READ SUMMARY IN POST 986 - Amazon.uk Post-Brexit

SMC92Ian · 09-12-2020 11:39am

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

As quoted earlier, it says "May be". Depends on the item and the value.

Most things I buy are over the €22 customs limit. Guess Amazon is dead to me now.

RobbingBandit · 09-12-2020 11:43am

Irish government is like The Simpsons where the Radioactive Man movie is being made the production company are taxed to the gills even being charged for leaving town, if Amazon set up here it's not worth their while as one example An Post will cry that Amazon is horning in on their monopoly for parcel delivery with the distribution system little love Irish ripoff merchants will fold like poorly built houses of cards as Amazon on site in Ireland will cost cut them resulting in the collapse of their businesses. This country is an us versus them outdated and corrupted society where change is feared rather than welcomed.

Hurrache · 09-12-2020 11:48am

None of that makes sense.

SMC92Ian · 09-12-2020 11:50am

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Irish government is like The Simpsons where the Radioactive Man movie is being made the production company are taxed to the gills even being charged for leaving town, if Amazon set up here it's not worth their while as one example An Post will cry that Amazon is horning in on their monopoly for parcel delivery with the distribution system little love Irish ripoff merchants will fold like poorly built houses of cards as Amazon on site in Ireland will cost cut them resulting in the collapse of their businesses. This country is an us versus them outdated and corrupted society where change is feared rather than welcomed.

Either way we're ****ed. Pay Amazon and customs or pay for local rip off prices.

JazzyJ · 09-12-2020 11:58am

SMC92Ian wrote: »

Most things I buy are over the €22 customs limit.

That limit is going away July 2021 as well. And taxes under €6 were previously not collected - they will be going forward from then.

dam099 · 09-12-2020 12:06pm

SMC92Ian wrote: »

Most things I buy are over the €22 customs limit. Guess Amazon is dead to me now.

€22 is the VAT limit, customs duty limit is €150 (for now until June 2021).

You pay Irish VAT on Amazon purchases anyway (unless using Parcel Motel or another UK forwarding service) so the impact of the VAT itself should be nil.

What might be an issue is how the VAT & import duty is assessed and collected, if this is being done by a courier/An Post then their admin fees might make smaller items uneconomical to buy. Amazon are large enough and presumably automated enough they may be able to handle all that on their end without having to pass on much if any cost.

The fact that they are investing in fulfillment centres in Ireland is a sign they must feel their Irish customer base is still viable post Brexit.

ELM327 · 09-12-2020 12:16pm

dam099 wrote: »

€22 is the VAT limit, customs duty limit is €150 (for now until June 2021).

You pay Irish VAT on Amazon purchases anyway (unless using Parcel Motel or another UK forwarding service) so the impact of the VAT itself should be nil.

What might be an issue is how the VAT & import duty is assessed and collected, if this is being done by a courier/An Post then their admin fees might make smaller items uneconomical to buy. Amazon are large enough and presumably automated enough they may be able to handle all that on their end without having to pass on much if any cost.

The fact that they are investing in fulfillment centres in Ireland is a sign they must feel their Irish customer base is still viable post Brexit.

I think the key here might be using parcel motel NI for delivery.
Revenue confirmed no import duties on NI to ROI delivery, and UK have stated no import duties GB to NI.

dam099 · 09-12-2020 12:30pm

ELM327 wrote: »

I think the key here might be using parcel motel NI for delivery.
Revenue confirmed no import duties on NI to ROI delivery, and UK have stated no import duties GB to NI.

That might be a possibility but its hard to say until we see how things operate. I don't think the intention is to allow shipping to ROI via NI but there might be a loophole there.

While there is no import duties I think there will be digital declarations required between GB and NI. Should one of the items to be declared be that the goods are not going to be shipped onward to ROI then Parcel Motel items may get caught for further action that way.

ELM327 · 09-12-2020 12:46pm

dam099 wrote: »

That might be a possibility but its hard to say until we see how things operate. I don't think the intention is to allow shipping to ROI via NI but there might be a loophole there.

While there is no import duties I think there will be digital declarations required between GB and NI. Should one of the items to be declared be that the goods are not going to be shipped onward to ROI then Parcel Motel items may get caught for further action that way.

For sure it's not the intention, more of an unintended loophole I'd have thought. Or a potential one at least

SmallTeapot · 09-12-2020 12:47pm

titan18 wrote: »

Would be a bit crap alright if we lose Prime benefits cos of this. It'd make me less likely to buy from amazon without the fast and free delivery I get through that. Grand for something bigger maybe, but buying books or films would definitely be more of a chore

I wholeheartedly agree. The main reason I have prime is for free shipping...

ELM327 · 09-12-2020 12:49pm

SmallTeapot wrote: »

I wholeheartedly agree. The main reason I have prime is for free shipping...

