VAT mismatch

[soisjack]

Anyone else who is VAT registered received an email from Ebay advising their VAT details are mismatche with HMRC . This happened 3 years ago and ebay admitted an error on their part back then . 

Again , the same today and all details I have match so cannot understand the issue. Been given a 30 day period to rectify but not rectifiable as I see it.

Anyone experiencing the same / can offer help here as want to avoid the issues from three years ago. Thanks 

[m-a-photo]

I have received the same email within the last 30 minutes.

I have double checked both VAT number and the fact that my registered details with HMRC match those on ebay.

I have yet to contact ebay but I'm about to do so.

Do you remember how you were able to recity it last time?

[soisjack]

I've been on the phone to Ebay , they have told me to disregard as it is confirmed that my details are correct, so not to worry.

However they told me this 3 years ago and was told not to worry and thirty days later everything was removed.

Not totally reassured to be honest.

[m-a-photo]

Strange!

So at that point you raised it with them again and they actually took the necessary action? Was that a difficult process as far as you recall?

Did all of your listings get reinstated automatically or did you have to make them all gain?

Sorry, I know that my questions aren't helping you. Just trying to get a sense of what could be in store here.

[soisjack]

They took action , yes but I lost 400 listings and could not reinstate them. They had to be done manually.  This is why when i saw this email appear again today I thought "Here we go again" . It was an absolute nightmare.

They have just told me it's a standard email , I questioned why therefore is it telling me there is a mismtatch when there isn't . This is my concern as the system thinks there is , the Ebay human says there isn't but in 30 days the check will be run again and whatever hasn't been identifed just now will still exist and I will be faced again with removal of all listings.

Again not reassured.  If you find out anything by calling let me know also.

[m-a-photo]

That's not good.

I would guess, like you're saying, that their software/ bot is picking something up.

The only thing that I can think in my case might be that on ebay, my address has 'London' featuring twice - once for the city and once for the county. Whereas on HMRC, 'London' only features once. This can't be avoided though as far as I know - ebay requires both fields to be filled in.

I share your concerns that the automated process here won't be overwritten by any person that I speak to.

I'm on the phone to them now. I'll share any info.

[hatsford]

Same here, it happens every few years. CS assure you its all ok, then you get restricted and have to phone up several times a day for two weeks until you find someone in the US with the authority to over-ride it, then rinse and repeat a few years later.

[moldosgifts]

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@m-a-photo wrote:

That's not good.

I would guess, like you're saying, that their software/ bot is picking something up.

The only thing that I can think in my case might be that on ebay, my address has 'London' featuring twice - once for the city and once for the county. Whereas on HMRC, 'London' only features once. This can't be avoided though as far as I know - ebay requires both fields to be filled in.

I share your concerns that the automated process here won't be overwritten by any person that I speak to.

I'm on the phone to them now. I'll share any info.

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Not a solution but a possibility match both addresses to what royal mail say it is. May just be that.

Vat being different from your registered address on eBay.

[soisjack]

Yes exactly , once bitten twice shy - trying to pre-empt this happening again !

[madcello]

Hi,

Same problem here, double checked all the data matching 100% HMRC VAT and Companies House and all correct, so I spoke with CS and apparently they had similar problem in Germany few months ago and it was just another ebay glitch, anyway he promised me to log the ticket with technical team and asked me to call them again if we get any more messages, or reminders about it, but 99% sure he said it's down to ebay glitch. Thanks.

[soisjack]

Yes they said eBay glitch 3 years ago and not to worry and then removed all my listings 30 days later …. 

[m-a-photo]

I have just had two phone calls with ebay about this. Both German customer service staff.

The first one told me that I do indeed need to double check that all information is matching and that there must be an issue. They then put me on hold and eventually the connection dropped (or they hung up on me).

The second one that I spoke to told me that I'm the fourth person to phone about this today (so I assume it is happening to many people outside of just those posting here). They told me that it's a routine email that's being sent out and not to be alarmed. They did tell me that I should re-submit my VAT number on ebay though, so I will try to do that.

The wording of the email doesn't make it seem like a routine check. The prior experiences of others in this thread would also suggest otherwise.

So my plan for now is to re-submit my VAT number and to ensure that I have copies of all of my listings saved in around 28 days time so that I can more easily re-list them if they're removed.

[4_bathrooms]

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@soisjack wrote:

Anyone else who is VAT registered received an email from Ebay advising their VAT details are mismatche with HMRC . This happened 3 years ago and ebay admitted an error on their part back then 

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The issue 3 years ago was many VAT registered business sellers had entered their trading name (rather than their legal business name) in the "Business Name" field. This meant eBay's automated check failed when the VAT number was checked against the details held by HMRC. The reason this is an issue is down to HMRC holding online marketplaces jointly and severally liable for the VAT obligations of their sellers - this includes displaying VAT numbers online.

Anyway...I can't check this time because eBay has totally screwed up. I couldn't find a VAT number in either your listings nor your "About" page. Then I checked @m-a-photo's details and couldn't find a VAT number in their listings nor their "About" page either. Thinking this was odd I checked my own listings and my own "About" page; my VAT number is not being displayed either (I haven't received the email).

So, through no fault of their own all VAT registered sellers are now failing to comply with The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002. Nice one, eBay!

[postgenesis]

Same problem here, message recieved from Ebay an hour ago. Checked all my details and they are all ok. Phoned CS and they told me they are aware of the issue affecting a number of sellers. What i did notice is that my VAT number is no longer displayed in the "Seller Business Information" section in my listings. It is still there for my competitiors listings so something is off. CS told me not to worry but we'll see what happens

[postgenesis]

PS  It was Ireland customer services i spoke with. Also, i tried resubmitting my VAT number before calling them. I clicked the "remove" button then selected the country (UK) and then re-enterered my VAT number and it wouldn't then allow me to continue. The "Add" button was unresponsive

Who knows?

[4_bathrooms]

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@postgenesis wrote:

What i did notice is that my VAT number is no longer displayed in the "Seller Business Information" section in my listings. It is still there for my competitiors listings so something is off. 

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Well that is weird. I thought this was affecting all VAT registered sellers as my VAT number has disappeared too but I haven't (yet) received the email.

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@postgenesis wrote:

CS told me not to worry but we'll see what happens

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If eBay's CS told me the sky was blue I would still look out of the window to check... 

[postgenesis]

Having done some further checks it aapears that although my VAT info, business names etc are correct, my VAT number does not appear in the "Seller Business Information" section in my listings and when i go to print out an invoice for a customer my VAT number does not appear on the invoice despite having the "Show VAT ID number on invoices" box checked on my Public Business Info page.

Very strange. I see some other sellers also do not have their VAT number displayed in thier listings whilst some do still have their VAT number displayed, some have their CRN number only and others have their VAT & CRN displayed, Very strange

[moldosgifts]

Looks like a technical issue to me have you reported it as such? 

[soisjack]

It certainly sounds to me that some system tweak has been made removing VAT details hence triggering this automated Email.  Question being is , who will fix it before the 30 days is up.... 

[soisjack]

I've just added a further report to the technical forum page

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Technical-Issues/VAT-Glitch/m-p/7779646#M31172