On 2007-05-05 13:36:52 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:
I order something from the U.S. and the supplier sends it by USPS. It
arrives at the Mount Pleasant sorting office 3 days later.

I get a card from RM *nearly three weeks* later wanting payment for VAT
and wanting identity by credit card or equivalent in order to receive
my property. They won't deliver.

I have to go to the post office and stand for nearly half an hour in
the pouring rain. They use credit cards for ID but won't accept for
payment. They can't explain why they can't take payment on line and
then deliver or better still invoice afterwards. Overall, the
exercise takes more than an hour and has an opportunity cost of more
than £100.

Weird. I've bought several items from the US that involved duty payable
and not had this problem.

If there had been duty as opposed to just VAT or the amount of VAT had
been in the hundreds of pounds and it had been the first time, I
wouldn't have minded quite so much. That was certainly the last time
they do it to me.

All suppliers are now checked as to who they will use for shipment.
If there's a choice, I will choose the non-RM option. If there isn't
and they don't want to agree to one, the business goes elsewhere and I
tell the supplier why.

As to the courier firms, I receive regular shipments and both DHL and
Fedex invoice me for the import VAT after delivery of the goods.
Quite often this amounts to a few £000 of VAT but never any issues.
Generally they get paid in 14-30 days. It isn't unreasonable to expect
that level of service.