A non-EU custom charges tale (beware!)
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Duty? You have no idea how dangerous that can be.
This is fact, not fiction:
Suppose you live in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (on the east coast).
Suppose you drive west across the border into the next Canadian province of Quebec. No guards, no border patrols.
Suppose you buy a dozen cases of beer because it's a bit cheaper.
The police are watching you.
On your way home, you are arrested, your beer confiscated, big, hefty fine and the possibility of a year or two in jail.
The guy fought this in court and won. Don't know if he got his beer back.
Yet, it's created a HUGE STINK over inter-provincial trade restrictions = good thing.
This is fact, not fiction:
Suppose you live in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (on the east coast).
Suppose you drive west across the border into the next Canadian province of Quebec. No guards, no border patrols.
Suppose you buy a dozen cases of beer because it's a bit cheaper.
The police are watching you.
On your way home, you are arrested, your beer confiscated, big, hefty fine and the possibility of a year or two in jail.
The guy fought this in court and won. Don't know if he got his beer back.
Yet, it's created a HUGE STINK over inter-provincial trade restrictions = good thing.
Totally agree. I made the mistake of ordering an urgent package for my wedding from the US. I paid quite a lot extra for fast shipping to get it to me in time not realising that you get charged tax on the shipping as well. Then once in the UK Parcel Force held the package to ransom until I paid their admin fees and the duty. I had a rant at them that I had paid for fast shipping and they had caused delays by not posting it straight out to me with an invoice and that I felt they should refund the extra I paid for fast shipping. They politely told me to go away and I never got a refund.
I've been importing quite a lot of stuff from the USA for about twenty years, until just a few years ago. Only personal purchases, nothing business related or anything like that. I'm the sort of person who reads rules and regulations before I do anything.
At one time, it was illegal (under the postal regulations) for a courier to withhold a parcel while awaiting customs fees payment. The PO would bring them to my door and the postie would collect payment. Other couriers would deliver, and send an invoice for payment. Parcel Farce was the only one to withhold the parcel and demand payment first.
On one occasion there was a mistake in the charges (which I sorted out directly with HMRC, who were very helpful) and Parcel Farce still would not release it. Stating the relevant act and threatening legal action got the parcel released the next day without payment to them, although it took several phone calls over several hours playing 'find the manager'. In fact, I remember exactly now... after threatening action I finished with "I'll be at your office to collect it in person tomorrow morning. Have it ready." And they did. A week later I got an invoice for their fee, to which I replied with a refusal to pay on the grounds of their mistakes and refusal to deliver. That was the last I heard of the matter.
Another issue with Parcel Farce a little later was that, if a parcel slipped through without a customs charge, it would come by the PO. If it got caught, it would come by Parcel Farce even though the shipping type was identical. Of course, Parcel Farce charged about double what the PO did for handling. After that started I hardly ever got a charged parcel delivered by the PO, for years. Parcel Farce always seemed to grab it.
The handling charge, legally, has to be to cover the handlers' costs, nothing more (i.e. no profit making on it).
I vaguely recall someone requesting the exact costing for the PO and Parcel Farce, and explain the difference, under the freedom of information act. While the lower fee of the PO was explained, they refused to explain the higher Parcel Farce fee on the grounds that it might hurt their competitiveness. So much for freedom of information.
I know of a a few people who were making noises with their MPs about these matters; importing was becoming far more common with the internet. Not long later, the law was changed to legalise holding onto the parcels awaiting payment. Typical government - did the opposite of what everyone was complaining about and pandered to the PO.
Parcel Farce get any USPS 'expedited delivery' type of service at this end, which makes a complete mockery of the expedited delivery when it then takes them several more days to deliver it than the PO, or any other courier, would take. With their higher fee.
Supposedly (that is, said by HMRC themselves), writing 'to be cleared by importer' on the customs form should trigger customs to invoice the customer directly, and avoid having to pay fees to anyone else. However, from what I've heard this is mostly ignored and both customs and Parcel Farce basically just shrug their shoulders when challenged.
