RM / Parcelforce & import duty

andrew-the-cat

Recently I purchased something on ebay from a seller in Hong Kong. Now I am aware of import duty etc however I have ordered many things in the past from China etc and never had a problem. However I checked on the HKPost tracking for this item and it says the following:

"Tendered for delivery without success because of outstanding payment of charges. The item is being held and the addressee is being notified."

Now this was only today, I haven't yet had anything through the post informing me that they are holding my item.

This item is for completely personal use and the package was marked as a gift and no paperwork or anything has been included. Now I am worried that Parcelforce are going to charge me grossly excessive fees on top of the extra duty that they are going to claim I owe. From reading on the internet it seems that it is illegal to complete a service on the customers behalf without offering the customer the chance to pay it themselves or at least having a prior agreement on the price. I have also read that it is against the law to hold a postal package in "virtue of lien" (in other words until I pay).

It also seems according to the Postal Services Act 2000 (sections 83 and 84) that it is illegal to deliberately delay the transmission of mail.

So what can I do?

System

sounds like you will receive a card through the door asking you to pay the customs charges. Seems fair enough if you owe custom charges

visidigi

andrew-the-cat wrote: »

Recently I purchased something on ebay from a seller in Hong Kong. Now I am aware of import duty etc however I have ordered many things in the past from China etc and never had a problem. However I checked on the HKPost tracking for this item and it says the following:

"Tendered for delivery without success because of outstanding payment of charges. The item is being held and the addressee is being notified."

Now this was only today, I haven't yet had anything through the post informing me that they are holding my item.

This item is for completely personal use and the package was marked as a gift and no paperwork or anything has been included. Now I am worried that Parcelforce are going to charge me grossly excessive fees on top of the extra duty that they are going to claim I owe. From reading on the internet it seems that it is illegal to complete a service on the customers behalf without offering the customer the chance to pay it themselves or at least having a prior agreement on the price. I have also read that it is against the law to hold a postal package in "virtue of lien" (in other words until I pay).

It also seems according to the Postal Services Act 2000 (sections 83 and 84) that it is illegal to deliberately delay the transmission of mail.

So what can I do?

What can you do? Not believe everything you read on the internet.

You will have to pay the duty and the associated clearance fee when notified by post. If you do not in a timely manner then said item will be returned to sender.

They don't grossly inflate the duties/taxes, the clearance fee might be high, but its well documented. As for agreeing to the amount, taths just absurd - HMRC calculate whats owed, Parcelforce pay it, and then charge you a fee for the process of doing so (and having a customs provision locally to them to allow expedited delivery of your goods).

Whether is totally for personal use, marked as a gift when it was actually a purchase (that, if you want to start saying Parcelforce are doing something illegal isn't well regarded behaviour by HMRC) It has to have a declaration on the outside or a commercial/proforma invoice to travel internationally, so any duties/taxes that apply will have been levied based on the declared value on the outside of the package.

You don't have to agree to the charges, but they will just return your package to sender as undelivered if you don't.

George_Michael

It also seems according to the Postal Services Act 2000 (sections 83 and 84) that it is illegal to deliberately delay the transmission of mail.

But under the Postal services act 2011, what they are doing is perfectly legal.

36 In section 105 (application of customs and excise enactments to certain postal packets), after subsection (4) insert—
“(4A)A postal operator may detain a postal packet to which this section applies until any duties and charges in respect of the packet that are recoverable by virtue of subsection (3) have been paid.”

I do find it somewhat ironic that you are complaining about something which you think is illegal (but in reality is not), whilst at the same time openly admitting to committing an illegal act yourself.

Recently I purchased something on ebay from a seller in Hong Kong...

and the package was marked as a gift and no paperwork or anything has been included

As the purchaser of the goods, you are the legal importer and you are responsible for ensuring that the customs declaration is correctly filled out.

mattyprice4004

So it was a gift... that wasn't a gift?

You're probably going to get a nice bill for that, which you'll have to pay before you get the item.

Dress it up any way you want, but the parcel was misrepresented.

visidigi

Gift stopped meaning gift to HMRC/Customs a long time ago, now its just a big target on a package saying 'pick me pick me pick me!'

shaun_from_Africa

Especially if they do "pick me" & open the package to examine the contents and find no card, no letter or anything to identify who it was from.

Who sends a totally anonymous gift to another person?

forgotmyname

Ordered a few bits from China, The dearest item was £40 i did expect that to get pulled up.

But luckily it didnt.

One day it will and the correct tax will be added, But it should still be cheaper then buying it in the UK. I hope so anyway.

It also seems according to the Postal Services Act 2000 (sections 83 and 84) that it is illegal to deliberately delay the transmission of mail.

So what can I do?

But isnt it also illegal to make a false customs declaration stating the items a gift when it clearly is not.
And illegal not to pay the tax/duty etc on goods you import?

andrew-the-cat

Thanks for the replies. Just for clarity the seller states on the ebay listing that the item will be marked as gift, I didn't request it, I just bought the item.

Off to Parcelforce office now to pay my £25.37 bill

mattyprice4004

Wow, if eBay see they're telling people they'll gift it I think they'd have a problem with it.

Just today received something from HK myself, they're a good bunch over there - £150 worth of copper marked as $4!

custardy

andrew-the-cat wrote: »

Recently I purchased something on ebay from a seller in Hong Kong. Now I am aware of import duty etc however I have ordered many things in the past from China etc and never had a problem. However I checked on the HKPost tracking for this item and it says the following:

"Tendered for delivery without success because of outstanding payment of charges. The item is being held and the addressee is being notified."

Now this was only today, I haven't yet had anything through the post informing me that they are holding my item.

This item is for completely personal use and the package was marked as a gift and no paperwork or anything has been included. Now I am worried that Parcelforce are going to charge me grossly excessive fees on top of the extra duty that they are going to claim I owe. From reading on the internet it seems that it is illegal to complete a service on the customers behalf without offering the customer the chance to pay it themselves or at least having a prior agreement on the price. I have also read that it is against the law to hold a postal package in "virtue of lien" (in other words until I pay).

It also seems according to the Postal Services Act 2000 (sections 83 and 84) that it is illegal to deliberately delay the transmission of mail.

So what can I do?

your option was there before the packet hit the UK.
Of course doing that would have meant every packet you got before would have been charged VAT/duty as applicable.
So why didnt you since you are now digging around for legal definitions?