GLS get what they deserve at last...

Quatre Mains

great news today in the Sunday Indo, GLS aren't getting their contract renewed. This shower has ripped many of us off over the last few years so I'm sure there won;t be too many tears. Hopefully they'll leave Ireland altogether now. BTW if you're a manager in GLS and you're reading this, merry xmas!

BY LARA BRADLEY

PEOPLE getting parcels from America, which loved ones there have already paid to post home, can now look forward to being able to receive them without having to pay huge extra charges.

After three years of bitter complaints about frustrating delays and high bills, parcels posted in America are once again to be delivered by An Post at a greatly reduced cost.

The move will also mean that all customs duty paid on parcels from America will stay in Irish coffers for the first time in three years.

Last Christmas, more than 600 Irish people refused to pay exorbitant fees demanded at the doorstep for parcels delivered from America by a privatised British company.

And this year An Post, the American Embassy and the United States Postal Service received a stream of complaints from people furious at being forced to pay to receive packages - despite the fact that the charges are nothing to do with them.

A spokesman for An Post said: "There have been hundreds of complaints and it peaks at this time of year when people are getting gifts from friends and relatives in America. They are shocked to find they have to pay so much to get their Christmas presents. It was a smooth service when we had it and it is our intention that it will be again."

The delivery of airmail parcels from America was taken over three years ago by General Logistics Systems, which is a subsidiary of the Royal Mail in Britain. The United States Postal Service signed a cut-price contract with GLS to deliver to 23 European countries, but after thousands of complaints the US postal service has allowed the contract to expire and, from January 1, will revert to using national post offices.

Prior to GLS taking over the contract, parcels were delivered to the door by An Post who were flexible about charging duty and VAT, particularly on packages of little financial value.

Customers complained that GLS were overly strict in applying customs charges, pointing out that when a package warranted a customs charge, the company was entitled to add a €9.50 administration fee. There was an additional charge for "VAT at point of entry" and if the recipient did not pay up within 10 days, the package was returned to sender.

Ten per cent of the total 13.5 per cent taxes paid on the parcels went to the German government as the packages were sent from America to a central depot in Neuenstein before distribution around the rest of Europe. The rest of the money went to central EU coffers. From next week, airmail parcels will come directly to Ireland.

"From January 1, we are back on track with the US Postal Service. Where duty is applicable, duty will be charged, as by law we have to collect that. We do have to charge a nominal handling charge for dealing with the customs administration, but this will be considerably less than people have been paying. We will charge an administration fee of €5 where duty is applied," the spokesman for An Post said.

General Logistics Systems did not reply to continued requests for comment.

Victor

Johnnycabs wrote:

great news today in the Sunday Indo, GLS aren't getting their contract renewed.

Old news and the article is full of poo.

Samson

Victor wrote:

...the article is full of poo.

Expand on this point please Victor.

Our man in Havana

Samson wrote:

Expand on this point please Victor.

indeed! please expand

parsi

The week before last I got a small packet from the States using USPS Global Priority Express mail and it arrived in 4 days.

Last week anther packet was sent using the same service - according to the tracking it Left Kennedy airport on the 13th but no sign of it yet. I have since discovered that it is in the tentacles of GLS and left the US on the 17th (GLS must hold them for a few days) and supposedly left Germany last night. Seems unlikely it will be here before Christmas.

I can't believe that it has taken 8 days to get to Germany...

(rant over)

BrianD

well my colleague has been waiting a month for a parcel to be delivered. To make matters worse they want the duty to be paid in CASH when they deliver it. We are considering relieving the courier of the parcel and throwing him out of the building ... if he ever arrives.

dudara

Last Christmas, more than 600 Irish people refused to pay exorbitant fees demanded at the doorstep for parcels delivered from America by a privatised British company.

Fair play to those 600.

Victor

The move will also mean that all customs duty paid on parcels from America will stay in Irish coffers for the first time in three years.

But don't import duties go to the EU?

privatised British company

Royal Mail isn't privatised.

despite the fact that the charges are nothing to do with them.

Oh yes they do.

Prior to GLS taking over the contract, parcels were delivered to the door by An Post who were flexible about charging duty and VAT, particularly on packages of little financial value.

It is not An Post's position to assist tax evasion through being "flexible about charging duty and VAT".

Customers complained that GLS were overly strict in applying customs charges

WOT! O NOE! I KA|\|T H4><0R TEH T4><?

There was an additional charge for "VAT at point of entry"

Hello? REpeat of same point 3 times.

and if the recipient did not pay up within 10 days, the package was returned to sender.

What did they expect them to do?

Ten per cent of the total 13.5 per cent taxes paid on the parcels went to the German government

Thats interesting, what happens where the import duties and VAT exceeded 13.5%?

"We will charge an administration fee of €5 where duty is applied," the spokesman for An Post said.

So the only differerence is charging €5 instead of €9.50 (and a help out in tax evasion).

parsi

Victor wrote:

So the only differerence is charging €5 instead of €9.50 (and a help out in tax evasion).

And speed. Instead of your items flying over Ireland and landing in Germany where they are assessed and then trucked back to Ireland , your items will land in Ireland. I'm waiting 9 days (and counting) for an item shipped via USPS Global Expresss Priority - a smaller packet got through in 4 days (direct) but this packet (larger) ended up with GLS and is still en route...

Some people would also suggest that An Post are more flexible in their revenue collection than GLS who have a reputation for charging on the side of caution...

silent

parsi wrote:

And speed. Instead of your items flying over Ireland and landing in Germany where they are assessed and then trucked back to Ireland , your items will land in Ireland. I'm waiting 9 days (and counting) for an item shipped via USPS Global Expresss Priority - a smaller packet got through in 4 days (direct) but this packet (larger) ended up with GLS and is still en route...

Some people would also suggest that An Post are more flexible in their revenue collection than GLS who have a reputation for charging on the side of caution...

don't confuse USPS EMS/Global Express and Global Priority Mail with bog standard Airmail. From my experience with dozens of parcels from states EMS/GPM does through post, as does (for me at least) smaller airmail. Bulkier airmail is handled by GLS (again, from experience only, though I live very near a gls depot)
don't expect 4 business days in the future for airmail, 5-6 probably. EMS/GPM gets here in 3-4 though

regarding tax evasion - /me shrugs - who cares, eu/irish residents are majorly ripped off with much larger prices when it comes to most items compared to US/Canada. The small limits are ridiculous anyway.

parsi

Should read "Global Express Mail"...."Global Express Priority" is the new name for a product I'm developing for the USPS... :-)

parsi

Quick update: rang GLS this morning. Asked where was the parcel. Told it was in Dublin. Asked would it make it to Cork for Christmas . Told "NO". Suggested that to take this long was a farce. The reply was that it was coming by road from Germany.

Got off the phone, wrote an email giving out and during this the package arrived...so while they were saying it was in Dublin a guy was in Cork hadning it over at reception ... !