Amazon charging import fees despite item coming from Germany

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 6:03pm #1

Hey folks,

I bought a shirt on Amazon.co.uk. Assuming it would be dispatched from the UK I thought it was normal to have to pay an "Import Fees Desposit" which was 5.24GBP. Item has just despatched and it turns out it is coming from a German warehouse. Should I be paying import fees in this regard? Details are:

Order Summary
Item(s) Subtotal:£19.98
Postage & Packing:£4.96
Total Before VAT:£24.94
VAT:£5.23
Total:£30.17
Promotion Applied:-£6.00
Import Fees Deposit£5.24
Grand Total:£29.41

VG31 · 20-01-2021 6:06pm

The "import fees" in this case (and in 95% of cases) are just Irish VAT. Germany is in the EU so you have to pay VAT. If you order on Amazon.de you pay Irish VAT, just like on .co.uk. The only difference is how it's labelled.

Gadgie · 20-01-2021 7:21pm

VG31 wrote: »

The "import fees" in this case (and in 95% of cases) are just Irish VAT. Germany is in the EU so you have to pay VAT. If you order on Amazon.de you pay Irish VAT, just like on .co.uk. The only difference is how it's labelled.

It looks like UK VAT has been charged in addition to the import fees (Irish VAT) though.

OP, was this item sold by Amazon or a third party seller?

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 7:22pm

VG31 wrote: »

The "import fees" in this case (and in 95% of cases) are just Irish VAT. Germany is in the EU so you have to pay VAT. If you order on Amazon.de you pay Irish VAT, just like on .co.uk. The only difference is how it's labelled.

VAT is already a line item in the summary above. If thats the case, im being charged both UK (the VAT Line Item above) and Irish VAT (Import Fees Deposit in the line items above). This item was sold and despatched by Amazon on Amazon.co.uk but it was despatched from a german warehouse.

Gadgie wrote: »

It looks like UK VAT has been charged in addition to the import fees (Irish VAT) though.

OP, was this item sold by Amazon or a third party seller?

Sold and despatched by Amazon. The summary of what I have been charged is very strange. The VAT and the Import Fees deposit are the similar (but not the same). Bizzare.

Gadgie · 20-01-2021 7:25pm

Hogzy wrote: »

Sold and despatched by Amazon.

Do you have a link to the item?

I'm guessing price on product page was £23.98 (£19.98 + 20% UK VAT) with free shipping, so price to Irish customer should be £24.18 (£19.98 + 21% Irish VAT).

NewbridgeIR · 20-01-2021 7:25pm

Can you post link to the item?

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 7:27pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Can you post link to the item?

This is the item.

Gadgie · 20-01-2021 7:29pm

Hogzy wrote: »

The price has actually gone up now on Amazon. This is the item though

I have a Prime account (free shipping), and this is the summary if I try to check out:

Order Summary
Items: GBP 24.17
Postage & Packing: GBP 0.00
Import Fees Deposit: GBP 5.08
Order Total: GBP 29.25

It looks like you are due a refund on the UK VAT. I would get onto customer service about it.

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 7:33pm

Gadgie wrote: »

I have a Prime account (free shipping), and this is the summary if I try to check out:

Order Summary
Items: GBP 24.17
Postage & Packing: GBP 0.00
Import Fees Deposit: GBP 5.08
Order Total: GBP 29.25

It looks like you are due a refund on the UK VAT. I would get onto customer service about it.

I got onto Amazon and got this response:

Whenever the actual import fee deposit collected are less than we estimated, we'll issue a refund for the difference.

We'll send you an e-mail once the refund goes through. Please note that refunds will be processed as and when we receive carrier invoices confirming the actual Import Fees.

I hope this helps. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Whats annoying is that if Amazon decide to route the item through the UK and then onto Ireland, I wont be getting any refund and will have had to pay both forms of VAT. I would expect better from Amazon in this regard.

Gadgie · 20-01-2021 7:35pm

How much was the item when you bought it?

It's not really the import fees that are the issue. You shouldn't have been charged UK VAT on the order.

VG31 · 20-01-2021 7:38pm

Gadgie wrote: »

I have a Prime account (free shipping), and this is the summary if I try to check out:

Order Summary
Items: GBP 24.17
Postage & Packing: GBP 0.00
Import Fees Deposit: GBP 5.08
Order Total: GBP 29.25

It looks like you are due a refund on the UK VAT. I would get onto customer service about it.

It's the same for me, I'm also a prime member.

