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

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭pnott


    Got some more information from An Post. It turns out my package when scanned somehow had University of Limerick as the address! Obviously someone in the university refused delivery hence why its still sitting in in the sorting office. They advised me to ask the sender for proof of the name and address that was provided when the pacel was sent. Waiting to hear back from the sender.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    Meantime they're sticking this flyer in our postboxes

    "Use your AddressPal account to shop US and UK sites that don't deliver to Ireland".

    And pay VAT twice. Reverse of flyer says " Pay customs at the click of a button". No mention of VAT

    I'll bet they don't send those packets back. Fwiw, even pre brexit, some UK suppliers would not deliver here, or to AnPost forwarding address.



  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,008 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    Paying VAT twice is nothing to do with AddressPal/An Post. If the UK company does it correctly there would be no VAT on export and only VAT in Ireland. They have agents in the UK and USA to ensure the paperwork is correct and isn’t sent. No fan of An Post but there is no point in accusing them of doing things that they have no control over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    You're missing the point. The goods are delivered to a local address, UK or US, so the supplier has to add VAT or US sales tax. Remember, AnPost has no function in this part of the transaction, you order the goods in your name with a UK address. You can't order it VAT free as it's not for export. ( and this is a supplier who won't deliver abroad, possibly licensing reasons).

    Anpost then import it to Ireland where it attracts Irish VAT and possible customs charges. If the supplier wanted to sell for export he could remove Vat, and send it to directly, whereupon you jusr pay Irish Vat, but only if AnPost don't return it. They don't have any issue delivering it when it's them who's carting it over though.

    The ad is misleading, it makes no reference to Vat, and pretends its a customs charge



  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,008 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    You can ask the exporter to invoice it you the Irish address and ship it to the AddressPal address less VAT. That would allow them to export it less VAT. However, most UK companies till don’t understand how exporting outside the UK works, so you would be blue in the face trying to get them to understand.

    AddressPal is in operation long before the new customs procedure came into being. An Post brought this new procedure in far earlier than it should have been and they should have been pulled up over it. An Post don’t ever seem to be keen to do too much work, and find it easier to send back rather than fix.

    Customs charge isn’t “pretending” anything, its easier to put it under a general description than “possible Excise Duty, Ad Valorem Duty, VAT and charges” An Post collect these charges for Revenue, apart from the customs clearance charge.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    If they are willing to export, and do the paperwork, you can bypass Addresspal and bring it in yourself. The point of Addresspal is to buy from a business who only deliver locally, in the UK, requiring only a name, address and a few stamps. No complicated customs forms on the packet. If you can get the Invoice printed to a non UK address, good luck with getting a UK Vat refund from HMR, as the goods were delivered to the UK. Nothing you or AnPost can do to change this, unless Anpost sets up a Uk vat registered company and orders the goods for you, then exports them to you and does all the UK vat work. I don't think so.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,575 ✭✭✭Padraig Mor


    Well, this is interesting - and dare I say unprecedented such is the public nature of the spat?

    Apologies for the paywalled article. Some highlights:

    A row has broken out between An Post and the UK’s Post Office about the implementation of post-Brexit customs rules, which are leading to thousands of online purchases by Irish customers being returned each day to smaller British retailers.....

    An Post chief executive David McRedmond said it is “extraordinary” that the UK’s Post Office has yet to invest in the technology needed to add certain digital codes on to packages that are dropped off at local offices by SMEs.....

    Mr McRedmond accused the UK Post Office of not looking after the interests of its own citizens and SMEs, because its inability to add the codes to packages sent to the Republic from British post offices was, he said, damaging trade for small British businesses that sell to Irish customers online. “It is crazy. It isn’t complicated. I do not know why the post office hasn’t implemented the system. It must act in British citizens’ interests,” he said....

    Mr McRedmond had a letter published in British newspaper the Financial Times on Monday, in which he blamed the issue for contributing towards a 52 per cent decline in postal trade between Ireland and Britain. The letter sparked fury within the UK Post Office, which contacted An Post in Dublin to complain. The UK Post Office, a state-owned entity, insists the codes are the responsibility of the separate, privately owned Royal Mail, which runs the delivery of items left into post offices.


