Got myself an Android smartphone from China a few weeks ago at 1/4 the price of its branded equivalent in the UK (absolutely fab, btw, would definitely recommend it if you want the good stuff and are not brand-obsessed!). Today, got an invoice from DHL for the Duty and VAT they were required to pay customs on my behalf to enable clearance of delivery of the goods, adding import taxes are the responsibility of the receiver. VAT is £9.46, which is fair enough, and then add an admin fee of £5. Let me say straight away that it's not the amount that's the problem as such, it's the principle, also my innate curiosity on things like these. *I* don't have a contract with DHL, *I* sure as hell didn't ask then to pay anything on my behalf, where do they get off invoicing me? They paid VAT on my behalf unasked, well I'm sure that's very nice of them, but can they actually invoice me when we don't have a contract or agreed any T&Cs? As for their admin fee, what the hell? Cheek! Anyone? I did a quick google which wasn't helpful, with lots of people confusing the issue of paying VAT (which no-one is arguing needs paying) and the admin fee levied by DHL. I found a few people raising the same query as I am about the legality of the courier invoicing for an admin fee to someone who hasn't got a contract with them, and getting drowned by people with a "moral" opinion instead of a legal one, so I'll say it again, my question is purely about the *legal* aspect: Can a courier charge an admin fee to someone with whom they do not have a contract? For that matter, can they actually reclaim the VAT they paid "on behalf" of the recipient if the recipient didn't ask them to in the first place?