Parcelforce Customs!!

Spoonie_Turtle

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

They can't know what the charges are until they have the information they need to know to work it out.  So you need to fill in and return the forms otherwise you'll never get it.

georgiap2005

Hoenir said:

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

There'll definately be charges. Customs Duty and Vat along with a processing fee. 

Sounds as if the shipper hasn't provided full documentation with the package. Hence why it'll take far longer to process. Your response will simply go to the back of the queue and wait its turn. Not going to expedite it unfortunately. Some years back took me 5 weeks for me to get a large shipment through Coventry that had been sent from the USA. Customs can be extremely diligent. 

Thanks, I have sent all the paperwork that has been sent to me back to them, I am just awaiting a response now. I just didn't realise it would take this long and I don't really fancy it being sent back to then be sent here again.

[Deleted User]

georgiap2005 said:

Hoenir said:

Have you paid the assessed importation charges? 

I haven't even received a letter regarding that yet, they just asked me to confirm what was in the parcel and how much it cost etc. Should I phone and ask if there are charges?

Definitely do that.
I had the same experience, many years ago, and the RM card, that advises of payments due etc, hadn't been delivered - hence i didn't know it was there ..... it was about to be returned back to sender when i, myself, rang and established its current status.
It was about this time of year and i presumed the volumes of post etc had interfered with the normal running of things.

[Deleted User]

georgiap2005 said:

Hoenir said:

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

There'll definately be charges. Customs Duty and Vat along with a processing fee. 

Sounds as if the shipper hasn't provided full documentation with the package. Hence why it'll take far longer to process. Your response will simply go to the back of the queue and wait its turn. Not going to expedite it unfortunately. Some years back took me 5 weeks for me to get a large shipment through Coventry that had been sent from the USA. Customs can be extremely diligent. 

Thanks, I have sent all the paperwork that has been sent to me back to them, I am just awaiting a response now. I just didn't realise it would take this long and I don't really fancy it being sent back to then be sent here again.

If it was USPS it can take 4 weeks to arrive over here.
If FedEx, DHL, UPS were used it's usually within a 7 day period - always worth asking for dearer shipping if something is wanted quickly.

superbigal

Eventually when they are able to assess it.
Assuming you have given them the correct Commodity Code to satisfy working out Import Duty & presumably the (Assumed) £900 value.   You will then receive a 17 Digit code allowing you to pay your Duty, 20% Import Vat & unfortunately a much higher than normal handling charge.  Once you have paid what is likely to be a circa £200+ invoice it will be delivered. You can then if VAT registered claim back the (Assumed) £180 Import Vat element.

DullGreyGuy

DUBVENDOR said:

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

The fee will depend on the value of the item and if it is a gift . As you have not sent the information .The parcel can not be sent on . I don't see how you can have any complaint with PF or UKBA  .

If it's a gift is irrelevant on a £900 item, its only items under £39 that is has an impact on.

As to the OP... customs are a law unto themselves and if they take exception to an item it can take forever for them to clear. There is no legal SLA for them so they can take as long as they like.

Some couriers are bad at keeping you updated so its worth checking with them that they haven't moved to invoice stage and are then sitting their waiting for you to pay... took an age for their letter to arrive on the last parcel I had via them but called and they gave the reference and amount to be able to pay. 

MattMattMattUK

DullGreyGuy said:

DUBVENDOR said:

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

The fee will depend on the value of the item and if it is a gift . As you have not sent the information .The parcel can not be sent on . I don't see how you can have any complaint with PF or UKBA  .

If it's a gift is irrelevant on a £900 item, its only items under £39 that is has an impact on.

As to the OP... customs are a law unto themselves and if they take exception to an item it can take forever for them to clear. There is no legal SLA for them so they can take as long as they like.

Some couriers are bad at keeping you updated so its worth checking with them that they haven't moved to invoice stage and are then sitting their waiting for you to pay... took an age for their letter to arrive on the last parcel I had via them but called and they gave the reference and amount to be able to pay. 

On my dealings with various parts of government, as well as HMRC, I have found that the customs part is by far the most efficient part of government I ever have to deal with. Just pray you never have to deal with either Italian customs, or those of the Dominican Republic!

Hoenir

MattMattMattUK said:

DullGreyGuy said:

DUBVENDOR said:

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

The fee will depend on the value of the item and if it is a gift . As you have not sent the information .The parcel can not be sent on . I don't see how you can have any complaint with PF or UKBA  .

If it's a gift is irrelevant on a £900 item, its only items under £39 that is has an impact on.

As to the OP... customs are a law unto themselves and if they take exception to an item it can take forever for them to clear. There is no legal SLA for them so they can take as long as they like.

Some couriers are bad at keeping you updated so its worth checking with them that they haven't moved to invoice stage and are then sitting their waiting for you to pay... took an age for their letter to arrive on the last parcel I had via them but called and they gave the reference and amount to be able to pay. 

On my dealings with various parts of government, as well as HMRC, I have found that the customs part is by far the most efficient part of government I ever have to deal with. Just pray you never have to deal with either Italian customs, or those of the Dominican Republic!

If the paperwork is in order then the shipment sails through UK customs to the payment request stage. 

DullGreyGuy

MattMattMattUK said:

DullGreyGuy said:

DUBVENDOR said:

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

georgiap2005 said:

DUBVENDOR said:

Pay the fee and the item will be sent out for delivery 

I haven't had any letters or correspondence regarding a fee yet, the only letter I got was a form which told me to declare the contents and the value of the item. Should I phone and ask if there are any charges?

The fee will depend on the value of the item and if it is a gift . As you have not sent the information .The parcel can not be sent on . I don't see how you can have any complaint with PF or UKBA  .

If it's a gift is irrelevant on a £900 item, its only items under £39 that is has an impact on.

As to the OP... customs are a law unto themselves and if they take exception to an item it can take forever for them to clear. There is no legal SLA for them so they can take as long as they like.

Some couriers are bad at keeping you updated so its worth checking with them that they haven't moved to invoice stage and are then sitting their waiting for you to pay... took an age for their letter to arrive on the last parcel I had via them but called and they gave the reference and amount to be able to pay. 

On my dealings with various parts of government, as well as HMRC, I have found that the customs part is by far the most efficient part of government I ever have to deal with. Just pray you never have to deal with either Italian customs, or those of the Dominican Republic!

I've dealt with overseas customs... took 2 months for a silver plate tea infuser to be passed by a certain latin American customs. After 7 weeks they advised it was illegal to import and after a challenge they decided it was legal and presented a very large bill.

There is a reason we use a particular company for sending things back home. They charge a bit more than DHL etc but don't ask what your sending and nothing gets delayed in customs... it could be as dodgy as it sounds but everything has arrived without problems and not really the traditional direction for contraband to be flowing.