Parcelforce 'Clearance fee'

smcaul

Not sure if it is still the case but PF always used to be zero VAT, which gets on the other couriers nerves as they have to charge VAT.

schang99

i bought some cloths from Asia, the value is under 150 us dollors but when i got my package usps charged me over 365 us dollors. i was so confused under 150 us dollors it became over 365.
so i refused the package right away, i asked the post office how come 150 that coustom charged me 365, he said i should ask them no write value on paper even send as gift.
what confused law??? i checked out all about custom fee & looks people has difference experience ( he siad ,she siad , they siad )
my new question is that i returned back the package, who is going to pay for customs fee ? this is my first time to have such a experience, i just felt that i only spent 150 but need to pay for 365 us dollors for custom fee.
does seller has to pay for customs fee , because i returned it back? need advises

artbaron

I won a workstation last year, shipped from the US. Great, I thought, until I had to pay £170 customs fee. Sold the damn thing on ebay.

evil_ed

i think you might find that by reading the full postal services act 2000, pursuant to section 89 of that said act. Any postal company can withhold a parcel if the full delivery payment has not been made by the sender also the delivery agent can, if payment is not received, return the parcel to it's rightful owner which in all cases is the sender.

The clearance fee is made for the additional cost incurred in the administration of the extra duties incurred afte HM Customs charges have been set against the parcel.
These extra duties are:
presenting the parcel to HM Customs and excise
storing the parcel in a secure area until Customs retreives the parcel from the cages which they were placed in
paying the customs charge immediately to prevent the parcel being returned to sender
repackaging the parcel if necessary
providing methods of payment i.e. internet link on parcelforce website or by call centre customer services

These charges come at two rates which are £13.50 for express parcels and £8.00 for standard parcels. THese charges have not changed in over 5 years and are in line with said act.
All customers have the right to appeal against the customs charges levied against a parcel by contacting Customs by phone and if the charges are overturned then Parcelforce drops the clearance fee.

I always wish everyone good luck when appealing against the charge as like most other people, I have been hit with the extra charges but I understood that by buying outside of the EU i ran the risk of the extra vat.

evil_ed

"attempted delivery abroad " is the bane of my life, this always appears on usps website. as this is nothing to do with Parcelforce but the foreign courier service track and trace. Do you really think that Parcelforce attempt deliveries during the night as the foreign websites state.
as for the parcel being delivered then billed for, how many people would pay and customs if they were doing the billing would still charge a tax retrieval fee which would be in line with the parcelforce clearance fee. "the driver should take the money upon delivery", as a member of the parcelforce complaints team, i would rather put up with the wrath of an angry customer over the phone than have to call a drivers family to say he had been killed asking for customs vat before delivering a parcel, which by the way, had to be done

evil_ed

by the way the small claims court idea is an old one as now the parcel is not released for delivery until the full outstanding payment is received pursuant to postal services act 2000 section 89 and by the time the claim has gone to court the parcel is RTS. Why not just pay up the vat and clearance and consider that this time you were unlucky your parcel was sent to customs for inspection and you did not cheat the government out of revenue by buying outside the EU. Why not do what i do and buy British or buy within the EU

tandymalbot

evil_ed wrote: »

i think you might find that by reading the full postal services act 2000, pursuant to section 89 of that said act. Any postal company can withhold a parcel if the full delivery payment has not been made by the sender also the delivery agent can, if payment is not received, return the parcel to it's rightful owner which in all cases is the sender.

The clearance fee is made for the additional cost incurred in the administration of the extra duties incurred afte HM Customs charges have been set against the parcel.
These extra duties are:
presenting the parcel to HM Customs and excise
storing the parcel in a secure area until Customs retreives the parcel from the cages which they were placed in
paying the customs charge immediately to prevent the parcel being returned to sender
repackaging the parcel if necessary
providing methods of payment i.e. internet link on parcelforce website or by call centre customer services

These charges come at two rates which are £13.50 for express parcels and £8.00 for standard parcels. THese charges have not changed in over 5 years and are in line with said act.
All customers have the right to appeal against the customs charges levied against a parcel by contacting Customs by phone and if the charges are overturned then Parcelforce drops the clearance fee.

