Customs charge on unsolicited goods?

[davthepunk]

Anyone know if there's anything I can do about this?

I had to pay nearly £16 in total to receive an item from the USA that someone sent to me without my knowledge. It was a 'thanks for selling me that thing on eBay - here's something of mine for you to look at' kind of thing - which would be really nice, except that for some reason they put a value of US$50 on it and marked it as merchandise! Na, it's not even worth anything like that anyway (maybe a fiver, I'd say).

I just paid online when I got the card and had it re-delivered, because I was expecting another international item - and I got a bit of a shock this morning... If I'd gone down to the sorting office to collect, I'd have certainly rejected it and return-to-sendered it.

Is there anything I can do to get a refund on this from the customs/RM? TBH, I'm absolutely fuming.

Cheers.

[Lounge Lizard]

Probably nothing you can do as you've now accepted it.
Buyer beware isn't so easy in such a situation and distance selling regulations won't apply in this case.
And I've never trusted the Americans.

[CT10]

Nope, nothing you can do

[davthepunk]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

[arnold cheshire]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

Sorry but I think its an over reaction to accuse him of theft. All you can say for certain is that he inspected the item and found it was empty (perhaps by holding it up to the light). What happened after he inspected it, or whether they opened it is open to supposition.

If he didn't refuse it, it MAY be theft. If he followed the correct procedure did then there is no theft

[arnold cheshire]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

it wasnt theft the DOM gave it to me

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

it wasnt theft the DOM gave it to me

you knowingly didnt pay a surcharge and tool the item when it was given to you, thats theft, your manager is in the wrong also, i hope you both get caught

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

Sorry but I think its an over reaction to accuse him of theft. All you can say for certain is that he inspected the item and found it was empty (perhaps by holding it up to the light). What happened after he inspected it, or whether they opened it is open to supposition.

If he didn't refuse it, it MAY be theft. If he followed the correct procedure did then there is no theft

his next post was to point out he took it, he knew there was a charge to pay and didnt, his manager gave it to him, they are both in trouble as far as im concerened

[hantsman]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

Pretty extreme reply IMHO, and all of it incorrect.

[hantsman]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

it wasnt theft the DOM gave it to me

1jw
you knowingly didnt pay a surcharge and tool the item when it was given to you, thats theft, your manager is in the wrong also, i hope you both get caught

I can just see you bringing back hanging for not paying a surcharge, "not in the public interest" I can see the CPS taking this case on.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

just put it down to a mistake to be learned from . how can it be used to delibertately mess with someone you dont have to pay . someone sent me a surcharge empty envelope but i didnt pay as im rm staff

thats theft, i hope you get caught and sacked next time or even prosectued

Pretty extreme reply IMHO, and all of it incorrect.

whats incorrect? and when should he be charged for theft? after 10 letters? 100? 1000? wheres the line? one is too many for me

[TrueBlueTerrier]

his next post was to point out he took it, he knew there was a charge to pay and didnt, his manager gave it to him, they are both in trouble as far as im concerened

Again you are making a supposition from a paucity of facts. All we know for certain is that a surcharge was raised, his manager made him aware of the surcharge and finally that he didn't pay it

His manager gave the item to him. Then.....................

1. He refused it and applied a red sticker.
2. He refused it and returned it to the surcharge area.
3. The manager used his discretion and waived the charge following procedure.
4. He threw it in the bin.
5. The manager threw it in the bin.
6. It was subsumed into dark energy as a result of a collision of boson particles at CERN.

All of the above are possible, some more than others. But to accuse someone of theft on such flimsy evidence is wrong.

[Lounge Lizard]

Well, that sucks.

I've been hit with customs fees before when sellers have over-declared the value of goods (hoping to make a bigger claim if something goes missing?), but never anything like this before.

This was something that I suppose could legitimately be marked as a gift too.


This seems to me like a bit of a loophole that could be used by someone to deliberately mess with another person, you know.

So if that "sucks" what do you expect Royal Mail or HMRC to do about it ?
Or are you the sucker that's been exploited by all these con merchants across the pond ?