Rip off Britain, as usual
Anyway, with the pound the way it is at the moment, it's barely worth importing things. Just recently I think that's actually been a good thing for me...
A month ago I was considering having a (relatively inexpensive) sword made by a smith in the USA, for my half century birthday. By the time the legalised theft of VAT and duty was added on to the estimate, along with the horrible exchange rate, the price didn't look so attractive.
So, I had a rethink and ordered a custom sword from Rob Miller of Castle Keep instead. Although it's going to be a little more expensive, I'll be getting a nicer sword and the money stays in the UK with one of our own good guys. Win-win
Finally, a tip for anyone wondering what exchange rate will be used if they import a parcel. HMRC, quite sensibly, use a rate that is fixed for a month and can be found on their site ( https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/exchange-rates-for-customs-and-vat ). So, you can look that up and know that is what will be used at least until the next month.
At one time, it was illegal (under the postal regulations) for a courier to withhold a parcel while awaiting customs fees payment. The PO would bring them to my door and the postie would collect payment. Other couriers would deliver, and send an invoice for payment. Parcel Farce was the only one to withhold the parcel and demand payment first.
On one occasion there was a mistake in the charges (which I sorted out directly with HMRC, who were very helpful) and Parcel Farce still would not release it. Stating the relevant act and threatening legal action got the parcel released the next day without payment to them, although it took several phone calls over several hours playing 'find the manager'. In fact, I remember exactly now... after threatening action I finished with "I'll be at your office to collect it in person tomorrow morning. Have it ready." And they did. A week later I got an invoice for their fee, to which I replied with a refusal to pay on the grounds of their mistakes and refusal to deliver. That was the last I heard of the matter.
Another issue with Parcel Farce a little later was that, if a parcel slipped through without a customs charge, it would come by the PO. If it got caught, it would come by Parcel Farce even though the shipping type was identical. Of course, Parcel Farce charged about double what the PO did for handling. After that started I hardly ever got a charged parcel delivered by the PO, for years. Parcel Farce always seemed to grab it.
The handling charge, legally, has to be to cover the handlers' costs, nothing more (i.e. no profit making on it).
I vaguely recall someone requesting the exact costing for the PO and Parcel Farce, and explain the difference, under the freedom of information act. While the lower fee of the PO was explained, they refused to explain the higher Parcel Farce fee on the grounds that it might hurt their competitiveness. So much for freedom of information.
I know of a a few people who were making noises with their MPs about these matters; importing was becoming far more common with the internet. Not long later, the law was changed to legalise holding onto the parcels awaiting payment. Typical government - did the opposite of what everyone was complaining about and pandered to the PO.
Parcel Farce get any USPS 'expedited delivery' type of service at this end, which makes a complete mockery of the expedited delivery when it then takes them several more days to deliver it than the PO, or any other courier, would take. With their higher fee.
Supposedly (that is, said by HMRC themselves), writing 'to be cleared by importer' on the customs form should trigger customs to invoice the customer directly, and avoid having to pay fees to anyone else. However, from what I've heard this is mostly ignored and both customs and Parcel Farce basically just shrug their shoulders when challenged.
Rip off Britain, as usual
Anyway, with the pound the way it is at the moment, it's barely worth importing things. Just recently I think that's actually been a good thing for me...
A month ago I was considering having a (relatively inexpensive) sword made by a smith in the USA, for my half century birthday. By the time the legalised theft of VAT and duty was added on to the estimate, along with the horrible exchange rate, the price didn't look so attractive.
So, I had a rethink and ordered a custom sword from Rob Miller of Castle Keep instead. Although it's going to be a little more expensive, I'll be getting a nicer sword and the money stays in the UK with one of our own good guys. Win-win
Finally, a tip for anyone wondering what exchange rate will be used if they import a parcel. HMRC, quite sensibly, use a rate that is fixed for a month and can be found on their site ( https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/exchange-rates-for-customs-and-vat ). So, you can look that up and know that is what will be used at least until the next month.
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