Ebay Global Shipping Program and VAT reclaim - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TopLoser
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 11:01:27 am
content: Right, finally had it with Ebay. Enough is enough.Just spent $300 on something, the delivery and import duty charge calculated by the Global Shipping Program seemed reasonable so I went for it.Paid total of $381, $300 to the seller and $81 to Pitney Bowes for shipping and import charges. Got the statement from Pitney Bowes and it's broken down as 'Import duties $69, VAT $0, Shipping $12. Hang on, $0 VAT?? that's not right.Last time I bought the same item from the same seller they didn't use the Global Shipping Program. Shipping was $12 as before, but ParcelForce in the UK billed me for the duties and VAT when it arrived in the UK. I'm VAT registered so could reclaim the VAT which was the biggest part of the bill from ParcelForce.So how do I reclaim the VAT that Pitney Bowes have collected from me but haven't itemised? Long call to Pitney Bowes and they say Ebay is only meant to be used by private individuals, not business buyers, and that's in the Global Shipping Program terms and conditions. What a load of bollocks. Long call to the VAT helpline and they say without the VAT being itemised on the statment from Pitney Bowes there's no way on earth to reclaim it.So, the Global Shipping Program ate my VAT. Another nail in Ebays coffin.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 11:19:59 am
content: Recently eBay automatically enrolled me into GSP... I did not ask or request this.

author: TopLoser
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 11:49:26 am
content: Just forwarded copies of the Pitney Bowes statement to the VAT office, they seemed totally unaware of what Pitney Bowes were doing. They seem to want to investigate a little further where the 'import charges' go when the statement states 0 VAT.Cancelled order with the Ebay seller and agreed to pay him directly for the item plus USPS shipping cost.Ebay lose their final value fees and Pitney Bowes get the Inland Revenue sniffing around them. Well done Ebay.Never going to buy from another seller that participates in the GSP again.

author: Pinkus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 01:18:46 pm
content: Yeah, same in Germany. The paper stuff you get is not valid to claim the VAT for getting it back later (if you have a business).For this I am always asking the Ebay seller if they want to sell directly without these extra rip off charges, somebody is definately not transferring it to the tax departement but putting in his pockets.If the seller agrees: OK, if not: no sales. It works 50% of the time, the other 50%, people (usually in the US) seem to be afraid for some reason (this is what the US goverment had pretty well done the past 20 years: creating an anxious/scared-about-everything population: easy to control with the right message).Glad I am living in Europe.

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 02:41:43 pm
content: Don't use the global shipping program. Pittney-Bowes takes the package from the sender, opens it, repacks it using the cheapest, flimsiest packaging and sticks it on a skid with other flimsily packaged stuff. You're lucky if the item doesn't wind up crushed.

author: TopLoser
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 03:20:23 pm
content: Wow, the more you read about peoples experiences the more the whole GSP thing screams out THEFT and FRAUD.Pitney-Bowes need investigating properly.

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 04:19:39 pm
content: Quote from: Pinkus on October 23, 2014, 01:18:46 pmPlus, if you calculate what the VAT and customs would be on an item in reality, it becomes clear that they take quite some more money than what it would really be.Greetings,Chris

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 08:03:49 pm
content: Quote from: TopLoser on October 23, 2014, 11:01:27 amThat topic comes up twice a year or so. Yes, the eBay and Pitney Bowes Global Shipping Program is a scam. You tried it, now you know first hand that it is a scam.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2014, 08:58:26 pm
content: Quote from: TopLoser on October 23, 2014, 03:20:23 pmAnyone cursed enough to have dealt with their barcode printers or GIS software would've told you that for free - loudly and at length, with appropriate hand gestures - years ago.

author: PE1RKI
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2014, 08:18:11 am
content: yes its a very big ebay scam,i tried to contact ebay 3 times that i want my legal vat invoice but they dont even answer.i called the packaged deliverer where the vat invoice was, they had no idea.i traced the courier who had the package before the dutch courier, it was a UK company,it was not in there system somehow and they gave me dumb answers.i read somewhere that the import duty goes to the company that imports it into europe,but that was a UK company in my case.thats not right... my vat goes into UK?? (im in the netherlands)but i suspect that the vat is not realy vat in this case and that the import company keeps the money or a large part of it.a very big scam.what i do now is, if i find an item i like on ebay and it has prepaid import duties, i contact the seller if thatis removable or i wont bid.and there are sellers that can remove the import duty.

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 02:40:49 am
content: Quote from: Tac Eht Xilef on October 23, 2014, 08:58:26 pmWe have a bunch of their fax machines at work, they seem to work okay. My guess is that they have their hands into too many things, and some are less reputable than others.