Take you to small claims court, you'd end up paying duty but I don't know about the fee.
My problem is that Parcelforce are actively holding my parcel and refuse to deliver it until I pay their charges.
Parcelforce clearance fee - help!
- Thread starter apeZ
- Start date
Take you to small claims court, you'd end up paying duty but I don't know about the fee.
My problem is that Parcelforce are actively holding my parcel and refuse to deliver it until I pay their charges.
They will refer it to a debt collector who will keep hassling you - probably not worth them taking you to court over ~£10 so they will most likely write if off in the long term but you never know (as per the post above they may use small claims to try and recover it through court).
Likewise parcel force can't legally hold your parcel to ransom - but you will still owe them the clearance fees and tho they might legally have to give the parcel over if you insist they will also try to recover the debt.
Likewise parcel force can't legally hold your parcel to ransom - but you will still owe them the clearance fees and tho they might legally have to give the parcel over if you insist they will also try to recover the debt.
Caporegime
"Why do I have to pay a handling fee to Parcelforce for my parcel that has Customs Charges?
If we receive a parcel from overseas we will pay any Customs duties and taxes on your behalf to UK Border Agency. However these will need to be paid to us and also our Customs clearance fee which helps cover the cost of additional handling, administration, money collection and clearance of parcels."
http://www.parcelforce.com/help-information/frequently-asked-questions/customs#6
PS OP if the retailer had marked it gift, I don't reckon you'd have paid any customs fees since the threshold is £40.
If we receive a parcel from overseas we will pay any Customs duties and taxes on your behalf to UK Border Agency. However these will need to be paid to us and also our Customs clearance fee which helps cover the cost of additional handling, administration, money collection and clearance of parcels."
http://www.parcelforce.com/help-information/frequently-asked-questions/customs#6
PS OP if the retailer had marked it gift, I don't reckon you'd have paid any customs fees since the threshold is £40.
This is perfectly normal, it seems like a high price because its fixed not a % like the VAT is, basically instead of you having to drive across the country to the customs holding area where your thing arrived, pay the duty in person and collect the item then bring it home Parcelforce collect it for you and take it to their depot from where they will either deliver it to your door once fees are paid or allow you to come and pay the fees and collect in person.
You consented to it by ordering something from outside the EU, not knowing the laws/regs about importing goods isn't really a valid excuse.
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there is no aditional handling fees because postage is paid in full.
administration is a few forms at customs but you did not ask for them to deal with customs on your behalf.
money collection lol wut? the only money they are collecting is a fee for work you did not request.
clearance of parcels, erm they clear customs when someone pays the fee, if parcelfarce didnt pay the fee on your behalf you would have recieved a letter from customs requesting the vat/duty and with no fee attached, by law customs cant hold a package for more than 2 days without sending as letter stating why, what parcelfraud do is make sure this never happens so they can charge for a service without the reciever ever having a chance to say they dont want it.
all postage is paid regardless of any handling fee.
it should be made illegal or a service which you have the choice to refuse.
aslong as you pay any customs/vat parcelface arent allowed to hold your parcel, if your prepared to visit the depot you should be able to get out of paying the fee
administration is a few forms at customs but you did not ask for them to deal with customs on your behalf.
money collection lol wut? the only money they are collecting is a fee for work you did not request.
clearance of parcels, erm they clear customs when someone pays the fee, if parcelfarce didnt pay the fee on your behalf you would have recieved a letter from customs requesting the vat/duty and with no fee attached, by law customs cant hold a package for more than 2 days without sending as letter stating why, what parcelfraud do is make sure this never happens so they can charge for a service without the reciever ever having a chance to say they dont want it.
all postage is paid regardless of any handling fee.
it should be made illegal or a service which you have the choice to refuse.
aslong as you pay any customs/vat parcelface arent allowed to hold your parcel, if your prepared to visit the depot you should be able to get out of paying the fee
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Soldato
No it was quite clearly explained in the other thread that the claim about delaying the package to collect is against the law is utter rubbish.
And K@rl if the other courier is Fedex they will pass it on to a debt collecting company eventually.
if all postage has been paid in full , all vat and duty the same they arent suposed to hold them.
the handling fee isnt unpaid postage
Man of Honour
Why aren't they?
Soldato
Wow, £13.50 admin cost to PF? Could have sworn that it was £8 or £8.xx admin cost to PF when I last paid customs and that was only as far back as 2010.
The importer is responsible for clearing the parcel. If they don't use a shipping agent then the courier has to act as the shipping agent, clear the parcel and charge accordingly. Seems fair to me.
It depends on the delivery method. It can sometimes be £8.
Man of Honour
What about the 2011 Postal Services Act? The 2000 Postal Services Act is no longer up to date.
Relevant changes:
In section 105 (application of customs and excise enactments to certain postal packets), after subsection (4) insert—
“(4A) A postal operator may detain a postal packet to which this section
applies until any duties and charges in respect of the packet that are
recoverable by virtue of subsection (3) have been paid.”
37 After section 105 insert—
“105A Section 105: limit on handling charges etc
(1) OFCOM may give a direction to a postal operator—
(a) limiting the amount of any handling charge, and
(b) limiting the length of time for which a postal packet may be
detained under section 105(4A) (and, if a direction is given
under this paragraph, that subsection has effect subject to the
direction).
(2) Where a direction is given to an operator limiting the amount of a
handling charge, section 105(3) to (4A) have effect in relation to the operator (in any case where the charge would otherwise exceed the
amount specified in the direction) as if the charge were equal to the
amount specified in the direction.
