Things like music CDs - movie DVDs - books - that sort of thing, are sent by Royal Mail. But Amazon UK are, apparently, now using a different delivery service called i-Parcel for other things that would have previously arrived with no problem. The cost is well under the amount necessary for the items to even go through Customs let alone be refused. And Amazon UK are now charging an additional fee "for possible Customs duty". Only there is no duty necessary. But i-Parcel are now sending up to half a dozen emails a day, demanding my ID number before they can dispatch the goods from Amazon in the US. Only the items were ordered and supposedly supplied by Amazon UK? Fair enough, Amazon UK refund my money but that is immaterial. I only buy things I need, not just "I want". And I know only too well the laws regarding imports and Customs duties here, and no way do I have to give my ID number or "if you do not have an ID number we need your Passport number and details." No way. Amazon UK say it is not their problem, it is i-Parcel. And i-Parcel have just demanded my ID number for a ten pound pair of sandals which I would not give them so refused to deliver them. From the US? They were bought from Amazon UK. I had always trusted Amazon who, I must admit have been doing their best to sort this out, but they say that they are now using i-Parcel therefore can only refund non-deliverable goods. Would you not think that they should use a reliable shipper, or am I asking too much of them? Incidentally, the maximum cost of anything i-Parcel are refusing to deliver is less than £40 which is way below the amount that it would even have to go through Customs let alone have duty paid on it.
Yet another example of the 'Iron cage of bureaucracy'. It does make you wonder why 'they' need to be constantly inventing new regulations. Charles went to the bank last week, so I asked him to pay a cheque into my ISA account while he was there. He was told that they were giving him a receipt for the money, but that I had to attend in person for the money to actually be credited in my pass book. Does nobody ever consider how the infirm are expected to cope with rules like these? Or what happens if someone (like me) has never had a passport? It's little wonder that our hair becomes thin!
These are just a few of the new current import laws: I apologise for not giving the link to the above, but it was a correct translation from the Government Ivrit and as it was addressed to me following my query, I prefer not to do so - and hope you understand why. Nothing I had bought from Amazon UK, which their shippers i-Parcel refused to deliver without my ID number - going so far to state that the items could not be shipped from the US without it even though I had bought from Amazon UK - came anywhere near the above. They refused to deliver a Brabantia jar opener. Cost? Around £8. A pair of Croc Sandals. The Russell Hobbs soupmaker I had wanted as a meat one as against the pareve one I recently bought - a set of induction saucepans - and the latest being an £8 induction diffuser. Amazon are very apologetic - refund my money - but still refuse to admit that i-Parcel are demanding information that is not only not necessary, but are saying that the goods cannot leave the US without my ID number when the items were ordered and paid for to Amazon UK? Oh, and if I do not have an ID number, which of course I have, they want my Passport details? Only both my British and Israeli passports expired decades ago and will never be renewed. It is all well and good that Amazon refund me - weeks after I have paid, and assuring me that no way to i-Parcel require my ID number, so what on earth is going on? And no, nobody is getting my ID number.
