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

It appears “easier” to slap a return to sender sticker on an item than process it for customs…

I'm beginning to think there's a bigger agenda here. I don't know what but it a real An Post policy from the top, rather than a few incompetent idiots in the warehouse!

Neither the Customer Services nor the CEO himself are answering emails any more, but keep filling their mail boxes anyway. Keeping records of the complaints matter when the reckoning comes.

If you intend to use Comreg, you must first go though the procedure. I mailed them and asked out straight if I was wasting my time and they told me no I'm not, as long as I go through the procedures. After you go through An Post customer services, your next step is the arbitration, and then the small claims court for monetary losses, and Comreg for the behaviour of An Post, but Comreg only want to know when you've done everything else. This is probably why An Post have taken to ignoring mails - it delays the whole process.

I imported a box of processed foods from a UK supermarket who are used to shipping to expats all over Europe. My package was held from August 9th and since then I have mailed An Post 5 times to ask them what information is missing and what I need to submit to release the package. 5 times they ignored me, and returned the package to the UK yesterday, a new low.

As far as I can see we need to contact

Comreg

Minister Eamon Ryan, Michael Martin and Leo Varadkar.

RTE - Duffy - Tubridy - and any other news / chat shows.

All Radio and TV stations.

All the print and online newspapers, particularly the Irish Times, who recently gave Mcc Redmond "Businessman of the Year" award for his success growing An Post!

Every Irish interest Facebook page / Twitter and Instagram too!

The Press Office of the Irish offices of the EU ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/press-resources-and-contacts_en

Other EU consumer affairs and ombudmen offices: ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/contact-european-union/contact-ireland/other-institutions-and-offices_en

If we had any legal muscle here, I'd happpily make a crowd fund contribution to get an injunction against An Post halting their re-export policy and compelling them to co-operate with parcel receivers.

Let's get every gun firing from every vicctim of An Post ASAP

I doubt if any of us would mind observing the TARIC declaration rules if

a) An Post would engage with us and give a clear tutorial and how

b) Learn it themselves

c) Stop lying to us

They charge a handling fee anyway! I thought this would cover communication with customers while paperwork is sorted, even if they time limited the process.

Anyway good luck to all, I'm off to action the above list. Don't leave me alone!

I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence to the Commission for Communications Regulation (“ComReg”).

Please be advised that ComReg would not have any remit regarding customs or the forms that are necessary with the delivery of goods.

You may still wish to utilise An Post's complaints process as outlined below.

An Post can be contacted through the following forums:

An Post's online contact form can be viewed on: https://www.anpost.com/Help-Support/Contact-Us

​

Online enquiry form for missing, delayed or damaged items: https://forms.anpost.ie/enquiry

By Phone: 01 -7057600

By Post:

Customer Services,

General Post Office,

O’Connell Street Lower,

Freepost,

Dublin1

D01F5P2

An Post’s complaints procedures are available on its website: https://www.anpost.com/Customer-Charter/Feedback-Complaints

Please be advised that you must allow 30 calendar days for An Post to respond and provide a resolution to your complaint in accordance with their Code of Practice.

You should be provided with a unique reference number (usually starting with CS or WB) however if you are not provided with this ask the Customer Services Agent to confirm it.

If you are unhappy with the resolution offered by An Post you may then escalate your complaint to the Customer Advocate, who you can contact online at https://www.anpost.com/Help-Support/Customer-Advocate-Form​ or by post at the below address

Customer Advocate,

An Post,

GPO

O’Connell Street Lower

FREEPOST,

Dublin 1

D01 F5P2

A further 30 days must be given to the Customer Advocate to respond to the complaint. In the final response from the Customer Advocate you will be advised that if you remain dissatisfied with the Customer Advocate decision you can contact ComReg for resolution of your dispute in accordance with Section 43(3) of the 2011 Postal Act or of the possibility of seeking redress through court proceedings.

Should you have any other queries or require any other assistance you can call our Consumer Care Team on 01 8049668 or email consumerline@comreg.ie.

I've had to 2 packages returned to sender - one from Canada, one from the US.

Both were declared as gifts (confirmed by the sellers).

Why should a TARIC code matter for gifts? Or are they just returning aboslutely everything?

Also, who is meant to tell the shipper about these codes? Has a bulletin gone out to every non-EU company that ships to advise of same? Is it up to the recipient to advise???

The shipper they are using to send I would think. So Royal Mail if from the UK for example. On https://www.royalmail.com/business/international/guide/electronic-customs-data it does say 'As of 1 June 2021, all Royal Mail shipping systems will require mandatory electronic customs data, to ship items internationally.'. But if you look at the CN22 form that they link to it says, 'if known enter HS tariff number and origin'.

Well as far as I know, Tariff codes are mainly used to calculate import duty. If your parcel is worth less than €150, the import duty is always €0 unless it's tobacco or alcohol. I think, anyway.

If the value of the gift (as usual, including postage, which is daft) is less than €45, I think it's VAT-exempt. And it has to be from one private individual to another.

I know what you mean. The only way to get stuff into Ireland from outside the EU now (unless it's from Amazon or eBay or something) is to use a courier. If you use An Post, it'll just go back. An Post are starting to gain themselves a fairly lousy reputation internationally, actually.

Has anyone used AddressPal for this? Would that be an idea? It being sent to the UK, do they repackage and relabel it? I remember having to send invoices for the US one.

I mostly used to use ParcelWizard so not sure

Ah yeah, I thought maybe if it's part of An Post they must be able to do it correctly but yeah given everything probably not

It also says freighter. In the link I gave about Sweden, they are using boats to return parcels.

Although the uncollected items must be returned to where they came from, they don't have to be sent using the same method of transportation. The majority will be returned by boat rather than air travel, which is the most common way they arrived in Sweden.

“We're happy about that, because it at least reduces the environmental impact of sending back all the goods. Obviously the ideal is that people don't order things they're not going to collect,” Postnord's communications director Thomas Backteman told SVT.

Yeah mine still says We could not deliver your post. We will try to return it to the sender. at 20:39 on 24 August 2021

So I guess there's no flights ir freights to Russia maybe

Has anybody’s returned mail actually reached its destination? Mine left London over a week ago and still no update. Would be fuming if it’s true that they are using freight to cut costs.

So just found out today about all this Taric nonsense.... I've had at least one package from Japan returned and now have to see if there's others. I order a lot of stuff from there so kinda hard to keep track of them all. Generally none of the retailers in Japan have heard of Taric codes so it's going to awkward to get them to start including them without any communications from An Post to Japan Post or similar national postal services outside the EU.

It's honestly madness if they expect ordinary joe soap to know about Taric Codes and getting the correct ones. Normally this is sorted out by An post or customs agents. My partner is a customs officer at the port where she deals with freight coming in. She has some colleagues that work at the mail centre but they are mostly just concerned with packages that are flagged possibly due to illegal contents. "Customs" charges are actually carried out by An Post on behalf of Revenue.