Customs Foul Up?

[PaulBoy]

I received a note from the postman today advising if a £12 "customs charge" which confused me ...
I was only waiting for a standard DVD (double disc SE of To Kill a Mockingbird) The customs stamp by DVDPacific on the side of a small box is poor and the handwritten value could be misread as $78.77 rather than the correct amount $18.77 (!)
Customs here didn't open the package to check? Is this their normal procedure? I have been to the Sorting Office once + the number they gave me is not answered (dont work weekends I presume) so I will have to wait until Monday to sort out
Not a happy camper ... Paul

 

[Seth Gecko]

I don't think anyone here has ever understood Customs

I've had 2 x Y10,000 packages - one got through with a £12 charge, the other with no charge - both unopened.

You'll have to pay the charge to get the package, then you can challenge it and get the money back (eventually) but AFAIK you can't query it first, then get the package.

 

[anephric]

This happened to me just recently with DVDPacific - it must be the same guy who wrote the customs declaration on both our orders!

His "1"s look like jockin' "7"s! So I got lumbered with a £12 charge! The chap at the PO counter didn't want to know, even though I showed him the DVDPacific order acknowledgement, so I paid the charge and wrote to HMC&E, including photocopies of the packaging/charge details/customs declaration and a copy of the DVDPacific online order detail. Hopefully, when they rebate my charge I can then write to the PO and get their £4 admin/presentation to HMC&E charge back.

 

[samjet]

seen this way of writing 1 before but in europe

dont know the calligraphic term but they put a line at the top of the upright - they also put a horizontal line through the centre of 7 - presumably to differentiate between 1 and 7

 

[anephric]

Yes, they're referred to as "continental sevens". But DVDPacific are American! They're not even Canadian (unless they've got a Canuck working there).

Probably just some ponce who likes describing a suitably poncy curlicue at the top of his numerals

 

[pjclark1]

Contact dvdpacific and say you haven't recieved the dvd.

no need to tell any lies or add to that statement, it's their problem.
No satisfaction, get your credit card company to issue a chargeback.

 

[lovemunkey187]

On the couple of occassions I've had to contact DVDPacific they've been really helpful mail them and tell the about thepoor penmanship of one of their packers

 

[PaulBoy]

Hi Customs advised me to pay their charge & write to them asking for a refund - that's really convenient (not!)
At least I can get my dvd ... Paul