Chinese Sellers with UK addresses?

[richardsuperstar]

how come there is at present so many Chinese sellers on here who are allowed to put their despatch location as here in the UK?

I've found loads of items which are undercutting most UK sellers and they all show their location as in the UK but then have their registered company address details as in Hong Kong.

its pretty clear that these sellers dont have offices in the uk and are just putting this to stop them being filtered out when someone clicks on show uk only.

surely there should be some check done by ebay to ensure that if a company claims to be in a country the address needs to be verified..

[bricklanebargains]

There are a few easy ways to identify Chinese sellers disguised as UK sellers. The first and the easiest to spot is the Union Jack and/or the Royal Mail logo. I haven`t come across a genuine UK seller use either of these on their main product image. Another giveaway is the seller`s address. Most Chinese are known to use fake UK addresses for "item location" but if you scroll through to the bottom of the page, you can see where they`re actually based. These said, I admit nowadays they come up with more sophisticated ways such as obtaining a fake or maybe even real VAT number (how the Chinese manage to get a VAT number from HMRC still puzzles me) and actually send orders from UK warehouses.    

[thr33creations]

need to have a cull 😉

[looker217]

An issue that the Chinese sellers fall foul of when claiming UK stock, is the statement that any import duty applicable will be the buyers liability and expense.

This is simply incorrect and illegal for stock that is supposedly already in the UK.

Import duties must already have been paid by the importing seller on arrival of the item into the UK and is, as the Sale of Goods Act, already included within the sale price.

Any claim from HMRC on applicable duites should not be paid by the UK buyer, they have by default paid for this in the inclusive price.

The seller having issued the item from a supposedly UK stock location is liable for this duty.

Any item for sale with this statement is a clear red flag that the item is not a true UK stock and is a clear infringement of eBay rules.

However on reporting such a statement eBay response was as expected..... no action was required.

They are complicit with the failure of ensuring the sellers are evading import duties and failing by not removing/reporting the seller/item.

I have no issues and have bought many items from China/HK but knew of their location prior and accepted the extended delivery accordingly.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@looker217 wrote:

An issue that the Chinese sellers fall foul of when claiming UK stock, is the statement that any import duty applicable will be the buyers liability and expense.

This is simply incorrect and illegal for stock that is supposedly already in the UK.

Import duties must already have been paid by the importing seller on arrival of the item into the UK and is, as the Sale of Goods Act, already included within the sale price.

The seller having issued the item from a supposedly UK stock location is liable for this duty.

---

The Consumer Rights Act (which superseded the Sale of Goods Act) only applies to purchases from traders that are registered in the UK. The Consumer Contracts Regulations provide protection for distance sales provided the trader is registered in the EU.

eBay's own Money Back Guarantee and policies aside, whenever you purchase from a non-EU registered trader you do so entirely at your own risk (i.e. you have no consumer rights at all) and - legally - are considered to be the importer regardless of the claimed item location. If an item arrives in customs and import VAT is due then HMRC will - quite rightly - invoice the buyer for the VAT due before releasing their item as it is the buyer (as the importer) who is legally responsible for paying the import VAT.

---

@looker217 wrote:

Any item for sale with this statement is a clear red flag that the item is not a true UK stock and is a clear infringement of eBay rules.

However on reporting such a statement eBay response was as expected..... no action was required.

---

eBay will likely only take action when they have proof the item was sent from a location other than what was stated in the listing. This could be in the form of tracking, a picture of a CN22 form on the packaging, an invoice for import VAT from HMRC or some other indisputable proof the item was sent from outside the UK. It is also worth noting that eBay are very inconsistent when it comes to enforcing their own policies.

---

@looker217 wrote:

I have no issues and have bought many items from China/HK but knew of their location prior and accepted the extended delivery accordingly.

