RCMart (& Others) now charging 20% VAT to UK

[nowinaminute]

Seems like GeekBuying (site similar to Banggood) no longer ship to the UK either from Chinese or European warehouses.


 

[Problemchild]

What a mess

yes there were some areas of the EU that needed changing but decades of collaboration work has just been thrown away 

i can’t even order from Tamico (even though they add 20% vat on) because they aren’t shipping - and why should they bust a gut to sort it when they are selling all across the EU 

JJ

[Problemchild]

Should i really have to pay VAT from Europe on second hand items??

 

JJ

[Toolmaker72]

Technically yes as originally when purchased the U.K. government didn’t receive vat on it. So if shipped into the U.K. vat then applies 

[nowinaminute]

Just a little update. I got 2 packages from China today. One was purchased via Ebay and was a transaction where ebay themselves charged the 20% VAT. The other was from Aliexpress who also charge 20% on the seller's behalf.

Both of them had a "commercial invoice" sticker on the package instead of the more usual CN22. In both instances, the invoice ref number section was blank and there were no other reference numbers on the package so in other words, there was absolutely no unique identifier on the package that could be checked to prove the seller is registered with HMRC and had taken 20%

Seems to me like there's a loophole for items under £135, at least items from China. The only thing is that most Chinese sellers deal via ebay or aliexpress etc and those companies are now taking the 20% on behalf of the seller in most instances so you'll usually have to pay 20% anyway. I know some ebay sellers have declared themselves registered to ebay and you just get the message "20% VAT included in price" so there's potential for the loophole to be used but then again, if I was a shady Chinese seller and I was going to just pretend I was registered, would I rather send the item out at the same price I used to or pick up a  nice 20% extra and just forget the whole passing it on to the HMRC part?

Either way, the packages I got today had nothing on them that someone in the UK could have looked up to verify if tax was taken. Not that I could see anyway. No additional invoice inside either.

[rich_f]

My ebay item from 'Liverpool' (for which I was charged 20% by ebay) arrived today. 

There are 2 labels, one pasted directly on top of the other. The one underneath is a Chinese label with my address (and phone number!) with a few bar codes on (could these conceivably contain some information on vat?) and the label on top is a royal mail postage label with a return address of Manchester and more bar codes. 

So it seems like it did come from China, even though the ebay listing had a uk item location. 

[Juhunio]

Ordered a 2nd hand body shell from a private eBay seller in Spain. This morning I received an email detailing a 20% VAT charge and a courier handling charge from UPS (£11.50!!!!!)

Was supposed to be delivered tomorrow, but now the tracking has updated as “delayed due to a Brexit related issue” with no revised delivery date

Still, sovereignty hey!? Woo hoo!! 

[Problemchild]

Well the issue I have is that I was made an offer of €100 which I thought was good so accepted it. ONLY once I’d accepted the offer and moved through to payment did it then add VAT  not just to the €100 item cost but to the €20 shipping 

so it ended up costing me €144 

not quite the bargain I was after 

**** it haha

JJ

[Toolmaker72]

My understanding is the previous free trade agreement allows European countries to sell to each other with no import duties  provided each country paid there dues to the European Union.  So currently  the U.K. is predominantly a service based economy so that’s why the U.K. swayed away from manufacturing as there wasn’t any money in it. Now vat is back on all imported goods we may find manufacturers return to the U.K. because of import tax levies.  More so if the main market is U.K. based.

[nowinaminute]

To rub salt in the wound, as well as losing free trade within Europe and everything From China ETC getting more expensive, the EU itself is edging ever closer to a free trade agreement with China.

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-china-investment-deal-done-and-dusted/a-56087516

People in the EU may be able to buy kits from RCMart with zero extra fees before long. 

[nowinaminute]

Just noticed this while checking shipping prices on HobbyKing (Hong Kong warehouse)

 

[Gazzalene]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2021 at 9:28 PM, rich_f said:

My ebay item from 'Liverpool' (for which I was charged 20% by ebay) arrived today. 

There are 2 labels, one pasted directly on top of the other. The one underneath is a Chinese label with my address (and phone number!) with a few bar codes on (could these conceivably contain some information on vat?) and the label on top is a royal mail postage label with a return address of Manchester and more bar codes. 

So it seems like it did come from China, even though the ebay listing had a uk item location. 

Did you get hit with RM`s handling charge?

[Gazzalene]

Does anyone know where Banggood stands regards delivery. I read that Banggood use there own "service/company" from start to finish,RM for sure does not deliver. All the far east stuff went to Netherlands ,then to the UK. This was why no tax and the DREADED handling was applied, coz of brexit this may of changed.

If anyone knows if Banggood incurs handling costs I would like to know, I have no issue paying the tax ITS the HANDLING CHARGE that get to me! for me its never the same price twice!

[rich_f]

12 minutes ago, Gazzalene said:

Did you get hit with RM`s handling charge?

Nope, no additional charges. 

