Been stung by TNT on custom charges

[Andrew]

Anyone else been Charged by TNT for 'clearing' a parcel through customs for them. the letter says that it's law that freight has to be paid by the shipping handler on entry to  country.

i got my PIE kit two weeks ago and now have had a letter from TNT expecting immediate payment for VAT (value added tax)  and for Deferment Proc. Fee - anyone know what that is.

Is this TNT trying it on?, Shall I ignore? or am I best paying it?

Andrew

[Leslie]

TNT.  Dont you love how they make you feel like your package is held for a handsome ransome.

Deferment Proc. Fee is them processing your order fast by already paying import duties on your behalf.  So they charge a fee for th8is to the receiver.

They do this so it doesn’t sit in the airport warehouse for a while waiting for fees to be paid.

The Irony is that it sit in the TNT warehouse for a while until you pay their fee.  IMO they are bullying for an added fee tagged onto your import duty, in which there are now two fees you have to pay before you receive your package.  Whether the deferment speeds up the process or not is questionable but the fact TNT have found another means to bill the receiver for any dollars they can get their hands on is not up for debate.

And to top it off the way most people react to these ransom demands must make really bad PR for TNT, this puts any or most tele-com operators on the defensive all the time and much phone interaction with TNT is rather stressed.

Then they use some weird psychology.  Like the receiver is not the customer, the sender is, and this excuses any and all of TNT's rude behavior to the receiver.

And then they may try the “sorry you weren’t home trick”.  This is an attempt of the delivering sub branch or agent to garner redelivery fees..  This can go on for some time and it can be wise just to pick the parcel up at the depot.

Honestly what business would have this TNT delivery company wreck any customer relations in such a way.

I tried to complain about the service and it was as if I entered a Nazi interrogation over the phone and I hung up on the manager because I felt like he was going to do something to my parcel…

This is the feeling I get call TNT up on the phone, like Im dealing with a rouge Mongol hoard and the middle management mutiny its own customers to garner any and all applicable fees on the list.  No way for a business to carry on.

Id say pay it, no telling what will happen and other charges they may find on the list if you make delay.  Like storage charges and the like.

[Andrew]

It's not too bad, it's £30.00 GBP

But I find it weird as I have already got the parcel. I find it odd that I get charged a few weeks after the product is already in my hands

[MonkeyMagic]

Hi Andrew

Pay it! Or you will be flagged for any future imports and can get messy

The TNT payment is for a customs quarantine officer to inspect the package, it's usually a lot less than general customs fees so I would just clear it up

[Leslie]

Hi Andrew

Pay it! Or you will be flagged for any future imports and can get messy

The TNT payment is for a customs quarantine officer to inspect the package, it's usually a lot less than general customs fees so I would just clear it up

Yessss they have the parcel, your name and address, and they have all the power.  Being flagged for importation of consumer goods seems a little harsh. Do you think if you get flagged a whiney baby, or the psycho from hell, your life with online shopping will forever change?  They might long track it through Bali, plant drugs on the package and report you to the Feds, you never Know with TNT.

[MonkeyMagic]

arrgghhh TNT angers me !!!!!

LOL

[Andrew]

well, the payment is in the post. so much for me holding out to see what happens next

The value of the goods on the receipt was 126 US dollars and the customs charge was the equivalent of 48 dollars 

[Leslie]

well, the payment is in the post. so much for me holding out to see what happens next

The value of the goods on the receipt was 126 US dollars and the customs charge was the equivalent of 48 dollars  

Man and they must see thousands of such parcels a day a slap a similar fee on.  Do you think TNT actually inspect the package themselves? I think they use a third party companythen bill you for billing them.  The duty fee is for the customs inspection and the deferment proc fee is for TNT processing this fee.  One would assune this sort of fee should be inclusive with the delivery charges.

a) You did not agree to DPF so decline to pay...

b) You did not agree to DPF and will be happy to pay on receipt of paperwork indicating you agreed to it..

c) You do not agree to DPF, and think it is far too much in anycase. But have added a small amount to the cheque value as a reasonable admin fee . This is probably a load of nonsense legally but it's what I did (I added £3). I think option (b) is the "correct" approach.

