Parcelforce import vat handling charges

[Flapdisk]

If any of you like me are really hacked off with being charged fifteen quid to collect a few pounds in vat when you buy something from abroad and Parcelforce intercept it and hold you to ransom,
Please sign this government petition it's the only way to get it changed.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/search?q=parcelforce+charges

 

[wristpin]

Totally agree, not only the charge but the time that they take . A while back I had a Jiffy bag from mid America which took three days from despatch to arrival in the UK and then five days for Parcelforce to clear it plus another two days for me to get their postal demand which I paid on line and finally received the item a day later.
However last week I received a small carton from New York that came straight through, no vat no clearance charges , nothing - doesn't mak any sense!

 

[Kayos]

I've ordered the same thing from the same place in Hong kong on 2 seperate occasions, got charged the first time and not the second

 

[Flapdisk]

I have just been charged £15 and had it delayed five days and all that's in the package is a set of little rubber Constantina seals for a sliding piston unit on a disk brake, with vat and their charges it's as much as the parts Sign the petition lads. I didn't create it by the way, someone already had one going

 

[ford34/2]

Done that.

Stan

 

[Gritineye]

Signed

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I just had a letter from them wanting 36 quid, ordered some Miller gloves from arc zone

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks guys, keep them coming and tell your mates

 

[mr migwire]

done,

 

[ford34/2]

The stuff I have brought in from USA never ceases to attract the GPO charge, vat and duty man, yet stuff from China sails straight through. amazes me everytime, I have something on its way from China now--see what happens this time.
Stan

 

[Flapdisk]

Ok Stan, My stuff was from Japan, the vat should have been 9.23 and the thieving gits took £10

 

[octo0072000]

signed

 

[Shox Dr]

I would be careful of what you wish for.

I they revise the system you can bet your bottom dollar, it will not be in our favour.

I've imported since the mid 80s, as a private individual and as a business, I've had more small packages come through via RM or PF free of any charges, than had to pay for.

Think yourself lucky DHL, FedX, UPS etc will charge £35+ disbursement fees +VAT

 

[Pete.]

My last parcel from the states was a bone-fide gift, was marked as such and even had a note on it that any charges whatsoever should be levvied to the sender who ut his full name and address on the form. Fedex still charged me import, vat and the handling fee.

 

[Shox Dr]

This subject has been done to death Pete.

 

[Flapdisk]

That's not on Pete, the government site clearly shows gifts are exempt

 

[DAPPH]

Any declared value of over £ 9 nearly always attracts the HMRC eye via the carriers intention to make a charge for doing it on behalf of the HMRC , depending on the class of item it sits in depends on the import tax ad the Vat ..like has been said the Post Office & Parcelforce have a licence to print money when they add their own levy and then Vat the total sum

There used to be a schedule of codes on line at HMRC for all items that you could use to calculate the import tax on the relevant VAT it may still be in operation.
It can be worth checking out what your costs may be and getting the HMRC to issue a levy notice for a proposed import or pay it to them in advance.
You got a special number to put on the parcel/packet , for on several occasions the Post Office & Parcelforce have placed & charged me on the wrong rate of import tax & vat I paid the Parcelforce bill and made a claim to the HMRC for the excess ..after several months got a cheque for =just over £54 .

Gifts .......depending on where they come from there is a set value .
it used to be if tax is already paid from with in the EU then there is no problem it is free of tax , up to something like £156 a gift can be also free but not always .
Over that magic bar there is usually an import tax and then you'll like as not be charged VAT on the import tax.
Any thing from outside the EU with a value of over £9 or so attracts some levy which may or may not be collected especially if some companies are able to enter the UK carrier scene other than The Post Office or Parcel Force.. China Air comes to mind , I don't think we ever had any further costs to pay.

 

[Flapdisk]

Very good, but did you sign the petition?

From the HMRC website.
Do I have to pay duty and VAT on a gift?
A gift is defined by customs as any item which:

• has been sent from a private individual to another private individual AND
• is for the personal use of the individual or his or her family AND
• has not been paid for, either directly or indirectly by the receiver AND
• is of an occasional nature only; e.g. for a birthday or anniversary

If the value of the gifts in the consignment (not including shipping and insurance costs) does not exceed £40 (€45, or equivalent in local currency) and the customs declaration is correct, duty and VAT will not be paid on the gifts.

 

[julianf]

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm

I understand that the postal services act has now been amended, with relation to the "retention by virtue of lien" line, but i have not checked.

 

[Flapdisk]

Yes that's right Julian, How are you by the way :-), I remember reading a long blog on the net some years ago where a bloke was really kicking off about this behavior by the post orifice, he actually started legal proceedings against them for intercepting his mail and holding it to ransom for fee's. You pay the company you purchased it from the full mail fee to your door and that's where it should arrive.
Anyway the upshot was that he was correct and the post orifice had been breaking the law for many years and if it had been any one of use it would have been the full force of the law and time in clink.
For them, well they just changed the law and ignored everything that had gone before. I don't know what they did to the bloke who was taking the legal action and running the blog, as he just disappeared never to be heard of again.
So as usual one rule for us and another for the rich.
My point is though, Even if it has been made legal for them to intercept and hold as a lien on fee's, I don't see that they should be allowed to just charge what they want in handling, often more than the contents of the package is worth and more than the vat collected when no import duty is paid.
No one is complaining about paying vat or import duty, but come on let's be fair about it and have sensible charges based on the values.

PS: did you sign?