Postage Admin Charges

Indidoodaah

Recently I came across a thread containing someone who had challenged the admin fees on the VAT charge from an international parcel.

I received a request for customs fees on a parcel from America and the charges were:

VAT : GBP 16.39
Excise : GBP
Duties : GBP
Admin fees : GBP 15.00
Total charges : GBP 31.39


I sent them an email using the email from the top link as a template, they replied that they would contact their American team to try to get the admin fees from the sender. However when I ask for them to let me pay the VAT so my parcel can be released they said they will only do it when they have confirmation that the American team have got the admin fees from the sender. Surely this is illegal as they are refusing to let me pay VAT on my parcel?


Any idea how I should proceed now as I know it is only £15 but I have to order from America A LOT so they all add up over time.

Thanks

agrinnall

Somebody has to pay it, and if the sender won't then it'll be you, so it seems perfectly reasonable not to release the parcel until they know that the money is coming. If you don't want this deay in future, and you're not willing to pay yourself, then you need to ensure that the sender makes payment up front.

Indidoodaah

I am happy to pay the VAT amount as that is what I am legally entitled to do but I never entered into a contract with the postal company or request them to sort the customs clearance for me. They are charging me for a service I didn't ask for.
I am currently thinking paying the fee then disputing the handling fee through my bank may be the best option.

Spank

As they have already done it this time you can't get the money back (unless the sender pays, which I doubt it)

In the future, you can take the parcel through customs yourself, of course, unless your very near to where it lands and have the time to do it yourself it's probably not worth it.

Totally not legal, but you can ask your supplier to put a fake value and hope nobody checks.

Andy_L

Indidoodaah wrote: »

I am happy to pay the VAT amount as that is what I am legally entitled to do but I never entered into a contract with the postal company or request them to sort the

you may not have done, but the person who posted it to you did by choosing a delivery method that obliges RM(?) to sort out customs clearance