We have it for free shipping and for prime tv. Will have to reconsider if there's taxes on shipping as it doesnt make sense.

whiterebel · 09-12-2020 1:37pm

ELM327 wrote: »

I think the key here might be using parcel motel NI for delivery.
Revenue confirmed no import duties on NI to ROI delivery, and UK have stated no import duties GB to NI.

As if Revenue won't be all over that like a rash.

Dempo1 · 09-12-2020 1:53pm

Recieved an email from Amazon this morning, gosh they are going to Gouge Irish consumers. I got the email as I've used a European address in the past (they make it sound like it's an illness. I also used a virtual address with DPD but they are ending this service on the 11th December due to brexit, additional customs charges etc.

As it was Amazon apart from prime, were gouging Irish consumers on delivery charges and outrageous exchange rates.

I know the other amazon domains can be used but apart from electric plug types (I know adapters an option), I suspect delivery times and charges won't be pretty.

VG31 · 09-12-2020 1:58pm

Dempo1 wrote: »

Recieved an email from Amazon this morning, gosh they are going to Gouge Irish consumers. I got the email as I've used a European address in the past (they make it sound like it's an illness. I also used a virtual address with DPD but they are ending this service on the 11th December due to brexit, additional customs charges etc.

You do realise they are required to do this by law? Jeff Bezos didn't wake up yesterday and think "how can I piss off Irish customers?".

Dempo1 wrote: »

As it was Amazon apart from prime, were gouging Irish consumers on delivery charges and outrageous exchange rates.

Free delivery over £20 or unlimited free delivery for £8 a month – How is that price gouging?

Nearly all of these currency converters are rip-offs. PayPal is even worse. You're not forced to use it. Just use a Revolut card or pay in GBP.

Dempo1 · 09-12-2020 2:07pm

VG31 wrote: »

You do realise they are required to do this by law? Jeff Bezos didn't wake up yesterday and think "how can I piss off Irish customers?".

Free delivery over £20 or unlimited free delivery for £8 a month – How is that price gouging?

Nearly all of these currency converters are rip-offs. PayPal is even worse. You're not forced to use it. Just use a Revolut card or pay in GBP.

Free delivery on items over 20? Maybe I'm using amazontimbucktoo.com, just ordered a product for 79 and was charged 10 for delivery to an Irish address, I've rarely ever got free delivery unless using vertual address. I get the prime thing but like many, I'm not a regular user and certainly not going to pay a subscription service.

Just as an aside, the product I wanted not yet available in Ireland but other sites in UK offering product cheaper, just delivery the issue.

I guess I'll need to look at new options in the new year.

VG31 · 09-12-2020 2:49pm

Dempo1 wrote: »

Free delivery on items over 20? Maybe I'm using amazontimbucktoo.com, just ordered a product for 79 and was charged 10 for delivery to an Irish address, I've rarely ever got free delivery unless using vertual address. I get the prime thing but like many, I'm not a regular user and certainly not going to pay a subscription service.

For customers in the Republic of Ireland, orders including £20 or more (including local VAT) of eligible items, dispatched by Amazon, from any product category qualify for FREE Delivery.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201910160

That is only for items sold or fufilled by Amazon. Items sold and dispatched directly by third party sellers aren't included.

You most likely bought from a third party seller.

techdiver · 09-12-2020 3:07pm

Does anyone know what the situation is with getting an item shipped that was ordered before January but that would be shipped afterwards? Same for exchanges on faulty items. If I had an item that needs to be replaced what is the situation?

whiterebel · 09-12-2020 3:22pm

Shipped after January will be from a non-EU country and liable to charges. Replacements after that date are going to be interesting.

Poncke · 09-12-2020 3:23pm

Nearly all of these currency converters are rip-offs. PayPal is even worse. You're not forced to use it. Just use a Revolut card or pay in GBP.

Actually Amazon conversion rates are not that bad at all. The bank has better conversion rates, but when you pay in GBP they add a fee.

I have used this calculator to see the differences between paying EUR or GBP and the difference is not more than a few cents. Only if the item is a few 100 quid you might save a euro or 2.

https://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/eea-foreign-exchange-currency-converter/

Poncke · 09-12-2020 3:24pm

Sending stuff back because it is inferior or because the description was not accurate now has to be paid by the customer? Surely not. Anyway, from now on everything that I need to send back is 'broken'.

Quackster · 09-12-2020 4:28pm

SMC92Ian wrote: »

Most things I buy are over the €22 customs limit. Guess Amazon is dead to me now.

Everything vatable you buy on Amazon UK right now has Irish VAT added. After Brexit, that won't change. Amazon UK will still collect any Irish VAT due so for goods under €150 there won't be any increase in cost (unless the cost of the goods themselves on Amazon UK increase). Indeed purchases of vatable products under €22 will actually be cheaper for the first six months of next year as no VAT at all will be collected on them.

There MAY be customs duty applied to certain goods in consignments over €150 in value depending on the nature of any trade deal (or more likely in a no-deal scenario).

So in that case, if buying multiple items of less than €150 in value, make sure that the total value of the order is less than €150 too (by making multiple separate orders if necessary).

