Topic: Last Person to Speak Wins! 最后发言者获胜

[6pairsofshoes]

What a pain.  That sounds like the government takes more money than it should, sits on it, and finally if you are lucky, relents to give it back to you.  Of course, they won't pay you interest.  I'm in a similar situation right now but don't have time to do anything about it.

[smokester]

Apparently it's a result of Brexit but looking carefully at my invoice the German company didn't state I'd paid the VAT. In fact, in one email the contents of  the email has the breakdown of the costs clearly showing the 20% VAT, but in the attached PDF (and the invoice accompanying the parcel) it's bundled so the border force wouldn't automatically know I'd paid. I get the feeling that European companies are doing this intentionally - what I mean is: they are doing just enough as they are obliged to in their own country, and letting the U.K sort the mess out over here. I printed that email that reflected the VAT and sent it to the border force. If I get my money back, we'll know that all the company had to do was include this in the invoice to avoid this headache.

[goldshirt*9]

Apparently it's a result of Brexit but looking carefully at my invoice the German company didn't state I'd paid the VAT. In fact, in one email the contents of  the email has the breakdown of the costs clearly showing the 20% VAT, but in the attached PDF (and the invoice accompanying the parcel) it's bundled so the border force wouldn't automatically know I'd paid. I get the feeling that European companies are doing this intentionally - what I mean is: they are doing just enough as they are obliged to in their own country, and letting the U.K sort the mess out over here. I printed that email that reflected the VAT and sent it to the border force. If I get my money back, we'll know that all the company had to do was include this in the invoice to avoid this headache.

very harsh, I do agree with (highlighted in red) and also have a few instances where I have placed and then canceled orders due to reading further into buying "abroad", Had a few shops just state they will no onger sell to UK due to Brexit also.
Easier to buy from China direct (Aliexpress) and have never paid for import duties.

[smokester]

very harsh, I do agree with (highlighted in red) and also have a few instances where I have placed and then canceled orders due to reading further into buying "abroad", Had a few shops just state they will no onger sell to UK due to Brexit also.
Easier to buy from China direct (Aliexpress) and have never paid for import duties.

I must say it's very odd behaviour. Our border force checks an accompanying invoice and if (from the E.U) it reflects no VAT (even if you've paid it) then they charge it. If VAT is included then the company you bought it from has registered with some agency (can't remember what) and can legally include it in the invoice - but they don't as it's extra effort and think that we, after all, voted to leave so their attitude is it's our problem. The consequence is we fall into the "double VAT" trap.

China's rate of VAT is only 9% I believe and not paid on low value items, but interestingly, the E.U has reformed its VAT relationship with China and now E.U buyers have to pay VAT on everything.

[goldshirt*9]

Nothing will induce me to voluntarily have any dealings with China.

Involuntarily I am stuck with them, but if I have a choice I would rather go pretty much anywhere else.

... ditto Amazon.

true but China (shops) do stock items I cannot get anywhere else, hard to believe but their cycling sizing is excellent for me and the shop i stated does stock phone cases for my Chinese phone, even ebay ships from china. Dont buy alot now but when I had to I did, in fact try not to buy anything from anywhere ATM.
Alas they produce goods for most the of the world's shops...ditto Amazon etc etc.
Sad but needs must. 

[8ullfrog]

I keep trying to explain to my roommate that he needs to buy his phone case online, and that no, Walmart will NOT have the case for his phone.

He had the screen replaced and he's already spiderwebbed it again.

[dweez]

I always buy and Otterbox Defender immediately when buying a new phone, and only from the Otterbox website. I bought one off Amazon once and it was an obvious clone and very poor quality.

[6pairsofshoes]

At some point in the not so distant future I'll get a new phone.  Just dropped mine for the first time about a month ago and cracked the screen.  I had intended to get it replaced, and so put a little clear tape over the worst of the cracks.  It's still working and I guess I've gotten used to it. I suspect that putting the money I'd spend on repairs into a new phone would be a better investment.

amazon has become too large.  They have engaged in some pretty aggressive tactics to corner the market on used book sales.  abebooks.com and addall.com seem to have been eaten by them.  When I'm looking for a book that is advertised via a 3rd party seller on their site, I attempt to go directly to the seller, especially if they are a small bookstore.  At least that way more money goes to them, and it cuts amazon out of it.

[goldshirt*9]

I always buy and Otterbox Defender immediately when buying a new phone, and only from the Otterbox website. I bought one off Amazon once and it was an obvious clone and very poor quality.

wish i could use one but I don't own a mainstream phone. They are very good though.

I modify what I use, rather than deal with people with whom I disagree. I find complaining about the power that China wields on the world stage while assisting them a little hypocritical; so in order to do one, I refrain from the other.

Who do you deal with then
"Alas they produce goods for most the of the world's shops...ditto Amazon etc etc.
Sad but needs must"  That is a statement not a complaint, but then again you dont teach English !
 
But when you dont own a Apple product, then you have to buy what you need where you can.!
So less of the hypocritical please .
Kettle and pan springs to mind here

[smokester]

To quote someone from earlier: "Involuntarily I am stuck with them"

-- I wasn't calling you hypocritical, I was referring to me and only me: I can control what I buy, and I complain about China and Amazon, so if I were buying from them and complaining about them I would consider myself a hypocrite. It is not my job or my intention to police what other people buy or say.

Early retirement?

[8ullfrog]

I don't know if it's sucking up, but thank you to c for his endless patience with my, I'll say 90% drunk ass when posting to demonoid.

You were a more understanding person than the therapists I went to.

The mutes I ate were solid and deserved, but the fact I never ate a hard ban is deeply appreciated.

[smokester]

A long time since I moderated anything!

I was alluding to macs and grammars.

[smokester]

They don't count.

I'm lost on what's been quoted so far so this is the best I can do.

[smokester]

So I just sent £200 of gifts to my sister in Ireland via Amazon and I got charged £41 in fees and import charges. The thing is, I set my VPN to Ireland and searched through gifts with choice "deliver to Ireland"selected and also not logged in, hoping they would be from Irish suppliers thinking someone in Ireland was buying the stuff.

Apparently this does not work.

[dweez]

What did you use to pay? Probably got tagged by your CC Billing address.