I bought a guitar strap from the States. It got to customs and I had to pay VAT on it. I don't mind paying VAT – well, more accurately, it's not that I don't mind paying it, I just accept that I have to. However, I object strongly to paying an £8 'handling fee' top Royal Mail. They didn't even deliver it – I had to go and get it from the sorting office eight miles away.
The reason I ask whether there's a lawyer on here is this: I thought it was a cranial offence to delay or prevent the delivery of someone's mail. Assuming that's true, what would the score be if I paid the VAT but refused to pay the 'handling fee?' Is it legal for them to charge a fee for 'handling' my mail? After all, isn't that their job?
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I’m so bored I might as well be listening to Pink Floyd
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But there are specific provisions for holding mail in compliance with other acts, of which clearing customs is one.
That said, I do think the charge is excessive for small items where it's often more than the actual customs charge and they haven't really had to do anything they don't do for normal post (well, they have paid the tax for you, so it's supposed to also be covering their costs for that). This messing about is one of the main reasons I don't order non-EU stuff. If there was a way to pre-pay without having to set up your own company that would be better.
There are lots of sides to this.
1 – it is illegal for them to withhold a parcel.
2 – it is not really worth my hassle to spend time to research, write letters, phone calls and down right stress over £8. Use that time to make money or enjoy life instead.
If they remove the charge and you end up dealing with HMRC yourself to clear the charges, imagine how long that will take !!!?!
I'd rather pay it and get it over and done with.
Also, these charges are standard, have been for decades, guess OP never ordered from outside the EU before? I always, always, always take into account VAT and any charges into account when ordering to see if it is worth the time and savings. Sometimes there isn't any much savings.
p.s. £8 is cheap, it gets more expensive…my guitar was £40 handling fee…which I am a little peeved as surely there isn't any more admin to do, you surely merely tick a different box on the form when going through customs.
Customs DO NOT give credit to anyone. They will not hold goods for members of the public whilst they sort out cleared payments. They do not deal with 'the public' on unaccompanied goods. They don't have the space to hold the goods or the administration to recover the duty and fees.
So they authorise import agents/shipping companies to do this on behalf of their customers. But because Customs do not extend credit the require the Shipper/clearance agent to give a bankers guarantee to the value of all the duty they might require in a month but then double it because they don't collect for 10 days and you might import the value again on the first of the next month. This qualifies the agent to a DAN (deferment account number) which must be used to pay clearance. This requires the Agent to permanently deposit twice that vale with the bank for no return except a guarantee (and the band charge for the pleasure too).
Now the Shipping/clearance agent produces and presents all the required documentation to customs for the import and pays instantly the due Tax and Duty. For that they make a nominal charge of (in this case£8) to each and every transaction to do said paperwork and use their DAN. Unless you import hundreds of packages a month you are unlikely to find a cheaper commercial rate and it certainly wouldn't be worth your time to try.
I’m so bored I might as well be listening to Pink Floyd
I once had a success with the DHL charges. At the time it was £10 admin for businesses, only £1.50 for individuals. And they were the only ones back then who would deliver and bill you later.
Don't import as much as I used to so I am not up to date with it
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So, they're doing the donkey work for you, then?
AFAIK you can get the foreign shipping company to pay the duty and vat in advance, and thus avoid the charge
other couriers charge in a different way, I think I called up and paid one with UPS or DHL before they sent a bill for payment
ebay seem to offer payment in advance now:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/shipping-globally.html?_trksid=p2151838.m2236#buyer-charges