Royal mail fees :(

[LaurenceGough]

Got a letter through the post today from Royal mail (not parcel force) saying I have to pay just under 16 quid to get my package.

I'm pretty sure (99%) that it's my free Scorpion Prize package I won from the USA.

Isn't it annoying that you have to pay for even free prizes which you won!

:ack2::banghead:

Went to collect today and closes at 1PM! :(

:rant:

[barney]

Thats a custom charge old chap..anything Stateside almost certainly gets pulled.

RM also have to oblidge to HM Customs Authority and collect defaulters trying to whoop the System on there behalf

Brian

[Weebl]

As it is a prize though, is it subject to import duty?

I don't know, you could argue you never paid for it so it's [I]cost[/I] to you is zero, but they could argue it's [I]value[/I] remains and is subject to duty regardless of what was paid?

Any customs officers on the forum?

[Ewan]

this caught my interest so thought I would look it up and see if import duty is payable on gifts as that is to all intents and purposes what your prize is. the applicable rule is below.

[URL="http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/#P36_3903"][COLOR=#0066cc]2.4 Gifts[/COLOR][/URL]
[URL="http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/#P44_4747"][/URL]
[B][B].4 Gifts[/B][/B]

Goods sent as a gift that are over £40 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £9.

To qualify as a gift:[LIST][*]the customs declaration must be completed correctly[*]the gift must be sent from a private person outside the EU to a private person(s) in this country[*]there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly[*]the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary[/LIST]As you can see gifts do have some exemption but as it has not been sent from a private person but a company it does not qualify.

Have to agree that this does seem somewhat unfair.

[barney]

You got to add on the customs charge for not declaring/paying import duty i.e they see it as evading Tax + RM get a piece of the action for doing the biz.

HM Customs are as tight as your grannies knickers

[LaurenceGough]

Thanks guys, what can I do hey... Not worth the messing around regardless, which won't take you anywhere..

[PsiLo]

Ask them for a breakdown of the charges then go to the depot and pay ONLY the customs charge quote "Postal Services Act 2000, Sections 84 to 105" (Illegal to delay post). They then cannot hold your parcel as you have paid the import duty and the law only covers them withholding parcels with customs duty unpaid. You should point out that the contract is with the USPS and the sender and only states that there is a responsibility for customs to be paid NOT for any admin fees. If they want to recover there admin fees they should take it up with the sender.

Hold fast, refuse to pay the admin fees and they will back down. If you don't want to do that then pay the fee, and take them to small claims court, they will then settle out of court with all fees and admin fees paid.

If you phone consumerdirect.gov.uk they will even tell you that the way they enforce the clearnace fee is illegal!

[chockymonster]

It's the clearance fee that always gets my goat, I don't mind paying the duty, but £10 to cover administration of £4 duty takes the mickey.

[euan galloway]

Postal fees

Beware,
Its not just goods from the US,i had to pay £39.25 for a funkey 60 size jet Ranger today from HK,
cheers Euan,ps still a lot cheaper than if bought in the UK???