    Mee-ow, saucer of milk for Table 2!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,965 ✭✭✭NewbridgeIR




  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,008 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    McRedmond has some cheek, considering An Post introduced it way too early.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    And blame all returns on sender, not on failures of their automated rejection process. Unseen by a human, the packet and the evidence in your favour is returned. You can't query it, see what the system scanned, or look at the data, packet has already gone into the abyss of returns.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,542 ✭✭✭JTMan


    I want to order a watch from a small UK retailer.

    I guess the chances of the parcel never getting to me are very high in the current situation?

    If so, is using Address Pal a workaround? I.e. extra costs but near guaranteed delivery?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    It will cost you 20% extra plus Addresspal fees. Retailer can't remove UK vat, but you'll have to pay 23% Irish VAT on the entire transaction including initial delivery . Say you buy a watch for €240 equivalent in euro, of which 40 is UK VAT. Add €10 for UK delivery. Irish vat 23% on this total, add another €57.50. €6.50 addresspal, €3.50 customs fee, total, €317.50 for a watch that cost €200 before tax, and that's assuming it doesn't attract a customs or excise charge.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    The final insult announced today, Parcel Motel closing down. Effing Tories and their Brexit really made a sh¡t of the European free market, compounded by ridiculous bureaucracy on simple personal post. For a few years we finally had choice, competition and freedom from cozy cartels and it was too good to be true.

    Post edited by deezell on


  • Registered Users Posts: 9 Dammij


    Totally agree with you and if you think it's bad here, your head would spin to see how it's affecting ordinary Brits over there!

    I'd hoped the Tory downfall would be the end of it, but Labour's Keir Starmer is no better - he want's to continue his "softer" version of Brexit, despite it being a massive con job in the first place.

    Anyway, sorry for the rant!

    I just wanted to pass on this link:

    It's a bit different to PM, but depending on what you're buying, they can be very good.

    Small value items, maybe not, but I used them for a fairly pricey piece of electronic kit, small size and weight.

    It cost me £5 for their receiving fee and they hand it to Fastway which costs another £12 to the South.

    All you do is order your stuff to your name, care of this company (a bit like address pal) except that's it.

    Mail them to say it's coming and they'll let you know when it arrives and then you pay them!

    It's obviously more expensive but it's another option!

    I used them again just before Christmas - I'm a Londoner living in Dublin now and fond of my munchies that

    can't be got here, so I did a shop in Sainsbury's in Newry and these guys boxed it up and sent it down to me and

    all very quick and smooth!

    Hope this helps!!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    Sounds good for NI collect, but if you contract them to forward it south they will have to apply 23% vat and any duties before they hand it over, otherwise its smuggling! It why parcel motel closed, they could no longer forward goods, posted to their NI address, to the South without all the paperwork, tax and duties.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1


    Looking like others will be following an post's lead.

    Got this from DHL





  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,008 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    It isn't An Posts lead. It's a global initiative amongst post and parcel carriers that was due to come in around March this year. An Post decided to do it nearly 2 years before anyone else, hence the total confusion.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    Jumping the gun more like, hoping to get the medal or a business award. I didn't know there was a category for 'Sh¡tting on your Customers'.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1


    It's not as if they plucked a random idea out of the sky.

    Several services folded because of it.

    I suppose some people would rather that.

    You'd have even more complaining then.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,378 ✭✭✭Nodferatu


    Hey all

    I've had several packages all of a sudden be returned to senders. One seller in the UK even sent me a pic of returned package it has all the correct data EORI number, CN23 , all digital barcodes and forms filled and included. Still returned. I'

    I got two packages from a website I've bought from multiple times last few months and now all of a sudden these two packages are being refused and returned. Is there something new going on or changes to customs or something?

    I've heard from a few international sellers that they've never had as many issues with any other country in the world as they do with Ireland. We are apparently the worst country to send international packages to.

