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Flat Figures Painters Forum => News => Topic started by: BobLeighton on March 18, 2021, 07:16:01 AM

Title: Buying from Europe
Post by: BobLeighton on March 18, 2021, 07:16:01 AM
Just to say that I have recently purchased from France some prints, been charged 20 %VAT on top of the purchase price, and on receipt of the packages found customs forms completed in triplicate by the sender for the French Customs. No doubt the cost of the this form filling will filter down as extra costs.
Also noticed that on German and French E bay, that one or two vendors are stating that 20% VAT will apply to the sale. There was an article in the Daily Mail outlining charges that buyers of European clothing can expect to pay suggesting that charges/taxes from both sides of the channel will be levied.
The Mail article also said that Courier companies are lumping a handling charge for theire time and trouble which you will not know about until they make delivery.
If all this is correct will these extra charges make it unviable to buy figures and material from the EU????
Has anyone else has the VAT charge added to recent purchases.


Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: fesak_j on March 18, 2021, 07:54:22 AM
I was selling on ebay some stuff a few weeks ago and the buyer from UK has been charged 13 pounds in the end of transaction  :-X ....depend on the value probably.
The positive is that some stores give - VAT reduction like: Customer orders now being shipped outside the United Kingdom will receive a VAT reduction on their order. The VAT is automatically deducted from your product price, at the 'Checkout' stage, after you have selected your delivery country outside of the United Kingdom and confirmed your delivery details. Where purchases are offered on a "VAT-free" basis, the prices of qualifying items will be reduced by the equivalent of VAT. At the current VAT rate of 20% this equates to a discount of 16.67%.


However it might not be possible to apply via ebay or better to say that ebay is not able to allow/give somekind of this rule for the shopping/buying as it is  IT difficulty, i guess.   
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Erich on March 18, 2021, 10:57:45 AM
And it will make a difference whether the seller on Ebay is a commercial firm or a private Collector, I think.A private seller has not the possibilities which a commercial has.

As I have read only an amount up to 22.-- Euro   (goods and shipment)  is free of duty.
That is a sad thing.

Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: errant49 on March 18, 2021, 11:03:02 AM
Thanks to the Brexit !
Eric
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Ed Humphreys on March 18, 2021, 01:25:15 PM
People were warned!
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: maturin on March 23, 2021, 07:45:54 PM
A UK perspective.
I made a number of recent purchases both on Ebay and directly from sellers in Germany.
Orders under £135 were charged 20% VAT by Ebay. Some, but not all, were charged not only on item cost, but on postage! I queried this, and Ebay will get back to me - although I was warned that the likely answer is that I should have paid postage-VAT on all under-£135 orders.
Orders from Ebay and direct from suppliers over that sum have arrived without VAT or import charge, but the last two were delayed by requests for more paperwork - and one is mired in Customs now being 'assessed'. So far, buying more than £135 of figures avoids tax.
I also buy 1/1250 scale ship models, and these are subject to long delays, charged at 20% whatever the value, and hit with a service charge on top if over £135. One big US supplier has suspended shipments to the UK citing long delays and excessive paperwork.
I contacted HM Customs and asked whether model soldiers/ships are still classed as 'toys', which used to be exempt from charges when I bought them from the US. No answer yet.
Berliner Zinnfiguren (direct) and Sammelsurium Berlin (Ebay) were accommodating when more paperwork was required, other, likely smaller, companies have been understandably confused.
Like me.



Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: GrahamC on March 24, 2021, 05:11:44 AM
I buy and sell to and from Europe, my sales to Europe are down by around 75% partly through the customers uncertainty about what charges if any they will face and partly because as a very small business I'm unable to remove the VAT from my sales.
On the purchasing front I have since very little consistency except where the goods are coming via courier I've had two orders both over £230 excl. VAT from Europe I paid an additional £53 that was based on VAT and an £11 handling fee by DHL
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Hannibal on March 24, 2021, 07:01:07 AM
Sorry for this but it was a deliberate decision from UK population to separate from Europe with the consequences, like VAT, language, visas, jobs ... and at the end ..


Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: John Alberts on March 24, 2021, 09:21:20 AM
With the added frustration that quite often the service provided does not match the fees paid, at least in the U.S.  Never know when will receive package these days.  Tough situation all around
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Ed Humphreys on March 24, 2021, 10:34:21 AM
Not all the population, Michel. Some of us were and always will be committed Europeans. It saddens me to think my friends all over Europe might think I subscribe to this folly.
Ed
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: maturin on March 24, 2021, 10:54:28 AM
Update: Ebay just called to say they will be refunding the VAT I paid on postage - I had paid 20% on one shipment, but 0 on another from a different seller. They won't say whether this is a change of policy or correction of a mistake, but they are 'working on what is in the best interests of all our customers'. Whatever that means. Meanwhile two shipments from Germany are stuck in UK customs for longer than normal....
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Brian on March 24, 2021, 03:38:26 PM
I don't get it, I send and recive from Europe and have no problems at all  ??? 

Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: böckchen on March 26, 2021, 04:01:10 AM
You now have the result of the European break
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: fesak_j on March 26, 2021, 07:34:24 AM
just an example of killing the business combo  :-X  hope in the end EU & UK will find some deal about the shopping/ selling
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Joerg on March 26, 2021, 07:43:50 AM
Gentlemen,

I think we are on the best way to crush a good and friendly relationship between us collectors.
It is the same thing I watch with friends / collegues / families as to the Corona-Regime here in Germany.

And I do not like it  :-\

Things are as bad as they are,
and I can see no good in pointing at past decisions.
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: BobLeighton on March 26, 2021, 03:34:59 PM
Sadly I can remember the days before we were part of a European Union and traded on a normal basis with individual countries . No problems you wrote a letter, waited for a reply, agreed a price including postage, paid by bank transfer and got your goods, all correctly done.
We joined the Union through actions of Politicians who thought they knew better than the common people., and this is the start of the mess.
The EU did not like us taking our money out of the pot and as a act of revenge imposed all sorts of nasty little rules, the result is a steep decline in all trade with the Eu, a decline which will continue, the EU lost not only our input but that of many buyers both trade and public  currently a 40 per cent drop, when the new trade regulation on wine come out the decline will be more marked. The EU hurts no one but their their selves.
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Brian on March 26, 2021, 04:05:37 PM
Again today received and package from Jacques in Holland, no problems
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: aba on March 26, 2021, 05:13:18 PM
Dear all,


now when sending flats to GB its just the same as if sending to Switzerland or the US. At eBay there are some sellers who simply switch on the ebay sales system which leads to high postage and formally correct but equally high custom declarations. When you are a commercial seller there is probably no other way offered than to use this system.


But for all private sellers it is still possible (at least if there are not many flats) to send them by using a simple letter or maxi-letter with low postage and no customs. But formally this is not correct of course. Any way it works still very good.



Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Hannibal on March 26, 2021, 06:15:48 PM
It probably depends aba, whether you are a private seller, or a enterprise subject to tax control in your own country, with a VAT number and obligeation of annual tax reporting obligations.  But within EC, VAT is not applied, as it is for foreign countries ...  So it depends how the seller is declaring himself in his country. (I guess)
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: aba on March 28, 2021, 02:59:27 PM
Yes absolutely for Berliner Zinnfiguren or "Sammelsurium" etc it is not possible but for private sellers there is no need to do it that way. Nevertheless sometimes private seller especially in US activate this eBay options and so some flats of 20 USD have 90 USD postage and custom clearance which is quite crazy.
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Hannibal on March 28, 2021, 03:17:12 PM
Keep buying in Europe, aba, flats come from Europe and mainly Germany ... unless they are painted, of course!
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: maturin on April 02, 2021, 05:26:19 PM
It probably depends aba, whether you are a private sellor, or a enterprise subject to tax control in hyour own country, with a VAT number and obligeation of annual accounting declarations.  But wiuthin EC, VAT is not applied, as it is for foreign countries ...  So it depends how the seller is declaring himself in his country. (I guess)


