£107 customs charge on an item i paid £30 for?!!?

[maggi200]

Do you have the invoice to prove it?

I don't know enough about how they work to know if they would accept that in any event.

 

[pritchp]

just go as tigger and buy from amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rubies-Tigger-Costume-Adult/dp/B004RGMSMG

 

[Araf]

Turns out the shop scribbled the amount so dreadfully, customs thought it was 55,000 yen or something, rather than the smaller 5,500 yen.
The chap at the depot said the best thing to do would be refuse it, then get the seller to re-ship with a clearer label.
So far, the shop is being very hard to deal with.
Language barrier is causing a problem. They keep telling me that they have nothing to do with customs charges, i know that, but it is their fault for writing the wrong amount technically.

Disagree with that. The guy at the depot can use back-up documents (such as a copy of your bank statement or credit card statement, showing the amount you paid) to request a current month amendment with Customs, and have the amount amended. It is the courier company and NOT Customs that input the amount, and they have added one too many zeros to the declaration. They are being lazy, and should rectify THEIR fault at no cost to you.
Get on to the customer service dept. tomorrow, and tell them what you have been advised. They should be horrified.

If you refuse it, you are still probably liable for the shipping costs, and I doubt that will be refunded.

 

[nick7]

i was expecting Replica Trainers or Clothes.

but that suit is random as you like.

Order loads from Japan sometimes they get through Customs no problem but because of Olympics they are stopping alot more goods from Asia into UK

 

[Moomin_Man]

Turns out the shop scribbled the amount so dreadfully, customs thought it was 55,000 yen or something, rather than the smaller 5,500 yen.
The chap at the depot said the best thing to do would be refuse it, then get the seller to re-ship with a clearer label.
So far, the shop is being very hard to deal with.
Language barrier is causing a problem. They keep telling me that they have nothing to do with customs charges, i know that, but it is their fault for writing the wrong amount technically.

Disagree with that. The guy at the depot can use back-up documents (such as a copy of your bank statement or credit card statement, showing the amount you paid) to request a current month amendment with Customs, and have the amount amended. It is the courier company and NOT Customs that input the amount, and they have added one too many zeros to the declaration. They are being lazy, and should rectify THEIR fault at no cost to you.
Get on to the customer service dept. tomorrow, and tell them what you have been advised. They should be horrified.

If you refuse it, you are still probably liable for the shipping costs, and I doubt that will be refunded.

Awesome awesome advice!!! I even had a copy of the order and paypal invoice with me! But he said it's customs i have to speak to.
I will phone first thing tomorrow, he did say it would be slow getting back to them and i doubt it left the depot at 6:30 pm!

Also, how do oyu know so much ?

 

[Araf]

As I said before, Customs clearance is my line of business - and has been for close to 30 years.

Customs don't like refunding VAT, as it's usually reclaimable by a VAT registered business. In your instance, you don't make a VAT return, so have a valid reason for it to be correct, and the over-payment refunded. If the courier company is at fault, they should ask you to sign a declaration, that the overpayment can be repaid to them, then release the package after you pay the correct VAT and duty.

Just another thought - the value of the goods is usually taken from a declaration on the waybill, rather than the invoice itself. The invoice can then be scrutenised, if the value on the waybill is missing or unclear. This would often mean that they have to find the package and opening it to investigate. As they have so many parcels to process each day, they rarely bother.

 

[Moomin_Man]

As I said before, Customs clearance is my line of business - and has been for close to 30 years.

Customs don't like refunding VAT, as it's usually reclaimable by a VAT registered business. In your instance, you don't make a VAT return, so have a valid reason for it to be correct, and the over-payment refunded. If the courier company is at fault, they should ask you to sign a declaration, that the overpayment can be repaid to them, then release the package after you pay the correct VAT and duty.

Just another thought - the value of the goods is usually taken from a declaration on the waybill, rather than the invoice itself. The invoice can then be scrutenised, if the value on the waybill is missing or unclear. This would often mean that they have to find the package and opening it to investigate. As they have so many parcels to process each day, they rarely bother.

