Bill from FedEx?

Just throw it away. Fedex and DHL never chase up their invoices for import duties. Most other companies will charge you upfront before you get the item
 
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There's probably a fee involved for them paying it for you. I argued the toss over a bill like that a few years ago. I ended up paying the Customs charge but not their fee.
 
What was the item you ordered?

If you can claim it was a gift I think that might be tax free? Also, if blizzard are sending you stuff why wouldnt it have come from within the EU?
 
Slade2 said:
What was the item you ordered?

If you can claim it was a gift I think that might be tax free? Also, if blizzard are sending you stuff why wouldnt it have come from within the EU?
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Gifts only apply from individuals to other individuals, and even then it only (from memory) doubles the amount before you become eligible to pay taxes.

Given the level of the charge, I'm guessing the OP's order came to about £50 after shipping (under £18 before shipping is tax free*, over £18 you pay on the goods value + shipping costs)



*That is going down to £15 at the end of the month from memory.
 
Fedex can and will chase you if you just ignore the bill (I've had issues with them in the past due to their incompetence in addressing bills which meant I didn't receive them; seriously how difficult is it to send a bill to: memyselfandi, company name, address ... like the original package they delivered ... but no, they continually sent bills to: company name, address ... which were rejected by our mail room as they weren't address to an individual).

I would also recommend checking through the bill information they have sent you closely as a large proportion of the bills from them I had contained mistakes resulting in an overcharge to myself. For instance the vendor invoice clearly showed a total for the item + shipping. The Fedex calculation then had this total + a completely fictitious amount for shipping which then threw off all the calculations. I have had them waive their admin charge portion of the bill when they have got things wrong.
 
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Exact same thing happened to me years back. I didn't pay it and got a letter from some debt recovery company! I then paid it straight away :D
 
simulatorman said:
Our Parcelforce friends would spend days waiting to tell you that you have to pay before they deliver.
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Yeah they do, if you have something like a USPS tracking number you can get ahead of the game and track it through customs as their site accepts international tracking codes. I did this with my MakerBot from the US last xmas, it went from NYC to Heathrow within 48 hours and then spent over a week in customs. It arrived at their depot a week before xmas, I paid the customs charges and collected it.

The actual slip notifying me of the arrival and custom charges didn't arrive until the first week of January 2011.
 
Apparently they're techincally breaking the law, I'm going to quote something i was told on another forum so you'll have to check yourself if this is correct,,

holding a package illegally as a non government owned postal service (Royal mail and Parcel force are privately owned now) is against the postal service act 83,84 and carries a sentence of up to 6 months.
. I walked in and stated the criminal law act 104 subsection 2d and the postal act 2000, 83,84 and they just gave me my parcel
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I always pay up mind, they've done you a favour by paying those charges for you.
 
RobH said:
Yeah they do, if you have something like a USPS tracking number you can get ahead of the game and track it through customs as their site accepts international tracking codes. I did this with my MakerBot from the US last xmas, it went from NYC to Heathrow within 48 hours and then spent over a week in customs. It arrived at their depot a week before xmas, I paid the customs charges and collected it.

The actual slip notifying me of the arrival and custom charges didn't arrive until the first week of January 2011.
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I had a similar experience in the summer with USPS. It took 12 hours to get to Heathrow from San Francisco and then spent six days at Heathrow. I traced it to a London depot a couple of hours after it got there. Drove to the depot, paid the duty and got my parcel. It would have been another five days if I had waited for them.
 
neil_g said:
Apparently they're techincally breaking the law, I'm going to quote something i was told on another forum so you'll have to check yourself if this is correct,,



I always pay up mind, they've done you a favour by paying those charges for you.
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Which is total crap and shows how you shouldn't trust armchair lawyers. Ignoring whether that act applies to express courier services:

Interfering with the mail: postal operators.

(1)A person who is engaged in the business of a postal operator commits an offence if, contrary to his duty and without reasonable excuse, he—

(a)intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or

(b)intentionally opens a mail-bag.

Now, taxation is a valid reason to delay, as is opening to check for prohibited or restricted items.

Then we have:

(3)Subsection (1) does not apply to the delaying or opening of a postal packet in accordance with any terms and conditions applicable to its transmission by post.

All couriers have taxes and duties as part of their T&Cs.
 
Coincidentally I was clearing out my files today and found a string of letters from FedEx relating to an old order I made form the US back in 2004. The first one was a reasonable request, then a 2nd, then a final demand. I thought I could get away with it, but it then went to a 3rd party, by which point I recall just paying it. The only reason I didn't was because I got ALL FOUR letters at once... silly postal service.

Anyhow, yes, as above, don't ignore, just pay it. They paid on your behalf.
 
Pretty sure I ignored mine around a year ago, nothing since. I am tempted to phone up and pay it reading above about debt recovery.

I think it was in the region of around £20.00, nothing major so I imagine they just let it go.
 
That'll teach you for buying things from abroad :)

I bought a Unicomp keyboard from the US lately, and got charged £19. However, was fully expecting it....
 
Craig1981 said:
What if I said I couldnt afford to pay their hidden fees?
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:rolleyes:

:confused:What hidden fees??

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/tax-and-duty.htm

You order something from outside the EU you are liable for the VAT and customs charges it has been this way since before I was born (well apart from the EU bit) and I imagine it will still be this way years after I die. Stop being such a drama queen and pay your dues.
 
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