Chip

iTrader: (3)

I bought something on ebay recently for a "buy it now" price.

But in the auction it says "please add VAT" (in small print)



When I went through the whole paypal thing I hadnt noticed that smallprint, so I just coughed up for the buy it now + the postage as detailed in the auctions.

Seller is now asking for the VAT on top.




Where do I stand on this one?


Ive requested a refund and said I dont wish to pay for it at the price of it + VAT as I hadnt noticed that smallprint but heard nothing yet.


Thinking of opening a paypal dispute but is what they have done acceptable and hence I will get declined anyway?



Have I just basically paid 20 quid for a lesson in always reading the small print?

Christian and Beccy

iTrader: (14)

In short, yes.

There are quite a few people on Ebay charging VAT in that way. Wrong IMO, but if it's in the text, I think you are fooked.

Although you should get back what you have paid and may end up with a negative out of it.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Have opened a paypal resolution, will see what happens!


Annoying fucking thing though is this is an item that i REALLY need in a hurry, so im going to have to go and buy another one now, and then possibly end up stung for this one too???

Is there a chance I wont be entitled to a refund?

nilrem

ask to see there vat records... im sure there is something about having to be earining over Ł50k a year before you can charge then add the VAT on top... as in a business had to have Ł50k a year profit...

plus you could argue that the items a second hand and therefaore do not have VAT added to them...

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Its a new item

If you have a turnover (not profit) of over 50K you MUST register for VAT, but if you have a turnover below that you still can.


Im not disputing if they are allowed to collect VAT, im sure they are, I just thought the buy it now price was an inclusive one, like when you buy a bottle of milk it has VAT but its already included.

Davie

Was it an EBAY shop you bought it from? Are they VAT registered etc?

Shop them into the tax man!

COMEDY DAN

Ask for his VAT number.

It is illegal to charge VAT if you are not VAT registered or have an application going through.

Legally his VAT number should be on the invoice from the seller and it should be on the advert.

If he can produce this information then he sadly can charge the vat on top if he has stated in the original advert, your only argument is that his VAT number should be on the advert and invoice itself.

If at all worried inform the inland revenue you feel foul play has gone on and they will investigate him

Deano

I think your going to get sod all mate , if it does say " Please add VAT " albeit small ........ then he hasnt done much wrong

It would be different if he didnt mention the vat in the auction at all though

Chip

iTrader: (3)

They are a proper VAT registered company as far as im aware.

Having looked at their other auctions they normally include the bit about VAT, but its normally a LOT bigger than it was on this auction.

They put "PLEASE NOTE THAT 17.5% VAT WILL BE ADDED TO FINAL SALE PRICE" in a font MUCH smaller than the rest of the advert on the item I bought.

Jim Galbally

im sure the rules of ebay state that all prices need to be inclusive?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

I have sent him a message on ebay as well now stating that if he doesnt refund me then I intend to leave him negative feedback for the auction due to the misleading way I feel it was advertised.

They have 100% feedback at the moment, so hopefully they wont want to get a neg, where as I couldnt care less.

COMEDY DAN

How much is the VAT that you owe mate, if you dont mind me asking.

Deano

But its still in the advert .................. Id just cough up old bean especially if you need the part

Its not as if they have ripped you off

Jim Galbally

link?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

I thought so too, as if nothing else it effects the Fee they pay, but I cant find any info about it, ebay is a nightmare to try and decipher the rules for!

cozmeister

iTrader: (1)

To collect VAT, you must be VAT registered. The VAT Registration number of the business must be displayed somewhere on the listing.

You can't just add VAT because you want to earn another fifth of the auction price.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Its about 20 quid or so mate.


Here is a link to the item.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...2856&rd=1&rd=1


As you can see it DOES say about the VAT in small writing at the bottom.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Im not disputing that they are VAT registered mate, im sure they are.

Deano

Bloody hell when you said it was going to be small I thought you meant barely unreadable

Sorry bud but to me thats more than clear enough about the VAT

Chip

iTrader: (3)

No its not unreadable, I just didnt bother reading the entire advert as I could clearly see it was the item I wanted, and could clearly see the price, so felt no need to read the details as I wasnt aware that things like VAT could be added seperately.

Im well aware its "my fault" as it were, just wondered if I still HAVE to proceed with the purchase or not.

Even in the paypal dispute I opened I stated I was sorry for wasting their time and merely advised they be a bit clearer in future.

