Gift from America stuck in town office

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.portadowntimes.co.uk/news/lo ... -1-6510921" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An American woman is devastated because the wedding present she sent across the Atlantic to her niece is still stuck in the ParcelForce delivery office in Portadown.

Teresa Bruce purchased a $300 custom poster signed by many family members as a wedding present for her niece Jennifer Salfen and Jimmy Treacy, who were married at Manor House Country Hotel near Enniskillen before Christmas.

Teresa mailed the poster on December 18 and was assured it would take five business days at most to arrive.

The cost for mailing it “express” was $75, Teresa also insured the package.

“Before mailing it, I went around to the homes of all of Jennifer’s relatives, the ones who could not afford the trip to Ireland, including Jennifer’s elderly grandmother and grandfather, both in their 80s, to gather signatures.”

Teresa kept in touch with the hotel but the poster never arrived even though the U.S. Postal Service website shows it being delivered to its final destination on time.

She was directed instead to ParcelForce who after initially saying it was in San Francisco, confirmed it was searching for the package in Coventry.

The firm later confirmed the package was in Portadown and that it was being held for a customs fee of over £56.

“This is a personalized item. It is not something that can be re-sold. It is for purely personal and sentimental uses. It is a gift. A wedding gift. At Christmas time. And it is now badly overdue and being held hostage at Portadown for a usurious illegal fee.

“I hope ParcelForce will realise how unreasonable it is being over this.”

[wannabeek]

usurious

[yoo-zhoo r-ee-uh s]

adjective

practicing usury; charging illegal or exorbitant rates of interest for the use of money:

a usurious moneylender.

Am I thick? I had to Google that. Thought it was something to do with bears.

[pinstripe]

Surely if it is a customs fee, then it is HMRC that is to blame, not ParcelForce. Unless ParcelForce now decide what is allowed into the country without paying duty.

[arnold cheshire]

“I hope ParcelForce will realise how unreasonable it is being over this.” do you want parcelforce to pay the customs fee ?

[wabbithunta]

Blaming ParcelForce for this is farcical to say the least.
Yet another non-story used to upset, anger, annoy "Joe Public" etc and get their backs up.
Perhaps if these people had decided to check the facts before printing/posting this story then they'd maybe rewrite it, then again.... "bad news sells"!

I bet those concerned will now actually check on what they send through the post, and let people know if there's the possibility of any charges that may be incurred by those receiving the item concerned.