'ffing courier company 'admin' charges

[mrcharly-YHT]

My son asked me to order him a coat from Ebay. Coat arrived, all well and good.

Now the courier company has sent me a VAT bill for £4+£10 admin.

I don't mind paying the £4, but I resent the damn £10 admin charge.

I have a vague memory of someone describing a method of paying HMRC directly and telling the courier firm to sod off. Does anyone remember any more details of how to go about this?

[hubner]

I wouldn't pay anything, it's the Ebay seller who ordered the delivery and they are entirely responsible for paying the courier.

[eeymsmo]

I wouldn't pay anything, it's the Ebay seller who ordered the delivery and they are entirely responsible for paying the courier.

Not if you've purchased it from abroad, then it's your responsibility to pay the tax/duty on it (I'm assuming it's a foreign purchase and that is why they're chasing VAT)

[hubner]

I wouldn't pay anything, it's the Ebay seller who ordered the delivery and they are entirely responsible for paying the courier.

Not if you've purchased it from abroad, then it's your responsibility to pay the tax/duty on it (I'm assuming it's a foreign purchase and that is why they're chasing VAT)

In that case, it's like the Post Office's £8 admin charge when they collect VAT and duty on an imported item. I don't think you can avoid it.

[orienteer]

ParcelForce charge £15

[hubner]

'king 'ell!

That's why you should always only buy stuff that's below a certain value and it must be a gift...

[Biggsy]

I have a vague memory of someone describing a method of paying HMRC directly and telling the courier firm to sod off

I don't remember anyone posting that here during the many discussions of VAT collection I've read, though I could have missed it.

Some large companies outside the EU have an arrangement with the UK where they pay any VAT and Duty in advance for you, but that's not what you're asking.

[Feanor]

But how does thes work, legally speaking?

Sure, you have an obligation to pay the Tax and Duty.
That's a matter for you and HMRC.

But you didn't authorise the courier to pay it on your behalf, and then charge an admin fee.

How about you offer to pay HMRC directly?
( Most airports have an HMRC point ).

If you just don't pay them ( or pay only the duty ), what will they do?
Sue you? What for? Breach of contract?
They have no contract with you to enforce.

Just wondering.

[Biggsy]

If you just don't pay them ( or pay only the duty ), what will they do?

Return the parcel to the sender.  They don't give it to you before you hand over the dosh, so the only choice you have is to pay up or don't get your goods.  When the Royal Mail is the courier, they make you collect it from the delivery office because posties aren't allowed to collect cash any more.

[Feanor]

OP says the item had already arrived, and that the bill followed...

[Tewdric]

If you just don't pay them ( or pay only the duty ), what will they do?

Return the parcel to the sender.  They don't give it to you before you hand over the dosh, so the only choice you have is to pay up or don't get your goods.  When the Royal Mail is the courier, they make you collect it from the delivery office because posties aren't allowed to collect cash any more.

They send you a card now and you can pay online t release the parcel for delivery.

[border-rider]

If you just don't pay them ( or pay only the duty ), what will they do?

Treat it as an unpaid bill (to them) and threaten bailiffs etc

We've occasionally had disputes with work stuff of this nature, when people  have sent us stuff which we've either sent right back or sent on abroad, and we still got stuffed for duty. In the end we've just rolled over and paid because it's been less hassle and cost than fighting.

[Biggsy]

OP says the item had already arrived, and that the bill followed...

Oh yeah.  I was thinking of how it works with the Royal Mail.