Parcelforce Clearance Fees

sdousley

Hi All

I've seen a few posts on here regarding this "fee" that parcel force impose on imported items.

In most of the posts, it becomes apparent that this is illegal for them to charge a handling fee to the recipient as the full postage has been paid, and the recipient has not requested Parcel Force to handle the item through customs for them.

However, most of these posts are now a few years old, and I have seen a post online about the law changing as of September 2014 to imply that this is now fully legal, and if they try to impose this charge on you, you have no leg to stand on to avoid paying this.

Thanks for any help people can provide on this.
Steve

wealdroam

sdousley wrote: »

In most of the posts, it becomes apparent that this is illegal for them to charge a handling fee to the recipient as the full postage has been paid, and the recipient has not requested Parcel Force to handle the item through customs for them.

I would re-phrase the first part of that to read "A number of posts allege that this is illegal..."

sdousley wrote: »

... if they try to impose this charge on you, you have no leg to stand on to avoid paying this.

That has always been the case.

sdousley wrote: »

Thanks for any help people can provide on this.

What help are you looking for?

custardy

Straight to the Police.

marliepanda

If you wish to handle the passing of customs yourself, feel free. £12 doesn't seem so bad when you look at it

sdousley

marliepanda wrote: »

If you wish to handle the passing of customs yourself, feel free. £12 doesn't seem so bad when you look at it

No, £13.50 doesn't seem so bad. What my issue is though is that I was not made aware of this prior to them doing this, therefore was given no choice. As far as I am concerned, the postage that I paid to the vendor was sufficient to get this item delivered to my doorstep (pending VAT/Import Duty if required).

Admittedly I have to pay the VAT/Import duty, and I fully understand this, it's the extra fee for them to provide a service that I'm not made aware of before hand that is the issue here.

I guess my main question is whether or not this addition of "Clearance Fee" for a service I have not requested, when I (the recipient) have no agreement with the company, is legal practice or not.

mattyprice4004

You can always refuse to pay, and if you've not had the item delivered, have it returned to sender.
Look at it from their point of view - they have to arrange for it all to be checked with Customs, store it while that happens, and arrange paying HMRC for you.

£12 (or so) isn't a lot when you take into account how much work goes into it - I import things all of the time, and the freight broker I use charges around £80. You pay mine, I'll pay yours?

bap98189

If you don't want to pay these fees, then tell your vendor to send the package DAT. This means it is delivered as far as the port (or airport) of entry into the UK.

When it arrives, customs will contact you and expect you to complete the necessary paperwork, pay any taxes that are due, and finally collect the package from the port. Good luck doing all that for less than £12.

custardy

sdousley wrote: »

No, £13.50 doesn't seem so bad. What my issue is though is that I was not made aware of this prior to them doing this, therefore was given no choice. As far as I am concerned, the postage that I paid to the vendor was sufficient to get this item delivered to my doorstep (pending VAT/Import Duty if required).

Admittedly I have to pay the VAT/Import duty, and I fully understand this, it's the extra fee for them to provide a service that I'm not made aware of before hand that is the issue here.

I guess my main question is whether or not this addition of "Clearance Fee" for a service I have not requested, when I (the recipient) have no agreement with the company, is legal practice or not.

you had no choice yet made no arrangement for paying VAT?

ShALLaX

I've opened a change.org petition regarding this. If anyone feels the same way, feel free to sign: https://www.change.org/p/ofcom-reform-international-postage-carrier-handling-fees

This isn't about trying to get out of paying the duties imposed by HMRC, but more about clarifying the recipient's position and suggesting a way in which the fee could be abolished.

custardy

ShALLaX wrote: »

I've opened a change.org petition regarding this. If anyone feels the same way, feel free to sign: https://www.change.org/p/ofcom-reform-international-postage-carrier-handling-fees

This isn't about trying to get out of paying the duties imposed by HMRC, but more about clarifying the recipient's position and suggesting a way in which the fee could be abolished.

forgetting the hyperbole of your petition

he payment of all duties should be a transaction between the recipient and HMRC - the carrier need not get involved. Only after this transaction has successfully concluded should the parcel be released to the postal carrier for delivery to the recipient. This should remove all of the administrative overhead from the postal carrier thereby negating the need for an administrative charge.

So the package is delivered to HMRC.
Stored.
Then collected by a/the same carrier?
All for no extra charge?

paddyrg

I love these threads.

-'Someone won't do something for free for me'
-'Why would they do it for free?'
-'Because I didn't know that they didn't do it for free'
-'Did you ask?'
-'No, what I assume is the world should work as I want it to'
-'Did you take any steps to find out?'
-'No, what I assume is the world should work as I want it to'
-'Did you take any steps to do the job yourself?'
-'No, what I assume is the world should work as I want it to'
-'Do you realise it's actually very cheap compared with other carriers?'
-'No, and anyway they charge more'
-'Quite'

/argument ends until next outraged importer realises it costs money to import stuff, then rinse an repeat/