Customs Clearance Charges charged after delivery - DHL

Selector

Good morning and happy New Year.


I hope contributors have experience of this:


About a month after delivering goods I'd ordered online from China, DHL sent me an invoice for customs clearance charges. The charges are nearly three times the price I paid for the goods. But that is not my point.

In my experience, delivery companies, couriers and postal services typically hold goods for delivery until customs clearances charges are paid or are paid at the time of delivery 'prior' to delivery.
I suspect DHL have made a mistake in delivering goods prior to receiving a customs payment.
DHL have pursued the invoiced amount with reminded letters and are now threatening to pass the matter to a third party for collection.
In my view, if I'd been advised of the amount of custom clearance charges prior to delivery, I would have refused delivery and the goods would eventually be returned to China.
Despite DHL's UK website advising, 'The person receiving the shipment is legally obliged to pay Duty and VAT' (https://www.dhl.co.uk/en/express/customs_support/duties_taxes/duties_taxes_receivers.html), Gov.uk advises, 'You’ll be contacted by Royal Mail, Parcelforce or the courier company explaining how to pay any VAT, duty and fees for dealing with customs. They’ll normally hold your parcel for about 3 weeks. If you haven’t paid the fee by then, it’ll be sent back'. (https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty).
DHL appear to have extended me a line of credit, to pay customs clearance charges supposedly on my behalf, without my having a consumer credit agreement with DHL. And one I did not ask for or want.
I would like to reply to their latest communication letting them know I have no intention of paying their invoice and why.
Experience-based replies and other knowledgeable contributions most appreciated. Thank you, in advance.

davidmcn

There have been various previous posts about DHL if you search, and it seems to be commonplace for them to invoice after delivery. Doesn't make a difference to your obligation to pay.

DCFC79

Just pay whats owed.

DoaM

Fedex do the same, as do most courier companies. The only one who doesn't (AFAIK) is Royal Mail ... they require you to pay the customs charges, VAT and their admin fee prior to delivering the goods.

BoGoF

OP seems very good at doing their research after the event. If only they were so diligent before importing goods to the UK.

Aylesbury_Duck

davidmcn wrote: »

There have been various previous posts about DHL if you search, and it seems to be commonplace for them to invoice after delivery. Doesn't make a difference to your obligation to pay.

Maxwell_jems wrote: »

There have been a range of previous posts about DHL if you search, and it seems to be commonplace for them to invoice after delivery. It would not make a difference to your obligation to pay.

david, you appear to have a mimic.

davidmcn

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

david, you appear to have a mimic.

Ha! I'm honoured that somebody has signed up here just to emulate me. Reported accordingly...

Selector

davidmcn wrote: »

There have been various previous posts about DHL if you search, and it seems to be commonplace for them to invoice after delivery. Doesn't make a difference to your obligation to pay.

Thanks for your reply. That would be in your opinion, of course.

(Btw, I did search for DHL & Customs charges before starting a new thread. Neither of the results addressed my query and both thread were closed so I couldn't make enquiries on them)

In my opinion, and I strongly suspect in law, it makes all the difference. Nobody and no organisation can impose an unsolicited debt on another. That would never work. Never.
DHL chose to pay a charge, supposedly, on my behalf as the recipient. As the recipient, I would have refused the goods if properly advised of the amount of customs charges before delivery - and not over a month later as transpired in this matter.
The goods would have remained unpaid for and uncleared by UK customs and eventually returned from whence they came. All courier and postage charges inherently include the costs of returns for a reason; in case they don't get delivered and need to be returned.
It is not for any individual or organisation to make financial decisions for another and (adding insult to injury) then attempt to impose the results of such, unauthorised and unwanted, decisions on that other. That really never would or could work.
If recipients choose to pay charges in arrears after delivery, that's their lookout. There can be absolutely no obligation on the receiver to pay in such circumstance. Essentially because no contract exists between the receiver and the courier/postal company to make anything obligatory/enforceable.

Selector

DCFC79 wrote: »

Just pay whats owed.

Nothing is "owed" by me. So what or why should I pay?

Aylesbury_Duck

Selector wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. That would be in your opinion, of course.

(Btw, I did search for DHL & Customs charges before starting a new thread. Neither of the results addressed my query and both thread were closed so I couldn't make enquiries on them)

In my opinion, and I strongly suspect in law, it makes all the difference. Nobody and no organisation can impose an unsolicited debt on another. That would never work. Never.
DHL chose to pay a charge, supposedly, on my behalf as the recipient. As the recipient, I would have refused the goods if properly advised of the amount of customs charges before delivery - and not over a month later as transpired in this matter.
The goods would have remained unpaid for and uncleared by UK customs and eventually returned from whence they came. All courier and postage charges inherently include the costs of returns for a reason; in case they don't get delivered and need to be returned.
It is not for any individual or organisation to make financial decisions for another and (adding insult to injury) then attempt to impose the results of such, unauthorised and unwanted, decisions on that other. That really never would or could work.
If recipients choose to pay charges in arrears after delivery, that's their lookout. There can be absolutely no obligation on the receiver to pay in such circumstance. Essentially because no contract exists between the receiver and the courier/postal company to make anything obligatory/enforceable.

Why did you ask for opinions if you're just going to argue with people who provide them?

You're certain you owe nothing, so pay nothing. Problem solved.

powerful_Rogue

Selector wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. That would be in your opinion, of course.

(Btw, I did search for DHL & Customs charges before starting a new thread. Neither of the results addressed my query and both thread were closed so I couldn't make enquiries on them)

In my opinion, and I strongly suspect in law, it makes all the difference. Nobody and no organisation can impose an unsolicited debt on another. That would never work. Never.
DHL chose to pay a charge, supposedly, on my behalf as the recipient. As the recipient, I would have refused the goods if properly advised of the amount of customs charges before delivery - and not over a month later as transpired in this matter.
The goods would have remained unpaid for and uncleared by UK customs and eventually returned from whence they came. All courier and postage charges inherently include the costs of returns for a reason; in case they don't get delivered and need to be returned.
It is not for any individual or organisation to make financial decisions for another and (adding insult to injury) then attempt to impose the results of such, unauthorised and unwanted, decisions on that other. That really never would or could work.
If recipients choose to pay charges in arrears after delivery, that's their lookout. There can be absolutely no obligation on the receiver to pay in such circumstance. Essentially because no contract exists between the receiver and the courier/postal company to make anything obligatory/enforceable.

You imported goods from outside the EU into the UK. You owe any taxes/duties levied.

In future, you might look at self clearance - Although takes longer and would cost you more in time.