You def don't want to leave it otherwise it might start involving Collection agencies, more fees, bad credit etc

For TNT to bill a person who never approached them for an Item that has been already paid for, and then to withhold goods is until the fee is payed is extortion.

Any company that would allow another company like TNT to add such complexities to the sale and allow TNT to extort money from their customers should look else where for courier.  TNT will actually play hard ball ultra rude for the cash until the customer is screaming-blue-murder.  

If you were just to pay duty fee and deferment Proc fee was included in the invoice to the sender.  I think because TNT see more money when you pay the duties they get greedy and think they can tazke a piece of the senders customers.  Then while they are at it they will send the redelivery fees to the sender playing the reciever and sender agaisnt each other.  Ive have experienced the game they play first hand.

They tell the sender you were not home and had to redeliver the package X times and this incurs a charge..  Often the sender will push these additional charges onto reciever as well.  The reciever in a lot of cases will protest to any additional charges and the climate for good business relations becomes stressed.  When all the time the reciever was indeed home waiting on every occasion that TNT claim the reciever was not home.  Then TNT with some bint talking through her nose at you on the phone will put the hard word on you for your money in a rude fashion because you were not TNT's "original client" so you don't matter here...

They are crossing so many ethical lines doing such things and AFAIC TNT's name is mud compared to other couriers..

[MonkeyMagic]

Hmmm well unless the package was originally purchased by you I would say there are a few fraud issues there !

Haha nice thought though. I'd totally do that just for the fish n chips mmmmm

[Leslie]

Well I got two kits from overseas and batteries too and didnt get any fish and chips.  Nor did I pay any duty.   But I did get some nice PIE. 

A good sea shipped parcel delay between purchases might of been the key.  But I did what some think can not be done.  Ummm duty?

[Magzy]

Andrew,

Send them a cheque with a long wordy letter stating somewhere in the middle of it that "... this cheque, if cashed, is subject to a 30 GBP payment processing fee payable to andrew by return. If TNT does not wish to be subject to this fee then they should send back enclosed cheque".

you'll be surprised by the number of people working in these places will just see the $$$'s and cash it without reading the letter. They will then be legally bound to pay you 30 GBP. If they don't pay it within 30 days then go to this website www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/ and raise a claim for the 30 GBP  plus "your costs" whatever they may be
be sure to attach the particulars of the letter you sent with the cheque.

You will find that TNT, being faced with a county court judgment (or CCJ) will pay the money plus your costs.
if they don't pay within 30 days you can instruct a government bailiff to collect the money on your behalf.

I know it's only 30 Quid but hey, it's the principal here.

FYI Here in Australia you can import anything to the value $1000 AUD without having to paying any tax

[Leslie]

Andrew,

Send them a cheque with a long wordy letter stating somewhere in the middle of it that "... this cheque, if cashed, is subject to a 30 GBP payment processing fee payable to andrew by return. If TNT does not wish to be subject to this fee then they should send back enclosed cheque".

you'll be surprised by the number of people working in these places will just see the $$$'s and cash it without reading the letter. They will then be legally bound to pay you 30 GBP. If they don't pay it within 30 days then go to this website www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/ and raise a claim for the 30 GBP  plus "your costs" whatever they may be
be sure to attach the particulars of the letter you sent with the cheque.

You will find that TNT, being faced with a county court judgment (or CCJ) will pay the money plus your costs.
if they don't pay within 30 days you can instruct a government bailiff to collect the money on your behalf.

I know it's only 30 Quid but hey, it's the principal here.

FYI Here in Australia you can import anything to the value $1000 AUD without having to paying any tax

Last Christmas guys and the AU limit of $1000 may be set to above $400 because local business cant compete with the online shop.  I mean local dumb shish they just rained on everyones parade and cant get online and compete.

So again enterprise is imposing its regulation to the masses through the government and now have to just take money from us with any excuses.


Sure stores are closing down because of the internet but compared to the dedicated online carts their internet systems are not as well cataloged.

If you could put almost every item that Big W sell in a cart with a tweaked robust delivery system, overseas internet monopolies will face good competition for the first time in what seems to be the age of internet shopping.

There are some good online AU PC shops, Deals Direct has an Australian base.

I like to buy a lot of things local but when you cant get it here you have to go overseas,  Now this IMO is not cutting out the local man.