---

Similarly, I have no issues buying certain goods from overseas even as a consumer. I think eBay should have "seller location" as a search filter either in addition to - or instead of - item location. I believe a lot of buyers are misled when they see "UK only" into thinking that will filter items to sellers registered in the UK. Either that or at least warn buyers during purchase from a non-UK or non-EU registered seller that their consumer rights will no longer apply. However, I think it's very unlikely they will ever do the latter with anything resembling a prominent notification. In fact, they actually do the opposite as the following text is shown even when the seller is registered outside the EU:

"Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Find out more about your rights as a buyer and exceptions"

eBay could easily change that bit of text when the seller is registered outside the EU to:

"Purchases from business sellers registered outside the EU are not protected by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. However, eBay will ensure the seller honours any return policy they have chosen to display in the listing"

[boscar19762000]

I think that all ebay users should use the driver licence or passport for proof of country by entering a small part of the I'd number to get the information of the seller or when you put your bank card details in then that should give a code to ebay to say what state you live in and this should stop honk Kong sellers saying they are in the UK.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

The massive influx of Chinese sellers really has messed up ebay.

Not only long delivery times but poor quality products.

Very poor search results which bring up Chinese sellers with loads of cheap tat.

I gave these Chinese sellers a few chances to start with.

If the stuff actually did arrive entually there was always a problem.

I bought 3 flash drives which took 3 months to arrive then none worked !

Transistors that lasted 10 minutes.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@boscar19762000 wrote:
I think that all ebay users should use the driver licence or passport for proof of country by entering a small part of the I'd number to get the information of the seller or when you put your bank card details in then that should give a code to ebay to say what state you live in and this should stop honk Kong sellers saying they are in the UK.

---

The problems many people have relate to sellers that are registered overseas advertising UK-held stock. The sellers are not claiming they are registered or based in the UK; they are advertsing their stock as being held in the UK.

[acme_universal]

---

@4_bathrooms wrote:

...The sellers are not claiming they are registered or based in the UK; they are advertsing their stock as being held in the UK.

---

Just to add to that, I've actually come across a number of Chinese sellers who have UK registered accounts but their business details show addresses in China/Hong Kong.

You'd think eBay would pick up on that!

[boscar19762000]

This is what in getting at. If you see in the sellers information that they are honk kong base it's your choice to order the item but if you believe that it's in the uk already by seeing that the seller is in the uk as well then you should expect the item to be delivered in time. Ebay need to look into this more due to the filters they don't work well when you need the item you believe is in uk and it's a kids birthday you expect it in time.

[robinet_uk]

---

@boscar19762000 wrote:
This is what in getting at. If you see in the sellers information that they are honk kong base it's your choice to order the item but if you believe that it's in the uk already by seeing that the seller is in the uk as well then you should expect the item to be delivered in time. Ebay need to look into this more due to the filters they don't work well when you need the item you believe is in uk and it's a kids birthday you expect it in time.

---

But they set quite long delivery time so this can be the sign that "uk based" seller doesn't have "uk based" stock.

[boscar19762000]

All this I know but we expect the item in time from the order. If the seller can't keep up the demands then after a period of time they should be looked into.

[theplaceforlace]

I bought some stickers from a Chinese seller on 31st October.  I have been given an estimated delivery date of 18th November to 17th December - a whole month delivery window?  I have just looked at the same listing and, if purchased today, estimated delivery is stated as 3rd to 12th December.  This  just does not make sense?

[boscar19762000]

If we all stopped using ebay maybe we might get some new shops open.

[looker217]

 If an item arrives in customs and import VAT is due then HMRC will - quite rightly - invoice the buyer for the VAT due before releasing their item as it is the buyer (as the importer) who is legally responsible for paying the import VAT.

You arguement is flawed and not addressing the point raised.

The stock is claimed to be already in the UK, irrespective of where the Ebay seller is located.

This is their claim not the buyers.

This stock already being advised as being in the UK should have already been subject to import duties at the time of its arrival, paid for by the importer, tht being the eBay seller and hence inclusive within the stated listing price.

Therefore no seller reference to import duty being payable by the Uk buyer for the stock supposedly being delivered within the UK is applicabale and any statement to the contrary in the listing, has is usually the case, is not credible.

You appear to be arguing another point completely and one I recognise where the item is clarly not in the UK and listed as such, where in such circumstances the UK buyer is 'the importer'. and duties arising would be payable by them.

It may be wise to read the post before you start defending the wrong issues.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@acme_universal wrote:

Just to add to that, I've actually come across a number of Chinese sellers who have UK registered accounts but their business details show addresses in China/Hong Kong.

