Some of you will know that a few weeks back I was charged £140.00 duties on some BMX bits I only paid £50.00 for. The issue was that the parcel had been labelled by the seller as being worth $500.00!
Anyway, even if he valued the goods at that amount I definitely didn't pay that for them, so wasn't happy to be charged all the duties. When I went to collect the parcel the people at the depo said it was the buyers responsibility to ensure the seller supplies accurate documentation, and if the seller states a value it can't be challenged once the item has arrived. I reluctantly paid the duties but decided to dig deeper.
Turns out the lady at the depo was correct, and technically I wasn't able to contest the charges. None the less I decided to write a letter to Border Force and appeal. I basically accepted fault, but supplied proof of payment etc so that they could see what I really paid. Today a cheque arrived in the post for almost the entire duties fee! They accepted my take on the whole thing and gave me the benefit of the doubt. To say I'm pleased is an understatement.
So if any of you get charged fees that you don't think accurately value your item it's worth sending a letter. Chances are it could pay off.
