An Post returning packages from outside the EU-See 1st post

NewbridgeIR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121948899#Comment_121948899

You buying Blu Rays from Indicator / Powerhouse?

I know they're IOSS registered now. I ordered a film from them last week (website exclusive) and it arrived without any issue.

dasa29

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121949028#Comment_121949028

No the website I am buying the Blu Rays from is All the Anime.

SPDUB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121946290#Comment_121946290

An Post have in recent months taken measures to ensure that if an item accidently gets out of customs and to a local delivery office then it gets sent back to customs .

That of course would be mostly "customs due" but I suppose it could occasionally be items due to be returned to sender

bakerlite

Is there anything I can do to make sure a parcel makes it? Bought 30 euros worth of electronic parts (leds) , business filled out a ch22 and a post /customs just sent it back with no explanation, can I direct the business owner to do anything in particular to ensure delivery?

NewbridgeIR

When you buy something worth less than €150 from Ebay UK, VAT is paid upfront.

If it's shipped via Royal Mail (as opposed to the Global Shipping Programme), three things can happen.

1/ Item is delivered

2/ An Post send a demand for VAT and an admin fee

3/ Item is rejected and send back to the seller.

1 is the ideal situation.

2 is a nuisance but Ebay will refund the second VAT charge (not the admin fee).

3 is the worst-case scenario.

My question is - how do An Post decide which goes into scenarios 2 and 3? Both indicate that something is incorrect with the electronic customs data but obviously 2 is preferable.

Shan Doras

When something is sent to a UK addresspal address now, my understanding is customs open it and guess a value? How would they value say a homemade dvd ?

NewbridgeIR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038573#Comment_122038573

That should be marked as a gift with a nominal value.

Got one this morning (a replacement CD) from London. Value £5 marked as a gift. Posted Tuesday.

leandrolorenzi

Ordered a 16£ powerbank on Amazon.uk to get it delivered via Addresspal/AnPost (Hatfield address)

I am asked to pay Eur 9.03 within 2 weeks as per below breakdown:

============

Customs Charges to be Paid:

Import Duty = €0.00 Excise Duty = €0.00

VAT = €5.53 Admin fee = €3.50 Total = €9.03

Item value: €24.06

============

I am not sure how the Value has been estimated, as order was 16£ delivered (18/19 Eur max).

I understand VAT has been calculated as 23% of the Item value, however 20% UK VAT was already included in the total order? should not have been that deducted somehow?

Am I missing something?

I have the option to refuse payment (and item will be returned to sender/Amazon).

I am considering this option. Did anyone went down this route?

Will I get refunded of the Addresspal charge? Will amazon refund the total?

ohnonotgmail

»I am not sure how the Value has been estimated, as order was 16£ delivered (18/19 Eur max).

how much was the addresspal fee? that is included in the items value. VAT is paid on the CIF value. the addresspal fee is included in the F.

»I understand VAT has been calculated as 23% of the Item value, however 20% UK VAT was already included in the total order? should not have been that deducted somehow?

unfortunately not. revenue dont know how much UK VAT you paid, or even if you paid any at all. they just care about the total amount you paid.

»I have the option to refuse payment (and item will be returned to sender/Amazon).

»I am considering this option. Did anyone went down this route?

if you refuse it will be send back to addresspal not amazon. amazon did not ship it to ireland. addresspal will have no clue what to do with it. they certainly wont return it to amazon on your behalf.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058066#Comment_122058066

I've pointed out many times on this thread that if you use Addresspal, you will pay vat twice. UK vat is added because the packet is delivered to a UK address. Its then exported by Anpost to Ireland where Irish vat applies on every cost accumulated by the transaction. If you order directly from a UK supplier, they will now send it UK vat free, but unfortunately delivery costs to Ireland have increased to cover the punitive paperwork overheads, and the obvious loss risk due to so many returns.

