Fedex and Debt collectors chasing me for unknown payment

Navi48

Hi guys

I bought a bike from Canada from a reputable company via their website with a debit card and they shipped through Fedex

I knew there would be customs and duties to be paid. A bill was sent with a clear breakdown of the costs, totalling £225.75 which I paid them promptly and recieved proof that I had done so.

6 weeks later I recieved a further letter from Fedex requesting a further £60 owed. Only details I got were EXPD.

About 20 messages and phonecalls later, I finally got a vague explanation that the original figure was an estimate. I'm not entirely sure I trust them as the previous communication has had me deal with typical uninterested outsourced customer service who gave me non-sensical replies and even suggested i never paid the first invoice!

I just want a detailed invoice so I know what I'm paying for. I've asked several times for this, and now have recieved a debt collection letter demanding payment for £80, which has to be paid in 2 days time.

Surely if this went to court a judge would throw this out? It probably is the final extra taxes, but am I not entitled to a proper detailed invoice before I have to pay something, rather than a sidenote on an email?

And if I did pay them, what would I do about the debt collectors?

Thanks

MyRealNameToo

What was the original total cost of the bike including any P&P, insurance etc? Presumably this is a normal peddle bike and isnt electric or made of some weird construction? Do you still have the original customs declaration? If so whats the values on that and what commodity/HS code was declared?

In principle it shouldnt be hard to work out what the fees should have been plus their fee (which is typically a percentage with a floor). In particular check what the duty was on the original and what it should be.


FedEx do note that the initial fee can be an estimate and there are various reasons why this can legitimately be so. For example they could have assumed the country of origin was canada when the first invoice was created but then a later review showed that it actually was shopped from canada but was manufactured in Taiwan which would potentially change the duty required to be paid. This could be FedEx changing their own submission to HMRC or it could be border force identifying it and so HMRC sending them a C18 for the extra taxes.

Unfortunately they are only your agent so any additional taxes due would be passed on and you cant hide behind it was their mistake so they have to carry the costs.

Navi48

Thanks MyRealNameToo. I could go back and look up all that info, but fundamentally this is a matter of principle of my rights. £60 is not going to break my bank and I am ready to pay it.

However, the question in my mind is, would you, or anyone working at Fedex or this debt recovery company pay a bill for something with no explanation as to what it is for? Clearly it's related to the shipment, but for what? I've attached the redacted original bill, and the new bill for £60. I can't see how this is legal to demand payment for something without explanation, and several weeks after the fact.

In the long term, i want them to change their system.

I do want this to be over, it has consumed too much of my time.

Okell

That second image shows an invoice number (which you've redacted), an invoice type (EXPD) and an invoice date (01/05/2026).

Are you saying that you never received that invoice and FEDEX are refusing to provide a copy, or are you saying you did receive it but it didn't explain what it was for?

Have you asked them what invoice type "EXPD" means?

I'm no expert in these matters but I note the first image says that Duty (£0) Excise (£0) and VAT (£213) are all "Estimated". Have these figures now been corrected in the EXPD invoice?

I agree FedEx should be able to breakdown the claimed payment but perhaps they a;ready have in the EXPD invoice? (I assume you never received it as you don't mention it in your OP - you only mention a "further letter")

MyRealNameToo

if VAT is £213 would imply the landed cost was £1,065, is that right?

The fact it has 0 duty is telling… if it was an ebike and it was manufactured somewhere other than Canada then that would mean a duty of £63.90 plus additional VAT of £12.78 (you pay tax on your tax unfortunately) which isnt a million miles away.

The first invoice is clearly an estimate and could be been created up front before they got the goods based on an assumption it was Canadian in origin whereas the final paperwork confirmed it was manufactured in the far east

Obviously if you give the actual details asked for it becomes easier to get accurate numbers

Navi48

Not sure I fully understand what you mean Okell, but the second letter with the "EXPD" I did receive. I asked them several times to explain what the amount was for , and they wouldn't. (can't remember if I specifically asked what EXPD meant, but I think i did, but was an online form so I didn't get a copy of what I wrote, just reciept of delivery)

They kept responding with things like, "yes you owe the full amount", or "we have no record of your payment". Completely non-sensical.

