ParcelForce Clearance Fee

custardy

martynbannister wrote: »

I am currently disputing the £13.50 fee they charged me for an express parcel and, when I threatened to use the small claims court to get the fee refunded, got an email from their head office which, in part read thusly SO, despite having never asked to provide this service, it looks like the law has been amended in 2011 to be on their side.

So to be clear.
what were your plans to pay customs?

martynbannister

I have no problems with paying customs. Duty and/or VAT. I know about that charge up front. I would be quite happy for the parcel to be delivered, (for which service I paid the seller a small fortune, some of which they no doubt paid to parcelforce) along with an invoice for said customs duty/VAT alongside a "reasonable amount" for them providing the service of clearing my parcel through customs. I really do object to them holding my parcel to ransom for what I consider an amount disproportionate to their costs. I have asked the sender of the email quoted for the amount that this fee grossed their company last year. I do not expect an honest reply to that question.

Parcelforce know that they will be charging this fee. So why don't they add it onto the amount they charge the sender abroad? Why smack me in the face with it? I thought I had paid for my item to be shipped and delivered. It would appear not.

custardy

martynbannister wrote: »

I have no problems with paying customs. Duty and/or VAT. I know about that charge up front. I would be quite happy for the parcel to be delivered, (for which service I paid the seller a small fortune, some of which they no doubt paid to parcelforce) along with an invoice for said customs duty/VAT alongside a "reasonable amount" for them providing the service of clearing my parcel through customs. I really do object to them holding my parcel to ransom for what I consider an amount disproportionate to their costs. I have asked the sender of the email quoted for the amount that this fee grossed their company last year. I do not expect an honest reply to that question.

Parcelforce know that they will be charging this fee. So why don't they add it onto the amount they charge the sender abroad? Why smack me in the face with it? I thought I had paid for my item to be shipped and deleivered. It would appear not.

Parcelforce arent charging the sender anything.
Since you are happy to pay your customs to invoice,then do so by clearing it yourself for free.
If you want you package and be invoiced,then select a carrier that does that.
As for what is reasonable,well thats up to you to find a carrier thats fits you

shaun_from_Africa

martynbannister wrote: »

Parcelforce know that they will be charging this fee. So why don't they add it onto the amount they charge the sender abroad?

Because that would mean that Parcelforce (and all other international couriers) would be unable to have a definitive price list for their services as the price that they charge would vary depending on the declared value of the goods that are being imported into the UK.
Also, something purchased for say $23 may not be liable for VAT if it was imported today, but if the same item was purchased in a few weeks then VAT might be due if the £/$ rate has changed.
Don't forget that it is the importer (you) that is liable for any import duties, so why should the seller have to pay for the costs involved in this part of the delivery service?

I thought I had paid for my item to be shipped and delivered. It would appear not.

If no VAT or duty was payable on the goods, then yes, you would have paid the correct price for delivery.
The addition and payment of VAT however adds an extra service that needs to be carried out and paid for.

martynbannister

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Because that would mean that Parcelforce (and all other international couriers) would be unable to have a definitive price list for their services as the price that they charge would vary depending on the declared value of the goods that are being imported into the UK.
Also, something purchased for say $23 may not be liable for VAT if it was imported today, but if the same item was purchased in a few weeks then VAT might be due if the £/$ rate has changed.
Don't forget that it is the importer (you) that is liable for any import duties, so why should the seller have to pay for the costs involved in this part of the delivery service?


If no VAT or duty was payable on the goods, then yes, you would have paid the correct price for delivery.
The addition and payment of VAT however adds an extra service that needs to be carried out and paid for.

No, you misunderstand me. I am talking about the Clearance Fee, not the VAT/Duty. Parcelforce, when they tell the seller how much it will cost them to send something to the UK, using their express service, know that they will be charging a customs clearance fee, which doesn't vary (£13.50). They could add that to the amount they charge the seller to use their service, rather than collecting it from me, without getting my agreement and holding my parcel to ransom in order to do so.

BTW. It is not my choice which delivery service my seller uses. So I have no control over that, other than using a different seller. Which may not be possible, since they may be the only ones doing a particular deal.

martynbannister

Sorry guys, I was under the impression that thhe clearance fee was always levied. It would appear that "These clearance charges are only applied if a duty or tax is payable on the parcel.". Which makes it impossible for them to be charged at the seller's end. My apologies.

Interestingly that implies that the clearance fee charged is soley for the payment of the duty/vat on account and cannot be for the physical transport/handling of the parcel between Parcelforce and Customs, which ALL Parcels must go through, whether thy are liable for duty/vat or not.

paddyrg

Just a little context for anyone planning on self-clearing... A friend thought he was being clever a few years back by self-clearing a small rug he posted to himself from the third world. The goods were held in bonded storage for 6 days whilst he sorted out the paperwork. That cost him an extra tenner a day, £60, on top of the duty/VAT. He felt rather silly for slowing himself down and costing himself more than if he'd allowed a clearance provider like parcelforce, etc to do it.

wealdroam

martynbannister wrote: »

It is not my choice which delivery service my seller uses. So I have no control over that, other than using a different seller. Which may not be possible, since they may be the only ones doing a particular deal.

And it probably isn't the seller's choice to choose Parcelforce.

The seller in the foreign country will choose one of their local carriers, who in turn will pass the goods to their chosen affiliate.

visidigi

martynbannister wrote: »

Sorry guys, I was under the impression that thhe clearance fee was always levied. It would appear that "These clearance charges are only applied if a duty or tax is payable on the parcel.". Which makes it impossible for them to be charged at the seller's end. My apologies.

Interestingly that implies that the clearance fee charged is soley for the payment of the duty/vat on account and cannot be for the physical transport/handling of the parcel between Parcelforce and Customs, which ALL Parcels must go through, whether thy are liable for duty/vat or not.

All parcels do not go 'through' customs, those, based on declared value are levied for fees, if customs wish to inspect these parcels they ha e to be physically carried to customs for inspection.

excel

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