UK Ebay seller won't ship to other EU countries?

rapido

Happy_bunny wrote: »

Surely the seller has the right to post wherever they choose?

Yes, I know that, but that wasn't my point which was made obvious by my postings above.

when you consider the hassle involved in trying to pursue an international claim it makes perfect sense!

So how does it make sense not to send a book to Ireland, Germany or France, but to agree to send something to the other side of the world...?

Let's say to somewhere with a poor postal service.

terra_ferma

rapido wrote: »

Yes, I know that, but that wasn't my point which was made obvious by my postings above.



So how does it make sense not to send a book to Ireland, Germany or France, but to agree to send something to the other side of the world...?

Let's say to somewhere with a poor postal service.

I agree your question was not implying they shouldn't, just trying to find out the logic behind it.
I think TOWIU's explanation is the one that makes the most sense (hopefully we have not confused you with our exchanges), it seems a bit silly that they would do that though.

theonlywayisup

rapido wrote: »

So how does it make sense not to send a book to Ireland, Germany or France, but to agree to send something to the other side of the world...?

Let's say to somewhere with a poor postal service.

If I were this seller, I would be using an automated software to work with the Ebay platform and RM software to generate the labels. Two of the big software suppliers have not yet found a way to differentiate between VAT on some international services and others, including RMs own software Despatch Express (which I use). So Vat is charged on EU items at the 'entire international bag weight'. RM believe this will 'average out' across the year and are not at this time offering a fix. If you send mid to heavy items you will pay £100s more in tariff and VAT than you should. The onus is on the seller to reclaim.

For example. Buisness customers pay the average weight per parcel, not the actual weight. Businesses using RM software (not OBA) send 100 items to ROW at £2 each and 100 items to EU at £1 each and you will be charged for 200 items at £2 each, with VAT also charged on 100 of them. The system asks only for the total weight and not the two sub totals (EUand Row) separately.

The only way around it for non OBA users is to only ship to one zone, preferably ROW/Non EU as the problem then disappears.

It has caused considerable problems to accounting processes and reclaiming from RM.

Some sellers are not bothering and some like me are sticking with the additional accounts work until it is resolved. Perhaps this seller is the former.

Also, even without the VAT, postage to EU is more expensive on contracted rates for lower weights than to ROW. Add the VAT and associated hassles on top and this is enough to make volume sellers think twice.

terra_ferma

theonlywayisup wrote: »

If I were this seller, I would be using an automated software to work with the Ebay platform and RM software to generate the labels. Two of the big software suppliers have not yet found a way to differentiate between VAT on some international services and others, including RMs own software Despatch Express (which I use). So Vat is charged on EU items at the 'entire international bag weight'. RM believe this will 'average out' across the year and are not at this time offering a fix. If you send mid to heavy items you will pay £100s more in tariff and VAT than you should. The onus is on the seller to reclaim.

For example. Buisness customers pay the average weight per parcel, not the actual weight. Businesses using RM software (not OBA) send 100 items to ROW at £2 each and 100 items to EU at £1 each and you will be charged for 200 items at £2 each, with VAT also charged on 100 of them. The system asks only for the total weight and not the two sub totals (EUand Row) separately.

The only way around it for non OBA users is to only ship to one zone, preferably ROW/Non EU as the problem then disappears.

It has caused considerable problems to accounting processes and reclaiming from RM.

Some sellers are not bothering and some like me are sticking with the additional accounts work until it is resolved. Perhaps this seller is the former.

Also, even without the VAT, postage to EU is more expensive on contracted rates for lower weights than to ROW. Add the VAT and associated hassles on top and this is enough to make volume sellers think twice.

very good explanation, thank you.
now it's seem less silly
(they way they put things was not very good, like 'go away we don't want you', they sound like someone who thinks buyers are a nuisance).

rapido

terra_ferma wrote: »

they way they put things was not very good, like 'go away we don't want you', they sound like someone who thinks buyers are a nuisance

That's exactly how it seemed to me!

If you look at the exclusions list:


Postage to: Worldwide
Excludes: Africa, South America, Philippines, Vietnam, China, Georgia, India, Haiti, Honduras, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden




Therefore also excluding a load of countries, even whole continents, outside the EU. However the description says:

"We will dispatch to all non-EU European countries ... and any other foreign country."

Not a very good seller, in my opinion.

bris

It may be copyright or licence restrictions placed on them by their supplier to only sell within the UK. The Suppliers may have different sellers for different regions within the EU, but the rest of the world is fair game.

hobbyman

I recently noticed the above with this seller. Also that it is not possible to contact them via Ebay messaging. They are advertising ten of my books for sale in various counries, but I am pretty sure they don't actually have any, as I only had 50 printed and can account for where 43 of them went and I have the remaining 7! All very strange!

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

rapido wrote: »

Please do not email querying postage cost to EU countries, the decision is final and we cannot be of assistance.

....

yes I tried to ask the seller

And that is why eBay has given the sellers the option to block pre sales questions. Some sellers are too busy to deal with your curiosity or make exceptions, especially when they state the decision is finial.

rapido

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

And that is why eBay has given the sellers the option to block pre sales questions. Some sellers are too busy to deal with your curiosity or make exceptions, especially when they state the decision is finial.

I wasn't asking for any exceptions, it's just I keep coming across this shady dealer when searching for various rare books over the past few years.

If they are "too busy" to provide basic customer service, then perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to sell on Ebay.

Now they have changed their policy to another inexplicable one:

We will dispatch globally, but within the European Union only to a limited number of countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Sweden. We will dispatch to all non-EU European countries (e.g. Switzerland, Norway, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, etc.), and any other foreign country.

So sending to Denmark or Spain is out of the question, but Somalia and Western Sahara is fine.

soolin

rapido wrote: »

I wasn't asking for any exceptions, it's just I keep coming across this shady dealer when searching for various rare books over the past few years.

If they are "too busy" to provide basic customer service, then perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to sell on Ebay.

Now they have changed their policy to another inexplicable one:

We will dispatch globally, but within the European Union only to a limited number of countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Sweden. We will dispatch to all non-EU European countries (e.g. Switzerland, Norway, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, etc.), and any other foreign country.

So sending to Denmark or Spain is out of the question, but Somalia and Western Sahara is fine.

They can ship wherever they want. Maybe their courier doesn't cover certain countries, maybe they have had problems in the past.

I have restrictions mainly based on my own personal experience. for instance I had The Netherlands blocked for a While based purely in an unpleasant buyer I had had there.