(3) Before giving a direction to a postal operator under this section,
OFCOM must—
(a) inform the operator that they propose to give it a direction,
and
(b) allow the operator an opportunity to make representations
about the proposal.
(4) In this section “handling charge” means a charge payable to a postal
operator, in respect of a postal packet, for the performance by the
operator of all or any of the duties mentioned in section 105(2)(c).”
Your move.
Relevant changes:
In section 105 (application of customs and excise enactments to certain postal packets), after subsection (4) insert—
“(4A) A postal operator may detain a postal packet to which this section
applies until any duties and charges in respect of the packet that are
recoverable by virtue of subsection (3) have been paid.”
37 After section 105 insert—
“105A Section 105: limit on handling charges etc
(1) OFCOM may give a direction to a postal operator—
(a) limiting the amount of any handling charge, and
(b) limiting the length of time for which a postal packet may be
detained under section 105(4A) (and, if a direction is given
under this paragraph, that subsection has effect subject to the
direction).
(2) Where a direction is given to an operator limiting the amount of a
handling charge, section 105(3) to (4A) have effect in relation to the operator (in any case where the charge would otherwise exceed the
amount specified in the direction) as if the charge were equal to the
amount specified in the direction.
(3) Before giving a direction to a postal operator under this section,
OFCOM must—
(a) inform the operator that they propose to give it a direction,
and
(b) allow the operator an opportunity to make representations
about the proposal.
(4) In this section “handling charge” means a charge payable to a postal
operator, in respect of a postal packet, for the performance by the
operator of all or any of the duties mentioned in section 105(2)(c).”
Your move.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Surely the Postal Services Act doesn't apply to couriers, it applies to organisations which require a postal license in order to operate.
Of the many organisations exempt from such a requirement...
Man of Honour
[TW]Fox;21186394 said:
You are correct, the courier industry is largely unregulated.
ParcelForce, as a "brand" of Royal Mail, may well be an exception but I do not think they are - as OfCom state:
Royal Mail Letters excludes the business division of the Universal Service Provider
(91) “Royal Mail” means Royal Mail Group Limited, registered in England and Wales with company number 4138203. known as ParcelForce Worldwide or any successors to that division.
But I'm not 100% sure on that so I don't want to state it as fact.
EDIT
Looks like they are not covered by the Postal Act, as I thought:
(From Ofcom)
Parcelforce, although a division of Royal Mail Group, is not a regulated service. Courier services (over £1) and parcel services (over 350g) are fully open to competition.
So it's the same old story of arknor posting strong opinion, presented as fact, about a subject he doesn't understand. Sigh.
In future arknor if you are going to throw around words like 'fraud' it might be a good idea to check you actually know what you are talking about. Fraud is a very strong word!
arknor said:
In future arknor if you are going to throw around words like 'fraud' it might be a good idea to check you actually know what you are talking about. Fraud is a very strong word!
Man of Honour
Armchair law at it's best. I had a pretty good idea he was wrong but wanted to double check the legislation first.
Same goes for the countless threads on the internet about how it's illegal for Parcelforce to charge you a clearance fee.
What next, you don't have to pay the fees because you are a Freeman of the Land?
Same goes for the countless threads on the internet about how it's illegal for Parcelforce to charge you a clearance fee.
What next, you don't have to pay the fees because you are a Freeman of the Land?
I work in the industry and unfortunately if you order anything from overseas this is something you have to consider. While most people would argue that they have paid postage what they do not realise is that amount of postage they paid is simply not enough. It doesn't take into consideration that the parcel can be stopped at customs and all the other costs that come along with that.
If your parcel had not have been stopped by customs your postage would have covered it and it would have been directly delivered to you. Parcelforce has no say in what is stopped and what gets through. If it doesn't get through it does not come through the standard network and parcelforce have to cover the additional costs of having a whole operation at customs.
Sometimes your lucky and could get a ps3 through without having to pay a penny
Not often though.
If your parcel had not have been stopped by customs your postage would have covered it and it would have been directly delivered to you. Parcelforce has no say in what is stopped and what gets through. If it doesn't get through it does not come through the standard network and parcelforce have to cover the additional costs of having a whole operation at customs.
Sometimes your lucky and could get a ps3 through without having to pay a penny
Not often though.
Associate
Interesting this topic should come up as Parcelforce are holding a package of mine which is subject to £5 import VAT however I wasn't happy about their 'clearance fee' either.
Before the Postal act 2011 came in to effect in November last year, the fee could be challenged and it was Parcelforce's policy to ask for the fee, however if a customer refused to pay their clearance fee and only the customs charges, their item would be released. It seems they have now updated their policy in accordance with the updated act of 2011 and will refuse to release any items until all fees have been paid. By all means challenge it but I'm not sure how far you'll go. Someone else here might be able to give you some more advice.
@Lopez
Since you said they're not covered by the Postal act does not mean that their 'handling fee' can be challanged or have I misunderstood some of the previous posts?
Before the Postal act 2011 came in to effect in November last year, the fee could be challenged and it was Parcelforce's policy to ask for the fee, however if a customer refused to pay their clearance fee and only the customs charges, their item would be released. It seems they have now updated their policy in accordance with the updated act of 2011 and will refuse to release any items until all fees have been paid. By all means challenge it but I'm not sure how far you'll go. Someone else here might be able to give you some more advice.
@Lopez
Since you said they're not covered by the Postal act does not mean that their 'handling fee' can be challanged or have I misunderstood some of the previous posts?
Azz thats the 1st I heard of that m8. I think the only thing that I seen challenged that got a result was the actual customs charge being reversed. That then could make the handling fee invalid but as far as I know if the custom charge stands so does the handling fee.