Gaah! Very pissed off! [Next Direct import charges]

Complaints Corner
61
great post, thanks

62
There have been complaints everywhere about it ( Facebook, Twitter , forums etc). They are well aware of the problem but in the grand scheme of things Switzerland is a very small market to them ( and the only one affected by the problem) so they probably don't really care.

I suspect they are contracted to use the services of AAS freight for a certain time period and can't actually do anything about it in the meantime. Loads of people have refused parcels and had them sent back to Next so it is costing them money.

I've never used them so have no direct experience.

63
i tried a few different ways to order from next. have it delivered to an address in germany or france, deliver it to a friends place in england and then send it to me, order without limit on next direct....

the cheapest way and without aas freight charges is, ordering it from next direct and staying under 34chf. usually that means ordering multiple parcels. be careful with that though, order your new parcel after swiss post received the previous one.

64
Just had a really nice phone call from the UK, from NEXT's International Team manager. She apologises for any inconvenience, was not aware of the problem at all. I read her some of your posts, incl ref to AAS freight services.

She is keen to sort the problem out, and asks that the person who had to pay tax due to price not displayed on parcel send her a photo of the parcel as it arrived. She has given me her e-mail so this can be sent to pickles- and is happy for me to give anyone who has had this problem her e-mail address by pm, if they need to contact her. She assures me international customers are valued by NEXT and that they want to know if there are issues with customs, and sort them out- and sends her best regards to all.

65
Thank you Odile - I have written numerous emails and also told them on Twitter AND pointed to this thread, so it amazes me that it never got to her, just goes to show, you have to keep trying! Very impressed to hear what Selfridges is doing, maybe we could encourage M&S to do the VAT thing too, after all, the DO charge for shipping and it's not a big technological issue to have the VAT removed.

Since they don't do Tall sizes they are not quite as relevant to me as Next though, so I really hope the lady gets it sorted soon. I used to order regularly and now I just don't anymore. Especially since I ordered a Christmas jumper that was meant to be a size 16 but was approximately a size 24 - paying huge duties on an item you can't even wear is doubly painful!

66
NEXT have known about this problem for AGES and simply chosen not to do anything about it... as a result they lost my custom a while ago when trying to charge me 40chf for air freight charges. I simply laughed and said I wouldn't claim the parcel and they could expect it to come back to them soon

Jokers.

67
Yup.

I've also many times not received DHL packages because DHL sent them back claiming my address was incorrect (although it seems to work perfectly well for the post office, and I don't know what else to add, so it seems to me that somebody in DHL is just taking the easy way out, as it does work about 50% of the time). I even tried having it delievered to my work address and they claimed that that address didn't exist either. I try to avoid DHL whenever I can now.

68
DHL, as I have posted before in the past, are basically the modern, legal version of highway robbers. I had two packages come form NEXT and they slapped on the maximum administrative charge on each parcel, which was 50% of the item worth. When I called to query and challenge it she basically immediately started quoting their legal terms, which is a clear sign that it is nothing more than a legal money spinner for them.

Sadly, Switzerland has no watchdog that can clamp down on this kind of outrageous tomfoolery.

69
M&S has "buy one get one half price" - which works fine for payment - but DHL sees both at full price.

Ultimately getting a few things online and paying DHL is a lot cheaper than buying stuff in Switzerland.

70

I received my order from M&S (DHL)a few days ago for £237.- then got a bill Sfr. 86.-- for custom charges ....

71
Given the number of complaints about it that I've seen on various sites I find it hard to believe that she didn't know anything about it but maybe things will change now.

Marks and Spencer do longer length for trousers and skirts. They have three lengths aimed at petite, standard and tall women.

72
Mine was 41chf of which 19.05 was MWST - and no custom duties. Total order was (IIRC) £157.50+postage

73
Guys be very careful, there is now a spam email going around that is targeting NEXT customers:

-----------------------

From: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Subject: nextdirect.com parcel tracking information

Dear Mr. X

Thank you for your recent order.

Your available items have been dispatched from our warehouse for delivery by SkyNet, and should be delivered to you very soon.

To track your order, please click this link.

This will take you to SkyNet's website and you will see the current status of your order.

If your order requires duty/tax to be paid, you will be sent a further email entitled: Action needed on your recent Next order | Tracking Number: 086605595241.

Please follow the instructions on that email to pay the duty, your parcel will only be delivered once this has been completed.

If you have any queries regarding your order please do not hesitate to call us on 0445 831 601.

Kind Regards

Next Direct Team

-----------------------

So yeah, don't click anything that is not from the email address [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

74
Are you sure that's spam?? Looks like their standard information email confirming despatch of the goods to me but maybe I missed something.

(I order regularly, for less than CHF 35 to avoid charges, so well versed in their procedures and I've definitely had this message many times: in my experience there's an order confirmation, followed by this message, followed by a message from the AAS Freight people confirming either that there are no charges and that the parcel has been passed to Swiss post for delivery, or that there are charges to pay and that they will hold your parcel until you pay up)

75
Heh... and you are precisely the kind of person that these spam emails target.

76
It's definitely not spam! I have ordered from next many times and this is the standard email you receive after the order has been sent to the shipping company.

77
Wow... no wonder spammers are so successful when there are so many people who think their emails are real just because they are worded the same.

You seem to be completely ignoring the fact that the email address it is from ([email protected]) is not the correct address I have received any previous mail from.

Oh yeah, and I haven't ordered anything from Next in months.

78
Holy cow. Already?

Skynet's not due to become self-aware until 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 27!

We're all doomed.

79
@Richdog- watch whom you are calling a ninny. I have received emails from the so called spam email address you mention and it's a genuine email. It merely gives you a link to track your order.

I am not one that falls for spam emails.

It further follows up with an email from [email protected] even saying that it has been handed over to Swiss Post and no further action needs to be taken. Now if that was spam, logically wouldn't they ask me to pay customs and steal my money?

I have ordered from Next numerous times, and have received emails from this address ALWAYS. Note- I have NEVER paid customs.

So before you start childish namecalling, get your facts straight. I am a very recent customer of theirs and so I have first hand information. So guys don't fret!

80
The mail is legit (based on the copy/paste above).

SkyNet is a legit UK shipping company.