Just to show how crazy things are - this year 7 packages from Berlinner Zinnfiguren and Sammelsurium came through UK customs without a problem, one in the past week. Another on the same day incurred 20% import charge etc. Exactly the same customs declaration and lower value than the package which got through. Judging by the tracking data (see image), Customs changed its mind....
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Brian on April 03, 2021, 08:50:57 AM
It probably depends aba, whether you are a private sellor, or a enterprise subject to tax control in hyour own country, with a VAT number and obligeation of annual accounting declarations.  But wiuthin EC, VAT is not applied, as it is for foreign countries ...  So it depends how the seller is declaring himself in his country. (I guess)


Just to show how crazy things are - this year 7 packages from Berlinner Zinnfiguren and Sammelsurium came through UK customs without a problem, one in the past week. Another on the same day incurred 20% import charge etc. Exactly the same customs declaration and lower value than the package which got through. Judging by the tracking data (see image), Customs changed its mind....


Looks like their just making it up as they please  ???

Title: Re: Buying from Europe: brighter news?
Post by: maturin on June 06, 2021, 03:54:38 PM
I was just quoted E26.90 postage and insurance (ex VAT) on an order of E20 from an Ebay seller in Germany. He was apologetic, saying that Hermes no longer ship to the UK, leaving expensive DHL as the only alternative. Ebay confirmed my right to cancel, as the listing stated E13 shipping, but the seller managed to find a Hermes subsidiary offering E15.99 ex VAT so I went ahead


Have Hermes really isolated the Continent?


On a positive note, shipping from the US may be coming down from recent crazy levels. An fairly light A3-sized package was just quoted at a reasonable $25 air freight.
I understand German zinnfiguren seller figures4u_de has resumed shipping to the States - but only by sea!
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: marko on June 06, 2021, 04:53:39 PM
It is indeed a brave new confusing world.  I have had great success receiving goods from France to the US within a week and very inexpensively.  Most Ebay vendors in Germany generally seem to ship cheaply and arrive within three or forks weeks with others charging 3 x 4 times as much - I don't know on shipping times as I have not tried.

Shipping from the UK seems to have sky rocketed...

I think everyone is just trying to find their way currently.  (I do note most Ebay vendors I deal with seem to be very reasonable, combining postage and truly working to keep their customers happy and prices reasonable.)  Still weird times...

mark  8)
Title: Re: Buying from Europe
Post by: Hannibal on June 06, 2021, 05:38:34 PM
Ohh oui, my experience the past yeaérs was similar:
in Belgium, very cheap shipping costs from England and from Germany, reasonnable from the USA, very expensive from Italy and France (ou neighbours) ...
But today rules have indeed changed, price up from Germany (except some nice and professional sellers, like Jupiter Min.), exploding from the USA, and also more expensive from the UK.
But no tax except from the USA since recently.


But we are all very bad, poor buyers actually !!!! Why are we air shipping flats of 1 to few € or $ or £ and soring them as grey armies in our own cartons for years atfer .... when we are burning stupidely crude oil and Carbon back and forth for thousand miles away, instead of buying from local sellers and inventories, even if we had to wait a couple of weeks o months more ????   What other animal on earth is doing this?


An efficient buyer let his purhcases be shipped quarterly or less, bu surface and post , not by rocket most expensive private servicing... and we should perhaps buy these flat by the weight as bulk products.... (they are most of time even unpainted)....
I use to buy from Benedikt Widmann regularly flats, pay him monthly the value, and let him bring the consolidated box at a show several weeks or months later and grouped ... I assure you, it is cheap and I paint other flats in the mean time.....