VAT when order shipped from outside EU

[vikpov]

As per new EU import rules valid from July this year, eBay is collecting VAT when paying for the order. They say it will make my life easier, 'cause I pay only once, I don't need to pay VAT in my country and will simply pick my order and enjoy it. NUTS! It does not work like that at all. Yes, I pay VAT when paying for the order. But I pay VAT again when picking my order from my local post office. You ask why? Because eBay is unable to arrange things as they should be. When a seller ships my order, there's no info about the IOSS number, which is a proof that I have already paid the VAT. So, in my country customs process the order as I have not paid the VAT yet and I pay it TWICE! My life isn't easier 'cause I need to do a piece of paper work to re-claim the VAT I paid twice. It costs a lot of time, effort and nerves. Dear eBay, if you don't know how to arrange the VAT stuff that it works as desired, pls ask guys from AliExpress. They've made it and it is easy and smooth. And yes, cancelling the 'Contact support' chat option was a really nice step towards your customers. Thumbs up! (sarcasm, of course). Another fail on you. Until the VAT fail is fixed, I quit purchasing from eBay.

[48hrs-clothing]

This is a public forum and responders are buyers and sellers just like you and none of us represent eBay.

Your frustration is understood and it is more than likely that eBay are advising IOSS# to seller when order is confirmed and seller does not realise that this number MUST be shown on Label/customs declaration unfortunately eBay can not make sure that sellers show this information and some way down the line I have no doubt sellers who repeatedly fail will end up being penalised by eBay.

I assume eBay charge you VAT in addition to listed price of item and in order to avoid frustration of paying twice and then reclaiming one lot you may consider sending seller a message advising him that eBay has collected VAT and should have advised seller of their IOSS # which he must show on customs declaration form and for him to send you a photograph of label/ customs declaration showing this IOSS#.

I do realise that buyers should not have to do this but IMHO it is easier to send a message to seller as soon as order is confirmed/ payment made as this may help avoid frustration and extra work later.

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[vikpov]

As a buyer I don't know what all should be done by sellers and, honestly, I don't care. If eBay collects VAT from me and not a seller, than eBay must do the rest and not leaving it upon individual sellers. It was weeks ago when I firstly faced the double VAT paying issue and till now I don't have my money back. Yes, it's not eBay who should refund, but my country's custom authorities, anyway, it's a time consuming and time wasting process for me. And wasting of money too, as the recent case I decided to not reclaim VAT and rather accepted I pay twice.

Contacting a seller directly as you've suggested may be just a temporary workaround with an uncertain result, but eBay needs to resolve it system-wide. A seller may not respond to a message, or can respond he does not know what and how to do, or any other scenario, and again I'm in a spin of extra effort. 
There are other shopping sites with smoothly working VAT collection, so I see no reason to waste my time, energy, good mood and money on a place, where it does not work.

If I add a fact, that currently there's no live customer support on eBay, then really I leave eBay behind...

[7606dennis]

These are the boards attached to the .com (USA) site and it is doubtful that many of the US users are going to be familiar with VAT.  Perhaps, your question would best be served if it were asked on one of the European site's boards.