Buying from Europe

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Jak*
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by Jak* »

I think we have to accept that whether we get them direct from the EU or via a UK supplier, motorcycle parts, accessories and clothing are going to cost more. A lot of of this passes through EU distribution centres on the way here even if it comes from outside the EU. Motorcycling relatively is a niche market and smaller volume manufacturers and suppliers have been hit disproportionately by this debacle. The same is true for some car parts as well, I was talking to a specialist dealer and the cost of a container of spares from the EU he had delivered has more than doubled since this time last year.
Still at least the fish are happier.
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92kk k100lt 193214
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by 92kk k100lt 193214 »

My son ordered Honda parts from a UK supplier to be delivered to Ireland.

Over £650 including VAT.

The rule is that to export out of the UK he should pay the VAT Exclusive price to the UK supplier.

Then, over here, for delivery, our VAT is charged. Not a big difference, 23% against UK VAT 20%. Extra cost for him is 3% plus handling fee and a higher shipping cost. All ok.

BUT......UK seller refuses to sell at the price nett of VAT! Not only is the UK seller pocketting the UK VAT, the customer is going to be charged 23% on top of that UK VAT.

I can't understand this happening, there has been a lead in time of 4 years for businesses to adapt to this.

In my own business it has become impossible to buy from UK companies mostly for this reason.

I also ship regularly to the UK and unfortunately Brexit has also made this hugely difficult. Customs forms and so on [required by UK to simply allow packages into the UK] have created a lot of admin red tape and huge time delays at the post office or couriers to even get packages into the shipping system. Its not just here, this is EU wide. I have since learned that in some post offices in Europe, turn up to post a package to UK, they don't like it because it takes so long to process to meet the UK requirements [not EU requirements] and if the office is busy you are simply told to come back another day.
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daveuprite
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by daveuprite »

92kk k100lt 193214 wrote: Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:57 am
I can't understand this happening, there has been a lead in time of 4 years for businesses to adapt to this.
Ah, but that's not what happened is it? Remember your brexit history. The leave referendum campaign did not specify whether the vote was to leave the customs union or the single market or both of them, or whether the UK would be leaving with a deal or without one, or what that deal would consist of, or what it would or would not include. Remember that if you raised any questions about any of that you were told that you were fear-mongering. You were told that 'Brexit means Brexit' and you had no right to ask for detail. You were required to just 'believe' in the project and to swallow any falsehoods that were fed to you. Millions obliged. Millions didn't. Roughly half and half.

So business had no idea what to expect 4 years ago. Then there were years of dithering and utterly incompetent management of the whole negotiation, accompanied by more goblins and unicorns, and 'sunlit uplands'. Again many experts raised issues such as the incompatibility of the GFA with brexit, the red-tape that would inevitably be involved in trade, and the massive cost to taxpayers / consumers of the burdensome regime that would be needed to replace the previous seamless trade. No rules of trading were available in full and final form for businesses until Johnson's half-arsed 'deal' was signed last December. Many issues remain outstanding even now. Brexit is still not 'done'. No wonder companies are either re-locating trading facilities into EU member countries (if they can afford it) or simply giving up on UK-EU trading. Or covering their increased administration costs with large price uplifts, to either deter customers (because they can do without the hassle) or to profiteer from the confusion.
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by catcitrus »

One company that make a lot of carbon parts here in the UK and sell a large amount to Europe quote two prices on their website--one uk price including VAT and one for outside the UK without VAT---as it should be.
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92kk k100lt 193214
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by 92kk k100lt 193214 »

catcitrus wrote: Thu Apr 15, 2021 5:04 pm One company that make a lot of carbon parts here in the UK and sell a large amount to Europe quote two prices on their website--one uk price including VAT and one for outside the UK without VAT---as it should be.
That's exactly as it should be and its then easy to buy from such companies.

Yes, it takes longer to come and it carries only a VAT difference, depending on destination country, and a custom charge of perhaps 10% but it is manageable. Longer term that may erode competitiveness but that's a different issue.
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DavidS
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by DavidS »

I think a word with HMRC or Trading Standards is needed.
Surely it is out and out fraud.
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

It's a complete balls-up.

Last time I was in an airport, there was a desk where foreign citizens returning home to nations outside the EU could claim back the VAT they had paid on unused goods they purchased in the UK and were taking with them. Hence the popularity of Bicester Shopping Village etc with tourists from Asia and America.

Now we are not in the EU, surely any purchased goods going outside the EU in unused condition should be zero-rated?

I've noticed looking at tyre prices on-line, many UK sellers are now showing a price excluding VAT, then charging 20% for delivery to UK addresses.
berin
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by berin »

Seems ok to me. I’ve bought quite a lot from Europe and the US refurbishing a 690 and an HP2, all no problem, Eu/US seller knocks of the vat and I’ve usually but not always paid the vat here. Big sellers like Louis.de take of it all for you.

Duty free at the airport and claiming vat back at the airport has gone. Foreign buyers can buy vat free but only if the goods are shipped direct from the UK seller to your foreign address. That was a shit decision by Boris, he didn’t have to do it, but it doesn’t matter much anyway as foreign travel is pretty much gone.


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Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

If Duty Free sales have gone from the airport, they are absolutely buggered...it was a huge earner for them.

I knew BJ and his hangers-on were thick....I just didn't realise how thick!
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Re: Buying from Europe

Post by dave h »

shit happens, [folks will try to rob you]

work it out for yourself,[if you need it that bad then pay the robbers twice for vat]

then either buy or don't buy,[don't buy]

market forces will decide[the real value will be exposed]

dave.
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