Re: Why do British records cost money when other countries are free?

On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:05:48 +0100, Ian Goddard
<goddai01@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Charles Ellson wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:40:44 +0100, Ian Goddard
<goddai01@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Kay Robinson wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:08:11 +1000, "FarmI" <ask@itshall be given>
sharpened a new quill and scratched:

---> bobbit

A web site complete with email contact addys in any other country has always
been an indication of a readiness to do business over the Net, but this
doesn't seem to apply in the UK for some reason. If they don't want to do
business, and aren't going to even bother to do something as simple as
answer emails, one wonders why they go to they bother to go to the effort
and expense of putting up a web site.

Emails simply go unanswered and it is only when one rings up at
International call charges that there is any response at all. "Yes, got
your email...."

One is just left gobbsmacked as there is never any indication that they were
actually going to DO anything about having received an email. The response
is always timely and efficient when you do speak to them, but one shouldn't
have to do so to get them to figure out that this is now the 21st century
and this is how the rest of the world now conducts business and actually
makes money and builds a good reputaion of service delivery.

The rest of the world isn't in it's infancy in using the internet, so there
is no reason why the UK should be. And believe me, from outside the UK, it
certainly looks like it and feels like it.
I'm in agreement with you there. I've never managed to understand why
I can packages sent from individuals in this country [UK] and firms in
other countries withing a day or two of ordering/purchasing on line,
yet British companies quote 'delivery in up to 28 days', and have the
cheek to charge for that delivery. I recently ordered two identical
items, the first from a British company based in London, postage 2.95
delivery 14 days then, tired of waiting, ordered the same item online
from China, arrived in three days, postage 1.49.

Possibly both supplied via the Chinese firm you ordered from.
The trouble with buying online from outside the EU is that you never
know when HMRC are going to intercept it to charge VAT & it arrives at
your door with a surcharge for VAT & fees from a handling agent which
exceed what you paid in the first place.

If something is over a certain value (18 UKP?) you should expect the
revenue men to charge their bit and treat the stuff that gets through
unscathed as a bonus. Unfortunately with lower valued items above the
limit you can spend near enough as much in fees etc. (8 UKP with Royal
Mail, as well as duty and VAT) as on the product itself and run the
risk of wishing to apply your own foot to your own backside for not
spending a few moments with a calculator beforehand.

The problem is the way that this is handled. On the one experience I've
had HMC&E (as it then was) worked through an agent who, presumably, paid
them the VAT and then arranged it to be presented to me CoD with a
disproportionate handling fee attached. It's the handling fee that
becomes legalised theft. With hindsight I'd have said "OK,it's yours.
What do you want to do with it? I'll make you an offer to take it off
your hands."

ISTR past adverse comments elsewhere concerning the extortionate
"handling fees" charged by one of the multinational courier services
for goods subject to duty etc. I believe the delivering company has
some kind of legal obligation to deal with the dutiable goods rather
than actually acting as an agent in the general sense for HMRC; where
the main business is delivering exempt items (e.g. documents) then a
large fee would tend to discourage unwanted/dutiable items from
regular users (and minimise the staff and equipment dealing with them)
but not those involving occasional (recipient) users who will get
milked while being once bitten.
.

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  • Re: Why do British records cost money when other countries are free?
    ... If they don't want to do business, and aren't going to even bother to do something as simple as answer emails, one wonders why they go to they bother to go to the effort and expense of putting up a web site. ... The response is always timely and efficient when you do speak to them, but one shouldn't have to do so to get them to figure out that this is now the 21st century and this is how the rest of the world now conducts business and actually makes money and builds a good reputaion of service delivery. ... know when HMRC are going to intercept it to charge VAT & it arrives at your door with a surcharge for VAT & fees from a handling agent which exceed what you paid in the first place. ... On the one experience I've had HMC&E worked through an agent who, presumably, paid them the VAT and then arranged it to be presented to me CoD with a disproportionate handling fee attached. ...
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  • Re: Why do British records cost money when other countries are free?
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    (soc.genealogy.britain)
  • Re: Why do British records cost money when other countries are free?
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