UK Customs fee: RM Still holding package even though fee is paid

[wapsbasm]

Hi,

Can anyone explain this situation please, and advise on how I should proceed.

I bought an item from eBay (from a seller in Hong Kong) and paid full Import VAT through eBay at point of sale, as is usual. But for some reason the seller seems to have marked the package as a 'gift' instead of merchandise (I didn't ask them to) and so UK Customs have now slapped an erroneous extra VAT charge on it. RM have the package at my local DO but won't release it until I pay the fee, so I decide to pay (via PayPal) and will dispute the charge with Customs later. RM accepts payment and agrees to deliver the package tomorrow (Friday 23/2/2024).

I go to check the progress of the package this morning, and I'm presented with this:

VAT F 01.jpg

The package has moved from my local DO to a different (but still local) DO and there is now a new demand for the same payment (even though the tracking history now clearly shows that the fee has already been paid).
I click the link, and I'm presented with this:

VAT F 02.jpg

What exactly is going on here, and what do I do now?

It's bad enough that Customs has wrongly applied the VAT in the first place, without all this palaver at RM's end.

Thanks for any replies.

[Snaggletooth]

Two things:

You need to call RM customer services to get them to release the parcel to you;

You need to ask the sender for a refund on the VAT you paid to them, and if they don’t respond then ask for a chargeback via your credit card provider. The latter may be easier when you have the packaging from the parcel as evidence of what the sender told customs.

[wapsbasm]

Thanks, I was mostly just wondering if this was just a tracking software issue that I should wait to see if it sorted itself out or not, so I'll do as you recommend. In the 'details' page for paying the fee (which I didn't think to screencap before submitting) it did specify that the amount being charged was because the item was designated as a 'gift', but I'll wait to see what the packaging itself says (when I finally receive it) as you've advised.

Thanks again.

[yellowbelly]

For the posties following this thread - I noticed there is a scan record at Ashton Under Lyne DO stating the item is held for the customs payment.

At an SPDO where there is no locker room bod that does this sort of thing what scan can you action to indicate the item is held at the DO/attached PO pending the customs payment? We just raise the grey card and post it. Didn't know there was a scan that could also indicate this situation to the customer.