Royal Mail customs charge

oli356 · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:33

I've just got home and got a note from RM about paying £11.48 customs charge, £8 is a handling fee.

I purchased something from Australia last week, never been charged before.
On my email the price is 27.95 AUD and 17.98 GBP (lists the conversion)

If I convert it now, it works out at £18.246. Apparently it's £18> they can charge you on.

Obviously I don't want to pay £11.48 on an £18 item.. is there anything I can do? Do I have an argument.

Basher · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:34

What would your argument be? That it's below the threshold?

oli356 · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:37

Pretty much, according to my invoice at least. Though the exchange rate is different I guess now. Will check my bank and see if it was £17.98 which I got charged.

EDIT: Grr.. I got charged £19.71 =/

Pudney · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:39

The low value limit is now £15. Got changed a while back.

arknor · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:40

suck it up and be glad its not parcelforce they charge 15 handling :S

estebanrey · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:40

According to this the limit is £15....

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channels...Travel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014#P35_3243

arknor said:
suck it up and be glad its not parcelforce they charge 15 handling :S

It was, he said it was Royal Mail (who are Parcelforce)

oli356 · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:41

Pudney said:
The low value limit is now £15. Got changed a while back.

Thanks.
Ouch.... time to pay up then. Won't be ordering from there again..it wouldn't be so bad if it was just the tax, but the handling fee is ridiculous.

PhilthyPhil · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:47

estebanrey said:
It was, he said it was Royal Mail (who are Parcelforce)

No they aren't. They may have the same owner but they operate independently and as said RM charge £8 and PF charge £15 for customs handling.

arknor · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:52

estebanrey said:
It was, he said it was Royal Mail (who are Parcelforce)

Ran as 2 seperate companies with 2 seperate customs handling fees

£8 vs £13.50

MrKeeno · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:52

Parcelforce do not charge £15 for handling. It is £8 for a standard parcel and £13.50 for an express item.

estebanrey · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:54

PhilthyPhil said:
No they aren't. They may have the same owner but they operate independently and as said RM charge £8 and PF charge £15 for customs handling.

Parcelforce is the only division of the Royal Mail Group that delivers international parcels (or any parcel for that matter), and international parcels are the only thing you'd have to pay VAT handling fee on.

The Royal Mail division only deliver letters domestically, they may have 'handling charges' for other things but not for international parcel delivery.

The OP's parcel would have been delivered by Parcelforce.

Sherbs · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:56

Ooo, I get hit by this from Threadless all the time. Its Parcelforce and they hit me for £15.00~.

I've "heard" that if you put, "Cannot be cleared by anyone but customs" on the package in big letters then you shouldn't have to pay Parcelforce or RM for collecting the VAT. and that Customs would contact you directly for the money, then once they get the VAT they forward it on. As the postage has already been paid.

I haven't tried it, anyone else with more info?

Pudney · 8 Nov 2012 at 18:59

You can clear it yourself if you like, you don't have to let the courier do it.

Sherbs · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:03

Only way to enforce that is a note on the package isn't it?

I've also heard a counter argument that customs take ages to do it themselves and PF/RM speed it up. Still can take weeks to clear either way!

Pudney · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:04

Yeah, you have to let the couriers know what you want done, they're not psychic!

Vulcan · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:04

busman said:
Parcelforce do not charge £15 for handling. It is £8 for a standard parcel and £13.50 for an express item.

Indeed, my last 2 bills where £8.00 and £13.50, even though the £8 charge was for a VAT/duty bill of £195, and the other was £20.

Sherbs · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:07

Pudney said:
Yeah, you have to let the couriers know what you want done, they're not psychic!

Obviously are, they assume you want them to clear it. Should be opt in not out..

Would Customs contact you? Or would you have to contact Customs?

Pudney · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:08

Sherbs said:
Obviously are, they assume you want them to clear it. Should be opt in not out..

Erm, that's ridiculous considering thousands of parcels come through each port every day and most have no instructions. Ports of entry would fill up in days.

Damn your edit

Would Customs contact you? Or would you have to contact Customs?

Customs wouldn't do anything, it'd sit in the couriers storage and they'd have to contact you. And then probably charge you for that.

Sherbs · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:11

Most would assume they'd have the capacity for it.

Assuming RM/PF do anyhow. Seems like a massive money making scheme to me! I don't think many people would know that it doesn't have to be that way..

Greebo · 8 Nov 2012 at 19:15

Sherbs said:
Only way to enforce that is a note on the package isn't it?

I've also heard a counter argument that customs take ages to do it themselves and PF/RM speed it up. Still can take weeks to clear either way!

Pudney said:
Erm, that's ridiculous considering thousands of parcels come through each port every day and most have no instructions. Ports of entry would fill up in days.

Damn your edit

Customs wouldn't do anything, it'd sit in the couriers storage and they'd have to contact you. And then probably charge you for that.

Yep. You can't win either way. We had a consignment at work which had to be processed via customs only and nobody got the message at work. Two weeks later we were faced with settling a £180 storage chage on a £200 item plus the customs duty and VAT