    The thing that pisses me off the most is that there's no explanation or reason, customs just refuse a package and return it to sender. No way of knowing what was wrong or why it was returned!! Typical of this country.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,037 ✭✭✭youcancallmeal


    Its all automated, no humans eyes in An Post are looking at these packages. I've been trying to understand why they don't provide exact reasons on the returned package then I realised they don't want the hassle/cost of providing customer service, easier to just send it back and give a blanket explanation that something was wrong it. It'll be interesting to see if the likes of DPD will provide exact reasons when a package is returned to sender, I'd assume they will as they cannot afford to alienate customers the way An Post have



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    It sucks. A business critical commercial service operated by an agent who has no obligation whatsoever to be accountable for errors and failures in the system, and no liability for these failures to the paying clients it serves, the sender and receiver. The last and only organisation that had this coded into it's mission statement was the Church. " The Pope is infallible, that is, he cannot err." Who remembers being taught that gem? "The (an) Post is infallible, it must be your fault".



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,965 ✭✭✭NewbridgeIR


    I had a choice between Royal Mail and Fedex last week and picked the latter. A €15 handling fee (An Post's is €3.50 if they deem it acceptable) but the package will arrive without hassle.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,378 ✭✭✭Nodferatu


    I have packages from 4 different US sellers all currently being returned. One being returned to UK and another one just returned to UK last week. I also have one from China stuck in customs for about two weeks now with no update. Thats in limbo! Is there nobody to take responsibility for this absolute mess and lack of communication or is this the future of Irish post/customs now?

    Some of my tracking numbers say we couldn't deliver post one of them even actually says I refused the package!! That's an outright lie as I'm off work for the week and nobody attempted to deliver anything. This country is an absolute f**king joke.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,378 ✭✭✭Nodferatu


    Hopefully it arrives for you. At this point it's a 50/50 buying anything



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    I was looking for replacement generic gps car antenna, best price and delivery from a small operator on Amazon.uk, I just couldn't risk it. I looked at Amazon.de, good prices, all marked ' eligible for delivery to ROI' but when put in the basket they all said the same, 'Can't be delivered to this address etc..'. Probably resellers of Chinese goods, they've obviously decided to avoid Ireland. One actual shop would deliver, but huge markup plus an extra €12 for delivery for an item thats a tenner with free delivery in DE.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,513 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    free delivery on amazon.de? I've never seen that.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    If you were in Germany I think. It was confusing anyway, I couldn't get the stuff into the basket to see what delivery charge to ROI would be. I think it's similar to how some suppliers on amazon.co.uk are actually in China, but have some kind of forwarding or bulk delivery into UK or Sweden or Holland. I notice now on a lot of these on co.uk that free delivery is only on goods over €22, it's consistent regardless of the supplier. The supplier who was selling them for €10 and reasonable delivery cost was on Ebay, not Amazon, my error, so I'd fully expect that packet to make its way back. Anyway, ten euro and €3.75 delivery from Germany is good, it's already dispatched from who knows where, but I'd expect it to be treated as inside the EU with no messing about.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,513 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    free delivery on orders over £22 is standard on amazon.co.uk.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell




  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,008 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    Both. £22 or about €25



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    That's UK sorted, maybe, and too late, but what about the F* up of the rest of the world deliveries to here?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    Go to McdDonalds for a coffee and a free read. You'll see all the old guys there reading. If you Google it it's probably in another paper in full.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,513 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    Wait now, they're blaming the UK for the last 18 months of chaos. But then he says;

    "While packages without the 10-digit code required from ‘third countries’ such as the UK were previously returned to sender, recipients will now have to pay customs fees when they accept delivery of items."

