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

corkie · 02-01-2021 3:14pm

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Is VAT applicable to the shipping costs also?

ie. value of product is €15, shipping is additional €15.

Will I be paying 21% of €15 or 21% of €30?

Thanks

As others have said cost of shipping is also charged vat. Even if amazon(prime) is paying for it and not the person ordering.

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Thanks for confirming.

Looks like An Post have introduced an online link for paying Customs and VAT now. I got an email and text notification this morning with a link to pay VAT due on a US import shipped using AddressPal.

I've used the US AddressPal close to 100 times in the past year and this is the first time I've got this link.

el Fenomeno wrote: »

It's a generic An Post link but given that AddressPal is their own service, it's hard to know.

Is it a valid AnPost link, there was a scam running before xmas

Video · 02-01-2021 3:18pm

does the deal not mean we won't be charged customs? also is paying for prime even worth it anymore

migrant · 02-01-2021 3:50pm

How do I know if Anpost will charge me the tenner for handling my packages from Amazon ?

I read the FAQ on the anpost site but it's all smoke and mirrors to me.

rm212 · 02-01-2021 4:03pm

migrant wrote: »

How do I know if Anpost will charge me the tenner for handling my packages from Amazon ?

I read the FAQ on the anpost site but it's all smoke and mirrors to me.

They won’t for anything from Amazon barring possibly something which isn’t sold/fulfilled by Amazon. If it shows an “Import Fees Deposit” at checkout, you’re sorted.

joeysoap · 02-01-2021 4:05pm

My understanding is Amazon have agreed to remove the 20% UK vat and add the 21% Irish vat, in which case An Post will not add their charge. If However there are charges to pay (say non amazon) An Post wiil add their 'admin fee' of €10

Double whammy.

el Fenomeno · 02-01-2021 4:24pm

corkie wrote: »

Is it a valid AnPost link, there was a scam running before xmas

I'm sure it's valid.

Email came from noreply@anpost.ie, and the text came from the same number I've been getting An Post delivery texts from all year.

Receipt and confirmation both sent from noreply@anpost.ie also.

Gregor Samsa · 02-01-2021 4:32pm

Video wrote: »

does the deal not mean we won't be charged customs? also is paying for prime even worth it anymore

As per the deal, we're not being charged Customs Duty. We're being charged Irish VAT instead of British VAT - which we were already being charged by Amazon before Brexit. At the moment, the difference is 1% (UK 20% vs Irish 21%), however that is due to change at the end of February when the Irish VAT rate goes back up to 23% - but that's purely an Irish Government matter and nothing to do with Amazon or Brexit. Nothing has changed on the amount we're being charged for products sold or fulfilled by Amazon as a result of Brexit. 3rd party sellers using Amazon are a different matter - it depends on how each of them are set up individually as to what you will be charged.

The main effect of Brexit is that there seems to me more products sold by Amazon that you can't ship to Ireland. It's unclear why, but it may be because Amazon don't have the necessiary customs codes in place for these items, or there may be issues around their country of origin (or it could be something else). The Brexit situation - even with the Agreement - results in some pretty strict paperwork to allow goods to move into the EU, and Amazon certainly aren't going to risk that paperwork being wrong.

As for Prime, you still get all the benefits you got before: Free Shipping, Prime Video, etc. I use it for the free shipping and it will still be worth it to me. Some people are saying that some content has disappeared from Prime Video for Irish customers, but I'm not familiar enough with the content on there to notice that myself.

nephster · 02-01-2021 4:36pm

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Thanks for confirming.

Looks like An Post have introduced an online link for paying Customs and VAT now. I got an email and text notification this morning with a link to pay VAT due on a US import shipped using AddressPal.

I've used the US AddressPal close to 100 times in the past year and this is the first time I've got this link.

What AddressPal fee did they charge you? €6.50 for delivery plus €3.50 to collect the VAT?

SMC92Ian · 02-01-2021 4:37pm

The option to pay in Euro is gone.

jos22 · 02-01-2021 4:40pm

Amazon always charged Irish Vat, once you selected an Irish address the vat rate increased.

Gregor Samsa · 02-01-2021 4:53pm

SMC92Ian wrote: »

The option to pay in Euro is gone.

I'm still seeing it (although Amazon's poor exchange rate doesn't make it worth using).

See screenshot attached (I won't clutter up the thread embedding it).

greendom · 02-01-2021 6:02pm

Are Amazon not setting up a base in Ireland?

Ogham · 02-01-2021 6:11pm

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

As per the deal, we're not being charged Customs Duty. ....

There can still be customs duty . The "deal" was no duty on UK made goods coming to the EU. There is duty on some items.

See here - https://www.moneyguideireland.com/irish-customs-duty-on-uk-online-purchases.html

harmless · 02-01-2021 6:19pm

greendom wrote: »

Are Amazon not setting up a base in Ireland?

Not in the near future.

So far they have only setup in countries with populations over 10 million or places with very high population density like Singapore.

garrettod · 02-01-2021 6:33pm

Amazon Prime seems pointless, to me :

- the range of TV shows and movies is too limited, unless you stick in a UK address, and get them to register you as a UK resident.

- sticking in a UK address only gets you free shipping in the UK, as I understand it. Then you've only got AddressPal, and likely extra charges when they apply the correction to Vat etc.

Am I mistaken, with the above, please?

Car99 · 02-01-2021 6:42pm

garrettod wrote: »

Amazon Prime seems pointless, to me :

- the range of TV shows and movies is too limited, unless you stick in a UK address, and get them to register you as a UK resident.

