Customs charge for unexpected parcel

miniemma

ripplyuk wrote: »

The sorting office is over 50 miles away. If I call them, would they be able to tell me over the phone?

50 miles! Are you sure?

I have received the same notification card (for a parcel that I AM expecting) and I am collecting from my local sorting office, less than 2 miles away.

If the fee is £14 this includes a £8 royal mail handling fee so the actual tax is £6 so the value of the parcel will be about £30.

Manxman_in_exile

ripplyuk wrote: »

I order almost everything from Amazon. The only thing I’m waiting on is a pack of scrunchies but they were free UK delivery and fulfilled by Amazon. I haven’t entered any competitions (not IIRC). I do have family in Boston but they’ve never sent me anything in their lives so it won’t be from them.

The card has my initial and last name. I don’t actually know if this is a parcel. It could be a letter. I’m freaking out a bit about online security now so I think I’ll ring my bank and visa company and ask if any payments have went out lately to the states.

How do you know it's not from them? I'd contact them to find out.


I don't know, but if you collect the parcel and find out it's not for you, isn't it possible to get the fees refunded? (I'm sure somebody here will know).

soolin

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

How do you know it's not from them? I'd contact them to find out.


I don't know, but if you collect the parcel and find out it's not for you, isn't it possible to get the fees refunded? (I'm sure somebody here will know).

Mail centre will confirm the address against the ID of the person collecting, so OP would know before they pay if it isn't their parcel.

snilloct1957

ripplyuk wrote: »

I order almost everything from Amazon. The only thing I’m waiting on is a pack of scrunchies but they were free UK delivery and fulfilled by Amazon. I haven’t entered any competitions (not IIRC). I do have family in Boston but they’ve never sent me anything in their lives so it won’t be from them.

The card has my initial and last name. I don’t actually know if this is a parcel. It could be a letter. I’m freaking out a bit about online security now so I think I’ll ring my bank and visa company and ask if any payments have went out lately to the states.

Are you sure your family in Boston hasn't sent you something? Maybe they've sent you a food parcel (Brexit et al)? Check with them first.

PS It won't be a letter or documents, definitely a package.

Ant555

ripplyuk wrote: »

Apparently they won’t even let me see it!

I was behind someone in the parcel collection office that asked to see a letter that had postage to pay - a large queue was forming behind when he was not allowed to see it and was insisting he wanted to see it before paying the balance on the incorrect postage. The young looking postie relented and fetched the letter and the customer said, 'oh I know that that is, im not interested - just send it back, thanks, bye'

When it got to me he said he wasn't really supposed to show him the letter and its a good job his boss wasnt in.

Doesnt help your situation but does back up their official line on giving out details.

I wonder if the customs charge of £14.02 is a percentage of the declared value of the item or is it a set fee?
If its a % and the declared value is, say, £140 then I would be even more intrigued!

ripplyuk

miniemma wrote: »

50 miles! Are you sure?

I have received the same notification card (for a parcel that I AM expecting) and I am collecting from my local sorting office, less than 2 miles away.

If the fee is £14 this includes a £8 royal mail handling fee so the actual tax is £6 so the value of the parcel will be about £30.

Yes, for some reason it isn’t at my local sorting office. I’m not sure why but this has happened before with other international stuff.

I didn’t realise it was that valuable. The suspense is killing me now!

sheramber

Royal Mail charge £8 so the VAT charge on the parcel plus shipping cost in the balance of £6.02.

Cost of parcel plus shipping is £30.10

miniemma

ripplyuk wrote: »

Yes, for some reason it isn’t at my local sorting office. I’m not sure why but this has happened before with other international stuff.

I didn’t realise it was that valuable. The suspense is killing me now!

How very frustrating! Can you ask them to send it to your local sorting office?

Suspense also killing me!

Nick_C

There's an option to pay these charges on line.

If you use the on line option, does it give you any more information about the package before you actually pay the fee?

ripplyuk

Nick_C wrote: »

There's an option to pay these charges on line.

If you use the on line option, does it give you any more information about the package before you actually pay the fee?

No, no information at all. It just asks for the reference number and then my address, which for some reason it ‘finds’ but isn’t showing it.