I always wish everyone good luck when appealing against the charge as like most other people, I have been hit with the extra charges but I understood that by buying outside of the EU i ran the risk of the extra vat.

Lol. Post count = 3, and all misinformation on this topic. I think evil ed may work for Royal Mail. which he admits.

How can the sender know in advance what the customs will be and how does USPS pay the UK Govt? VAT is now covered for service websites in this way but not on parcels neither is duty.

Parcelforce LIES by stating ATTEMPTED DELIVERY ABROAD. They update the status fraudlently; not the overseas postal service.

The fee is not lawfully collected and if deemed unreasonable by a court (I don't know anyone else apart from me who went to the Small Claims, but I reckon many will now follow suit!) then its unlawful too. If it's so lawful, why not deliver the parcel, let the delivery driver go free and then send an invoice? If this is not paid, Royal Mail can take you to the Small Claims court. The only reason they don't give parcels to drivers to collect the money and you totally exaggerate here, is they know full well they are breaking the law.

custardy

tandymalbot wrote: »

Lol. Post count = 3, and all misinformation on this topic. I think evil ed may work for Royal Mail. which he admits.
.

um your post count is 2
as for your 2nd statement it makes even less sense

vikingaero

If I were Parcelforce I would just chuck the parcel back to the sender. End of.

evil_ed

tandymalbot wrote: »

Lol. Post count = 3, and all misinformation on this topic. I think evil ed may work for Royal Mail. which he admits.

i would call it mis information if i didn't agree with it without the actual knowledge of being highly trained in complaints and resolutions (and i didn't have a real argument)

How can the sender know in advance what the customs will be and how does USPS pay the UK Govt? VAT is now covered for service websites in this way but not on parcels neither is duty.
the sender agreed to the full terms and conditions before sending also they could have chosen a "wheels up" service which means they correctly fill out documentation and pay the customs before it is sent and that is forwarded to the destination country. If you check our website, that is the service we are providing as a new service to all countries throughout the world

Parcelforce LIES by stating ATTEMPTED DELIVERY ABROAD. They update the status fraudlently; not the overseas postal service.

check the correct delivery site and see the correct info, how can we be held responsible if the americans get it wrong?

The fee is not lawfully collected and if deemed unreasonable by a court (I don't know anyone else apart from me who went to the Small Claims, but I reckon many will now follow suit!) then its unlawful too. If it's so lawful, why not deliver the parcel, let the delivery driver go free and then send an invoice? If this is not paid, Royal Mail can take you to the Small Claims court. The only reason they don't give parcels to drivers to collect the money and you totally exaggerate here, is they know full well they are breaking the law.

read section 89 of the postal services act 2000 and not just the sections which you like. it will tell you that in outstanding circumstances mail can be with held. also it is a courier service not a mail service and i think you will find we are not overseen by postwatch.

would you take a car for mot and expect the garage to do extra repairs free of charge?? and if you did not pay would he give you your car back??

would you face and angry customer as a driver and ask for vat in this climate?? it is not an exaggeration that a driver got killed

if we invoiced for payment after it had been delivered, would you pay?? if not the price would have to be recouped from somewhere. a rise in postal and courier fees maybe, would everyone be happy with you for being selfish?

you have the right to have the parcel sent back to customs and choose another courier company to collect your parcel and deliver (obviously at a cost to you)
you have the right to appeal the customs charges which are usually wrong because the sender did not declair properly and if the vat is removed then so is the clearance fee. other companies charge the clearance fee before sending whether it goes to customs or not, is that fair??

you chose to buy outside the EU risking customs fees so you should suck it up

if you don't agree get it sent back at no extra cost

and finally "caveat emptor"