You've been hit by, you've been struck by.. Parcelforce handling fee

St0RM53

Hello fellow consumers. No need for a long introduction, i've been an internet buyer for many years. However i got really really frustrated today. The most i ever been ever in my shopping experience.

On the 11th of November i ordered a new hard disk for my laptop. The sh*tty Samsung hard drive is failing fast so i found a Hitachi/HGST specific hard drive and went on to order it through ebay from Japan. This specific model is out of stock everywhere in UK/EU (Germany) and US. They are a couple of sellers wanting more than 200gbp (more than double of the normal price) since there is an outage because many PS4 users where buying this disk to upgrade their stock ones. Since time is critical (and believe me i had many hard drive failures in the past) i paid extra for EMS shipping. Usually it takes 3-5 business days so i was really happy.

Everything was going smoothly and fast, until the item hit UK shores. Captured by Parcelforce went around customs and today 24th, it was awaiting for me in the Bristol depot (i live in Bath), awaiting customs payment. Ok i said, it wasn't my luck so lets call them and see how much i have to pay, i said.

And then it's when things started going really bad. 12.90gbp VAT (0% duty charges, because electronics and under min value) AND 13.50gbp handling fee!!! !!!!!!! Charges to take the item into customs and back the guy said on the phone!

SERIOUSLY?! I never ever had a company blackmailing me with ransom charges. I NEVER AGREED/CONSENT TO ANYONE about paying my customs charges! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I did my research now. 10 years i've been buying things abroad and i never had to deal with this. When i was living in Cyprus a package came, i went to the main postal office with is in the same building with customs, opened the package myself if they wanted to see it, showed them my receipt on hand or online with their computer, and just paid the taxes and done! (Text removed by MSE Forum Team) IS THIS? Why can't the HMRC email/text/mail/phone me the customs charges and gives my package to a private company without my approval? Also the postage has been paid in advance. I don't care if you want to ship it to Australia to check it with the customs! This is totally unjustifiable, non-moral, and an insult to the consumer! And (text removed by MSE Forum Team) if it is legal. I'm not paying the 13.50gbp even if the aliens invade. Seriously i'm going to take this to the EU court. PLEASE TELL ME! HOW THE HECK CAN A PUBLIC AGENCY MAKE DEALS WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY LIKE THIS?!

EMS shipping is 5 business days from JAPAN TO MY DOORSTEP! NOT NEXT YEAR! If i didn't pay for EMS i would have my disk here and backup all of my 1TB drive. Whoever approve this (text removed by MSE Forum Team) needs to be shot point blank with a .50 cal, cooked in (text removed by MSE Forum Team) and feed to pigs. (Text removed by MSE Forum Team) :mad:

gik

I'm getting the impression that you might possibly be a little upset. Am I correct?

powerful_Rogue

As the importer you can carry out your own Customs procedures. If you want to do this, you will need to ensure the sender clearly marks the Customs declaration form (CN22 or CN23) 'goods to be Customs cleared by the importer'. Do not write on the wrapping. If the Customs declaration form (CN22 or CN23) is not marked in this way by the sender, the goods will be cleared by customs in the normal way; once goods have been Customs cleared you cannot then retrospectively apply to self clear them.


For items that have been marked for clearance by the importer, a full declaration will be sent to you to complete and return to the appropriate customs postal office.


They will calculate any import charges and write and advise you of your tax liability.


When you have paid this and the funds have been cleared, your goods will be released for delivery.


However, as a manual procedure there could be a considerable delay in the receipt of your goods.


You can obtain copies of the import declaration form and further information on the HMRC VAT Helpline on Tel 0845 010 9000.

I'm presuming you never asked the seller to do the above and as such Parcel Force have cleared the item on your behalf.

As such the fee charged by Parcel Force will incorporate the time involved for the administration.

bris

So you want to import but you don't want to pay the import fees like everybody else?