Davie

It's not that small mate. Perfectly readable

Do ebay companies appear on companies house? I can't find them?

I think you will just need to cough up mate, if they are VAt registered they are fully covered.

i was sure that all e-bay prices had to be inclusive though.

Rick

I hate it the way they all say please add vat on final price.

What are the ebay rules on this?? They pay less fees that way, but should they be paying fees for vat?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Try it on a 4" PDA screen mate!

Its clear as day at work on my huge monitor, it wasnt when I bought it on my PDA, lol

Its a northern irish company, that may make a difference?

Likewise!

Davie

I know mate, but caveat d'emptor

Shouldn't, as they are still part of the UK.

Deano

Er how much clearer do they need to be mate

It has the same line for near enough every other auction theyve got going on

It really isnt their fault you didnt read the advert fully which you accept , yet your willing to leave a negative feedback even though your at fault , how does that work then

Chip

iTrader: (3)

If it is legal within ebay to do this, then the "buy it now" bit should say "+ VAT" at the top of the advert, and when you go through the paypal process it should be included in the confirmation screen, or better still the confirmation screen where you agree to buy it.

Its extrmely misleading as a process right now.

In a shop they dont take the money off you first and then as you are walking out the door ask you again for the VAT, they take it all at once, IMHO they should on Ebay too.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

In their other adverts they are actually a lot clearer about it normally and dont put it in anytihng like as small print.

IMHO it should say "PRICES ARE EXCLUDING VAT" in large letters at the TOP of the auction to make it as easy as possible to see.

Im hoping not to have to leave feedback at all as im hoping the threat of receiving it will encourage them to cancel the sale.

Davie

There are many things that e-bay could do better mate, this is one of the millions.

Unfortunately it's just a way to get round fee's. You are expected to work out how much you owe and pay it to them.

What i don't understand is, that when you click 'pay now' on your invoice, all the details will be sent for the Ł85 or whatever, so how do you pay the vat? Another transaction?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

apparently so, they want me to send the VAT in seperately (and hence there will then be a fee on that transaction from paypal too)

The whole process isnt the way that VAT is supposed to work AFAIK

Davie

Hmm, thats not right, it's like me selling you a car part cheap, then you passing 20 under the counter as a token of good gesture...

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Thats how it seems to me as well.


I guess they would argue that I should have manually over ridden the price in paypal and added the VAT myself?????


Fuck knows, hence the question on here in the first place, lol

Davie

Hmm, they will say that you should have changed the paypal value.

Oh well, put it down to experience.

Deano

Thats what they obviously expect people to do I guess

Normally when you go to the pay page it will have something like this

price = Łxxx

sellers charges ( optional and where youd be requested to enter the vat )

postage Ł xxx

If you did have to then enter the vat once you done all that , there would be a recalculate button beneath it , it would then show the FINAL PRICE you would need to pay .

Davie

Yeah, Deanos right.

'fraid your stuck with this one mate, either take it on the chin or continue your dispute, but i don't think it's right to leave the guy neg feedback, as he has done nothing wrong.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Im not convinced that he has done nothing wrong due to the fact the "+VAT" but is so much smaller than the rest of the advert.

I know for a fact if it was a finance example for instance that there is a legal requirement that the APR quoted is in a font BIGGER than everything else written on the page, I wouldnt be surprised if there is a similar rule for VAT stating that it has to be as big or bigger than certain other elements of the advert, but I dont actually know one way or the other, so he may or may not have done something wrong legally, I still feel that morally though it could be a LOT clearer than it is, such as being bigger and being at the top of the auction.

Davie

Perhaps, but it could be a simple mistake of him selecting the wrong font size, just as you have made the simple mistake of not reading the advert properly.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Indeed, in which case we both deserve to have our mistakes detailed with negative feedback, thats the whole point of the feedback system.
Ive ended up (unintentionally) messing him around so as a result I will accept it if I get negative feedback, he has a seller wasnt as clear as I feel he could have been with the true price of the item, so as a buyer I should leave negative feedback to that effect so that others can see that and then realise they need to be more careful reading his adverts than those from other sellers who are a lot clearer.

Martin-Hadland

iTrader: (2)

I don't know where you got that from as secondhand parts ARE vat chargeable!!

Btw Chip... plenty of auctions have vat added on top of the hammer price... take the DVLA auctions for number plates, they add the auctioneers commission and then vat on top!! Just pay the guy..

Cawood

#

i thought that too

patchST

Don't know if this is of any use http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/account/vat-local.html