Anyone had any experience with USPS->Parcelforce Import Duty & VAT?

[Spanky Deluxe]

I'm awaiting delivery of an iterm from the states. First of all it seems like USPS sent it via carrier pidgeon to the UK since it took eight days to travel between continents. Anyway, its at Parcelforce's national hub now and the tracking says the following:

09-06-2007 02:00 National Hub Sorted in hub
08-06-2007 22:58 International Hub En route to delivery depot
08-06-2007 22:01 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
08-06-2007 17:02 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
08-06-2007 17:02 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
08-06-2007 13:48 International Hub Arrived in destination country
31-05-2007 17:12 CAPE ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS) Left origin country
29-05-2007 13:57 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer

So it appears that I've been charged by customs, which I expected. It should only be VAT and no import duty and I'm aware that Parcelforce charge something like £8 for doing the supposed paperwork. Now how do they go about this? Do they send me a letter saying they have my item and I have to pay to release it? Do they try to deliver it and ask me to pay on the door? How do they take payment, cheque, cash, cards etc? They never answer their phones leaving you with an automated service and have a 48 hour response time on their emails so I figured I'd ask here.

 

[Lau]

I had to pay a whopping £20 customs admin fee on a $40 gift from the US (this was with FedEx - who sucked so, so royally in actually delivering me the effing package and were so, so rude on the phone and then charged me £20 for it ), and I was sent an invoice, as they had my address.

I was sent the package first, and the invoice arrived a couple of weeks later. That may not be the case with Parcelforce, although I'd expect them to notify you if they needed you to collect it. Not that they will do though, necessarily, as I have never yet come across a delivery service that didn't suck in some way. Trust no-one!

Edit: Re-reading your tracking stuff, "Released with charges" and then going on to delivery hubs, that looks as if they'll post it to you and then send you an invoice to me.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

I had to pay a whopping £20 customs admin fee on a $40 gift from the US (this was with FedEx - who sucked so, so royally in actually delivering me the effing package and were so, so rude on the phone and then charged me £20 for it ), and I was sent an invoice, as they had my address.

I was sent the package first, and the invoice arrived a couple of weeks later. That may not be the case with Parcelforce, although I'd expect them to notify you if they needed you to collect it. Not that they will do though, necessarily, as I have never yet come across a delivery service that didn't suck in some way. Trust no-one!

Edit: Re-reading your tracking stuff, "Released with charges" and then going on to delivery hubs, that looks as if they'll post it to you and then send you an invoice to me.

If they do that and send me a letter later on things could get a little interesting since I'll be moving from this address for good in under a week! I don't mind going over to the depot to pick up the item, I just want it asap, I've been waiting so damned long now!!

 

[Lau]

If they do that and send me a letter later on things could get a little interesting since I'll be moving from this address for good in under a week! I don't mind going over to the depot to pick up the item, I just want it asap, I've been waiting so damned long now!!

This was the whole stress I had – I had to give them a different address and they charged me £5 on top of the £20 for that. Seriously, twunts, all of them.

(Apart from the UPS man in Bath, he is a king)

Anyway, it's worth trying to get hold of your local depot's number if you can, as they can often says yes even if the official line is no. Try calling any number you can get your hands on and get them to put you through to the right one.

As for the moving thing, will you know who's moving in after you? Or can you let the letting agency know to forward stuff on? I'd say get the Royal Mail redirection thing, but they suck too, and take a couple of weeks to set it up. Failing that, if it's just the letter you're after, let them know you've moved and send the letter "signed for" to them as well as an email, and it's up to them to find you.

 

[Music_Producer]

UK customs suck.. I have sent hundreds of pro audio packages to customers around the world.. and it's only the UK customers who get screwed with massive duties. Everyone else, (Europe, Australia, NZ, Canada) have never had to pay any duty.

 

[vincebio]

yip, im afraid they will get every single penny out your pocket thats due....they are brutal.

in regards to your question about what they do, the item gets held at your local depot, and they send a first class letter directly from royal mail print centre to your address advising you of the item and the breakdown of the charges. As its coming directly from HQ, you will most likely recieve the letter before you would have recieved delivery of the item the next day anyway.

 

[La Curandera]

Letter first, 21 days (or 28, can't remember) to pay up then they send it back.

I've had two letters in the last week, luckily it's on the company but still annoying.