Website asking for further payment to insure parcel?

davidmcn

PragmaticMoneySaver said:

davidmcn said:

theonlywayisup said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

theonlywayisup said:

Interesting on the VAT aspect, I cannot find a VAT number on their website, even in the cached version of T&C they mention VAT.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:qKfOUC55mzwJ:https://www.candlewizards.com/candle-wizards-terms-and-conditions+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=safari

Prices

Prices and availability of items are subject to change without notice the prices advertised on this site are for orders placed and include VAT and delivery.

Op, do you have a VAT number on your invoice/receipt?

Is there an obligation to provide a VAT number or a VAT invoice? 

davidmcn said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

theonlywayisup said:

Interesting on the VAT aspect, I cannot find a VAT number on their website, even in the cached version of T&C they mention VAT.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:qKfOUC55mzwJ:https://www.candlewizards.com/candle-wizards-terms-and-conditions+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=safari

Prices

Prices and availability of items are subject to change without notice the prices advertised on this site are for orders placed and include VAT and delivery.

Op, do you have a VAT number on your invoice/receipt?

Is there an obligation to provide a VAT number or a VAT invoice? 

Only if you're selling to another VAT-registered entity, which you're entitled to presume you're not in a consumer transaction.

It is a requirement.
https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses/online-selling
The page is out of date apropos Brexit changes on trading,  but not in relation to the list of what we require in the UK (AFAIK).

Before an order is placed

You must:

• make it clear to customers they have to pay when they place an order (for example, a ‘pay now’ button)
• display clearly how customers can pay and include delivery options and costs
• list the steps involved in a customer placing an order
• take reasonable steps to let customers correct errors in their order
• let customers know what languages are available
• make sure customers can store and reproduce your terms and conditions, for example these can be downloaded and printed off
• give your email address
• give your VAT number (if your business is registered for VAT)
• give the cost of using phone lines or other communication to complete the contract where it will cost more than the basic rate
• give a description of your goods, services or digital content - include as much information as you can
• give the total price or how this will be calculated
• give the total delivery cost or how this will be calculated
• tell them the minimum length of their contract
• give any conditions for ending rolling contracts or contracts with no clear end date

I'm reasonably sure I've checked this before and it's not accurate (as with various other bits of advice, even if they are on .gov websites). Or to put it another way, why would a customer who wasn't intending to reclaim the VAT be interested in your VAT number?

For me, I'd like to know so that I know they are not fraudulently charging me VAT when they do not then pass this onto HMRC

But even if they give you a VAT number, you've got no idea whether they're actually paying the VAT to HMRC.

PragmaticMoneySaver

 davidmcn said:

PragmaticMoneySaver said:

davidmcn said:

theonlywayisup said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

theonlywayisup said:

Interesting on the VAT aspect, I cannot find a VAT number on their website, even in the cached version of T&C they mention VAT.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:qKfOUC55mzwJ:https://www.candlewizards.com/candle-wizards-terms-and-conditions+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=safari

Prices

Prices and availability of items are subject to change without notice the prices advertised on this site are for orders placed and include VAT and delivery.

Op, do you have a VAT number on your invoice/receipt?

Is there an obligation to provide a VAT number or a VAT invoice? 

davidmcn said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

theonlywayisup said:

Interesting on the VAT aspect, I cannot find a VAT number on their website, even in the cached version of T&C they mention VAT.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:qKfOUC55mzwJ:https://www.candlewizards.com/candle-wizards-terms-and-conditions+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=safari

Prices

Prices and availability of items are subject to change without notice the prices advertised on this site are for orders placed and include VAT and delivery.

Op, do you have a VAT number on your invoice/receipt?

Is there an obligation to provide a VAT number or a VAT invoice? 

Only if you're selling to another VAT-registered entity, which you're entitled to presume you're not in a consumer transaction.

It is a requirement.
https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses/online-selling
The page is out of date apropos Brexit changes on trading,  but not in relation to the list of what we require in the UK (AFAIK).

Before an order is placed

You must:

• make it clear to customers they have to pay when they place an order (for example, a ‘pay now’ button)
• display clearly how customers can pay and include delivery options and costs
• list the steps involved in a customer placing an order
• take reasonable steps to let customers correct errors in their order
• let customers know what languages are available
• make sure customers can store and reproduce your terms and conditions, for example these can be downloaded and printed off
• give your email address
• give your VAT number (if your business is registered for VAT)
• give the cost of using phone lines or other communication to complete the contract where it will cost more than the basic rate
• give a description of your goods, services or digital content - include as much information as you can
• give the total price or how this will be calculated
• give the total delivery cost or how this will be calculated
• tell them the minimum length of their contract
• give any conditions for ending rolling contracts or contracts with no clear end date

I'm reasonably sure I've checked this before and it's not accurate (as with various other bits of advice, even if they are on .gov websites). Or to put it another way, why would a customer who wasn't intending to reclaim the VAT be interested in your VAT number?

For me, I'd like to know so that I know they are not fraudulently charging me VAT when they do not then pass this onto HMRC

But even if they give you a VAT number, you've got no idea whether they're actually paying the VAT to HMRC.

Well this is true!  But at least there's more of a chance!