Parcelforce/Customs Outragous Charges

bunberry

Qukatt wrote: »

Customs Duty - 14.69 (not in dispute, if it's needing paid that's fine)
Excise Duty - 0.00
Import VAT - 40.78 (WHAT?)
Other - 0.00
Clearance fee - 8.00 (excuse me?)
Total 63.47

You don't pay customs duty unless the value of the package is more than £135. And 20% VAT is calculated on value of goods + postage + customs/excise duty.

It could be that the package was incorrectly marked, or customs misread the declared value, etc. Unfortunately if you want the package, you will have to pay first dispute later.

Qukatt

£15 limit doesn't apply to gifts where they state on hmrc site it's £40 per persons items in the gift.

My parcel contains a few items of clothes and an all blacks lunch box apparently. I'm going to start with parcel force on the 3rd (2nd is public holiday in Scotland I don't expect to talk to talk to anyone useful before then) even though their invoice says they won't deal with vat disputes.

My feeling is they read $nz as £ and then got liberal with the charges even 125 + 15 doesn't say to me 40 pounds vat.

I'll report back in the new year

raineshoe

Light_Speed_Cruiser wrote: »

Ask the sender to value the item at £17.99 or less. Theres no VAT liability.

Bear in mind if you do that and the item gets lost all you can claim is up to £17.99.

I am also pretty sure that if you are in the UK and put an item as gift when its not its illegal.

shaun_from_Africa

raineshoe wrote: »

Bear in mind if you do that and the item gets lost all you can claim is up to £17.99.

This is one of the more common misconception that often gets posted on here.

The value that is declared for customs purposes can, and often does differ from the actual value of the goods.
I often arrange the overseas shipping of broken & repairable items and am required to complete the customs declarations. One of the statements on there is regarding the value and it says "Value of consignment for customs purposes only".
Because the goods are damaged their actual value is low, but the cost to replace them is far higher and this is what they are insured for.

When you send a package, you can take out insurance that exceeds the declared value and if the goods do go missing then in many cases (as with RM), the only record of the declared value has also gone missing as this will have be attached to the package.

raineshoe

But then of course if you lie on the customs form and put a reduced value, your invoice paperwork has to match it. Therefore, your invoice is your proof of what the items were valued at. Therefore, you can only claim that value.

If customs happen to inspect your parcel and the paperwork and declaration don't match then your in trouble!!!

mazza111

Qukatt wrote: »

£15 limit doesn't apply to gifts where they state on hmrc site it's £40 per persons items in the gift.

My parcel contains a few items of clothes and an all blacks lunch box apparently. I'm going to start with parcel force on the 3rd (2nd is public holiday in Scotland I don't expect to talk to talk to anyone useful before then) even though their invoice says they won't deal with vat disputes.

My feeling is they read $nz as £ and then got liberal with the charges even 125 + 15 doesn't say to me 40 pounds vat.

I'll report back in the new year

No point. It's customs you have the dispute with, not parcelforce. It's not parcelforce who say you have to pay this, it's customs.

Qukatt

mazza111 wrote: »

No point. It's customs you have the dispute with, not parcelforce. It's not parcelforce who say you have to pay this, it's customs.

Thank you but I did already say I know they dont deal with vat

nikki1520

Qukatt wrote: »

£15 limit doesn't apply to gifts where they state on hmrc site it's £40 per persons items in the gift.

My parcel contains a few items of clothes and an all blacks lunch box apparently. I'm going to start with parcel force on the 3rd (2nd is public holiday in Scotland I don't expect to talk to talk to anyone useful before then) even though their invoice says they won't deal with vat disputes.

My feeling is they read $nz as £ and then got liberal with the charges even 125 + 15 doesn't say to me 40 pounds vat.

I'll report back in the new year

If it's childrens clothes, then if the items had been correctly classified there should be no VAT as childrens clothing is zero rated.

Either phone up Parcel force (nicely) and ask them to double check the classifictions, or pay it, then submit a claim for the overpaid VAT to Priory Court in Dover

custardy

raineshoe wrote: »

Your lucky we import a lot of stuff for our business and we get charged £13.00 clearance fee so £8.00 is good.

Import VAT as the others have said you are stuck with and is 20% I believe.

I doubt you will have any joy if you contest it to be honest.

Unfortuantely, lots of people are unaware of these extra costs. We get quite a few saying to us "oh we can buy the same product cheaper from abroad". Well yes you can, but once you import your stuff you'll pay the same charges we do and then they find out why we price our imported stock at what we do.

its not luck
you are using express shipping,so you pay the express fee
why are you not doing your own clearence if you import "a lot"?

custardy

Qukatt wrote: »

£15 limit doesn't apply to gifts where they state on hmrc site it's £40 per persons items in the gift.

My parcel contains a few items of clothes and an all blacks lunch box apparently. I'm going to start with parcel force on the 3rd (2nd is public holiday in Scotland I don't expect to talk to talk to anyone useful before then) even though their invoice says they won't deal with vat disputes.

My feeling is they read $nz as £ and then got liberal with the charges even 125 + 15 doesn't say to me 40 pounds vat.

I'll report back in the new year

customs decide the duty due
parcelforce can't/won't change the amount due for VAT/duty