Ok, confused!
So i can go to the depot tomorrow and provide adequate evidence of the items true value. Providing they still have the parcel in the depot, it should be OK? They will alter it there on the spot or send it somewhere else to be amended? It's the actual parcelforce depot im collecting from. He seemed pretty adamant that it was not their responsibility.

 

[Araf]

Ok, confused!
So i can go to the depot tomorrow and provide adequate evidence of the items true value. Providing they still have the parcel in the depot, it should be OK? They will alter it there on the spot or send it somewhere else to be amended? It's the actual parcelforce depot im collecting from. He seemed pretty adamant that it was not their responsibility.

Okay, now that I know which courier company it is, I can explain a bit more about their specifics. With parcelforce, it has been cleared by their Customs clearance dept, then sent to the local depot. I doubt that the person at your local depot will have the authority to release it. You will need to speak with their clearance dept, and they will have to authorise the release against the lesser charge.

When he told you that you would have to take it up with Customs, I assume you meant HM Revenue & Customs. I now realise that he was talking about the clearance dept within Parcelforce.

I would suggest that in the first instance, you either telephone the customer services dept. or e-mail them, outlining your problem. Details are on the link below.

https://www.parcelforce.com/home/contact-us

 

[Moomin_Man]

THanks for all the help Araf! I'll phone them at 8am

 

[MovingShadow]

Also, how do oyu know so much ?

I keep thinking that as well.

Its like Singlespeed's twin brother or something

 

[Moomin_Man]

Well, wasted a few hours on the phone this morning.
Parcelforce say they do not input the figures and that it is all done by customs. I phoned customs to organise it be returned for amendment.
They told me as of april 1st they don't do that. They refused to amend it and told me to just refuse the delivery.
Even though I told them i have the invoices and the parcel has them inside. They said the parcel states it 36,000 yen, (Which it doesn't, iv'e seen it up close, it's scribbled but it is 5,500 yen)
Really pissed off with this situation now. Looks like im going to have to wait again and pay for re-delivery and risk it getting through this time...

 

[Araf]

I'd e-mail as high as you can with a complaint, detailing the whole sorry affair, and the fact that no one will help you.

You could try [email protected] - but be polite, if you want him on your side.

 

[waitey]

I'd e-mail as high as you can with a complaint, detailing the whole sorry affair, and the fact that no one will help you.

You could try [email protected] - but be polite, if you want him on your side.

Do you secretly work for parcel force?? :lol:

 

[Araf]

Do you secretly work for parcel force?? :lol:

No, but I've got my eye on a lovely Eeyore outfit, that I don't think is going to be collected. :lol:

 

[DrDrew]

Do you secretly work for parcel force?? :lol:

No, but I've got my eye on a lovely Eeyore outfit, that I don't think is going to be collected. :lol:

Eeyore going along in a wind with the roof down. That would be another funny sight :lol:

 

[Moomin_Man]

I'd e-mail as high as you can with a complaint, detailing the whole sorry affair, and the fact that no one will help you.

You could try [email protected] - but be polite, if you want him on your side.

Have emailed him! Thanks for the contact info
Should i try and put my parcel back on hold at the depot (Unless it's already in the system being returned)?
You are a star Araf!

 

[Araf]

I would think you could leave it. If he wants to help, then I'm sure he can find your parcel and re-direct it.

BTW, if the parcel is returned, have you thought of what happens about the Customs charges?

The answer is that they get refunded to Parcelforce.

 

[Moomin_Man]

I would think you could leave it. If he wants to help, then I'm sure he can find your parcel and re-direct it.

BTW, if the parcel is returned, have you thought of what happens about the Customs charges?

The answer is that they get refunded to Parcelforce.

That's great, I'll leave it be for now.
What do you mean? Refunded to parcelforce?

 

[Jay4]

Could be worse... You could open it up and find a pooh....

 

[Dubz]

Could be worse... You could open it up and find a pooh....

How has no one else already said this?