You definitely shouldn't have been charged UK VAT. I missed that in the OP.

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 7:39pm

Gadgie wrote: »

How much was the item when you bought it?

It's not really the import fees that are the issue. You shouldn't have been charged UK VAT on the order.

Im guessing the VAT I was charged is Irish VAT. Amazon has always applied Irish VAT on items being shipped to Ireland even pre Brexit. My issue is that I have been charged import duty on an item that has been despatched from Germany for delivery in Ireland. I shouldnt have been charged that.

When I bought the item it was 23.99GBP. That price would have been with UK VAT as the Irish VAT isnt applied until checkout.

NewbridgeIR · 20-01-2021 7:40pm

Not sure if the German location is of relevance - your order is through Amazon UK.

Anyway, to me this looks no different that pre-2021
There was always a slight variance or adjustment to the cost of the item vs the cost charged.
Example: I ordered an item on Amazon UK a few weeks ago. Price was £70. When I checked out, there was the usual adjustment and it cost me just under £72.

For your shirt - which retails at £29 as of now, it looks like a total cost of £30.51

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NewbridgeIR · 20-01-2021 7:47pm

Hogzy wrote: »

The price of the shirt has gone up to 29GBP. It was 23.99GBP when I bought it. The german location of the warehouse is of huge importance! If its not in the UK then im not importing it so I shouldnt be charged import fees.

It was £23 when you purchased, but they are now removing the VAT so you'll see that the cost is shown as £19.98 under your item subtotal

Like the way my £29 becomes £24.17

EDIT - see they have added back VAT which doesn't make sense.

whiterebel · 20-01-2021 7:47pm

I would have thought buying it from Amazon UK would have made it liable to charges, no matter where it shipped from. They may have bonded warehouses where the EU VAT hasn't been accounted for.

Gadgie · 20-01-2021 7:49pm

Hogzy wrote: »

Im guessing the VAT I was charged is Irish VAT. Amazon has always applied Irish VAT on items being shipped to Ireland even pre Brexit. My issue is that I have been charged import duty on an item that has been despatched from Germany for delivery in Ireland. I shouldnt have been charged that.

When I bought the item it was 23.99GBP. That price would have been with UK VAT as the Irish VAT isnt applied until checkout.

Since 1 January, "VAT" on Amazon.co.uk only refers to UK VAT. Irish VAT is now listed as "import fees".

Amazon are supposed to remove the UK VAT and apply Irish VAT. From your order summary, they haven't taken off UK VAT and charged Irish VAT on top of this.

The fact that this was dispatched from Germany isn't relevant, as Amazon would charge Irish VAT on an item shipping from Germany anyway.

I would get back on the chat and request a refund of the UK VAT. Your order should have been charged at £24.19. They owe you £5.22.

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 7:52pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

It was £23 when you purchased, but they are now removing the VAT so you'll see that the cost is shown as £19.98 under your item subtotal

Like the way my £29 becomes £24.17

Yeah but the Irish VAT was reapplied, as well as import fees.

23GBP ORDER PRICE WITH UK VAT

Order Summary
Item(s) Subtotal:£19.98. (PRICE EXCL VAT)
Postage & Packing:£4.96
Total Before VAT:£24.94 (PRICE WITH SHIPPING EXCL VAT)
VAT:£5.23 (Irish VAT - 21% of 24.94)
Total:£30.17 (TOTAL INCLUSIVE OF IRISH VAT)
Promotion Applied:-£6.00 (FREE DELIVERY PROMO so cost of delivery incl IRISH VAT removed)
Import Fees Deposit£5.24 (IMPORT FEES CHARGED DESPITE GERMAN DESPATCH)
Grand Total:£29.41

Gadgie · 20-01-2021 7:57pm

When did you place the order?

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 8:06pm

Gadgie wrote: »

When did you place the order?

18th Jan

Oddly enough when I go into add the same item to my cart now at 29GBP, Im not charged any VAT at all. Just the Import Fee desposit. Amazon are being useless, yer man im talking to doesnt know what im talking about.

Ogham · 20-01-2021 9:35pm

Hogzy wrote: »

18th Jan

Oddly enough when I go into add the same item to my cart now at 29GBP, Im not charged any VAT at all. Just the Import Fee desposit. Amazon are being useless, yer man im talking to doesnt know what im talking about.

Cancel the order and order again ?

Hogzy · 20-01-2021 11:05pm

Ogham wrote: »

Cancel the order and order again ?

