ParcelForce Clearance Fee

custardy

excel wrote: »

Does that apply to all courier services or only RM / Parcelforce?

Besides if the parcel has already been delivered, a courier company can't do much regarding their own fees, can they?

have you paid the VAT?

jrellerby

Sorry to bring up an old thread but I looked high and low and could not find anything more recent.

My scenario goes like this, received a package with an unexpected customs VAT charge of £3.84 plus Parcelforce clearance fee of £8. Having filled out the correct form from HMRC and successfully claimed the VAT back I have been informed by Border Force that should I want the £8 PF charge back that I would have to contact PF to get that fee refunded.

Problem is I already contacted Parcelforce on there main contact number and on there advice phoned my local PF delivery office in Edinburgh. However I have been sent round the houses trying to get a refund with the Edinburgh office saying I need to go back to Border Force and get them to e-mail PF that I qualify for the £8.00 back.

This seems a bit far fetched and there is no direct number or e-mail address for BF even in there correspondence with me that I can contact them on. I have tried all the HMRC numbers and options only to draw a blank from any there telephone operators. Only option seems to be to send a letter to Border Force which could take months to get actioned just like my VAT refund took. This all seems to be bit far fetched, as if they are deliberately making it difficult to get my money back that I should not have been charged in the first place.

Does anyone know what the official procedure is here? The HMRC website gives no information beyond the point of the VAT refund process for customs VAT.

Too reiterate I have my VAT back but need to get the Parcelfore Clearance fee back.

visidigi

The £8 is a PF fee. You need to go to PF to get the fee back.

Personally I wouldn't have even bothered over £12.

custardy

Hmrc mistakenly charged VAT. PF paid and processed the item based on HMRCs decision.

visidigi

custardy wrote: »

Hmrc mistakenly charged VAT. PF paid and processed the item based on HMRCs decision.

Makes no difference who instructed who. HMRC were not paid the £8. PF were. The £8 fee has nothing to do with HMRC.

PF are still as slippy as ever when it comes to returning the fee.

custardy

visidigi wrote: »

Makes no difference who instructed who. HMRC were not paid the £8. PF were. The £8 fee has nothing to do with HMRC.

PF are still as slippy as ever when it comes to returning the fee.

And once again we are back to who is liable for sorting the VAT

visidigi

custardy wrote: »

And once again we are back to who is liable for sorting the VAT

Whoever requests to do so. If the shipper does not declare the recipient will self clear then the courier will do it.

But that, again, is by the by, there is no change to the fact the fee being discussed here is entirely within the remit of PF.

custardy

visidigi wrote: »

Whoever requests to do so. If the shipper does not declare the recipient will self clear then the courier will do it.

But that, again, is by the by, there is no change to the fact the fee being discussed here is entirely within the remit of PF.

Right,and if the courier has to do it (or are non self cleared items to be left at customs?) then how does the courier recoup the costs involved when HMRC make the wrong call?

visidigi

Thats the thing, HMRC make the call based of what the courier hands over data wise. if HMRC make the wrong call its based off bad information.

Lets be honest, the costs are absolutely minimal per shipment, less than 1p, as PF still have to employ the people to be there to clear non dutiable. Its a cost of doing business. PF's fee is far in excess of any justifiable cost - they charge to 'pay on your behalf' despite them using a clearance account to do so where no money changes hands.

Really, honestly, and I think I have said this before, but your defense of the RMG on here is quite painful, they can do no wrong, when quite frankly they do every day, just like other companies do.

custardy

visidigi wrote: »

Thats the thing, HMRC make the call based of what the courier hands over data wise. if HMRC make the wrong call its based off bad information.

Lets be honest, the costs are absolutely minimal per shipment, less than 1p, as PF still have to employ the people to be there to clear non dutiable. Its a cost of doing business. PF's fee is far in excess of any justifiable cost - they charge to 'pay on your behalf' despite them using a clearance account to do so where no money changes hands.

Really, honestly, and I think I have said this before, but your defense of the RMG on here is quite painful, they can do no wrong, when quite frankly they do every day, just like other companies do.

Im not defending anyone.
This goes across the board regardless of carrier.
If people dont do their own clearance or push for a change in the set up.
It will never change. like it or not