eBay Listing goods including VAT alongside goods excluding VAT

regency_man

And for context, here is how one of their UK based, VAT included items (£375 free P&P) looks listed right next to a non-UK no-VAT included item (£363.13 + P&P)

Checkout of the UK item:

Checkout of the non-UK item:

One tiny line of small print is all you get through the whole checkout process to hint that you might be paying £100s extra in taxes and duties. Not good enough IMHO. 

outtatune

regency_man said:

How on earth are consumers supposed to navigate this mess? 

By not voting for it in a referendum!

Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist 

DeathByFluffy

regency_man said:

And for context, here is how one of their UK based, VAT included items (£375 free P&P) looks listed right next to a non-UK no-VAT included item (£363.13 + P&P)

Checkout of the UK item:

Checkout of the non-UK item:

One tiny line of small print is all you get through the whole checkout process to hint that you might be paying £100s extra in taxes and duties. Not good enough IMHO. 

I can understand why you're frustrated, I would be too - but before clicking the big blue 'Confirm and Pay' button I'd certainly be reading any text right above it - it's hardly hidden. 

eBay are a global marketplace, and it's on the buyer to know the ins and outs of buying abroad - especially post-Brexit when it's not as simple as it once was when importing from the EU. 

Sorry, but I think this is one for Praise, Vents and Warnings as eBay and the seller have done nothing wrong I'm afraid. 

regency_man

Yes, my bad for not reading the small print when I checkout on eBay every single time. But eBay have done their best to make this non-obvious. 

First, eBay are presenting the 'Order Total' above the 'big blue button' identically on the checkout page regardless of whether it truly is a 'Total including VAT' or whether it's a 'Total excluding VAT'. This is misleading. 

When a website is presenting products in 'Price Order', implying the customer is comparing by price, it should be a requirement to indicate which prices are 'total' prices and which prices are 'totals excluding taxes and fees'.  Ebay is presenting them identically, in order, as if they can be directly compared.  This is even more misleading. 

I think they are doing their best to make this as hidden as possible because it increases sales on their platform and they can just hold their hands up and say "you didn't read the small print". I'm sure they are thrilled that they no longer have to collect VAT for EU imports and can pass all that admin onto the seller and delivery company while still taking their cut of every sale. 

eskbanker

The total price presented by Ebay is that payable to the seller, so import duties payable to HMRC aren't included within that, as that's a separate (albeit related) transaction.

sheramber

Have you contacted eBay about it or are you just having a rant?

user1977

I'm not aware of any principle that they need to spoonfeed buyers with the advice that they should consider duties if they're importing goods. Even the "small print" is more than they're required to do.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

outtatune said:

regency_man said:

How on earth are consumers supposed to navigate this mess? 

By not voting for it in a referendum!

Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist 

The EU has similar to us:

https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/taxation/vat/vat-directive/place-taxation_en

However, there are some exceptions to these basic rules, as follows:

Distance sales of goods - goods sold to private consumers in other EU countries, typically via a platform, telephone or mail order.

The place of taxation of intra-Community distance sales of goods is the place where the dispatch or transport to the customer ends (Article 33(a) VAT Directive). 

However, where a supplier’s intra-Community distance sales of goods are lower than EUR10 000 in a calendar year, then the place of taxation is where dispatch or transport begins (Article 59c of the VAT Directive). 

So if you buy from a seller in France with 10,000 EUR+ turnover to ship to you in Germany then the VAT is due in Germany. 

We changed our VAT when we left the EU, the £135 mark was to match the 150EUR mark the EU was due to arrange at the same time but they delayed it by 6 months.

Looks like the 150 EUR mark will be removed in 2028 so VAT will be collected at the point of sale for all transactions, not just those under 150 EUR, whether the UK will follow I don't know. 

Grumpy_chap

regency_man said:

One tiny line of small print is all you get through the whole checkout process to hint that you might be paying £100s extra in taxes and duties. Not good enough IMHO. 

It is not only that text at the check-out, though.
The actual listing also states "from Germany".

There is also a filter in the left hand side of the page for item locations:

• Default
• Within 25 miles
• UK only
• European Union
• Continental Europe
• Worldwide

If you only want items that are sent from within the UK, the use of the filters will help.

MyRealNameToo

regency_man said:

So I just got burned.  I bought a secondhand computer from a seller in Germany because in the eBay search results the German seller's 'total price + P&P' was £60 cheaper than the cheapest UK seller's 'total price + P&P'.  All listed in GBP. Low and behold, I've just been sent an invoice from UPS for £90 import taxes and another £13 for their processing fees making my purchase far from a good deal and actually more expensive overall. 

I thought there was some rule in UK consumer law that retailers had to display prices including all applicable taxes (or not including them, but it had to be clear)?  How on earth are consumers supposed to navigate this mess?  eBay lists items that include UK VAT for items sent from UK but excluding VAT for items sent from outside the UK as if they are identical comparable products. 

Further, the seller's listing says that I will be sent an invoice including VAT, but the invoice they sent does not include any VAT line.  Do I have any recourse?

Yes, the law requires for items sold from overseas into the UK thats landed price is under £135 to include VAT. If its sold on a market place then its the market place's responsibility to do this and pay HMRC, if its sold on another website etc then its the merchant's responsibility. 

For goods over £135 landed price the default is that its the buyers responsibility to pay VAT and Duty on import however sellers can choose to list a landed price and pay on your behalf but arent obliged to. 

The VAT the seller will be talking about is the German VAT which will be at 0% as they are selling it on an export basis. 

So assuming it was more than £135 inc P&P its all as it should be.