You'd think eBay would pick up on that!

---

If a seller in China or Hong Kong wants to sell to buyers in the UK they don't really have much choice but to register an account on eBay UK. eBay's regional websites for China and Hong Kong are pretty much just portals for sellers rather than being active marketplaces. 

[4_bathrooms]

---

@looker217 wrote:

 If an item arrives in customs and import VAT is due then HMRC will - quite rightly - invoice the buyer for the VAT due before releasing their item as it is the buyer (as the importer) who is legally responsible for paying the import VAT.

You arguement is flawed and not addressing the point raised.

The stock is claimed to be already in the UK, irrespective of where the Ebay seller is located.

This is their claim not the buyers.

---

It is entirely possible to have a warehouse full of UK held stock that has not had any import VAT or duties yet paid.

Also, it doesn't matter what the seller claims; it is the buyer's responsibility to ensure that any applicable import VAT, Customs Duty or Excise Duty has been (or will be) paid when purchasing from a non-EU registered seller.

---

@looker217 wrote:

You appear to be arguing another point completely and one I recognise where the item is clarly not in the UK and listed as such, where in such circumstances the UK buyer is 'the importer'. and duties arising would be payable by them.

---

When buying from a non-EU registered seller the buyer is always the importer as far as HMRC are concerned unless they can provide proof that any applicable VAT or duty has already been paid. A listing claiming the item was despatched from the UK is not sufficient for this - you would need the importer's EORI Number and/or a copy of the import VAT certificate. 
 

[acme_universal]

---

@4_bathrooms wrote:

If a seller in China or Hong Kong wants to sell to buyers in the UK they don't really have much choice but to register an account on eBay UK.

---

Agreed. But the sellers I was referring to are claiming to have stock already in the UK, whereas (as shown by their feedback) they're actually sending from China.

I've even been caught out by sellers who do provide a UK business address, but in fact send the item from China to that address from which it is then forwarded to the customer. Only up side is they're responsible for any duties/VAT, but it does make it hard to find a genuine UK seller.

[campbell999]

Hi I purchased an item from a so called UK seller item was listed as 2 years warranty

The item failed sortly afterl fitting when I requested replacement part the seller would only offer to sell me another

One at a slightly discounted price.when i pushef them on it they requested i post it  back to china which i did at my cost.I never got any response.Why do eBay allow this to a happen 

[4_bathrooms]

---

@acme_universal wrote:

But the sellers I was referring to are claiming to have stock already in the UK, whereas (as shown by their feedback) they're actually sending from China.

---

Such sellers should be reported to eBay for violating their Item Location Policy.

---

@acme_universal wrote:

I've even been caught out by sellers who do provide a UK business address, but in fact send the item from China to that address from which it is then forwarded to the customer. Only up side is they're responsible for any duties/VAT, but it does make it hard to find a genuine UK seller.

---

I was similarly caught out by a business seller displaying a UK address; the company name was actually registered with Companies House. The item arrived (from Switzerland) with a CN22 that under-declared the value as £14.99 to avoid import VAT being charged. I reported the seller to HMRC (I even offered to pay the outstanding VAT but they declined) and reported them to eBay for misrepresenting the item location. The seller is still a registered user but no longer has any items available for sale.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@campbell999 wrote:

Hi I purchased an item from a so called UK seller item was listed as 2 years warranty

---

In the "Business Information" section at the bottom of the listing which country is the seller showing as being registered in?

If they are not registered in an EU country then any claims about warranties or guarantees should be taken with a pinch of salt as they cannot be enforced.

---

@campbell999 wrote:

The item failed sortly afterl fitting when I requested replacement part the seller would only offer to sell me another

One at a slightly discounted price.

---

If I was sure the item failed because it was already faulty or otherwise unfit for purpose I would have declined the seller's offer and opened an INAD case with "Doesn't work or is defective" as the reason. The seller would have had to arrange the return at their own cost and/or provided a full refund. 

---

@campbell999 wrote:

Why do eBay allow this to a happen 

---

I'm afraid it wasn't eBay that allowed it to happen...