Parcel Force Clearance Fee

[tintin102]

Hey

I know this has come up many times before, however after a bit of time searching i can’t seem to find anything, the search i don’t think is working properly.

Anyway I have a package waiting with parcel force and I am wanting to try and get rid of the clearance fee, however I cannot remember the sections to quote from the postal act, can anyone help

Sorry for being a pain and repeating this thread for about the 90th time

Kind Regards

Toby

[windywindmill]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

http://www.zeroin.co.uk/showthread.p...+clearance+fee

Take a read of that thread mate

[V.A.K]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

there has been a change to the postal act don't know exactly but i think they are able to keep hold of your items until you pay

[Panoptes]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

I can't even find my own thread here...

In short it is illegal for Parcel farce / Royal Mail to withold mail in lieu of payment. They admitted as much in an email to me. Phone them; demand immediate shipment and an invoice for the charges, don't give up.

[martinhudson53]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

Such a very amazing link!
Thanks you for the post.

[Q]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

I am currently awaiting the outcome of a SMC claim that I filed in relation to a Parcel Farce charge...followed the guide that was on it here, will post the result when I get it

[The General]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

there has been a change to the postal act don't know exactly but i think they are able to keep hold of your items until you pay

I will sound harsh now but I don't mean to be. Why post a comment like this with no evidence?

This is a quote direct from Parcel Farce.

"Where a customer pays the duty but refuses to pay the handling charge Parcelforce Worldwide will release the parcel to the customer who will then be invoiced for the charge. If the charge is not paid then the customer will be persued for payment through the civil courts."

You can in fact ask for an invoice for the item's handling charge and take away the goods.

[dave-yzf]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

I bought 2 pistol not long ago that cleared custom with no charge and were sent on the the Carlisle dept.
They then kept them for 2 days on day three when I tried to collect in person they refused to release it saying there seems to be a problem with it.
On day 4 it was sent back to customs for them to re check add vat and the parcel force customs charge.
This took a further week to re clear customs with the new charges.

I know this doesn't help you not pay parcel force and they are robbing B******S, but sadly they have you over a barrel and I you do have to pay em.

[The General]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

You do not have to pay handling fee's at the point of collection. Period. Fact.

You can ask for those fee's to be invoiced and many people are doing this and getting away with not paying as they are highly unlikely to chase you for such a small amount. They cannot withhold the parcel or item as that would be illegal. Those are the FACTS.

[Caveira]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

You do not have to pay handling fee's at the point of collection. Period. Fact.

You can ask for those fee's to be invoiced and many people are doing this and getting away with not paying as they are highly unlikely to chase you for such a small amount. They cannot withhold the parcel or item as that would be illegal. Those are the FACTS.

Only one problem with that:

The Postal Services Act 2011 was given royal assent on 13 June 2011 and came into force on the first of this month. In the PSA 2011, an addendum is made to Section 105 of the PSA 2000:

"(4A) A postal operator may detain a postal packet to which this section applies until any duties and charges in respect of the packet that are recoverable by virtue of subsection (3) have been paid."

Section 105 "Application of customs and excise enactments to certain postal packets " Subsection (3) of the Postal Services Act 2000 states:

]"Duties (whether of customs or excise) charged on imported goods or other charges payable in respect of postal packets to which this section applies (whether payable to a postal operator or to a foreign administration) may be recovered by the postal operator concerned and in England and Wales and Northern Ireland may be so recovered as a civil debt due to him."

It used to be illegal for them to withold packages under section 104 "Inviolability of mails" Subsection (2)(d) which states:

"Anything to which this subsection applies shall have the same immunity from ... retention by virtue of a lien ... as it would have if it were the property of the Crown. , but the new ammendement in the 2011 act seems to have removed this restriction."

That no longer seems to be the case following the 2011 act.

[tintin102]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

Well i phoned them up and said that I was willing to pay the VAT however not willing to pay the clearence fee of £8.00 and stated the different sections. however no matter what i did they kept saying you need to and really couldnt give a toss what I said. In the end I thought as it was only £8.00 I would pay it. Somethign has to be done to sort out this problem once and for all as the outcome seems to vary from person to person.

Kind Regards


Toby

[tintin102]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

Parcel force are a con and now we have to pay them

[The General]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

Well I stand corrected then!

Thank you for quoting the relevant changes, much appreciated! I did do a search for any changes but did not see anything. I am surprised this has not had more publicity as it is a very big deal.

[wyattwolf]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

I had to pay parcelf force the other day to get my parcel from China, paid online as didn't know about not paying their p*** taking handling fee of £13.50. Arranged for delivery next day, waited in all day and nothing. Phoned next morning and was told, very nicely, that the parcel is still in teh warehosue and a computer glitch was responcible for parcel not making it to the van. Advised them I wanted it to day as it was a vest I wanted for the recent gas n spring day at the mall (good fun it was too I'll add), ladt said it could be delivered tomorrow which was no good as I'd be at said event. So I had to drive to local depot to collect it, told the chap I was not impressed at having to come and collect the parcel. He advised I complain online which I did. Stated that I wanted the handling fee refunded as they failed to deliver it and I had paid for an express delivery service. Thought that was quite fair...but no, the bascially said no, its not their policy to refund depsite it was their error...really not impressed but no idea what else I can do

[The General]

Re: Parcel Force Clearance Fee

To be fair the handling fee is nothing to do with delivering it to you. It's about paying the VAT and Duties on your behalf.

I personally think its a monopoly and verging on criminal but there it is. Welcome to the UK.