Play.com and VAT

AVgeek · 20-11-2006 3:05pm #1

Just a heads up, don't know if this was already posted but couldn't find a thread. Got a letter this morning from Revenue charging me for VAT and handling on a DVD box set purchased from Play.com.

I had thought that purchasing from Play was above board but seemingly after talking to Revenue because Play ship from Jersey through the UK and pay UK VAT, the Gov are getting browned off and want Play to pay Irish VAT when posting to Ireland. The woman told me they've been told to stop most items and send out the charge for VAT (including a 5euro handling fee). When they receive the money they'll send out the packages.

Anyone else have any hassle?

rubadub · 20-11-2006 4:00pm

No, that is worrying. I have heard of people being stung from the US but never play. How much was the value listed on the item. They can charge duty and vat on the postage cost too, but I think this is hidden by play.

They will only do it if it is worth their while, they can charge you once it is about about ~€22 or ~€45 if marked as a gift. THey can only process so many per day so will usually go for the expensive items, around xmas there will be millions of post so you stand a better chance of not being charged.

AVgeek · 20-11-2006 6:13pm

They charged me 8.81 + 5euro handling for a 42 euro boxset. Seemingly they've only been told to crack down recently and she said that there was thousands of items in already.

subway · 20-11-2006 9:39pm

i receoved 15 dvds from play last week with no hassle.
i would guess that since play announce the price on the packaging that you were legally "stung"

there is no tax on items below £18 at the minute,
however there is apparently huge pressure to stop the fulfilment industry from using jersey as a tax haven.
as such there is probably a clmapdown being enforced on items over the 18£ threshold which would have been ignored in the past.

the threshold is planned to be lowered to 7£ which will pretty much kill off play from what i understand.

halenger · 20-11-2006 10:38pm

Well I guess one learns something new...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_dependency

Wikipedia Article wrote:

None form a part of the United Kingdom, being separate jurisdictions, nor do they form part of the European Union.

Damn it to hell.

testicle · 20-11-2006 11:14pm

If they are paying UK VAT, you should not have to pay IE VAT. If you do, you an reclaim the UK VAT that they paid.

byte · 20-11-2006 11:51pm

This does not make good reading

But, as the items already have UK VAT paid, I thought it would be OK, what with UK being in the EU and all. So much for an open market.

subway · 21-11-2006 12:02am

jersey doesnt pay uk vat,
thats why eveything is cheap.

whitetrash · 21-11-2006 11:39am

Damn, I just ordered a load of Wii stuff from play.

kensutz · 21-11-2006 11:43am

There is a new company hired by the revenue to pick up packages coming in from foreign countries and to send out letters for people to pay the extra on the items.

Ancient1 · 21-11-2006 11:55am

kensutz wrote:

There is a new company hired by the revenue to pick up packages coming in from foreign countries and to send out letters for people to pay the extra on the items.

Do you have a source for this information?

kensutz · 21-11-2006 11:59am

Yeah a phone call I made because of a play asia mix up

andyeire · 21-11-2006 3:22pm

just got a demand from customs regarding a PS2 game from Play .I rang revenue and she gave me the same story as is in the posts above .She said that until Play start paying Irish VAT they will stop every Play item above 22 euro and send customs bill to customer.She basicly said that all small packets coming from Jersey are checked on eby one.She also said that they are after cdwow HK and all packets from Hong Kong go through the same checking process.Play apparently pay VAT to the UK revenue but have refused to negoiate with Irish revenue hence this "new policy".So cdwow.ie seem to be the only option as they post from Luxemburg.

drusilla_rb · 21-11-2006 4:10pm

And it applies to Blah and Sendit too, BAH

Brian017 · 21-11-2006 5:09pm

B*****ks :mad:

r3nu4l · 21-11-2006 5:29pm

Well that's a pain inthe butt. I live and work in the UK so you would think I wouldn't mind but I'm ordering Christmas presents from Play and sending them home to Dublin so I won't have to carry them in my luggage.

...wonder if I get a letter from Irish Revenue asking for money can I claim that they I'm sending them to myself in Ireland because my house in the UK will be empty over the Christmas and that I will be bringing them back to England?

jackdaw · 21-11-2006 8:53pm

what about other sites ? like sendit ? will this affect that , is sendit.com based in jersey ?

jackdaw · 21-11-2006 8:58pm

interesting i just checked, the jersey sendit only delivers orders to EU from jersey if they are 18 sterling or under....
could be a loophole

says it at the very bottom of the site...

byte · 21-11-2006 9:47pm

subway wrote:

jersey doesnt pay uk vat,
thats why eveything is cheap.

The OP stated that he was told by the Revenue that Play.com ship through the UK and pay UK VAT.

byte · 21-11-2006 9:51pm

andyeire wrote:

So cdwow.ie seem to be the only option as they post from Luxemburg.

