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

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

»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.

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.

Amazon won't ship powerbanks directly to ireland.

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?

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

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.

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.

McRedmond, CEO of the parcel returning service formerly known as AnPost has moved to a new position, Head of Dublin City Task Force, a kind of Lord mayor on steroids with executive power. No doubt his first job will be to process the "refugees", by sticking a label on them and diverting them into a van bound for, anywhere that's not here. He could install it on the travelators in the airport, as you pass by a scanner a side wall opens and you're travel-ated down a chute into a waiting cage, to be returned, eventually.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/an-post-boss-to-head-newly-established-dublin-city-taskforce/a650584795.html

Mod: Try reading the Charter

Absolute cnuts. The thing is here. It's addressed to you. It's only communication and data that needs to be sought, supplied, corrected. Their objective and outcome is to get it delivered, they're a postal service ffs. Instead, they do the worst, inefficient, anti common sense thing, and return it. Twice. Even the malignant customs service in the 60s would deliver everything once you paid up, (except condoms and re-imported Irish butter).

I hae been avoiding ordering from outside the EU (apart from Aliexpress who have their customs stuff down to a tee) but i did order something from the US a couple of weeks ago and had no issues. An Post sent me a letter to tell me that customs charges were due. I was checking the tracking page online and that said there were customs charges due so i paid them there. I received the item before I received the letter from An Post.