Impressed with speed of An Post customs clearance

[Noel]

Admit I'm surprised. I got an email this morning at 07:20am about customs charges due on an parcel from UK (DCC Concepts). Paid fees online about 07:30am. Had been expecting a 7-10 days brexit delay due customs processing release of parcel, but lo and behold parcel arrived here at 9:30am this morning. It looks like An Post must have a facility to hold parcel's in local delivery office pending payment for customs fees due (ie Duty+Vat). I was expecting a 10 day delay. DCC Concepts deducted UK VAT from my purchases so at least I didn't get hit with a Double VAT Whammy. Happy Days, NCE Power Cab ready to hook up to Gort, releasing the main 5amp NCE Pro Cab to go back to the big layout. I like the cab ergonomics of the NCE in hand, really suits shunting operations and sound, and I'm familiar with it. Don't like touch screen HUI as it requires eyes rather than blind tactile feel use of throttle. 

[murphaph]

The way you can pay online and then your parcel is released and delivered as normal is very elegant. Here in Germany I get a note in my letterbox telling me how much is due and that I can go to my local post office to pay it and collect the item myself. There is no way to pay from home and let them deliver it. Before Corona they would take cash (and only cash and they never gave change) at the door IF you were at home but usually you weren't and the item would then go to the local post office as above. An Post's way is very customer friendly in comparison (and the handling charge is a little over half what we pay in Germany, though ok, our VAT is only 19% on most things but that's not An Post's fault). Credit where it's due! 

[Horsetan]

2 hours ago, Noel said:

Admit I'm surprised. I got an email this morning at 07:20am about customs charges due on an parcel from UK (DCC Concepts). Paid fees online about 07:30am. Had been expecting a 7-10 days brexit delay due customs processing release of parcel, but lo and behold parcel arrived here at 9:30am this morning......

Enjoy it. The postal strikes over here mean that you'll be lucky to get any post this side of Christmas......or New Year.

[Galteemore]

And the train strikes mean you can’t even go and pick the stuff up in person….

[Horsetan]

14 hours ago, Galteemore said:

And the train strikes mean you can’t even go and pick the stuff up in person….

We actually have an alternative Advent Calendar now. Every day that you open a door has some sort of strike behind it

[Galteemore]

[GSR 800]

19 hours ago, Noel said:

Admit I'm surprised. I got an email this morning at 07:20am about customs charges due on an parcel from UK (DCC Concepts). Paid fees online about 07:30am. Had been expecting a 7-10 days brexit delay due customs processing release of parcel, but lo and behold parcel arrived here at 9:30am this morning. It looks like An Post must have a facility to hold parcel's in local delivery office pending payment for customs fees due (ie Duty+Vat). I was expecting a 10 day delay. DCC Concepts deducted UK VAT from my purchases so at least I didn't get hit with a Double VAT Whammy. Happy Days, NCE Power Cab ready to hook up to Gort, releasing the main 5amp NCE Pro Cab to go back to the big layout. I like the cab ergonomics of the NCE in hand, really suits shunting operations and sound, and I'm familiar with it. Don't like touch screen HUI as it requires eyes rather than blind tactile feel use of throttle. 

Whenever I've tracked postage, customs duty notices are almost always sent after they've arrived in Ireland so the postage from there should be next day or two.

Postage from the EU is usually quite quick, Britain hit or miss. 

1 hour ago, Galteemore said:

Wonder how the lettuce is doing.

[Noel]

1 hour ago, Galteemore said:

 Is this another brexit dividend?

[Horsetan]

25 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

....Wonder how the lettuce is doing.

The lettuce will be frozen, so will last longer

Edited December 11, 2022 by Horsetan

[Galteemore]

One potentially interesting development has been ruled out. The armed forces are on standby to provide a number of essential services including medical and Border Force. Sadly the abolition of Britain’s military railway operating cadre a few years ago (and it is very recent)  has removed one interesting option off the table…

Edited December 11, 2022 by Galteemore

[Horsetan]

6 hours ago, Galteemore said:

One potentially interesting development has been ruled out. What's left of The armed forces are on standby to provide a number of essential services…

Edited for accuracy

[Broithe]

 

UK Financial Times.

[skinner75]

Another reason not to order from the UK - if the extra duty due wasn't enough!

[Broithe]

23 minutes ago, Fowler4f said:

According to Royal Mail tracking, Irish Freight Models posted parcel 09/11, arrived UK 14/11, left customs 17/11, arrived Wimbledon Sorting Office 18/11, returned to sender IFM 10/12. I went to W’don Sorting office to be told parcel was still at Customs Heathrow and never arrived at W’don SO. We haven’t had a postal delivery since 01/12. What a shambles the privatisation of public services is, all about Profit !

My personal experience of 'Royal' Mail tracking is that it is largely fictional, based on rather optimistic guesswork.