Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

[horsemanno5]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Thats brilliant, now looking forward to my next parcelfarce bill

[mattypurvis]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

All I do is pay the customs charge and ask to be invoiced for there charge separately and I never receive any further comunications

[MajorLandmark]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Abbadon, thats great, it just shows that officially you dont need to pay, its PF being greedy and trying to 'blag' the punter with official words.

Althought I'm pleased for the OP, I'd just like to point out first of all, that isn't official judgement in the slightest. It's PF settling out of court to avoid the hastle and potential for an official ruling to ruin all their money making schemes.

Also, although the law does state a courier cannot withhold a delivery in order to get payment from you, it also does state their entitlement to charge a fee for handling a package through customs clearance processes.

The problem here is that the law seems to imply its meant to cover any time and expense on the part of the courier. What unfortunately nobody has ever seemed to attain, is exactly how this service is worth the prices charged by most companies.

I tried to get out of my clearance fee last time (ever) I used TNT. They refused out right to even forward the invoice for the fee separately from the VAT reimbursement and refused just as adamantly to explain the charge any further than 'expenses incurred'. I gave up and paid in the end, which is more than they deserved for damaging my parcel and refusing to pay any damages.

Seems like they are getting pretty uptight about people avoiding these fees. At the end of the day I couldnt get round it because I knew full well they were entitled to charge them, and there is nothing to say what kind of magnitude they are allowed to be.

[ElCarl]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Althought I'm pleased for the OP, I'd just like to point out first of all, that isn't official judgement in the slightest. It's PF settling out of court to avoid the hastle and potential for an official ruling to ruin all their money making schemes.

Also, although the law does state a courier cannot withhold a delivery in order to get payment from you, it also does state their entitlement to charge a fee for handling a package through customs clearance processes.

The problem here is that the law seems to imply its meant to cover any time and expense on the part of the courier. What unfortunately nobody has ever seemed to attain, is exactly how this service is worth the prices charged by most companies.

I tried to get out of my clearance fee last time (ever) I used TNT. They refused out right to even forward the invoice for the fee separately from the VAT reimbursement and refused just as adamantly to explain the charge any further than 'expenses incurred'. I gave up and paid in the end, which is more than they deserved for damaging my parcel and refusing to pay any damages.

Seems like they are getting pretty uptight about people avoiding these fees. At the end of the day I couldnt get round it because I knew full well they were entitled to charge them, and there is nothing to say what kind of magnitude they are allowed to be.

I tried to get a justification of the charge from parcelforce, going through so many channels; they just say it's in their commercial and the public's interest not to give it out

[seansamurai1]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

But the charge is not legally endorsed, so isnt a requirement to pay, the fact TNT charged you is one thing, but did they deliver the parcel first or keep hold of it and charge you?
If they delivered first then you f*** em off and refuse by stating they didnt uphold their contract by delivering safely and further refused to replace the damaged goods which is a service that is payed for.
If they kept it and charged you and didnt release it to you then thats illegal so you take them to court.
Best bit if its say a computer part you can claim for lost earnings if you are smart enough as you were unable to do your work whilst the courier illegally held your item.
The only people who are allowed to hold the item is Customs.

[Robin-Hood]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Awesome nice one mate!

Another good thing to do is email Dick Stead, their managing director. If you show him you know what you're on about and that it's totally unacceptable he normally goes out of his way to deal with it quietly and appease you. Got out of a £40 customs fee and £20 admin fee that way as well as getting my parcel shipped from their international hub to my doorstep on the same day.

Also - BOYCOTT PARCEL FARCE!!!

[No1_sonuk]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

I tried to get out of my clearance fee last time (ever) I used TNT. They refused out right to even forward the invoice for the fee separately from the VAT reimbursement and refused just as adamantly to explain the charge any further than 'expenses incurred'. I gave up and paid in the end, which is more than they deserved for damaging my parcel and refusing to pay any damages.

I requested that info from TNT twice via a query on their web site. My query was: "Why am I being asked to pay a DPF when I already paid for an international service?"
No response.

When I eventually got another demand for the money, this time threatening legal action, I wrote a cheque for JUST the customs money and manually altered the invoice to that figure. Then I wrote a comment like "This is for the customs duty only - DPF subject to web query xxxxx" on it.
That was at least 5 or 6 months ago - I've not heard anything from them since.

[urban spec-ops]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

looks like i will be in the same boat as its flagged on my tracking info that fees are required as customs stopped a parcel of mine, no doubt they will add there charge on top of whatever customs charge ( anyone know what the customs charges will be for goods worth £180 including postage costs? )

[seansamurai1]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

I tried to get a justification of the charge from parcelforce, going through so many channels; they just say it's in their commercial and the public's interest not to give it out

In leymans terms that means "We're stiffing ya mwahahahahaha!"

[jadams]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Does the same law apply in Northern Ireland?
I got screwed by parcel force last week for parts of evike and when I rang them about it the man who answered just kept saying he doesn't know what the charge is for but if i don't pay it that my parcel would be returned.

[Bump]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

10+ Approval

[No1_sonuk]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Does the same law apply in Northern Ireland?
I got screwed by parcel force last week for parts of evike and when I rang them about it the man who answered just kept saying he doesn't know what the charge is for but if i don't pay it that my parcel would be returned.

You should double-check, but AFAIK, as Northern Ireland is still part of the UK, it probably is the same. I would suggest pointing out that law to them, and if they say it doesn't apply in NI, get them to prove it...

EDIT: I just looked, and yes it does apply in NI.

[Xadin]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Just bloody brilliant - will be using this in future!

I fully endorse the motion for this to be a sticky!

[thekonassure]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

looks like i will be in the same boat as its flagged on my tracking info that fees are required as customs stopped a parcel of mine, no doubt they will add there charge on top of whatever customs charge ( anyone know what the customs charges will be for goods worth £180 including postage costs? )

Customs charge I dont know most of the time customs only charge tax but for some things they have a fee too

Take away the postage cost`s and it should be around 20% of the value of the goods

I`ve been charged a % in £ on a fee that was written in $ (usd) so I think I once paid 20% of £200 when it should have been 20% of $200 so I got charged about £6 or so more then I should have going by what the exchange rate was at the time.

Funny thing is that people who ship to me always seam to miss a 0 on the value of the item on the shipping invoice must be a common mistake people in airsoft shops in HK make lol

[thekonassure]

Re: Parcelforce Clearance Fee Solution

Parcel Force have an item for me that is "held" awaiting payment.

I contacted them today using the same argument you used to get your fees refunded to see if I can get them to release my stuff. I hate the fees but if I everyone makes a court claim they would end up bankrupt so I hope that a few quotes from the postal act of 2000, they`ll release my stuff and then I can be cheeky and just send then a cheque for only the VAT.