watch about an on-line payment system.


It seems that Royal Mail are so desperate to cover their !!!!!! and not be found guilty until the last possible moment, they now want to see the original written notes of the relevant sections of the Postal Services Act 2000 to see if anything has been left out or misinterpreted. Their lawyers are clutching at straws.


In my view, and with regard to the current situation where Royal Mail cannot provide evidence that they are holding packets in lien legally, they should notify all depot staff to hand over packets to disgruntled customers immediately, if they refuse to do this, they are putting their staff in danger of prosecution.


Sean O'Hara has also told me the only way to enforce the Act is for me (or any other individual) to seek a criminal prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service, I will be making my statement to the police on Tuesday.


If this has happened to you and you want to prosecute, please let me know by phone or text - 0790 2552777

Mark

This is great! i am in the middle of writting a complaint to the parcel force MD Office - all the info on this sitre has been brilliant... i will put a copy of the letter i wrote to them if it was successful...

- oh and i am also going to be quibbling over this with all the other couriers too!

This is something worth pursuing, as we in the UK have got to used to be charged for everything whether we agree to it or not...
CONSUMER POWER!
as a consumer you know not the power you have (in mass!!):T


BTW - their complaint number is...... 01908 687000 (and i was told that not many people mind paying this!!!)

custardy

how about contacting HMRC with your consumer powers?

smcaul

youngb10od wrote: »

BTW - their complaint number is...... 01908 687000 (and i was told that not many people mind paying this!!!)

That is not a complaint number, it is the switchboard at the Pink Palace, otherwise known as Parcelforce SHQ, The complaints dept is not even in the same building, unless you know who you want to speak to on that number your complaint will just be taken by one of the 2 receptionists and passed on. You really need to use that number with a name to get any type of results.

The_Governor

I've just been hit with a total of £32 for having a $58 parcel delivered.

Import Duty of £7.14 (I thought it was 3.5% so should be about £2) + VAT at £11 (which sounds about correct).

Then Parcelforce steam in with their £13.50 charge, so they'ver made a tidy profit there then.

Gits.

youngb10od

custardy wrote: »

how about contacting HMRC with your consumer powers?

if you read the thread further back it says "From Post Comm;
“That Royal Mail have not provided legislation that allows them to hold packets in lien for their clearance fees. “
With regard to the current situation “the only way to enforce the Act is for me (or any other individual) to seek a criminal prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.”

why is it that companies think they can act in anyway they can and rip the public off? we have the nickname rip off britain for a reason... the fat cats get fatter... do you do this as you are paid to do it or because you have an unspoken nd misguided loyalty to the royal mail? it seems from all your comments they are less than helpful... and are placed to put people off from fighting for their right to have their post delivered without having to pay 30 times to get it! it's no wonder royal mail is in tattetrs! i say to the people that are talking to the likes of post comm keep complaining ....

youngb10od

The_Governor wrote: »

I've just been hit with a total of £32 for having a $58 parcel delivered.

Import Duty of £7.14 (I thought it was 3.5% so should be about £2) + VAT at £11 (which sounds about correct).

Then Parcelforce steam in with their £13.50 charge, so they'ver made a tidy profit there then.

Gits.

you can guarantee they only pay the person who processed it £6 per hour (probably less until they go out on strike again)

custardy

youngb10od wrote: »

if you read the thread further back it says "From Post Comm;
“That Royal Mail have not provided legislation that allows them to hold packets in lien for their clearance fees. “
With regard to the current situation “the only way to enforce the Act is for me (or any other individual) to seek a criminal prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.”

why is it that companies think they can act in anyway they can and rip the public off? we have the nickname rip off britain for a reason... the fat cats get fatter... do you do this as you are paid to do it or because you have an unspoken nd misguided loyalty to the royal mail? it seems from all your comments they are less than helpful... and are placed to put people off from fighting for their right to have their post delivered without having to pay 30 times to get it! it's no wonder royal mail is in tattetrs! i say to the people that are talking to the likes of post comm keep complaining ....

and that has what to do with my post you quoted?
as ive said,why dont you ask HMRC why they dont offer a service where you can pay them directly?
perhaps you feel it would help RM 'from being in tatters' (i assume thats what you meant)if they did all the admin for HMRC for free?