legality / enforceability of so called 'clearance fees'

[trillian]

Is it worth getting upset over a tenner, I would just pay and learn a lesson and next time I would be all the wiser.........

Did I say I was upset? I'm not upset. You've never seen me (very) upset :-)

[jwatts007]

Did I say I was upset? I'm not upset. You've never seen me (very) upset :-)

Your right, and I am very happy that I am never likely too...........

[trillian]

Your right, and I am very happy that I am never likely too...........

Weeeell, 'not sure what that reply means :-) Mine was a quote from the film Mission Impossible, granted, it's a bit obscure.

[steve69]

"Did I say I was upset? I'm not upset. You've never seen me (very) upset :-) "

Weeeell, 'not sure what that reply means :-) Mine was a quote from the film Mission Impossible, granted, it's a bit obscure.

replace "Mission Impossible" with "A Few Good Men"

YOU WANT THE TRUTH??? YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

TBF your quote, without knowing, could easily be a simile of AFGM rather than 'Mish Imp'



Edit: Long reply:-

I should say I am totally in your camp regards the fee, it happened to me a couple of times.
The first time I simply chucked the bill in the bin, on the pretext that it was a scam, what with it arriving almost two months after the delivery of the item and heard nothing back.

The second time it occurred (different order, different carrier ect) I chucked it the same way thinking the same as yourself, at no time was I specifically informed of this charge. Was sent a letter from a debt collector to which I responded the same as you and on that occurrence there was no further correspondence.

On the third time this happened I received as letter stating that my default not to pay would have me registered on the database of bad debtors and as such "could affect my credit rating" should I not pay up. Having thus far a near perfect rating, for the sake of a Tenner (no further charges were imposed should I pay the debt collector on time) I decided it was probably time to pay up.
(Edit:-2: I re-read your opener and realise your perceived circumstance is a little different, however we all have the same issue as you when importing, knowing or not.)

Some research revealed that although you might get away with this on a domestic purchase due to distance selling regulations where the seller must disclose all charges ect (which of course are completely irrelevant as the purchase was not from the UK) we are required as a importer (as pointed out by others here) to make ourselves aware of all and any charges that may or may not be imposed by the carrier.
This sucks! More than once I have been stiffed with a bill that has made my "cheap international purchase" cost more that buying it locally. Unfortunately it's the chance we take buying outside our borders.
It's a shame the cost inside our boarders is SO bad that we are compelled sometimes to do our best to shop elsewhere.

[trillian]

replace "Mission Impossible" with "A Few Good Men"

YOU WANT THE TRUTH??? YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!

TBF your quote, without knowing, could easily be a simile of AFGM rather than 'Mish Imp'

That was a good film! 'Loved Jack Nicholson in that courtroom scene. And it's very fitting actually that you mention that because
I just got off the phone with Fedex. (needless to say the clearance fee was waived with no tap dancing required but I was also told
something that made me quite pleased indeed, I just love it when I'm right :-))

[steve69]

Cool, Glad you got it sorted.

Whilst I am sure, like yourself, they cant just arbitrarily send you charges without prior notification of such, on the third bill I recieved I thought it best not to push my luck too far just in case they could afford better representation than I could.

[trillian]

It's a shame the cost inside our boarders is SO bad that we are compelled sometimes to do our best to shop elsewhere.

Yeah, in this case it was not something I could go get locally, it was software from Sony on a special offer because I'm on their mailing
list because I have bought lots of other stuff from them. Only pertinent here because some heli items are not always available here (namely
Century and MinAir to name a couple).

[steve69]

I understand fully, ~I have made many non-heli purchases from abroad, both East and West, due to items I desire not being destined for UK markets for whatever reasons.

One would think the suppliers (Sony in your case) would have realised by now that the World is a much smaller place than it was 15 years ago with the advent if the internet and as such a shop in New York is as close as the one in Hammersmith and as such on an item such as you purchased should (and could in this case) been available to you in this country without all the pap of having to import