Brexit killing off Ebay?
Now that UK has left the EU I've noticed that some items listed by our friends in the EU now have 20% VAT added as well as postage fees, but not always. This can hike the price of some items up as much to make them too expensive to bother with. I just wondered what other UK collectors thought.
Once upon a time there was no VAT charge on "second hand" items. How can they put 20% on an 80 year old used messtin?
I see it as a opportunist money making scheme by eBay (not that I’m a suspicious person lol)
I bought a death card from eBay and got charged the 20% VAT.
Here is an example of the eBay purchase receipt and the actual receipt from the seller.
Man, that's crazy. I'm so glad the United States doesn't do VAT... should be criminal.
From what I have seen it is very hit and miss as to who eBay apply the VAT to. Originally I thought it was business sellers, however, I have just checked and it is on some private sellers as well.
Previously, when buying items from outside the EU there was a limit of around £16 (I think), anything over that incurred tax. This is clearly not the case with some of the items listed.
It’d be interesting to know whether this “VAT” is going to British government or eBay
The U.S. does not have VAT but now ebay charges you sales tax on every purchase even if it's not an established store. I bought a high end uniform on ebay from a Spanish seller, not a store, and was charged $200 sales tax automatically at checkout. I assume ebay is just keeping that money, or am I really paying sales tax to Spain, LOL? One scam after another from ebay.
Personally I think the VAT is a minor issue compared to eBays automatic “international shipping program”” - £56 to post a silk map!?!?!!?
Yea, It’s best not to buy sealed items with that shipping type. Because a lot of my friends told me horror stories about their mint condition sealed items being opened by one of them. One of my friends had their decon kit explode in the package because of Royal Mail. Raulby Grimebox
The 21% VAT on any purchase of items that are not essential is something that we suffer in Spain and in the rest of the EU.
It is somewhat exaggerated, but it is the engine grease of our enormous national governments and that of the European Union also.
In Al's case, I assure you that the VAT on that uniform you bought is neither for eBay nor for the seller, it is for the government of Spain (thank Goodness we have a government with communist ministers !!!!!!)
The world upside down
As I live in the UK, I warned myself not to buy anything else from the European Union after we had pulled out from that corrupt organisation because of the impending VAT and also the customs handling charges. But last week I spotted a very nice Japy manufactured Adrian on offer in France, and forgetting my own warnings I made the purchase. Fortunately for me though, it seems to have slipped through the net and I received it a few days ago without any VAT or customs fees added.
Cheers,
Steve
That's interesting Steve.
I have bought a few collections from Europe in the past but I tried buying one thing for 18 euros with the 10 euros post and ended up paying over 35 euros.
I complained to ebay mentioning that they are ripping me off charging VAT on the item and the postage!
The corporate answers I got were that all VAT recovered went back to the UK Government.
I checked the customs importation rules and sure enough the low value item VAT exemption has been removed but the VAT should only be applied to new items from what I gather and certainly not on the postage price.
Best thing to do is stop buying from Europe till ebay start feeling the pinch.
Have you noticed that if a European buys something off us VAT from their end is not applied.
Cheers
Doug
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