Masala · 09-12-2020 4:38pm

Quackster wrote: »

Everything vatable you buy on Amazon UK right now has Irish VAT added. After Brexit, that won't change. Amazon UK will still collect any Irish VAT due so for goods under €150 they're won't be any increase in cost (unless the cost of the goods themselves on Amazon UK increase). Indeed purchases of vatable products under €22 will actually be cheaper for the first six months of next year as no VAT at all will be collected on them.

There MAY be customs duty applied to certain goods in consignments over €150 in value depending on the nature of any trade deal (or more likely in a no-deal scenario).

So... will there a threshold above which duties would be payable??? Will there be a lower limit that doesn't attract duties etc??? I haven't seen any Revenue notices on same etc.....

Surely - they will be a 'small allowance' made to allow UK residents send a gift home to Ireland etc without lumbering them with a cost when its arrives etc!"

ixoy · 09-12-2020 4:42pm

Masala wrote: »

So... will there a threshold above which duties would be payable??? Will there be a lower limit that doesn't attract duties etc??? I haven't seen any Revenue notices on same etc.....

I suspect there'll be a limit based purely on feasibility - they won't have the manpower to look at all parcels coming from the EU so it'll be a bit of misfortune if your parcel gets picked.

Quackster · 09-12-2020 4:49pm

Masala wrote: »

So... will there a threshold above which duties would be payable??? Will there be a lower limit that doesn't attract duties etc??? I haven't seen any Revenue notices on same etc.....

Surely - they will be a 'small allowance' made to allow UK residents send a gift home to Ireland etc without lumbering them with a cost when its arrives etc!"

Same rules as apply to imports from all other non-EU countries. €150 is the lower limit on the application of customs duty.

Specific reliefs apply in the case of properly-declared gifts: https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/gifts-and-consignments-of-low-value/what-rate-of-customs-duty-is-charged-on-gift-consignments.aspx

ED E · 09-12-2020 4:55pm

Quackster wrote: »

Everything vatable you buy on Amazon UK right now has Irish VAT added. After Brexit, that won't change. Amazon UK will still collect any Irish VAT due so for goods under €150 there won't be any increase in cost (unless the cost of the goods themselves on Amazon UK increase). Indeed purchases of vatable products under €22 will actually be cheaper for the first six months of next year as no VAT at all will be collected on them.

EDIT: I misread what you were saying.

the collection of VAT, or an estimation of Import Fees (“Import Fee Deposit” https://www.amazon.co.uk/ifd), which may result in a price change at checkout.

Amazon are going to charge this at point of sale, just like the US.

With the likes of Aliexpress its a gamble whether AnPost/DMC Customs catch your item. With this system there is a 100% hit rate for the appropriate taxes.

Masala · 09-12-2020 5:02pm

Jeez..... I have never bought anything over €150 from Amazon.

So - nothing changes for me IF they continue to offer free postage.

I but stuff from Ebay thru Addresspal from UK - again nothing over €150. So - only change for me is new AddressPal fee is €6.50 instead of €3.95.

... so no real biggie for me after 01 Jan. OR have I missed something??

Geuze · 09-12-2020 5:07pm

dam099 wrote: »

€22 is the VAT limit, customs duty limit is €150 (for now until June 2021).

You pay Irish VAT on Amazon purchases anyway (unless using Parcel Motel or another UK forwarding service) so the impact of the VAT itself should be nil.

Yes, correct, so as long as the value is < 150 euro, everything should continue as it is now.

Is that the case?

Geuze · 09-12-2020 5:09pm

Masala wrote: »

So... will there a threshold above which duties would be payable??? Will there be a lower limit that doesn't attract duties etc??? I haven't seen any Revenue notices on same etc.....

https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2020/1209/1183380-brexit-charge/

techdiver · 09-12-2020 5:21pm

whiterebel wrote: »

Shipped after January will be from a non-EU country and liable to charges. Replacements after that date are going to be interesting.

Is there anywhere where we can get a definitive answer on this? It seems a shambles that there is no clear information about these scenarios published condensing we are days away from this coming into force.

whiterebel · 09-12-2020 5:26pm

Masala wrote: »

Jeez..... I have never bought anything over €150 from Amazon.

So - nothing changes for me IF they continue to offer free postage.

I but stuff from Ebay thru Addresspal from UK - again nothing over €150. So - only change for me is new AddressPal fee is €6.50 instead of €3.95.

... so no real biggie for me after 01 Jan. OR have I missed something??

Amazon collect Irish VAT on their sales to Ireland. If the eBay seller doesn't do that, there will be VAT applicable if the value os over €22, plus AN Post clearance fee. I'm dealing with a retailer in the UK at the moment, and they don't account for the VAT. At the moment it may be that I would be looking at paying their price including 20% VAT, and then add 21% VAT here. At that rate the UK won't be an option.

READ SUMMARY IN POST 986 - Amazon.uk Post-Brexit

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