    So WTF did they not do this from the start? This new system had nothing to do with Brexit, it would still have affected all non EU sources, its just that Brexit increased that number. But instead of holding and inspecting non EU inbound on which they (or a machine) misread correct data, and allowing the owner to retrieve with whatever vat, duty and admin fee was due, (as had been the case for eons), the just sent them back. So they've rolled back on this? Packets from Oz or the US which raise a flag will result in a consultation, not an unstoppable return? The sly F****rs, trying to disguise this turnaround as a UK failure.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,513 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    they haven't rolled back on anything. the post office in the UK have changed how they work so that parcels to Ireland now have the correct customs information on them.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    He clearly says packages that were returned will now be assessed for customs, 'paid on delivery' just like it always was. This returns epidemic was never just a UK thing, but he's implying that better UK implementation of the new system, which is basically advance vat and duty payment, now clears the way for non compliant packets from 'third countries' to have duty collected ( and vat I assume) before delivery, rather than just blanket returns. To me he's saying that the reduction in the volumes of UK returns means they can do their job, and inspect and assess packets from all parts if the world that may be a bit less sophisticated in their mail service. Charge an admin fee. Add vat. Add customs duty if you have to but don't just return it without a glance. Anyone who believes their guff wants their head examined.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    Thousands of people had packets returned which had ten digit codes in them. Now they'll delivery (subject to payment) packets with NO code? Read the quote again.

    'While packages without the 10-digit code required from ‘third countries’ such as the UK were previously returned to sender, recipients will now have to pay customs fees when they accept delivery of items'



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,653 ✭✭✭✭amdublin


    Yeah I read that article yesterday and think they are full of bull. I can't post parcels from USA. Last time all the codes etc were present and correct and An Post just arbitrarily sent it back.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭TheAnalyst_


    Anyone know the latest on this?


    I had non EU business refused to ship to Ireland because of this nonsense. I've managed to convince them that they have changed their approach. Absolutely disgraceful stuff from an post.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,465 ✭✭✭✭blade1


    Probably would have been better off to convince the seller to follow the correct procedure when sending.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭TheAnalyst_


    He's a small seller from Thailand. As he said himself Ireland is the only country insisting on this shite and why should he bother.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    I'm in pretty much the same situation. A small package value c.€125.00. Bought from a Czech Republic trader,but despatched from Turkyie.The package was sent on 12th Feb and has travelled back and forth twice via the U.K. before finally sticking fast in Dublin Mails since 1st March. Finally got confirmation today via An Post's Facebook A/C that the package will be sent back AGAIN because the TARIC code is incorrect/missing.At NO point was ANY contact made with me regarding duties in spite of the parcel being less than 10 minutes from my home !!! At the very least whomever An Post's CEO is,he should be charged with crimes against the Climate wit respect to the amount of Excess Carbon generated by this spiteful,nonsensical,antisocial codology,and perhaps a class action could also be pursued against the Entirety of the "Revenue Commissioners" whoever they may be. Never mind Joe Biden visiting us,what Ireland IS now famous for is spiteful corporate begrudgery against the general public by a clique of 2nd rate degree holding omadáns who haven't the decency to take ownership of this load of bollyx !

    Post edited by AlekSmart on


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    Probably better to wha......? Are you having a laff ? A small to medium business in a far off land,clearly writes a label meeting their own Postal service's requirements...with CRYSTAL CLEAR description of the contents,hell if the same Irish Postal/Customs Official bothered their ass to open the damn package,they'd immediately confirm the presence of a MOTORCYCLE SCREEN....as described on the shaggin label ! Has Pfizers jab rotted ther brains from within or wha? Is this State so flush with talent that it's paying Civil Servants to practice nonsensical codology before applying for any further promotion ??..."Convince the seller to follow correct procedure when sending " ???? Is this Mr An Post.....? ..NO !...Let An Fruxxking POST do the convincing ! 😡 !!


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭deezell


    The whole point of this is to strangle direct to the consumer trade from non EU sources. So non eu suppliers and manufacturers can only confidently export to Ireland if they appoint an Irish distributor or agent, registered for vat etc, who acts as the middleman, arranges commercial shipping and pallets etc, and... your screen costs you 4 times as much.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2 Mara24


    Does anybody know if parcels from the UK are now actually getting through or are they still being sent back?



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