HELP PLEASE! Problem with Courier - Import charges
Discussion
Hi all
Apologies for the long post - I have tried to make it as brief as possible but would be very grateful of any input.
I placed an online order for 12 bottles of wine. I often purchase online/overseas wine orders (Spain and France) and have never been charged anything outside of what I pay at the checkout.
Lulled into a false sense of security, this time I order from Hungary, receive my VAT invoice (showing 27% tax) and waited for the tracking information to come through. I received a few updates regarding passing through customs as expected. Then, I received an email saying the package is in the UK depot and will be delivered on Monday. This was postponed to Tuesday (I assumed due to the Queen's funeral), but this then happened every day until I called them on Friday, following a notification it would not be delivered until the following Tuesday.
I finally got through to the UPS helpline and was told to wait until Tuesday arrived and then call back if not delivered. I explained I had already waited a week and wanted an explanation as to why my package had been 'import scanned' five times and still no further information was available. A call was supposedly logged and the manager was asked to call me - needless to say this never happened.
Yesterday, the day of promised delivery, arrived and I receive an email asking me to provide details of the order and advising that there is a daily charge for 'storage'. I replied explaining the package was 12 bottles wine/personal consumption/I'm not a smuggler etc. and I receive an email confirming it is now cleared for delivery tomorrow.
To my astonishment, I receive another email advising that 'Duties, taxes and fees' totalling £396.45 is now due. Bear in mind the 12 bottles and delivery cost £335.86.
Somewhat confused, I called the UPS helpline and got through to somebody who promised to send me an itemized breakdown.
I received the following: -
Duty - £1.75
VAT - £113.72
Accessorial (non-routine) - £23.00
Disbursement - £11.50
Clearly the VAT figure cannot be right (with the net being calculated at £568.60) and the breakdown totals significantly less than the £396.45 I was invited to pay.
I have emailed back making numerous points but have received no reply and the item is due for delivery tomorrow. According to the payment request email I will be expected to pay the courier if I do not pay upfront - which I haven't.
What should I do?
Apologies for the long post - I have tried to make it as brief as possible but would be very grateful of any input.
I placed an online order for 12 bottles of wine. I often purchase online/overseas wine orders (Spain and France) and have never been charged anything outside of what I pay at the checkout.
Lulled into a false sense of security, this time I order from Hungary, receive my VAT invoice (showing 27% tax) and waited for the tracking information to come through. I received a few updates regarding passing through customs as expected. Then, I received an email saying the package is in the UK depot and will be delivered on Monday. This was postponed to Tuesday (I assumed due to the Queen's funeral), but this then happened every day until I called them on Friday, following a notification it would not be delivered until the following Tuesday.
I finally got through to the UPS helpline and was told to wait until Tuesday arrived and then call back if not delivered. I explained I had already waited a week and wanted an explanation as to why my package had been 'import scanned' five times and still no further information was available. A call was supposedly logged and the manager was asked to call me - needless to say this never happened.
Yesterday, the day of promised delivery, arrived and I receive an email asking me to provide details of the order and advising that there is a daily charge for 'storage'. I replied explaining the package was 12 bottles wine/personal consumption/I'm not a smuggler etc. and I receive an email confirming it is now cleared for delivery tomorrow.
To my astonishment, I receive another email advising that 'Duties, taxes and fees' totalling £396.45 is now due. Bear in mind the 12 bottles and delivery cost £335.86.
Somewhat confused, I called the UPS helpline and got through to somebody who promised to send me an itemized breakdown.
I received the following: -
Duty - £1.75
VAT - £113.72
Accessorial (non-routine) - £23.00
Disbursement - £11.50
Clearly the VAT figure cannot be right (with the net being calculated at £568.60) and the breakdown totals significantly less than the £396.45 I was invited to pay.
I have emailed back making numerous points but have received no reply and the item is due for delivery tomorrow. According to the payment request email I will be expected to pay the courier if I do not pay upfront - which I haven't.
What should I do?
ZedLeg said:
If you want your package you’ll have to pay and claim for the duties with HMRC later. If you don't your parcel will be returned to sender or destroyed.
I thought as much. Never had this issue with DPD!I assume that is a fairly easy process? Never encountered anything like this before. Surely, I can easily demonstrate the figure is completely wrong and the storage was down to their incompetence.
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