Parcelforce = Robbing B*****ds

[craigosh]

Just got a customs charge card from Parcelforce for something i ordered from Champ in Japan and they want £19 for £28 worth of goods...

There is about £5 Vat to pay but then they want £13.50 for a handling charge, which they are claiming is a Customs charge!!! not theirs

I phoned them and HMRC ages ago to find out likely charges and HMRC said i would only have to pay VAT, and parcelforce said their handling would be between £8-11.50. So where the hell has £13.50 come from!!

When i phoned to question it the woman started to shout at me like i'd smacked her round the head of something, which i would love to do right now, so i put the phone down.

Paid it cause i want the goods, but has anyone else had this kind of charge for something about the size of an A4 envelope and weighing less than 1kg!!!!


Furious

[jim76]

oh dear. would have been cheaper to get it in the UK no doubt.

[Lee]

Parcelfarce are ace aren`t they, i think they are the best company at getting stuff 90% of the way to your door

I hate them with a passion.

[craigosh]

Not wrong Jim, and i would of had if i could of got the bits here. All for helping the UK shops.

Thing that gets me as well is that i got a parcel through the other week which was worth more and they didn't stop it...

Its daylight robbery. But i'm not sure whats annoying me more now, the charge or the bint that started shouting at me!!! If their offices were local i'd be straight down their to shout back!!

[DCM]

I can't remember how they work it out, you pay PF a handling fee, as they pay HMRC the customs charge, which they then bill you for.

HMRC will assess the value of the item, and then if it isn't a gift, you will pay import duty on the value of the item PLUS the shipping cost, you will then pay VAT on the value of the item, plus shipping cost, plus import duty. Nice and simple aye..... if it is a gift, you pay a lower import duty and they don't take the value of the shipping into account either.

I have had the same issue with RC Champ, so I no longer use them. There are two other good Asian sellers who got very good EMS rates, and on EMS you rarely get billed.

[bigred5765]

they always do that if its had vat or customs charges put on, same charge if you had bought 300-400 quids worth though

[craigosh]

Cheers guys.

HMRC said that i should only pay the VAT, no customs charges.. Though i may have that confused with no Excise duty...

I guess whoever at Champ sent it didnt mark as a gift which is why it got collared.

Wont be ordering anything for a while from Jap but i'll be wary next time I do.

[jimmy]

Parcel farce are total crap and indeed incompetent theiving liars. I've had things 'attempted delivery' before - where they only ever brought the card, no actual parcel. I've also had customs charges that they couldn't add up!!! - the customs charge + their handling charge were clearly written on the box, but the 'total' was something else completely different.
It's great that they no longer deliver items with a charge and you have to either pay the charge over the phone or appear in person at their collection counter.

[DCM]

but then, other delivery firms are bad to, only the other week, I was left a BT Broadband Hub and phone, down beside my wheely bin, no delivery note through my door.

Best bit was, I don't even have a BT land line, and the parcel wasn't even addressed to me either, not signed for it either, Home Delivery Network that is for you.

I will admit though, most firms will try to leave a parcel with a neighbour, PF will just hide it back in the system.

[Mrs.TeamXtreme]

Parcel Force are CRAP, I sent a parcel to the states paid over £50 and it took over a month - with no tracking number!!

Aren't they a division of Royal Mail? Would explain things coz they're crap too!

[frogger]

Yep, I've had the £13.50 'Handling charge' a few times too. The other thing I hate is UPS showing up at my door asking for their £20+ in customs charges right there and then, it always on a day when I have zero cash with me. Cheque book!? Haven't used one in years!

[ben]

Originally Posted by Mrs.TeamXtreme

CRAP crap

you said two naughty words. tut tut

[millzy]

Originally Posted by Mrs.TeamXtreme

Parcel Force are CRAP, I sent a parcel to the states paid over £50 and it took over a month - with no tracking number!!

Aren't they a division of Royal Mail? Would explain things coz they're crap too!

Royal Mail Group Ltd is the parent company of Royal Mail, Post Office® and Parcelforce Worldwide.


Our aims

At Parcelforce Worldwide, we realise that we’re delivering more than parcels. We’re also delivering a commitment to you and your businesses.

Every single parcel you entrust us with is a confirmation of your confidence in us. How we respond is a measure of our success. So we strive to meet and achieve your expectations every step of the way.

Everyone that works for us has the responsibility for creating a smooth and efficient service. Our intelligent use of technology also helps ensure we stay one step in front.

In our determination to be the voice of the industry, Parcelforce Worldwide is always thinking ahead for you

[Darren Boyle]

As was already said, they charge a handling fee for dealing with it at this end, it is £8 ish if it is non priority and they deal with it as ParcelForce 48 hour or £13.50 per box for priority which is dealt with via Parcelforce 24 hour.

The charge is per box, regardless of the value (as someone also has said)

We have just had a box held up at customs from X-Factory, it has been there since the 17th July, it got released today!!

But sourcing from within the UK is the obvious answer to avoid all of this from happening

[craigosh]

Originally Posted by DMS Racing

As was already said, they charge a handling fee for dealing with it at this end, it is £8 ish if it is non priority and they deal with it as ParcelForce 48 hour or £13.50 per box for priority which is dealt with via Parcelforce 24 hour.

Cheers,That clears it up a bit, more useful info than i got from the parcelforce muppets!!! Though the amount of time i've been waiting it should only of been the £8 charge LOL.

I would of purchased from the UK but nowhere had the bits, and didnt even have some of the bits i wanted listed so Jap it was. I dont like back ordering things as they never turn up!

We had a toaster on our wedding list @ john lewis back ordered last october when it was bought and it still hasn't turned up...! got married in May!!

[Lee]

Originally Posted by craigosh

got married in May!!

Im sorry to hear that mate

[craigosh]

Cheers Lee

[SlowOne]

Parcelforce are no better or worse than any of the others. I've had stuff through Emery, DHL, Fedex and a few less well known, and they all charge to handle your parcel, and it's usually £8 to £12.

I am really interested in the fact that a nation thinks it is OK to cheat on payment of a lawful tax, but would probably bang on about Social Security scroungers!! The more we try and buy abroad and avoid paying import duty and VAT in the UK, the more they are going to assess each parcel, decide on a value, and charge you. With the internet they can look up any UK prices, and then charge you accordingly. Stop moaning - get used to it or shop in the UK!!

[craigosh]

Excuse me, but i dont have a problem with paying the VAT or Customs charge, i dont make any attempt to get round customs charges. If it doesnt get flagged then yeah its an added bonus. I just order it and wait for it to turn up!

What i do have a problem with is having to pay a frankly daft charge just to have my package passed from one side of a building to the other. Then get abused by obnoxious staff when i politely question it, based on what i've been told in the past by that company and the HMRS.

As i said before if i could of got what i wanted from the UK i would have.

I've had parcels stopped before that have come through the post office and never had to pay any more than a handling charge similar to the vat/customs charge... its the same company and probably the same central depot.

[jaxx]

OOOoooh parcelforce are magic best company in the world...... if carlsberg did mail delivery i think they would only do it better by 100%. parcelfarce came too deliver a parcel for my neighbour, i wen't out to see if i could take it for him, "Nah mate left a card now" was what i was told...... When my neighbour came home he rang my bell and gave me the card for my goods which they were trying too deliver to the wrong house. lololololololololololololol.

The Royal mail use the ER queen motif...... I think this should be updated too a more modern cultural motif "Krusty the clown" would be nice or even a warhol-esqe turd motif...........