So, back in May I bought a Penguin knife from Drop.com. Painfully (as you’ll see) I ordered this with the $10 voucher I was given for their mess up on the Copper tool tint mixup.
Rather than let the $10 go to waste, I decided to get the knife costing an extra $6.71.
Total was $16.71 or £14.28 at that time.
Drop made such a cock up sending it through 3 couriers, it made it almost impossible to properly track, or get help with after.
It went from the USA (DHL GLOBAL), to Germany (Deutsche Post) , to the UK then on to Royal Mail.
Deutsche Post tracking told me it had failed a delivery due to customs charge not being paid. It clearly says they attempted to deliver it - but I had no card, I was also in all day, so I know they didn’t come.
Turns out, the failed delivery wasn’t a failed delivery at all, they delivered it to my local post office… weird.
Anyway, Royal mail have it now, and explained they hadn’t even tried to deliver it - would be out tomorrow - but it had a £3.73 vat charge, and £8 RM handling fee - all this despite it being less than the £15 threshold, which I can prove - it included shipping - it was free. They haven’t handled anything, other than tomorrows delivery.
Now me, I’m a principal man - and I refuse to be ripped off.
I called HMRC and after 30 minutes on the phone at 10p a min, and a wonderful call (nice guy) I find out I cannot lose an appeal if I can prove it was under £15 shipped. They will HAVE to refund me, and RM will too.
The question is, why, since the value is on the outside of the parcel (unless drop messed it up, in which case it’s their fault - I haven’t seen it yet obviously) was it even charged VAT. Let alone RM’s £8 thank you for nothing fee.
I have been 5 hours sorting this whole mess out - it has cost me at least £5 in calls and way more in time - but it’s the principal.
Whilst on the phone to HMRC the guy said most of his day is taken up with incorrect customs charges, and admitted it was wrong - of course, I raised the point, that I’d been on the phone 30 mins plus, and at say £15 hr, the UK government has paid him £7 explaining how to get my wrongly charged vat back. He giggled, we both giggled. The fact is that £3.73 will end up costing the UK taxpayer probaly £50 ina ll the processing etc - all for £3.73 they are going to have to pay me back.
he said I should report it to the BIFA.
It don’t end there. To claim this I have to fill out a form, and hope it gets sorted in 30 days, or it will go back to the USA!
I asked - who will pay for the stamp? ‘what stamp he says’ the one to post the appeal off, which should never have been charged in the first place I said, we both giggled again - Royal mail must LOVE IT -money for nothing.
And so here I am, no knife and tomorrow I will have to pay the customs charge, just to claim it back and get my knife.
Who is ultimately to blame I have no idea - but from where I’m standing it’s just a low level money making exercise by HMRC - but imagine for a minute ALL the people claimed their £3 back…… each time costing HMRC at least £50 in wages and processing - it now will have to be sent back to customs and re-evaluated - but the guy said there is no way they can win if I have a receipt, which I do.
Shocking really this can happen.
I must admit, when I have a stick in my mouth, I’m NOT gonna drop it if I know I’m right.
Depending on the value written on the front tomorrow will decide who is actually to blame - it may be DROP for putting the wrong amount on, I’m thinking they may have included their free postage, even though I didn’t pay it. We will have to wait and see.
The guy at HMRC couldn’t have felt more sorry for me , and reiterated this happens thousand of times a day.
He even suggested I put a complain into the BIFA which is some sort of shipping ombudsman.
I have already written to my MP about this disgusting waste of taxpayers money sorting messes out that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Just goes to show what goes on behind the scenes - and how many people would have just turned round and swallowed that charge with no complaint - most I’d imagine, how many £mmillions a year does the HMRC steel off it’s own citizens for no reason, knowing they won’t appeal over £3.00.
Disgusting.