Grumble Thread

[Joseph K]

I've received this now.

I'm getting ripped-off. I was going to write an email to DG but as the letter makes clear, my email to DG would amount to "hey, Brexit happened, can I have some recompense"

I guess I could cancel the whole thing and request a refund from DG. But that would involve waiting even longer, I think; no doubt other - more sensible - people would have no problem waiting longer when it involves saving a fair amount of money - not me though. I've learnt my lesson - do not order expensive goods from overseas.

I wasn't going to post this but felt like a rant!

Why and in what way did Eine Alpensinfonie see fit to edit this post??

[jayne lee wilson]

Why and in what way did Eine Alpensinfonie see fit to edit this post??

Yeah, and hung me out to dry on the Haydn 49 thread....

[oddoneout]

Ok - the set cost 200 euros + 17.45 euros for shipping costs. On top of that Parcelforce, on behalf of HM Revenues & Customs, have charged 33 pound Import VAT + 12 pound Clearance Fee.

The back of the letter explains how items over 135 pounds from overseas are subject to such costs.

I coughed up because I do have more money than patience, it seems...

Painful but probably the best course of action, given that trying to get a refund (even assuming a reason was accepted for such an action) quite possibly wouldn't have been cost free( if its return is demanded) and might well have involved more time and hassle. The experiences I mentioned earlier that I have read about suggest that even where the company accepts liability for faulty or damaged goods (ie legal requirement for refund) actually getting the money is not guaranteed, for all sorts of reasons.
Sending items to family abroad (EU) always involved thought as to the cost, but now I don't even think about doing it because it seems too much of a lottery as to whether it would arrive and if it does whether the recipient will be landed with extra charges. Not just annoying, but also sad as there have been new additions to and events in the family which would previously have occasioned the sending of a small personalised item.

[oddoneout]

Why and in what way did Eine Alpensinfonie see fit to edit this post??

Asterix has been banished?

[french frank]

Why and in what way did Eine Alpensinfonie see fit to edit this post??

I've just looked. I can't see that he changed anything. Probably hit the Edit button by mistake, but it still throws up an 'Edited by' note.

[Old Grumpy]

Painful but probably the best course of action, given that trying to get a refund (even assuming a reason was accepted for such an action) quite possibly wouldn't have been cost free( if its return is demanded) and might well have involved more time and hassle. The experiences I mentioned earlier that I have read about suggest that even where the company accepts liability for faulty or damaged goods (ie legal requirement for refund) actually getting the money is not guaranteed, for all sorts of reasons.
Sending items to family abroad (EU) always involved thought as to the cost, but now I don't even think about doing it because it seems too much of a lottery as to whether it would arrive and if it does whether the recipient will be landed with extra charges. Not just annoying, but also sad as there have been new additions to and events in the family which would previously have occasioned the sending of a small personalised item.

Can you order items from a supplier in the country concerned and avoid additional charges (apart from currency conversions). We have done this with our daughter and son-in-law in Canada in the past.

OG

[Joseph K]

Painful but probably the best course of action, given that trying to get a refund (even assuming a reason was accepted for such an action) quite possibly wouldn't have been cost free( if its return is demanded) and might well have involved more time and hassle. The experiences I mentioned earlier that I have read about suggest that even where the company accepts liability for faulty or damaged goods (ie legal requirement for refund) actually getting the money is not guaranteed, for all sorts of reasons.
Sending items to family abroad (EU) always involved thought as to the cost, but now I don't even think about doing it because it seems too much of a lottery as to whether it would arrive and if it does whether the recipient will be landed with extra charges. Not just annoying, but also sad as there have been new additions to and events in the family which would previously have occasioned the sending of a small personalised item.

I've just looked. I can't see that he changed anything. Probably hit the Edit button by mistake, but it still throws up an 'Edited by' note.

[oddoneout]

Can you order items from a supplier in the country concerned and avoid additional charges (apart from currency conversions). We have done this with our daughter and son-in-law in Canada in the past.

OG

Probably not.... https://www.litrg.org.uk/latest-news...hopping-online

[LHC]

Probably not.... https://www.litrg.org.uk/latest-news...hopping-online

That link is about customs charges for imports, but the suggestion was to purchase the intended present in the other person's home country, thereby obviating the need to pay import duties.

We do this regularly with friends in the USA. We purchase their Christmas presents from Amazon US (or another US retailer) and have the item delivered direct to their door. They often do the same and order presents for us from a UK website and have them delivered to us. Not only does this avoid customs charges, but postage costs are also much lower (and sometimes non-existent)

[Old Grumpy]

That link is about customs charges for imports, but the suggestion was to purchase the intended present in the other person's home country, thereby obviating the need to pay import duties.

We do this regularly with friends in the USA. We purchase their Christmas presents from Amazon US (or another US retailer) and have the item delivered direct to their door. They often do the same and order presents for us from a UK website and have them delivered to us. Not only does this avoid customs charges, but postage costs are also much lower (and sometimes non-existent)

Thanks. That's indeed what I was suggesting.

[oddoneout]

That link is about customs charges for imports, but the suggestion was to purchase the intended present in the other person's home country, thereby obviating the need to pay import duties.

We do this regularly with friends in the USA. We purchase their Christmas presents from Amazon US (or another US retailer) and have the item delivered direct to their door. They often do the same and order presents for us from a UK website and have them delivered to us. Not only does this avoid customs charges, but postage costs are also much lower (and sometimes non-existent)

Apologies, I wasn't concentrating.
Although I gather that you do have to be very careful now that a UK website/business really is that otherwise the same problems surface?

[Joseph K]

They're building houses just around the corner from us and today something is producing a very low-pitched rumbling noise whose frequencies are particularly irksome.

[Serial_Apologist]

They're building houses just around the corner from us and today something is producing a very low-pitched rumbling noise whose frequencies are particularly irksome.

One of the construction workers probably came along with his cassette player and some Belgian Techno, I expect.

[Joseph K]

One of the construction workers probably came along with his cassette player and some Belgian Techno, I expect.

lol.

[cloughie]

I find it really annoying when recordings are released with no identification of who played on them. I recently acquired a large number of CDs from a local ad onthe Facebook marketplace - including some SOMM Beecham recordings and some Organ records but amongst the remainder were some recordings put out by The Telegragh which, though quite reasonable sounding, list composer and work but no other recording information other than they made by DELTA. They will be finding their way to a Charity Shop in the area dreckly!