Its already despatched

ED E · 23-01-2021 2:15pm

whiterebel wrote: »

I would have thought buying it from Amazon UK would have made it liable to charges, no matter where it shipped from. They may have bonded warehouses where the EU VAT hasn't been accounted for.

They're definitely charging based on market chosen and not fulfillment. Its all one legal entity (Amazon EU SARL) so kinda weird.

Aquos76 · 24-01-2021 3:14pm

Im having a similar issue myself now with this item The UK price is £34.99 but when I try to purchase it, I am being charged 21%Vat on top of the UK price which already includes 20% uk VAT

Aquos76 · 24-01-2021 3:26pm

What I am thinking now is Amazon are getting the item in from China and then they are being charged 20% Vat and then they are then adding the extra 21% when its sold to someone in Rep.

lawred2 · 24-01-2021 3:29pm

Hogzy wrote: »

I got onto Amazon and got this response:

Whats annoying is that if Amazon decide to route the item through the UK and then onto Ireland, I wont be getting any refund and will have had to pay both forms of VAT. I would expect better from Amazon in this regard.

Why are you ordering from Amazon UK if you want to avoid any routing through the UK?

Hogzy · 24-01-2021 3:45pm

lawred2 wrote: »

Why are you ordering from Amazon UK if you want to avoid any routing through the UK?

Have you read the rest of the thread?

Ogham · 24-01-2021 4:16pm

Aquos76 wrote: »

Im having a similar issue myself now with this item The UK price is £34.99 but when I try to purchase it, I am being charged 21%Vat on top of the UK price which already includes 20% uk VAT

I have been looking at a forum used by Amazon Sellers in the UK.
They are really fed up / confused with Amazon and how they are deducting UK VAT on sales to Ireland/EU .

It seems that the sellers do have the option to turn off the VAT calculation - and then the UK vat is not deducted before the Irish VAT is added.
Word seems to be getting round and more sellers are doing this .

It seems to be happening more with the merchants who fulfil their own orders - but it must also be happening for some of those who are fulfilled by Amazon.

I stick to sold by Amazon if possible (unless the non-removal of UK VAT isn't an issue on the price)

In July it will all change again when EU rules abolish the €22 vat threshold and make Amazon responsible for collecting VAT on all items regardless of seller.

Varik · 25-01-2021 12:03am

Pair of bike boots.

Item(s) Subtotal:£88.87
Postage & Packing:£4.96
Total Before VAT:£93.83
VAT:£19.70
Total:£113.53
Promotion Applied:-£6.00
Import Fees Deposit£19.70
Grand Total:£127.23

To make matter worse Amazon think it's late/lost so no clue what they'll do now.

Ordered the 2nd, shipped the 7th from Germany, arrived in Dublin with no other listed stops on 11th, and got to me on the 12th.

Expected date was 18th and after that past it changed to 24th which means I could seek a full refund today.

Definitely shouldn't be any import charges due, since the value is below the €150 as well as the apparent rate being 0%. Has anyone gotten their deposit back, technically since they think it's late I can seek a full refund but I just want the deposit back. The fact that the order isn't properly complete is probably going to screw me for the deposit refund.

Ogham · 25-01-2021 9:00pm

Varik wrote: »

Pair of bike boots.

Item(s) Subtotal:£88.87
Postage & Packing:£4.96
Total Before VAT:£93.83
VAT:£19.70
Total:£113.53
Promotion Applied:-£6.00
Import Fees Deposit£19.70
Grand Total:£127.23

.

Was that on Amazon UK?

I have never seen VAT mentioned at checkout for my orders to Ireland since Brexit.
Something has gone wrong with their system/software on this one.
The 19.70 is the VAT - but they seem to have added it twice - as VAT and import fees !.

If I was you I would either return the order it (no fees on unwanted shoes/clothes) or query the charge with Amazon.
Would I be right in thinking it was sold by a market place seller?

Varik · 25-01-2021 9:28pm

Ogham wrote: »

Was that on Amazon UK?

I have never seen VAT mentioned at checkout for my orders to Ireland since Brexit.
Something has gone wrong with their system/software on this one.
The 19.70 is the VAT - but they seem to have added it twice - as VAT and import fees !.

If I was you I would either return the order it (no fees on unwanted shoes/clothes) or query the charge with Amazon.
Would I be right in thinking it was sold by a market place seller?

Sold by Amazon uk proper and not a market place seller. I was on to chat and they just say brexit a few times and it's not a mistake.

Amazon charging import fees despite item coming from Germany

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