Have the estimated figures been corrected you ask. I have no idea. I have had no correspondance at all, apart from those two letters, and now the one from the debt collectors.

There was no further info in that second "EXPD" invoice letter than what I showed you. The remainder is blank

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82115395#Comment_82115395

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82115801#Comment_82115801

"Not sure I fully understand what you mean Okell, but the second letter with the "EXPD" I did receive…"

what i mean is that second image is of a letter referring to invoice number (redacted by you) dated 01/05/2026 and which presumably explains the basis of the £60 charge.

Obviously FEdEx think they sent it to you. Are you saying you never received it?

The original figures were estimates. Perhaps the 01/05/2026 invoice corrected the £0 estimates?

Navi48

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82115873#Comment_82115873

Ok, so I think you're saying that second image / letter is "referring" to a second invoice for £60. My understanding is that the letter IS the invoice. I have had no other correspondance. Again, I have repeatedly asked them for a proper detailed invoice.

Maybe a judge would say, well you recieved the invoice by letter, and they explained it in a sidenote by email so you should have paid it.

Here's the exact text in the email sent a couple of days ago (4 months after I paid the original invoice):

"To help expedite customs clearance, we requested a prepayment for estimated duties and taxes in the amount of £225.75. Please note that this prepayment is an estimate only.

Duties and taxes are collected by FedEx on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Local customs authorities, including HMRC, will perform a final review and determine the actual duties and taxes owed. Once that review is complete:

• If the final amount is higher than the estimate, you will be invoiced for the difference.
• If the final amount is lower than the estimate, we will issue a refund for the difference to your original payment method.

You will receive notification of any additional charges or refunds following HMRC’s final assessment. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience."

So it probably is just the difference owed, but just writing EXPD on a letter isn't clear. They might have billed me for storage of the parcel. How am I to know what it's for?

eskbanker

Ok, so I think you're saying that second image / letter is "referring" to a second invoice for £60. My understanding is that the letter IS the invoice. I have had no other correspondance. Again, I have repeatedly asked them for a proper detailed invoice.

If the (3 July) letter is the invoice, why would it refer to an invoice dated 1 May, with an invoice number and stating an invoice age of 63 days?

I appreciate that you haven't received anything else, but agree with @Okell that the letter is referring to a (separate) invoice, despite you not having seen that…

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116888#Comment_82116888

Perhaps it might have helped if you'd told us what that email said in the first place…

So FedEx sent you a prepayment invoice for estimated charges of £225.75 and clearly informed you that when the charges were finalised they would either send you an additional invoice for payment or a refund.

You paid the £225.75

I don't know for certain but I suspect that once the charges were finalised FedEx sent you a second invoice dated 01/05/2026 for the difference

For some reason you seem never to have received that invoice.

63 days later FedEx wrote to you (the second image you posted) stating that the second invoice was still unpaid and demanding paymnet.

FWIW I agree with you that it's pretty poor that FedEx can't just tell you what the £60 is for, But you seem to be under what I think is the mistaken impression that the "second letter" is the "second invoice" itself.

Have you actually asked FedEx for a copy of the invoice that that "second letter" is referring to?

I can't beleiev they can't just send you a copy - but I'm not clear whether you've actually asked for a copy as you seem to think that letter is the invoice…

visidigi

EXPD stands for export duty.

Original invoice was an estimate (it says so), second page shows the confirmed amount was £60.00 higher, leaving a remaining balance of £60.00

Looks like the shipper wasn't clear on the initial shipment data what the harmonized code was for import and therefore when its come through, HMRC have assigned to to a code which incurred the additional £60.00

Don't forget, the delivery cost is included for clearance when duties tax is paid, not just the produce price, so its also possible the £60.00 was due to the box being bigger through the delivery than the shipper declared (common, they do it to potentially get a lower the delivery cost).