Royal Mail International handling fees

It's been quite a while since I received equipment from the U.S. which has both had a customs duty/VAT charge applied and has arrived through the regular mail instead of by some other courier.

Upon picking up a package from the Post Office for which a "we can't deliver" card had been left a few days ago, I was more than mildy annoyed to find that Royal Mail International is now charging a handling fee of £8 to collect the taxes due.   This on a package with a declared value of just under $43 and VAT due of £4.11.    The second part of the delivery arrived in a separate package, valued at $58, for which I was charged £5.55 VAT plus another £8 Royal Mail handling fee.  So on about $100 worth of goods, it's cost £16 in Royal Mail handling fees for them to collect £9.66 in taxes.   How long does it take for Royal Mail International to punch the figures into their system and stick the charge sticker on the packages?   Two minutes?   The new £8 fee is extortionate!

As if that isn't bad enough, I had wondered why the postman hadn't asked me for the money upon delivering, as I was here when the card was left.  I'm informed by Post Office staff that the postmen are no longer allowed to collect and carry money, hence the only options available are: 

1.  Stick postage stamps on the card to the correct value, mail it back, and then wait for the package to be delivered.

2.  Pay the charges on the Royal Mail website, then wait for delivery.  Apparently this can take up to another 5 days to be processed and the instructions to reach the Post Office in question, so no faster than the first option.

3.  Go to the Post Office to pay the fees and collect (a 9-mile round trip for me).

So beware the fee increases!

The tracking number is shite also. You can't track it, and it is pointless. No other country is required to track it. The US either can't or won't track it.

My last package in June was advised to take 4-5 days and it took 11.   Of course royal mail and USPS could not/would not track it, even with the official tracking number, that the lady at royal claimed could be tracked.

Tulip...your reasons are exactly why I only use UPS or FedEx to ship internationally.

USPS cannot provide tracking for Royal Mail parcels or Special Delivery mail. The two systems do not talk to each other.

Thanks Weby.  That's what I will do next time. Plus, I hear a same day pick from Fed Ex in the mainland UK is still available until 7 pm 

No other country is required to track it. The US either can't or won't track it.

Yep, done that with outgoing packages to the U.S.   The tracking reports will only go as far as the package leaving England, which makes you wonder why Royal Mail offers the service in the first place.

USPS can track packages sent FROM the US to the UK all the way to their destination... I wonder why it doenst work the other way around??

I've got to pay a £1 handling charge on a wedding card that was short 8p on postage.  So stupid.

Vicky

I've got to pay a £1 handling charge on a wedding card that was short 8p on postage.  So stupid.

That's something which has always struck me as odd about the British postal system.  If somebody sends you an item with insufficient postage, why do they expect you to pay the charge instead of justing returning to sender with a demand for the correct amount? 

That's something which has always struck me as odd about the British postal system.  If somebody sends you an item with insufficient postage, why do they expect you to pay the charge instead of justing returning to sender with a demand for the correct amount? 

It's the same in the US. It comes with a postage due stamp on it....

USPS can track packages sent FROM the US to the UK all the way to their destination... I wonder why it doenst work the other way around??

I was sent a wedding present from the US a couple of months ago which went missing, and the US people told me they were unable to track it once it reached the UK. Were they wrong? Or just stupid?? It eventually turned up much later, but it was a real pain not to be able to track it.

That's something which has always struck me as odd about the British postal system.  If somebody sends you an item with insufficient postage, why do they expect you to pay the charge instead of justing returning to sender with a demand for the correct amount? 

Don't know the correct answer, but, in my personal experience, there's rarely a return address!  Not so bad if it's from some company and the post office wants to rip it open to return it, but wedding, birthday cards, etc., rarely have a return address inside or out...

It's the same in the US. It comes with a postage due stamp on it....

Is that a recent change, or only on certain items?        I've certainly received things in the past which had been returned to sender for extra postage before they were delivered.

in my personal experience, there's rarely a return address! 

That's certainly a problem in Britain.  I wish more people would put their return address on the envelope.

I was sent a wedding present from the US a couple of months ago which went missing, and the US people told me they were unable to track it once it reached the UK. Were they wrong? Or just stupid?? It eventually turned up much later, but it was a real pain not to be able to track it.

I always send things USPS to the UK and can track it with the custom form number when its in the US using the USPS site, and when it enters the UK, I use the Parcel Force website to track. 

I always send things USPS to the UK and can track it with the custom form number when its in the US using the USPS site, and when it enters the UK, I use the Parcel Force website to track. 

I guess they didn't know what they were talking about then ... and I didn't know what to do. Thanks, though! I'll know next time!