Warning to UK C-200 customers! (Major Update!)

[Gibbo]

I felt the need to mention this to all UK customers who are awaiting their C-200's or have received them and will shortly get a VAT receipt.

Technically the C-200 is duty free so you will only pay VAT of 15% on the cost of the device + shipping. This is technically 15% of $358 / £215 which is about £32.

However, TNT have recently increased their admin fee's! DHL charge £1.75 + VAT admin for dealing with the customs side of any shipment. UPS charge you nothing. TNT have just increased their rates to £15 + VAT on any item below £300!

This places the charge of your C-200 VAT invoice to £47.25, and is outrageous!

To make matters worse TNT seem to think that they can add an additional cost to shipping in the form of a VAT value adjustment.

Quote:VAT Val Adjt (VAT Value Adjustment)
Contains any VAT value adjustment amount for the consignment in the currency defined by ‘VAT adjustment currency’. This field would, for example be used to enter additional freight charges covering transport between the EU and the UK boundary.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPorta...e=document

Not a clue why but they consider transporting it across the EU to be most costly that the value paid and hence seem to add an additional £100 to the VATable shipping cost. Meaning a VATable total of £330 = £49.40 + their admin fee of £15!

This is outrageous, and I am currently disputing their calculations and costs. An admin fee of £15 firstly is a joke, and secondly to deem the VATable shipping charge to be £135 is just laughable.

I do not know for sure that everyone will be charged this extortionate rate, and I cannot say whether my costs will be reduced once they have heard my arguments, but I felt the need to mention it. If you do receive anything close to this charge, please let TNT know that they are taking liberties.

update - if you receive a VAT invoice with the admin fee and any overinflated charges it is recommended that you contact TNT, you can also pay the invoice - the £15 admin fee with a cover letter explaining that this is what you are doing, then you need to pm werner with your invoice number, and the costs etc. He is currently in talks with TNT.

[lordy]

I wonder if the argument for bank charges can be applied here

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim...s#nutshell

"The core argument is that banks should only impose charges which are in proportion to their costs. This is because under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations the charge should not exceed the cost to the provider."

Maybe ask TNT to provide in writing how the charge is calculated, considering DHL and UPS equivalent fee.

[chris57]

TNT have history on this forum for over charging:-
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showth...=amsterdam
Last time we forced a rebate for those affected through banding together and presenting the facts.

The admin charge of £15 is ridiculous. It happens on a $99 A100 refurb, thats 30% of the purchase price on TNT admin alone!

Shipping from China to your door costs $49. The part of the journey within the UK should be proportion of the $49 not 15% of some made up amount of £100.

Please keep this thread updated with facts so that we can make representations to get TNT removed from UK business and any other countries where they chanrge this inflated amount for admin.

[tux99]

(09-28-2009 04:55 PM)Gibbo Wrote:  DHL charge £1.75 + VAT admin for dealing with the customs side of any shipment. UPS charge you nothing.

Really? I remember paying 15-20 pounds admin fees to couriers (including UPS and DHL) for handling imports years ago when I still lived in the UK. I have never had a courier not charge me a hefty admin fee, when VAT was due.
It's the same in Switzerland, Germany and most other countries.
Admin fees are generally fixed (not a percentage) so they look outrageous on low value imports, but I doubt you can do much about it, they will just tell you it costs them the same doing the VAT stuff for you regardless if the product value is 100 pounds or 1000 pounds.

[Suge_K]

Good to know....thanks, basically i will just refuse to pay any of these stupid bolt ons....they will soon get bored, they always do. Just pay what you are legally obliged to (i.e. dont piss off her majesty) and it should be all good

S

[chris57]

(09-28-2009 05:07 PM)tux99 Wrote:  Really? I remember paying 15-20 pounds admin fees to couriers (including UPS and DHL) for handling imports years ago when I still lived in the UK. I have never had a courier not charge me a hefty admin fee, when VAT was due.
It's the same in Switzerland, Germany and most other countries.

Yes really we have invoices to prove that DHL is £1.75, UPS tried to charge but corrected themselves as the service used by PCH to ship was Worldwide Something or other and free of an admin charge.

[tux99]

(09-28-2009 05:09 PM)Suge_K Wrote:  Good to know....thanks, basically i will just refuse to pay any of these stupid bolt ons....they will soon get bored, they always do. Just pay what you are legally obliged to (i.e. dont piss off her majesty) and it should be all good

S

Be prepared to deal with bailiffs...

---

(09-28-2009 05:11 PM)chris57 Wrote:  Yes really we have invoices to prove that DHL is £1.75, UPS tried to charge but corrected themselves as the service used by PCH to ship was Worldwide Something or other and free of an admin charge.

Ok then that must be due to a special tarif that PCH is using. I never paid such a low admin fee, either no fee was due (as not VAT was due), or it was well over 10 pounds.

[Suge_K]

Bailiffs? Nope. Id just ask them to justify the cost and i'll pay it....they wont and i wont. Bigger fish and all that....

S

[Gibbo]

I paid £1.75 admin on a DHL delivery of about £90 a year ago...

TNT told me that the £15 charge was for good up to £300, not sure what happens above that value.

I will keep this thread updated with facts when I speak to them again tomorrow.

It would be helpful if people who receive invoices, could post what they get charged.

[Reveal]

Here in Sweden, I had to pay $91/640:- for tax and charges. [DHL]

[Gibbo]

Obviously I don't wish to compete with any other countries especially sweden with their 26% VAT

although saying that, is that $91.64? if so that is actually cheaper than the UK invoices! and our VAT is only 15% currently!

[chris57]

(09-28-2009 06:06 PM)Gibbo Wrote:  I paid £1.75 admin on a DHL delivery of about £90 a year ago...

TNT told me that the £15 charge was for good up to £300, not sure what happens above that value.

I got a DHL invoice with £1.75 admin charge about a month ago.

[cheaper_popcorn]

(09-28-2009 06:46 PM)Gibbo Wrote:  Obviously I don't wish to compete with any other countries especially sweden with their 26% VAT

although saying that, is that $91.64? if so that is actually cheaper than the UK invoices! and our VAT is only 15% currently!

":-" indicates a price in SEK, Swedish kronor.

640 SEK equals 91 USD equals 57 GBP.

Your point about TNT UK charging more than TNT Sweden, despite the lower VAT in the UK, still stands.

[Gibbo]

Still no call from the VAT department. I phoned the invoice centre again first thing this morning and then put me down on the system for another call back.

Apparently the VAT department are in a totally different part of the UK to the main call centre and do not take calls... Such a joke, I wonder why they wont take calls from customers with invoice queries?

cheers cheaper, I was a bit lost with that one. It's crazy to pay more in the uk than in sweden!

[chris57]

Keep at it Gibbo you are fighting the fight for all UK customers.

Any other UK customers ring them up and ask:-
1) Why they are charging £15 admin fee when their competitors charge £1.75 DHL or free UPS?

2) How they have made up the amount on which to charge VAT of 15%?

3) Shipping is $49 from China to the UK, how can they charge VAT, on inter EU shipping, on an amount that far exceeds the cost of shipping?