parcels from the us....

[full_throttle]

Not sure if I buy that explanation. UPS and FedEx handle quite a few packages, often of greater value, and there is no delay in their processing time at the point of arrival. The Parcelforce office in Coventry (which you may work at) is notorious even among other Parcelforce depots for being unreachable, unhelpful and not giving a toss. Their phone line rings and rings before and after office hours but is constantly engaged during office hours. They are also unable to identify currency symbols and appear to be stupid. Amongst other examples of incompetence, I received an item from Japan, clearly marked as such, and they misread the value (5000 Yen) as $5000 and charged me several hundred pounds VAT on a headcover. Then wanted me to pay it first and claim it back. I told them to send it back to the country of origin and the company sent me one by UPS instead which arrived faster than it took Coventry to answer the phone.

Almost all golf clubs will be sent EMS, hence will attract a £13.50 charge.

my job is to generate the letter which is sent to the customer....

i can only comment on my work place, the charges are levied by UKBA staff and PFWW staff have no control over these.

Parcelforce is the only carrier to have onsite UKBA, the carriers you refer too use their own company from start to finish so the 'paper trail' stays within the company, i have no knowledge how the charges are levied

i would say less than 50% are sent as EMS

 

[full_throttle]

there is an element of luck with it too i have had several items get through unnoticed and duty free although oflate there does seem to have been a crack down and the last 3 packages have been well taxed up!

not so much now, at one stage it was like going through the airport, you might get stopped you might not, now 100% of chargeable items are examined by UKBA, of which maybe 10% are released FOC

 

[Foxholer]

Not sure if I buy that explanation. UPS and FedEx handle quite a few packages, often of greater value, and there is no delay in their processing time at the point of arrival. The Parcelforce office in Coventry (which you may work at) is notorious even among other Parcelforce depots for being unreachable, unhelpful and not giving a toss. Their phone line rings and rings before and after office hours but is constantly engaged during office hours. They are also unable to identify currency symbols and appear to be stupid. Amongst other examples of incompetence, I received an item from Japan, clearly marked as such, and they misread the value (5000 Yen) as $5000 and charged me several hundred pounds VAT on a headcover. Then wanted me to pay it first and claim it back. I told them to send it back to the country of origin and the company sent me one by UPS instead which arrived faster than it took Coventry to answer the phone.

Almost all golf clubs will be sent EMS, hence will attract a £13.50 charge.

Explanation seems fine to me. It's the system that's broke!

Though your Japanese experience does seem a level above the usual level. I've never been able to contact our local hub (Aldershot) by phone. Forgot to add that payment can be via net, but only once the letter has arrived as that has the required reference number (there is a marginal security benefit there though).

When Callaway was ditched the last of their Bettinardis to Edwin Watts (some years ago), I bought some (at $99 a bargain even if Lime Green) and they came via Fedex. The charges were done separately using some weird formula (close enough though). I reckon that's because Fedex's system separates the delivery (and their charge) from any other charges. They adopt the attitude, in a competitive world, that it's the delivery that is what the customer is most concerned about.

Parcelforce seems to adopt a 'complete each step' approach, so any delays (whether down to them or not) affect the delivery time. It's the convenience of USPS/Parcelforce that gets it so much business, not the efficiency imo!