Simple Delivery confusion
Summary: jojaca is concerned about an unexpected 20% VAT charge on postage when selling items via a delivery system. They discovered this discrepancy when selling blu-rays and video games through Royal Mail, making items seem more expensive. sml192 clarifies that the displayed price includes VAT and suggests using Custom Postage for cheaper rates, though jojaca notes it still shows added VAT. cheekychippy210 asks about listing practices and notes they don't experience the same issues, suggesting differences might occur across platforms or browsers.
I only today found out that buyers are getting charged an extra 20% vat on postage when I am selling items via simply delivery system(I am using royal mail). I thought the buyer was paying £2.72, but when I viewed my items the postage was £3.38, which makes my item even more expensive.
What is the cheapest way to sell a blu ray/video games via royal mail through custom postage, if anyone could help.
I am at the point now with buyers protection fee and 20% vat extra on postage, I don't think I will be selling much in the future.
tommystrezures
·2 weeks agoThe reason there is a VAT element in the postage, is that Royal Mails Tracked services are VAT chargeable eg 20% (unless an item is sent to the channel islands) standard services are NOT.
Unfortunately ebay do not break it down very clearly so it can cause confusion with buyers and sellers.
cheekychippy210
·2 weeks agoi dont get any of what you experience at listing an item!
Custom postage is not offered in my account, nor indeed for many others on here.
At listing, private seller simple delivery, all i get is package size, large letter up to 1kg, small and medium parcels.
prices vary according to how many couriers i choose, cheaper the more selected. I do not get to see the vat content you speak of, i just get the price.
do you use the app or pc? I only have pc and of desktops i know ebay pages vary over browsers, i use firefox.
cheekychippy210
·2 weeks agobuyer protection fee?
are all you listings free delivery?
have you tried ditching free delivery?
jojaca
OP2 weeks agoI relisted all my items with free delivery.
sml192
·2 weeks agoIt is showing in the search results as £3.38, for some reason, but when you go onto the actual listing it shows correctly at £2.72.
The £2.72 includes the VAT. If you were to buy the same tracked postage direct from Royal Mail then it would cost £2.85 online (more over the counter), which also contains VAT, so your buyers aren't being charged any extra.
For items under £20 and Letter/Large Letter sized (and in certain sub-categories) you should get the option to use Custom Postage instead of Simple Delivery. That would enable you to send a blu-ray using Standard Tariff 2nd Class for £1.90 instead of the £2.70 price but it obviously wouldn't then be tracked.
jojaca
OP2 weeks agoThanks for reply, I just tried custom option on one video game, second class £1.90. But it still added 20% vat when viewing the ad.
So I may have to complain to eBay.
sml192
·2 weeks agoWhat postage price was the ad showing?
cheekychippy210
·2 weeks agoperhaps a screen shot of the options you are seeing at listing may help