I was on a UK website looking at wetsuits. They detected that I was in the EU so I was redirected to their EU customers website. They have a base in Holland and I purchased a wetsuit in Euro. They gave me a tracking code and the item was shipped from Holland. I got an email and txt from An Post looking for €172 or it would be sent back?
Is there an appeals system? Who do I contact to sort this mess out. I made the purchase over 2 weeks ago and was wondering why it was taking so long.
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Will I have to pay any customs charges in my country?
You will be fully responsible for paying all applicable taxes directly to the relevant authority (and for reclaiming them in the event of a cancellation of your order or the return of products, to the extent permitted in these terms) as determined by the authorities of the shipping destination country.
It's quite possible that they think that they've met the required criteria for frictionless EU deliveries but actually have not. Just look at the recent Iceland debacle that's put the Irish operation into examinership!
I ordered an expensive item from the Netherlands a couple of years ago. They thought Ireland had left the EU due to Brexit(!) and tried to charge all sorts of fees. We sorted it out before I paid the invoice so a bit different to your scenario but may have been similar error/confusion.
Contact AnPost and send them the tracking code. You have proof that the item came from the EU. Even if it transitted the UK you are not liable for customs charges.
With anything like this, I'd always contact the merchant and get then to sort it out. Dealing with An Post can be frustrating at the best of times an without access to the paperwork you're likely to get nowhere.