Customs fee and Royal Mail handling fee

gymguy2017
gymguy2017 Posts: 30 Forumite
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in Consumer rights
I bought £20 of clothes from an Australia brand and it was advertised in pounds. I assumed it was coming from the UK. I paid by credit card.

Today I got a Royal Mail Card asking me to pay £12.40 before I can get my parcel. That’s >50% of the value of the goods

What rights to I have?

I’ve not collected it as really don’t want to pay that huge fee. Ideally I want the goods to be returned to the seller and to receive a full refund (and for the company to be more explicit for potential uk customers in the future). I feel really let down :(
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Comments

  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 72,186 Ambassador
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    gymguy2017 wrote: »
    I bought £20 of clothes from an Australia brand and it was advertised in pounds. I assumed it was coming from the UK. I paid by credit card.

    Today I got a Royal Mail Card asking me to pay £12.40 before I can get my parcel. That’s >50% of the value of the goods

    What rights to I have?

    I’ve not collected it as really don’t want to pay that huge fee. Ideally I want the goods to be returned to the seller and to receive a full refund (and for the company to be more explicit for potential uk customers in the future). I feel really let down :(

    What site did you buy from? It is rare for online shops to completely mislead buyers as to location what address do they show?

    As long as they didn't deliberately mislead you as to location (and currency is not a clue) then you don't have the right to a refund if you refuse to collect the parcel. However, there may be some Australian Laws that might say otherwise, but I doubt it.
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  • LadyDee
    LadyDee Posts: 4,293 Forumite
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    The trouble is that you "assumed". It was probably listed in pounds because the system recognised that you were in UK.
  • glider3560
    glider3560 Posts: 4,115 Forumite
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    If you don't collect it, Royal Mail will return to the sender (provided their address is on the package). You won't have to pay anything.

    What refund you get, if any, would depend on the store's policy and the laws of their country.
  • Mr_Singleton
    Mr_Singleton Posts: 1,891 Forumite
    soolin wrote: »
    It is rare for online shops to completely mislead buyers as to location what address do they show?

    It’s a specialty of Chinese companies.
  • LadyDee
    LadyDee Posts: 4,293 Forumite
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    I think OP you'll either have to pay the £12.50 to get your goods, and learn to be more careful from whom you buy, or not collect them and lose what you've already spent.

    Was it a Chinese site selling an Australian brand? Australian legislation does provide for domestic return of goods due to change of of mind bought online but whether they'll be fussed to refund an overseas purchase - well I doubt it; and if it was a Chinese site, well almost certainly you'll lose your money.
  • KatrinaWaves
    KatrinaWaves Posts: 2,944 Forumite
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    Mr_Singleton wrote: »
    It’s a specialty of Chinese companies.

    I disagree. Every Chinese website thats ever been linked on here which is 'misleading' to people is the most obvious Chinese website we've ever seen.
  • j7brw
    j7brw Posts: 4 Newbie
    Can anybody advise please.
    I received a Xmas gift parcel from Canada, and I was charged £12.36 Import VAT plus £8 Royal Mail handling fee. I paid the £20.36 to Royal Mail.
    The gifts in the parcel , as disclosed on the shipping form , were valued at less than the lower VAT threshold fee.
    I sent all details to HMRC and they have refunded the £12.36 Import VAT charge.
    So how can I claim the £8 Royal Mail handling charge refund ?
    Is it possible?
    Thanks,
  • gardner1
    gardner1 Posts: 3,154 Forumite
    j7brw wrote: »
    Can anybody advise please.
    I received a Xmas gift parcel from Canada, and I was charged £12.36 Import VAT plus £8 Royal Mail handling fee. I paid the £20.36 to Royal Mail.
    The gifts in the parcel , as disclosed on the shipping form , were valued at less than the lower VAT threshold fee.
    I sent all details to HMRC and they have refunded the £12.36 Import VAT charge.
    So how can I claim the £8 Royal Mail handling charge refund ?
    Is it possible?
    Thanks,

    Start your own thread
  • KatrinaWaves
    KatrinaWaves Posts: 2,944 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    j7brw wrote: »
    Can anybody advise please.
    I received a Xmas gift parcel from Canada, and I was charged £12.36 Import VAT plus £8 Royal Mail handling fee. I paid the £20.36 to Royal Mail.
    The gifts in the parcel , as disclosed on the shipping form , were valued at less than the lower VAT threshold fee.
    I sent all details to HMRC and they have refunded the £12.36 Import VAT charge.
    So how can I claim the £8 Royal Mail handling charge refund ?
    Is it possible?
    Thanks,

    Import duty is not the same as VAT.

    Customs duty is charged on gifts worth over £35. if the items were worht less than £35 and marked as such, then no you would not have a charge.

    A charge of £12 suggests the items were marked at being worth around £60.
  • Keep_pedalling
    Keep_pedalling Posts: 16,591 Forumite
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    RM still did the work, you have little chance of getting that fee back.
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