Fedex bill, for Item I never had in my possession.

Hokum

Morning,
I hope someone can help. I also hope I've put this in the right place!

Anyway the Background, 
I ordered an "expensive" computer joystick from a company in Lithuania, I select fedex for delivery and pay on the site, expecting the usual VAT amount to pay.

After a week the order is dispatched and I get an invoice from Fedex for VAT plus a 35% Duty fee. I query this with the company I bought it from and Fedex. The company was puzzled as none else had been charged. Fedex's reply was... weird! "Your shipment needed special clearance support to be released by the customs authorities. FedEx charge for this service due to the additional work our clearance team carried out on your behalf"

I dispute this with the company and Fedex, as after some research by myself some parts are made in Belarus (not mentioned on the company website). I ask the company to recall the delivery as I can't afford the additional fee. The company emails fedex to recall the parcel (3rd november) and I tell fedex I will reject the item as I no longer want it, also 3rd of November.

The parcel then goes on the Grand Tour of Europe and Fedex attempt to deliver it on the 10th on November, I say I don't want it over the phone, and they again try and deliver it  on the 11th and I reject it again.

I now have an invoice saying I owe Fedex £130.57 and I have 7 days to pay or they will start legal action.

I've disputed the invoice to their email address. But it seems crazy I have to pay VAT and Duty on an item I never even had nor should have even got to the UK.

 

Manxman_in_exile

Hokum said:

...I ordered an "expensive" computer joystick from a company in Lithuania, I select fedex for delivery and pay on the site, expecting the usual VAT amount to pay.

After a week the order is dispatched and I get an invoice from Fedex for VAT plus a 35% Duty fee. I query this with the company I bought it from and Fedex. The company was puzzled as none else had been charged. Fedex's reply was... weird! "Your shipment needed special clearance support to be released by the customs authorities. FedEx charge for this service due to the additional work our clearance team carried out on your behalf"...

I'm no expert on these matter but was this "expensive" joystick more than £135?

If I've understood other threads on this subject correctly, if over £135 incl p&P you have to pay import duty and VAT and the carrier can charge you for doing all the admin.  If under £135 no charges at all.  So what was the total value?

Once the parcel was in the UK and FedEx had paid the duty etc, you might have been better off accepting it and then returning it to the seller, completing all the appropriate customs forms to reclaim the VAT and duty.

As far as FedEx are concerned, they've incurred costs on your behalf and they want them reimbursed, although £130 seems a lot.  What did the seller decalre the value to be?

I suspect somebody more knowledgeable than me will provide a better answer...

(Were you not aware that if importing from Lithuania you would have to pay duty etc if over £135?)

born_again

Which website?

Do their T/C mention about customer paying local tax/import charges?

user1977

born_again said:

Do their T/C mention about customer paying local tax/import charges?

Do they need to say anything about it? If you import stuff then it's up to you to know about and comply with UK taxes etc.

born_again

It makes sense to make people aware that they are liable for taxes etc. As there have been so many threads on this subject.

Most companies make it very clear it's your responsibility. Especially since leaving the EU.

DullGreyGuy

Manxman_in_exile said:
As far as FedEx are concerned, they've incurred costs on your behalf and they want them reimbursed, although £130 seems a lot.  What did the seller decalre the value to be?

The OP said the item was from Belarus and so will have a 35% additional duty applied due to the country of origin and the current situation. They will have normal import duty (think 0% for a joystick) and then VAT is added on top of the price inc the import duties

Its not clear from the OP however if the bill from DHL is in relation to actual taxes or simply DHL's own time/effort... imagine electronics imported from Russia/Belarus are having to go via sanctions checks and other such headaches. 

Jasonh2015

It's the price we're paying for Brexit.

Anything imported from the continent or anywhere else now has import duty/tax. 

Olinda99

The item was shipped from an EU country - Lithuania. Normally that should be straightforward but it seems the item contained some Belarus parts. That is why it needed special clearance and why extra was required.

visidigi

The shipper needs to tell you what was declared on their paperwork for FedEx to perform clearance. They would have had to declare country of origin etc. They should also have used the right harmonised codes to clear correctly.

Just because you asked the shipper to recall the delivery doesn't mean it happens (stopping something and sending it back also costs the shipper quite a bit) and for the express couriers this is actually very hard for them to do - and it might have not made a difference as all the big couriers such as FedEx, UPS, DHL etc all start clearance in destination after its been picked up - that's how they are express and one of the primary reasons they are so much quicker than post (they carry alot of post btw).

The task of clearance was performed, it doesn't matter if you didn't want the package, you would need to settle with FedEx and then reclaim it - as FedEx did the bit the shipper and you (buy buying) asked for (especially as you selected FedEx)