Overcharged by Amazon UK

plowter

Has anyone else been overcharged by Amazon UK?

Recently placed an order with Amazon UK. Noticed that the calculation of the total order was wrong and that they'd added VAT to the order when the prices included VAT.

Contacted Amazon. They apologised for the 'technical error' and said they'd correct the order total.

Amazon has a good reputation and customers may not check the final total since it's calculated automatically.

Have any other customers been affected by this error?

alykatz

have just checked my amazon account and youre right will now get in contact with them.
many thanks
aly

GoofyGAT

I always check carefully that the order total is correct. Never had this problem before but will be on the lookout for it from now on - thanks. G

P.S. Also remember Amazon Price Drop Policy - Claim Your Refund, and a monitoring tool to keep one informed. Another one to bookmark - Sneakily avoid Amazon shipping fees

WILS_2

Thanks for that, just checked my order and I was charged £1.19 tax even though prices are inclusive of VAt, just e-mailed Amazon will wait and see what they have to say.

susanm_2

thanks i usually never check. i going to be more careful next time.

clbowker

Thanks for this post!! Just been checking my orders and I have one order for a couple of items and not sure if i've been overcharged or not?

2 x books at £5.59 1 x toy at £24.99
Sub total = £32.45
VAT= £3.72
Total = £36.17

Should I not have to pay the VAT total??

Sorry if this is a lame question, brain cells have deteriorated rapidly since having kids :cool:

littlebighorse

No, as far as I see it the amount you have been charged is correct. Amazon have always stated the VAT amount on your invoice as they are obviously a VAT registered company.
Though the prices on their website include VAT so the total (including delivery if applicable) should equal the items you have ordered added together and not more.
So if for example you bought a 2 CDs priced at £11.75 you would be charged £20 + £3.50 postage = £23.50 which is correct
If you bought the same 2 CDs but they added VAT on top the total would be £27.61. this would be wrong.
If you add your items up they equal £36.17 which is what you paid.
The VAT amount is the inclusive VAT on the toy. I believe that books are rated at 0% VAT currently.

deanos

Yeah i think you have read your invoice wrong, Amazon show the price on the site including VAT but on the invoice it will show ex VAT and then add it on as long as the price is the same as on the webpage then all is good

littlebighorse

Sorry, in my CD example earlier I meant to say the cost would be £20 plus £3.50 VAT not £3.50 postage.
I was rushing before work. Apologies.

manda1205

Just checked mine and it was fine, but, sorry to be off topic but does anyone else now have the prob that when you sign in on amazon it opens up adobe acrobat reader??? It started doing it before xmas,just not sure why, cos it doesn't seem to be using it, just makes my pc start working overtime while it trys to open it up.

alykatz

just had reply from amazon:

Dear Customer

Thank you for contacting Amazon.co.uk with your enquiry.

In accordance with the laws governing members of the European Union,
Amazon.co.uk is obliged to charge VAT on all orders delivered to
destinations in member countries of the EU.

We confirm that we didnt charge any extra amount, therefore we
confirm that we spilted the vat charges for each item.

The good news is that the VAT rate in the United Kingdom is 0% on
books. However, there are items in our catalogue besides books which,
by law, are subject to VAT. These include books containing software,
audiobooks, CD-roms, calendars, and more. These VAT-able items are
listed in our catalogue with the VAT included in their price.

If there is even one item in your order that is subject to tax, we
are obliged to levy a 17.5% VAT on that item as well as the entire
postage and packing of the dispatch in which it is sent to you. For
this reason, you may find it advantageous to place these VAT-able
items in separate orders.

Furthermore, giftwrap is considered a "non-essential" service so it
is charged at 17.5% VAT. This also means that the postage on a
giftwrapped order, even if it contains only books, will be charged
with 17.5% VAT.

When VAT applies to an order, the relevant charges will be clearly
reflected on your e-mail confirmations and invoices.

Please remember that VAT charges only apply to orders being sent to
member countries of the EU.

For dispatch to countries outside of the EU, VAT will not be
charged. These packages may, however, be assessed import or customs
fees, depending on the laws of the particular countries.

Any customs or import duties are levied once the package reaches the
destination country. Additional charges for customs clearance would
have to be borne by the recipient; we have no control over these
charges and cannot predict what they might be. Since customs policies
vary widely from country to country, you may want to contact your
local customs office for further information.

Thank you for your interest in Amazon.co.uk.


Please let us know if this e-mail answered your question:


To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help
section of our website.


Warmest regards

Siva P.
Customer Service
Amazon.co.uk


so according to this any items ordered other than books will be charged vat on top of the price advertised.

sorry post so long
aly