Royal Mail £8 Internal Post Handling Fee scam?

antrobus

wicanspirit wrote: »

.. We're not saying the charges should not be applied but just asking that postage suppliers work with businesses to enable the clearest information to be conveyed to the customer prior to purchase so the customer can make an informed choice rather than being stung at the door.

If you're a non UK business supplying goods to UK based customers you can always register for UK import VAT pre-paid authorisation i.e. pay for all the tax and duty yourself and build it into your prices.

Scarpacci

wicanspirit wrote: »

The inference is that all goods being imported to the UK would be subject to the checks and charges however, in the real world, it is known that this does not happen and the charges are not applied. Thereby confusion ensues. Hence the previous comments. Does the supplier apply a flat rate charge and then be accused of being a scammer if the charge is not applied by RM or does he/she simply state that additional charges MAY apply and leave it to apparent chance as to whether the customer is charged or not? We're not saying the charges should not be applied but just asking that postage suppliers work with businesses to enable the clearest information to be conveyed to the customer prior to purchase so the customer can make an informed choice rather than being stung at the door.

That's not confusion, it's just random luck and is inevitable with the amount of parcels passing through these days. Some parcels get through the system. It's easy enough to understand that some parcels will fall through the cracks. It shouldn't be confusing because if the parcel is liable for tax, you should be factoring that into the pricing and assuming it will be "hit". In the off chance it isn't, well that's just a nice piece of luck.

How do you expect postal suppliers to convey information about every country's tax code to suppliers based in other countries? Consumers can make an informed view if they take a few minutes to familiarise themselves with their own country's laws.

mazza111

Wicanspirit. I think you can assume that all parcels imported will receive a charge. If it doesn't, then it's a bonus and a mistake on the part of HMRC.

I can't see many people calling them up and telling them they've forgot to charge the VAT.

Agent_Rothbard

It's high time Customs arrived in the 21st century for goodness sake. There is absolutely no reason why someone wishing to import goods from outside the EU should not be able to log onto the Revenue and Customs website and declare the goods and their value and make payment of the relevant duties online. The website could then automatically generate a link and password which the buyer could provide to the seller enabling them to download and print a customs form and duty receipt in the form of a barcode to be attached to the parcel. Despite the five year long efforts of Royal Mail apologists on this forum, there is no logical reason whatsoever for Royal Mail's coercive monopoly to be maintained - and that's before one even considers if it is actually legal to charge a handing fee under EU law or whether it is legal to retain a parcel as a lien on a civil debt, both of which I highly doubt.

Some months ago I ordered a small mobile phone accessory from Hong Kong. The total cost including delivery was £4.99. Royal Mail's card informed me I had £11.21 to pay in duties and handling charges. Clearly Royal Mail has lost the plot... either that or they are showing themselves up to be opportunist thieves. Needless to say I have not collected the item and the sender has not had it back either. So I shall sue the Royal Mail for my £4.99 plus *my* handling and administration fee of £30 plus costs. :rotfl:

custardy

Agent_Rothbard wrote: »

It's high time Customs arrived in the 21st century for goodness sake. There is absolutely no reason why someone wishing to import goods from outside the EU should not be able to log onto the Revenue and Customs website and declare the goods and their value and make payment of the relevant duties online. The website could then automatically generate a link and password which the buyer could provide to the seller enabling them to download and print a customs form and duty receipt in the form of a barcode to be attached to the parcel. Despite the five year long efforts of Royal Mail apologists on this forum, there is no logical reason whatsoever for Royal Mail's coercive monopoly to be maintained - and that's before one even considers if it is actually legal to charge a handing fee under EU law or whether it is legal to retain a parcel as a lien on a civil debt, both of which I highly doubt.

Some months ago I ordered a small mobile phone accessory from Hong Kong. The total cost including delivery was £4.99. Royal Mail's card informed me I had £11.21 to pay in duties and handling charges. Clearly Royal Mail has lost the plot... either that or they are showing themselves up to be opportunist thieves. Needless to say I have not collected the item and the sender has not had it back either. So I shall sue the Royal Mail for my £4.99 plus *my* handling and administration fee of £30 plus costs. :rotfl:

Why would they bother setting up a system when other companies do it for them?

As for the part in red,who decides if duty/VAT is payable?....................

antrobus

Agent_Rothbard wrote: »

... Despite the five year long efforts of Royal Mail apologists on this forum, there is no logical reason whatsoever for Royal Mail's coercive monopoly to be maintained....

Err, Royal Mail doesn't have a monopoly, coercive or otherwise, that went a few years ago. In fact it never had a monopoly of parcel post, and almost everything that involves the payment of import duty etc usually involves a parcel.

Agent_Rothbard wrote: »

...So I shall sue the Royal Mail for my £4.99 plus *my* handling and administration fee of £30 plus costs. :rotfl:

So you'll be down at least another £25 on top of the £4.99 you've already lost.:rotfl::rotfl:

adouglasmhor

custardy wrote: »

so if the supplier isnt expected to tell,who is?
RM have a set fee. its £8
so whats confusing?

The fact RM/Parcelforce continue to employ mouth breathers who

1. Do not know Sweden is in the EU
2. Do not recognise a duty paid label because it is in a foreign language - Swedish
3. Are to dull to go and ask someone what the label is before applying the charge and tax to it when it was already paid.
4. Then allow some Muppet™ to tell me "maybe it came from a tax exempt zone in Sweden". If that was the case why would it have revenue stamp/labels on the packaging?

Added to that the inconvenience of driving from Springburn to Dixon's Blazes on my day of to pay to get my own property handed to me and the inconvenience of getting the company who sent it to refund me then claim of RM and HMRC for the money they had extorted.

Well at least that confused me.

custardy

custardy wrote: »

As for the part in red,who decides if duty/VAT is payable?....................

adouglasmhor wrote: »

The fact RM/Parcelforce continue to employ mouth breathers who

1. Do not know Sweden is in the EU
   
2. Do not recognise a duty paid label because it is in a foreign language - Swedish
3. Are to dull to go and ask someone what the label is before applying the charge and tax to it when it was already paid.
4. Then allow some Muppet™ to tell me "maybe it came from a tax exempt zone in Sweden". If that was the case why would it have revenue stamp/labels on the packaging?

Added to that the inconvenience of driving from Springburn to Dixon's Blazes on my day of to pay to get my own property handed to me and the inconvenience of getting the company who sent it to refund me then claim of RM and HMRC for the money they had extorted.

Well at least that confused me.

...........................................

Agent_Rothbard

antrobus wrote: »

So you'll be down at least another £25 on top of the £4.99 you've already lost.:rotfl::rotfl:

Wow, your morality is seriously skewed!!

Agent_Rothbard

custardy wrote: »

Why would they bother setting up a system when other companies do it for them?

So I assume that if the Inland Revenue decided all income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax payments could henceforth only be made through a certain agency which charged an admin fee for the "service" you'd be quite happy would you?