payment of charges - item being held addressee being notified united kingdom

song_of_calliope

My father has sent me a parcel from the USA with some stuff he got me for Christmas in it. He sent it express via the US postal system. When I look at their tracking information, it says: payment of charges - item being held addressee being notified united kingdom.

I guess I will need to pay a massive fee? Any idea how much? Value is around £300.

And the tracking updated on Friday morning and I still haven't been told how much I will have to pay. How long will they take to tell me how much to pay and do I have to pay it even though it's legitimately a gift from my dad? I'm tempted to just let them send it back to him and he could then bring it to me when he visits this spring.

unholyangel

https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty

Limit for gifts is £36 I'm afraid.

visidigi

song_of_calliope wrote: »

My father has sent me a parcel from the USA with some stuff he got me for Christmas in it. He sent it express via the US postal system. When I look at their tracking information, it says: payment of charges - item being held addressee being notified united kingdom.

I guess I will need to pay a massive fee? Any idea how much? Value is around £300.

And the tracking updated on Friday morning and I still haven't been told how much I will have to pay. How long will they take to tell me how much to pay and do I have to pay it even though it's legitimately a gift from my dad? I'm tempted to just let them send it back to him and he could then bring it to me when he visits this spring.

Sent Express at that value means its coming in parcelforce and they will send you a letter.

If you go to https://www.parcelforce.co.uk with your details and track it it should give you the parcelforce number for it.

You can then go to the depot it lists as its current location and collect it yourself, you don't need to wait for the letter, they are usually open late.

Otherwise you can go online when you get the letter, pay and they will then deliver it to you.

As for charges...


£13.50 clearance fee, plus 20% VAT where applicable. If its a dutiable then this will be on top.