Hi
My LB rims are at customs according to the tracking info. I rang a number off the HMRC site and it politely told me all about how they charge for items. I just wanted to try and speak to someone to get them to process the rims so I can pay the fee and get them built before I go on my easter hols

any suggestions?
cheers
will

You just need to wait – Parcelforce will take care of it, send you a letter, then you pay and they deliver the next day.

Unless Border Force get involved, then you enter a whole world of pain. I’m currently arguing with them about a returned Rohloff – if you can argue with a voicemail.

You can’t rush em, just be patient, young padawan

You can only speed it up when Parcelforce have the rims at your local depot. Give them a ring as soon as they arrive and you can pay the charge over the phone and they get them out for delivery. Otherwise you have to wait for them to send you a letter with the charges in. This only saves a day or two off the process.

I collected mine from the local depot and paid when I got there. Saved about a week by not waiting for the letter to arrive.

Rang parcel force last week and they had them as still with customs. oh well patience it is
cheers

You just need to wait – Parcelforce will take care of it, send you a letter, then you pay and they deliver the next day.

This is my experience too. They are painfully slow and charge you over a tenner for their trouble but at least once you have the letter the delivery options are useful.

Parcelforce do the Customs clearance / freight forwarding so it’s simply a case for waiting for them to process your consignment. Provided you didn’t ask LB to put a ridiculously low value on the consignment, you’ll get a bill for duty, VAT and handling fee – last pair of Chinese carbon rims cost me £40 in fees. If you put a low value, then they can open / inspect the consignment determine the levies based on UK values or issue a double-tariff as a penalty for false declaration.

Infuriating ins’t it. I’ve logged on regularly with my tracking number and the status hasn’t changed from ‘handed to customs’ for over a week. I’ve got this mental image of a customs official with his feet up on my box reading The Sun. summer will be over by the time I get these wheels built up

I’m currently arguing with them about a returned Rohloff

I feel your pain. I recently gave up arguing with the value of a repaired bit of equipment for work.

I’ve ended up paying the (quite high) duty twice now! no way should i pay import value on a repair at full rate!

“I’ve got this mental image of a customs official with his feet up on my box reading The Sun. summer will be over by the time I get these wheels built up”

Trust me- it isn’t like that. All those central government cut backs have had a horrific impact on some aspects of HMRC & Border Force’s ‘back office’ operations; there are less than half the staff working for the departments compared to ten years ago. The job cuts are set to continue too; another 10,000 posts to go in the next 5 years. Soon there’ll be no-one left to cover borders or collect taxes.