If you’ve ordered an item from overseas, it could be held up due to Royal Mail’s recent cyber incident that was made public on Thursday 12th January. Customers using the delivery company were told they would not be able to send letters or parcels overseas until the matter was resolved. So, you might find if parcel force is the usual carrier when you make a purchase from an Ebay seller based outside the UK, Farfetch, or any other retailer for that matter, that they swap to using DHL, DPD or FedEx.   

Although it has now restarted the export of parcels, Royal Mail has asked customers not to send post out yet that needs a customs declaration. So, what does that mean for you as a customer if you are still expecting a parcel?

How to contact Parcelforce

If you need to find out more about your parcel delivery, Parcelforce recommend you contact your local Parcelforce Worldwide depot first. You can find more info here https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/receiving/contact-local-depot

What can I do if I am being asked to pay import duty and tax by Parcelforce

In case you’re unfamiliar, if you’re a UK resident buying an item from an overseas seller, you are required to pay the import VAT and duties on purchases above £135. Following Brexit, customs charges also now need to be paid on any items imported from the EU as well.

If you haven’t paid these fees, your parcel won’t get delivered. You can find out more about paying the customs charges here

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/receiving/how-pay-customs-charge

How to claim your import duty and tax if you want to return

If you decide to return your item, you are eligible to get the charges back from HMRC. The claim can be made within 90 days of the import date for unwanted items and up to a year from the return date for items that are damaged or defective.

Right now, there are two ways you can make a claim for a refund. The first is by doing it yourself and taking the traditional route of liaising directly with HMRC, but this can be complicated and time-consuming.

Many customers find it difficult to find all the details that HMRC require such as the import entry numbers or the courier’s VAT number. It can also be a struggle to get hold of the courier or HMRC for an answer and you often end up going around in circles! It can take weeks and even months from the start of your claim to receiving the refund from HMRC. The other negative is that if your claim is rejected due to missing details, HMRC will NOT notify you of this. So, you’ll be further wondering what went wrong.

The second option is to use Duty Refunds, which is hassle-free and has no fee if your claim isn’t successful. As the first and only online import duty and VAT refund platform for UK shoppers – we’re experts at getting money back that is rightfully yours! We have successfully claimed refunds on returned goods worth over £500,000. When your claim is successfully paid by HMRC we’ll pay it into your bank account minus our 15% fee.

Hopefully your delayed parcel force delivery makes its way to you, but don’t forget if you do decide to return your product, make sure you get your duty refund!

About Duty Refunds:

As the first and only online import duty and VAT refund platform for UK shoppers, Duty Refunds has helped customers refund their purchases amounting to half million pounds and is rated 4.9 excellent on Trustpilot. We also work extremely closely and are integrated with courier companies (eg: DHL, DPD, Fedex and Parcel force) and HMRC.

At Duty Refunds, we believe returning an item should be just as easy as buying it in the first place. Money and time should be spent on enjoying the fun bits of shopping and unboxing. If you need any help on duty & tax refund for your international shopping return. Please feel free to chat with us through our live chat, or fill in our online form in 5 mins and start your claim straight away.