[nowinaminute]

Just read a post on Facebook from a guy who made an order on RCMart that was under 135, paid 20% VAT at the point of purchase but still got an invoice from FedEx through the post.

[nowinaminute]

On 2/5/2021 at 7:39 PM, Gazzalene said:

Does anyone know where Banggood stands regards delivery. I read that Banggood use there own "service/company" from start to finish,RM for sure does not deliver. All the far east stuff went to Netherlands ,then to the UK. This was why no tax and the DREADED handling was applied, coz of brexit this may of changed.

If anyone knows if Banggood incurs handling costs I would like to know, I have no issue paying the tax ITS the HANDLING CHARGE that get to me! for me its never the same price twice!

I've only ordered small things since but they came by Royal mail and had been sent to a UK distributor before being forwarded to me so no fees. Banggood didn't collect a fee either 

Not sure about larger stuff but I've noticed quite a few items now have big postage charges like 30-100 extra for postage that used to be cheap or free. But in the last few weeks some items have gone back down to being free again via "banggood express"

[lifeofbrian2007]

On 1/2/2021 at 1:41 PM, toyolien said:

Tamico have stopped at the moment due to the UK leaving the EU. As I understand it, any business outside the EU that wants to send goods in to the UK, now has to register for VAT in the UK. So, I guess it'll be up to each company to decide whether that's worth it to them or not.

Same here:

https://www.horizonhobby.co.uk/

Tamico will send to the UK but have a minimum order of 151 euro, you have to email them.

[nowinaminute]

I had a few more small things through. Something from Japan was marked as a gift even though we're supposed have free trade now.

And 2 things from China from different ebay sellers purchased on different dates. One transaction said "20 % vat included in price" ie: the seller has informed ebay that they are HRMC registered and can collect and pay on tax themselves. The other one I paid 20% vat to ebay.

They both had "commercial invoices" instead of CN22 forms but the reference number section for both was left blank so as far as I can see, absoloutely way of telling whether the seller or ebay respectively collected tax on the item just by looking at the parcel so presumably it's all based on the honours system? 

[topforcein]

i have seen a few vids on u-tube recently getting huge bills from what ever carrier get to deliver a parcel that is coming from abroad 

so it looks like it time to stop trying to save a penny and go back to the uk suppliers

i will not order anything outside of the uk know 

[Fabia130vRS]

8 minutes ago, topforcein said:

i have seen a few vids on u-tube recently getting huge bills from what ever carrier get to deliver a parcel that is coming from abroad 

so it looks like it time to stop trying to save a penny and go back to the uk suppliers

i will not order anything outside of the uk know 

Same for me, I will not order anything from the uk now.

I paid 20£ for a body shell but am allowed to buy 17£ without customs on top.

now they want to charge me customs for the total of 38£ how much it is with shipping. How annoying, I am not sure how much the customs will be. 
 
I just got kinda used to ordering from uk but now its only small parts up to 17£ with shipping. blah.

[topforcein]

1 minute ago, Fabia130vRS said:

Same for me, I will not order anything from the uk now.

I paid 20£ for a body shell but am allowed to buy 17£ without customs on top.

now they want to charge me customs for the total of 38£ how much it is with shipping. How annoying, I am not sure how much the customs will be. 
 
I just got kinda used to ordering from uk but now its only small parts up to 17£ with shipping. blah.

unlike most on here i never got hit for customs charges  but then again i think the deares thing i have orderd from outside the uk was my 1/14 truck wheels and they did not even come close to £100.

i think your lucky to find stock in the uk atm tbh 

[Fabia130vRS]

42 minutes ago, topforcein said:

unlike most on here i never got hit for customs charges  but then again i think the deares thing i have orderd from outside the uk was my 1/14 truck wheels and they did not even come close to £100.

i think your lucky to find stock in the uk atm tbh 

Its was a used body. Thats why I am annoyed, if it was new... sure thing... charge me customs... but for a gift?

[Badcrumble]

1 hour ago, nowinaminute said:

Just read a post on Facebook from a guy who made an order on RCMart that was under 135, paid 20% VAT at the point of purchase but still got an invoice from FedEx through the post.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's an 'admin' fee from the courier.

I've used the SF-Express option so far, transferred to Royal Mail for delivery and no issues to date on to orders made post-30 January.

[Fabia130vRS]

40 minutes ago, Badcrumble said:

I wouldn't be surprised if that's an 'admin' fee from the courier.

I've used the SF-Express option so far, transferred to Royal Mail for delivery and no issues to date on to orders made post-30 January.

Same, I ordered around begging of February, SF Express... I am expecting the parcel around april  

[nowinaminute]

8 hours ago, Badcrumble said:

I wouldn't be surprised if that's an 'admin' fee from the courier.

I've used the SF-Express option so far, transferred to Royal Mail for delivery and no issues to date on to orders made post-30 January.

The invoice was for VAT.

Still waiting to find out what happens.