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UPS delivery man demanded £15 before handing over parcel
Gusto Brunt
Posts: 12,351 Forum Member
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I had ordered something from China. It cost £18 or $30. But I had to pay extra for the UPS delivery from China to UK.
The parcel arrived this morning but the delivery guy demanded £15 (£4 import tax and £11 UPS fee). I was so annoyed because the item in the parcel's only worth £18. But he wouldn't hand over the parcel until I paid the money. I wasn't gonna grapple him to the ground but I felt like it.
It was like being robbed in daylight.:eek: The thing was the parcel hadn't even gone through British customs and as there was no sticker you usually see when import tax is being paid.
Also, this £15 is an estimate. So that proves the figure has come out of thin air.
My question is, does anyone know a contact email for UPS? I have tried ringing them 10 times but it's always engaged or no-one answers.
Thanks in advance.
The parcel arrived this morning but the delivery guy demanded £15 (£4 import tax and £11 UPS fee). I was so annoyed because the item in the parcel's only worth £18. But he wouldn't hand over the parcel until I paid the money. I wasn't gonna grapple him to the ground but I felt like it.
It was like being robbed in daylight.:eek: The thing was the parcel hadn't even gone through British customs and as there was no sticker you usually see when import tax is being paid.
Also, this £15 is an estimate. So that proves the figure has come out of thin air.
My question is, does anyone know a contact email for UPS? I have tried ringing them 10 times but it's always engaged or no-one answers.
Thanks in advance.
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That's only if you have an account though, isn't it. I don't.
It's the first time I've used this service.
no it isn't.
doesn't sound like you've actually tried clicking on the option, i suggest you do.
probably changed the policy due to people receiving the package and then not paying the invoice.
quite rightly, if the receiver isn't willing to pay the duty then they shouldn't get the parcel.
And clicking on the Call Customer Service link brings up a whole page of contact information.
You say you're angry because the parcel is only worth £18, but are you aware the threshold is now £15? It's the law that your parcel must have VAT levied on it. It's not UPS's fault.
My only concern paying at the door would be getting proof I had paid.
The couriers can clear items through customs themselves, so it will definitely have passed through the procedures.
When I have had items delivered by UPS or DHL, there's never been a sticker to show it had passed through customs. I wasn't aware customs themselves would apply a sticker. Maybe you're thinking of the bill that is usually stuck on Royal Mail/Parcel Force deliveries? I don't think that's routine customs procedure, not with the couriers at least.
An estimate is not out of thin air, it's an estimate based on what they know now. It could possibly need to be adjusted. The driver himself won't have just made it up.
Next time the best thing to do if you can is try to get the shipment marked as a gift. Ive had alot of parcels from overseas that do this as standard for relativly low cost items.
Well yes it is. Would Sainsbury's knock 60p your shopping every week?
There was charges on a item to be paid, If the charges was more or near enough what the item cost then thats the person who ordered its fault, Always better to fully check these sort of things when buying
You could argue they do with thier new brand match scheme
I think UPS should charge for the tax/duty forwarding relative to the cost of the item like VAT and not a flat rate fee. A £12 fee to collect £3.60 is pretty bad imo.
If import tax is only £4, that would mean it's been charged on total value of £20. Your goods were £18 and I'm sure the UPS delivery would have cost much more than £2.
I don't know whether this would be picked up on and the OP forced to pay more. But I think the actual tax due would be higher than £4.
It's daylight robbery. I am disgusted with the majority of people on here who think it's right to slap charges of £15 on an £18 item -especially when I have already paid for the blinkin' shipping!
In fact I am going to contact UK customs tomorrow. I have great doubts UPS will actually pass on that tax they say I owe. Bloody thieves. :mad:
It's rob, rob, rob in this country. I felt as if I was being held up at my own front door. Pay up, or else. They wouldn't dare send in an invoice because they know I wouldn't darn pay it.
Marking as "gift" does not negate the duty/tax liability. It just lifts the threshold from £15 to £30.
UPS have handled the Customs clearance on your behalf and charged you for the pleasure, on top of the duty/VAT due on the item (and carriage charge). So would DHL, or TNT or DPD or ParcelForce or Royal Mail or whoever does the work on your behalf. It's perfectly legal and above board. HMRC will laugh at you and so they should. The fact you didn't acquaint yourself with the rules regarding importing goods and the associated costs is not their problem - it's yours.
If you want to contact anyone then UPS is where you should start, but they now have your money and are unlikely to give a toss (and neither would I).
Of course you could always set up an import account and clear the goods yourself, but it will cost you a damn site more than you're paying UPS and take a lot longer.
New Import Duty & Taxes Calculator
I've tried it on only one thing, but it seemed to be accurate. What it doesn't include, though, is the charge from Royal Mail or the courier for collecting VAT and other taxes, so that would have to be added on. However, what is clear is that the amazing bargain from Hong Kong or wherever can end up by being not much of a bargain at all by the time you've paid the necessary taxes and fees.
I've had the same thing on items bought abroad, from different couriers. It's a standard thing and legally required. The charging the tax bit, not the fee, though that is standard practice since they do have to do work including the time for the courier to collect the fee from you. It may sound excessive but couriers are so highly targeted that even a minute longer at your door quickly adds up.
When I was in Bermuda, I paid $5 taxes for a $4 item (coming from USA). Only because it arrived in a separate shipment.
So yes, the taxes are high, what can you do? I would assume they would be high, so you'd be encouraged to by from your own country or at least EU.
If you can't understand that, don't buy from abroad.
You need to work out the cost before you order. You're always going to be liable for duty & all couriers charge a handling fee on top of postage.
yes, but if you don't agree to the contract then you are not entitled to receive your package.
UPS (or whoever) will simply return it to sender.
Is it possible that UPS also have such an option? Worth looking on their website to find out.
Royal Mail fee is £8 as I recall.
The £1.25 is reasonable, the others clearly not.
Which (disregarding the point that this could be potential blackmail) would actually be illegal with Royal Mail (but probably not with couriers) due to the mail being the property of the Queen and postal acts meaning that if you put a lien on the Queen's mail or intentionally impede its delivery, then you are breaking the law. There were threads on consumer forums regarding these charges a while back. I suppose with UPS the only way you could contest the charge is to pay the charge then lodge a complaint etc, about whether the charge is reasonable for the work they have to do to put your parcel through customs and pay the duty (which is acceptable) or if the charge is punitive (which is illegal).