Can't see how that'll make a difference. If they won't allow stuff with UK VAT paid, then they wont allow stuff with Lux VAT paid?

It'll be like motor VRT on internet shopping.. :mad:

EDIT: I realise now, Customs are only checking stuff from HK and Jersey, not Luxembourg!

andyeire · 21-11-2006 11:18pm

byte wrote:

Can't see how that'll make a difference. If they won't allow stuff with UK VAT paid, then they wont allow stuff with Lux VAT paid?

byte wrote:

I may be wrong but from talking to the lady from customs Play have an agreement that they pay vat to British revenue but refuse to come to same agreement with Irish revenue.As far as cdwow.ie goes because the shipment originates from an EU country there is no vat issue.AFAIR the only thing you cant ship into Ireland by post from another EU countries is cigs and booze .I think the main issue with Jersey is they are in the UK but NOT in the EU.

subway · 21-11-2006 11:59pm

byte wrote:

The OP stated that he was told by the Revenue that Play.com ship through the UK and pay UK VAT.

i think youve got the wrong end of the stick,
play ship from jersey
they pay vat to the uk when shipping to the uk
they dont pay vat to anyone when shipping to ireland

they are not in the uk, they are the channel islands.

up until recently they didnt pay vat to the uk government either,
but they have now come to an agreement with the uk.
they arent coming to an agreement with the irish goverment as we dont have anything to hold over them the way the uk could regarding trade etc.

looks like our governemt just wants to make sure we dont get anything cheap so now we pay the vat which more than likely covers the cost of the staff who check the packages.

Stokolan · 22-11-2006 2:16am

jackdaw wrote:

interesting i just checked, the jersey sendit only delivers orders to EU from jersey if they are 18 sterling or under....
could be a loophole

says it at the very bottom of the site...

I hope so as I am waiting for Gears of war from there :mad: I thought i would have had it by now.

Our man in Havana · 22-11-2006 5:47am

This will kill off online shopping for DVD's.

I would assume that this policy will also affect amazon.com from the states?

samo · 22-11-2006 11:13am

On Amazon.com I ordered Lost Season 2 from them (pre-order) for about $39 and it never arrived when it was shipped early September. I emailed them and they sent a replacment copy and it had a 0.00 value on the label which arrived a few days later.

Last week local postie told me there was a parcel in the sorting office which had a customs charge on it - lo and behold it was the 1st copy of Lost with a €14 customs charge on it and it had been stopepd since 18th Sept :eek: but the person behind the counter just gave it to me and didnt ask for the money.

Thats the 1st time anything I've ever got online has been hit for customs. Bit worried now about the Play/Sendit thing.

Malmedicine · 22-11-2006 1:00pm

samo wrote:

On Amazon.com I ordered Lost Season 2 from them (pre-order) for about $39 and it never arrived when it was shipped early September. I emailed them and they sent a replacment copy and it had a 0.00 value on the label which arrived a few days later.

Last week local postie told me there was a parcel in the sorting office which had a customs charge on it - lo and behold it was the 1st copy of Lost with a €14 customs charge on it and it had been stopepd since 18th Sept :eek: but the person behind the counter just gave it to me and didnt ask for the money.

.

You lucky bugger 2 copies of lost for $39 dollars this should have been posted in bargain alerts!:D

fdevine · 22-11-2006 1:17pm

I order stuff from 7dayshop.com, based in Guernsey, all the time. AFAIK anything under stg£18 in value is exempt from VAT. Anything over that, VAT is charged at the UK rate. Surely if you're paying UK VAT, they cant charge IE VAT as well??

Previous poster mentioned a missing boxset, which I have also encountered.
Must check with the Post Office. Havent received any letter though.....

jackdaw · 22-11-2006 3:16pm

Hey, I emailed the book depository and they say all items are posted from
Gloucester, UK so this wont be a problem with customs then no ?

EU free trade etc...

indiewindy · 22-11-2006 3:25pm

testicle wrote:

If they are paying UK VAT, you should not have to pay IE VAT. If you do, you an reclaim the UK VAT that they paid.

You are wrong. Play dont pay any UK VAT as they are availing of the €22 exemption. Also if VAT was to paid like you have to do with amazon you have to pay the Irish rate and you cant claim it back unless you are vat registered. Basically only buy cds or dvds from shops that pack
individually

books are exempt from VAT so no charge

andyeire · 22-11-2006 9:07pm

indiewindy wrote:

You are wrong. Play dont pay any UK VAT as they are availing of the €22 exemption.

Play do pay VAT to the UK revenue when the price is above 22 euro and the item is posted to the UK mainland.According to customs they have refused to come to the same arraingment with Irish revenue .When they get an order from Ireland they pocket the lot

RuggieBear · 22-11-2006 9:20pm

Woo hoo!!!

The Rip off Republic reigns supreme...:rolleyes:

Play.com and VAT

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