- sticking in a UK address only gets you free shipping in the UK, as I understand it. Then you've only got AddressPal, and likely extra charges when they apply the correction to Vat etc.

Am I mistaken, with the above, please?

Anything supplied by or fulfilled by amazon has Irish VAT charged so that much is basically the same as pre brexit. The third party sellers ( which are a large part of what is for sale on Amazon uk) using Amazon's platform are now not price competitive due to shipping and VAT costs.

Gregor Samsa · 02-01-2021 6:46pm

garrettod wrote: »

Amazon Prime seems pointless, to me :

- the range of TV shows and movies is too limited, unless you stick in a UK address, and get them to register you as a UK resident.

- sticking in a UK address only gets you free shipping in the UK, as I understand it. Then you've only got AddressPal, and likely extra charges when they apply the correction to Vat etc.

Am I mistaken, with the above, please?

You can get free shipping to an Irish address with Prime. So if you're ordering a few things a month, it's worth it for that alone.

el Fenomeno · 02-01-2021 6:55pm

nephster wrote: »

What AddressPal fee did they charge you? €6.50 for delivery plus €3.50 to collect the VAT?

€15.99 for Home Delivery (from the US New Jersey hub).
€3.50 for VAT collection

VAT itself was around €7, give or take a few cents.

jimmycrackcorm · 02-01-2021 7:01pm

garrettod wrote:

Amazon Prime seems pointless, to me :

Not at all. I'm getting stuff now cheaper for anything under 22 Euro than before. Apart from the current delays, should soon be back to one or two days free delivery.

For prime video, well I have to use a VPN thanks to Vodafone blocking my IPTV, so I still get the UK content.

For expensive items that get hit with customs charges I'll be looking at hagglezon to see if I can get them cheaper in the EU.

Even after the vat rule changes come July, it's basically the same as before. The only exception will be how I can order stuff that delivered to Parcel Motel where sellers won't ship to Ireland. PM is no use at the moment as basically anything over 22 means you can get caught for both UK Vat and RoI vat now.

Cdemess · 02-01-2021 7:31pm

greendom wrote: »

Are Amazon not setting up a base in Ireland?

Word is they are

harmless · 02-01-2021 7:38pm

Cdemess wrote: »

Word is they are

What's the source?
I could see them introduce their delivery service country wide but the Uk site will be where we order from.

Sheep Shagger · 02-01-2021 7:40pm

Cdemess wrote: »

Word is they are

They've set up a distribution centre and have hired a load of their own drivers....but that's it.

I assume its a glitch on their website that is allowing us to buy stuff under £20 odd without any UK or IE VAT given the checkout price is supposed to be the final with no extras on the doorstep?

harmless · 02-01-2021 7:41pm

Distribution centres are very different from them setting up a .ie site.

dubmick · 02-01-2021 7:45pm

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

I assume its a glitch on their website that is allowing us to buy stuff under £20 odd without any UK or IE VAT given the checkout price is supposed to be the final with no extras on the doorstep?

No it's not, no VAT applicable to purchases under €22 until the 1st of July 2021. Enjoy it while it lasts.

davetherave · 02-01-2021 7:46pm

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

I assume its a glitch on their website that is allowing us to buy stuff under £20 odd without any UK or IE VAT given the checkout price is supposed to be the final with no extras on the doorstep?

No that is working as intended.
The item is leaving the UK so no vat payable there.

If the transaction value (cost of item + shipping + insurance) of a package is €22 or less you will not have to pay Customs Duty or VAT when it is imported into the EU. This is ending on the 1st of July this year when all vat will be collected on all goods entering the EU.

touts · 02-01-2021 7:46pm

Cdemess wrote: »

Word is they are

Someone asked them and they said they were looking at it.

Which is business PR speak for "Are you nuts? Would you ever feck off you little pixie heads you".

We're too small.

Sleeper12 · 02-01-2021 7:51pm

Cdemess wrote:

Word is they are

I think we are too small a market to have a dedicated Amazon.ie Why go to the expense when the UK one works so well for Ireland

harmless · 02-01-2021 7:55pm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I think we are too small a market to have a dedicated Amazon.ie Why go to the expense when the UK one works so well for Ireland

People think just because they use us as a tax haven that they would be nice and make a business decision that makes no sense.

There's plenty of other countries they could make more money from that do not have an amazon site yet.

Leftwaffe · 02-01-2021 7:56pm

I’m really confused by it all tbh. I’ve read the last three four pages and still don’t know where I’m at with Amazon and Brexit.

I’ve got prime and order a fair bit off Amazon. Am I right in saying anything that is fulfilled by Amazon itself is basically the same as pre-Brexit and will stay that way?

Anything fulfilled by third party sellers is subject to extra charges?

Would it be easier just order of Amazon Germany or France. Do we still get free shipping there? I’m assuming not.

Sorry for these questions, I’d imagine this thread is going in roundabouts with people like me.

Wompa1 · 02-01-2021 8:01pm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I think we are too small a market to have a dedicated Amazon.ie Why go to the expense when the UK one works so well for Ireland

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/1219/1102071-amazon-dublin-warehouse-report/

The latest was that they found two warehouses near Dublin Airport. We're not all that small relative to how many warehouses they have in the UK. If the warehouses could serve all of Ireland, that's close to potentially 7 million customers plus it could serve as a distribution center within their network. Their subscriptions are important to them. Currently other than the UK site, there is no option for Prime for Irish customers. Logistically, Amazon already have a large presence here.

I wouldn't be surprised if they switch on .ie this year. They probably held off hoping a trade deal might empower them to keep Irish customers using the UK site. Now that it's looking likely to be a non-runner, time to ramp up.

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

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