Paying for a Parcel sent as a gift?!

I didn't know if I should post this in grievances or here but I decided here because it's more of a question. I feel like maybe I've read this before but I just want to ask everyone here...
Ok, so my family sent over a box that weighs just about 20 lbs full of presents for Christmas. Obviously they had to pay a hefty fee to send that much abroad. Well, we tracked it and saw that it landed in England last Friday. I hadn't heard anything yet today so decided to try to track it again, assuming I should've received it by today! Well, on the tracker it said that someone tried to deliver it yesterday. That is not true because I was home all day and there was no note left, so, I called the post office. I got re-directed around and finally called Parcel Force. Basically, in order to receive my package, I had to pay a customs fee of 15 pounds. I just don't get it. It was out of my control that this package was sent in the first place, obviously the party on the other end had to pay alot to ship it, why did I have to pay?! The thing that really concerns me most though is that what if I had not known a package was sent in the first place? I don't know if I ever would've found out as no one actually did try to deliver it. Does anyone have any experiences like this?!

Presumably the value of the gifts is higher than whatever the threshold to avoid duty is. Obviously you have the option of declining the parcel if you don't want to pay custom's duty.

Moral of the exercise: use smaller-valued parcels...

It's the law. It applies going the other way as well. Goods sent as a gift that are over £36 in value are liable to import VAT. Customs duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £120 but is waived if the amount of duty calculated is less than £7.

Here is a ton of info on the HM Revenue site: http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000014&propertyType=document#P45_3675

Yup. I always tell friends and family to write a lower value on the customs form - unless it's something like jewellery or something insure-able.

Yup. I always tell friends and family to write a lower value on the customs form - unless it's something like jewellery or something insure-able.

They can (and sometimes do) open packages to check.

They can (and sometimes do) open packages to check.

Yes, but they're not going to know the difference between a gift that costs £36 and one that costs £60. My friends don't usually leave the price tags on! 

Thanks everyone.

Yes, but they're not going to know the difference between a gift that costs £36 and one that costs £60. My friends don't usually leave the price tags on! 

If anyone sends me a gift worth £60 or more, I hope they'll notify me in advance, so I won't faint with shock when I get it!

I think if you use UPS/FedEx there's an option for the sender to pay the duty costs. I think. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I know a package my mom sent me last year for Christmas via UPS had my new iPod in it, was labeled as iPod with a declared value of US$200, but I didn't have to pay duty on it.

I've had to pay customs duties twice, because people thought it was better to put a higher value on the box in case it was lost, for insurance purposes. (/head thump)

Usually, once the box has been held in customs for a week or so, they will send you a letter explaining the situation and how to go about paying the fees. You can't argue with them about whether or not you should have to pay. If you don't want to pay they'll send the box back. Once you pay, you get your package in a day or so (you can schedule the delivery date).

I was told by parcel force it is completely random which boxes pay the import duty and which don't. I got one from my mom last year worth about $200 with no fee and one from my aunt worth about $80 and had to pay a fee of £30!! They told me about 1 in 5 parcels pays this fee. I've gotten one from my aunt a few days ago with no fee. Im still awaiting one from my grandma though.

Also please note that that £15 is NOT all vat and duty.

Parcel force normally charge £8 as a "customs clearance fee". I call it a ransom. You'll be very pleased to hear that, in December, they charge £12 to "expedite" it.

So, the VAT on your parcel will probably be more like £3-7. The rest will be the travesty of justice aka the clearance fee.

that happened to me, where they don't give me a note to let me know about an awaiting package for me at the post office.  by the time i tracked it, it got sent back to the sender in the US because it was there for 7 or 14 days.