It's safe to assume Anpost are not operating as a trading intermediary, keeping records of the goods' UK Vat and seeking refunds to offset the inevitable Irish Vat. Such a model would require them to place the orders on your behalf and record payment on their own account, a monstrous business model which would never work.

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122058045#Comment_122058045

Why did u order from Amazon and get it sent to a UK address?

You should have just used your own address and Amazon would have sorted sorted the vat.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122059316#Comment_122059316

100% this. The whole addresspal business model is basically defunct.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122059679#Comment_122059679

Amazon won't ship powerbanks directly to ireland.

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122059793#Comment_122059793

I see but addresspal are not supposed either.

deezell

The primary reason for a UK address is to buy from all those companies that don't deliver to Ireland, and that number increased exponentially after the Anpost shenanigans with returned mail. UK businesses would sustain a heavy loss on returned goods and refunds to the customers. To circumvent this high rejection and return risk, in steps AnPost, with their profitable service which guarantees your packet won't get stopped by, er, AnPost. Does anyone smell a rat here?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060130#Comment_122060130

True, but they do.

NewbridgeIR

I found a reasonably helpful person in An Post who gave me the exact reason why my latest package was rejected. I got this via telephone. (The WhatsApp and Twitter route just gleaned "insufficient / invalid electronic customs clearance" with no reason provided).

The UK seller put a value of £10 on the paper customs form. The person in the UK post office incorrectly entered a value of £0.01 (one penny) on the electronic customs form. An Post's value threshold starts at £1.

As An Post are not prioritising returns, my package is still sitting in the mail centre and could be there for a few weeks.

An Post offered a solution:

"Get the sender to ask Royal Mail / UK Post Office to re-submit a fresh electronic customs form with the correct value. We will get it instantly and can then deliver your package. This can be done at any time (not just at the time of sending) once the tracking number is held."

Of course when I relayed that the seller, he contacted Royal Mail who said "we cannot do that."

Second suggestion from the helpful guy:

"Get the sender to raise an enquiry with Royal Mail. That will force them to investigate and address the issue. They will probably contact us and we will tell them what's needed."

This one could run for another while yet.

ohnonotgmail

No, addresspal existed long before the issues with returned mail. The business case for addresspal is now weaker as you end up paying both UK and Irish VAT when you use addresspal.

leandrolorenzi

Thanks for the replies and explanations! I incorrectly assumed my Addresspal on Amazon was a Northern Ireland postcode. it's long time I was not using it, and I wanted to explore personally. Lesson learnt

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060184#Comment_122060184

No, addresspal existed long before the issues with returned mail. The business case for addresspal is now weaker as you end up paying both UK and Irish VAT when you use addresspal.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060384#Comment_122060384

Addresspal existed in the same era as Parcel motel, it was ideal for businesses which wouldn't deliver to Ireland or NI. Parcel motel was made redundant by Brexit. Addresspal on the other hand received a huge advertising campaign and constant mailshots, in particular after the Anpost returns debacle. Addresspal should be defunct, but they're doing nicely, particularly with personal packetss such as Birthday gifts to family in Ireland which are often callously returned by an post if sent by royal mail.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060508#Comment_122060508

you suggested there was an An Post conspiracy. that is nonsense.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060538#Comment_122060538

Conspiracy? Who said that? I'm suggesting that the packets they export from the UK always arrive, and are not subject to the vagaries of the automatic system which has misread and returned thousands of packets when sent by Royal mail. That's not a conspiracy, more like uncompetitive practice, like insider trading.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122063037#Comment_122063037

To circumvent this high rejection and return risk, in steps AnPost, with their profitable service which guarantees your packet won't get stopped by, er, AnPost. Does anyone smell a rat here?

That sounds like a conspiracy to me. Nonsense if you ask me. For one, you have no idea if addresspal parcels are immune to the problems facing other parcels. For two, if they are not experiencing the same issues perhaps it is because the people working for addresspal know how to provide the correct customs info so their parcels do not get rejected.