You obviously have no clue what importing from outside the EU entails so I suggest you wind your kneck in and learn a bit about the complicated process it takes. Maybe then you will agree that the handling charge is a bargain after all.

St0RM53

gik wrote: »

I'm getting the impression that you might possibly be a little upset. Am I correct?

Sorry. I was upsetting more myself by just writing about the situation

St0RM53

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

I'm presuming you never asked the seller to do the above and as such Parcel Force have cleared the item on your behalf.

As such the fee charged by Parcel Force will incorporate the time involved for the administration.

Thanks for your reply. Exactly what i wanted to know. They Parcelforce guy in the phone told me about a CP724 form i couldn't find any info about. So basically the sender has to complete a customs declaration form CN22/23 in advance for the clearance to be done by the receiver, or does the receiver has to complete this form before the package arrives to UK???

St0RM53

bris wrote: »

So you want to import but you don't want to pay the import fees like everybody else?


You obviously have no clue what importing from outside the EU entails so I suggest you wind your kneck in and learn a bit about the complicated process it takes. Maybe then you will agree that the handling charge is a bargain after all.

No i don't have a problem with the customs charges/VAT. It is the Parcelforce admin charge that bothers me because normally i personally do the clearance. What they've done now is that they hold my parcel over ransom when i never gave them permission to do so, and delayed my package when i should have already received it 2 times by now!

Edit: You say it's a hassle, but what's happening here is legalised monopoly + stealing. And the customs office is in the same building with the post office, so no excuses for "handling".

custardy

St0RM53 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. Exactly what i wanted to know. They Parcelforce guy in the phone told me about a CP724 form i couldn't find any info about. So basically the sender has to complete a customs declaration form CN22/23 in advance for the clearance to be done by the receiver, or does the receiver has to complete this form before the package arrives to UK???

St0RM53 wrote: »

No i don't have a problem with the customs charges/VAT. It is the Parcelforce admin charge that bothers me because normally i personally do the clearance. What they've done now is that they hold my parcel over ransom when i never gave them permission to do so, and delayed my package when i should have already received it 2 times by now!

Edit: You say it's a hassle, but what's happening here is legalised monopoly + stealing. And the customs office is in the same building with the post office, so no excuses for "handling".

So you normally do your own clearance,but don't know how to do it?........
The customs office does not have a Post Office.....

visidigi

St0RM53 wrote: »

because normally i personally do the clearance.

*grabs popcorn* - *thinks of the children* and awaits the information on how someone does personal clearance when they don't know about clearance fees..

St0RM53 wrote: »

What they've done now is that they hold my parcel over ransom when i never gave them permission to do so, and delayed my package when i should have already received it 2 times by now!

No they haven't held it to ransom. Its legal.

They don't have to give permission, you have no contract with them, the shipper does, and it was them that instructed, through no instruction to the opposite, that Parcelforce should clear the shipment.

The delay is due to the shipping options your seller selected.

The fact you should have received it 2 times by now, that would indicate you haven't paid the fee and the shipment is held until you do so - that part is totally your choice.

St0RM53 wrote: »

Edit: You say it's a hassle, but what's happening here is legalised monopoly + stealing. And the customs office is in the same building with the post office, so no excuses for "handling".

Its a hassle based on the shipper using EMS. EMS triggers Parcelforce delivery this end. That's the default. Its not a monopoly, your shipper had the choice.

Its not stealing.

The customs office is in the same building, staffed by customs officials implanted into the Royal Mail operations to expedite your delivery with the appropriate payment of charges according to value. In order for your shipment to be at the local delivery point for your payment in the time it was is due to the processes they have.

If only the world was as simple as you believe it to be.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

visidigi wrote: »

*grabs popcorn* - *thinks of the children* and awaits the information on how someone does personal clearance when they don't know about clearance fees..

Thank goodness, someone thought of the children.

lovinituk

By my reckoning, this is rant number 347,289 on the subject!!! Stuff the children, won't someone please think about the search function?!?!