eBay

Anonymous · ‎07-29-2017

Got a message this morning from a UK buyer who expressed displeasure about having to pay customs fees. He hasn't left feedback yet. I'm hoping he'll just skip it. His FB left for other sellers is all positive.

How should I respond to his message to maximize the possibility that he won't leave bad feedback?

I am aware that bad FB about customs fees can be removed by eBay, especially if there's also a message from the buyer complaining specifically about customs fees. I found some helpful tips in this old thread, where the seller ultimately got the feedback removed:

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Bad-review-because-buyer-was-mad-about-customs-charges/td-p/263...

Just curious what everyone thinks about how best to respond to the buyer's message at this point. Thanks!

Anonymous · ‎07-29-2017

@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:

Oh, and once the UK leaves the EU, boy are the Britons going to be in for a financial shock!

~~C~~

Initially, there may be a shock, but they were ok before they joined the EU in 1973. As a matter of fact, the British pound was worth about double what it is now:

http://www.macrotrends.net/2549/pound-dollar-exchange-rate-historical-chart

But at least they will be making their own decisions instead of having to follow those of some other country. Imagine the US having to abide by decisions in Chile.

They just need to find their way. and the sooner they remove that "everyone gets a prize" mentality, the better off they will be.

omgitlightsup · ‎07-29-2017

I guess I'm just not a worldly person, but the first time I learned what customs fees were was the first time I received an international package.

I thought it was kind of weird, because it was something I'd bought on eBay and though it arrived from Canada, it was an article originally manufactured in the USA. I don't think customs fees apply to items "imported" to the country of origin. But it was just a couple of dollars.

It never once crossed my mind to blame the seller for the customs fee, or for not warning me about it. It's one of those things you should know if you buy things from other countries. If a seller charged me sales tax per the requirements of his state, I wouldn't blame him for that. If he charged me extra money for shipping something heavy, I wouldn't blame him for that.

Anonymous · ‎07-29-2017

@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
I would not respond at all unless the buyer has asked you a direct question. Even then, I would indicate that VAT and/or duty are the responsibility of the recipient and are not included in the price of merchandise imported from the U.S. Purchases from the EU do include VAT (if any) and certainly the eBay GSP advertises that all taxes and duties are "included" in the total paid up front.

Keep in mind that the UK charges VAT on the postage amount as well as the declared value of the merchandise. (Most countries do not.)

Depending on the value of USD vs. GBP, the taxable merchandise value is somewhere around US $25 and VAT is about 20%. Couriers also may charge a delivery fee, although Royal Mail may waive such a fee on low-value packages.

Oh, and once the UK leaves the EU, boy are the Britons going to be in for a financial shock!

~~C~~

Thank you for the additional details, Duchess. I was wondering whether in UK the VAT applies to just the item value or the shipping cost as well. So in my case, the buyer's purchase was $24.99 plus $10.00 shipping, for a total of $34.99. So the amount of customs/VAT the buyer stated he paid (about 14 GBP) sounds about right -- the 20% of the total, plus the additional VAT collection fee.

Anonymous · ‎07-29-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
Dear buyer,
I am so sorry to hear of your displeasure in having to pay custom's fees. As you know, VAT, customs's fee and the 8 pound processing fee are fees imposed by your country and sellers outside the country have no control over these and do not benefit in any way. Many countries use these fees to protect their local commerce and to pay for those great "free" social programs their citizens enjoy.

Even still, we do want to help our buyers in any way we can and that includes directing them to the proper place to lodge their complaints. Here is the link that may help you in lodging a complaint against these unfair charges:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries

We could try writing to your revenue and custom's department on your behalf, but it is doubtful we could get any response or resolution since this really is citizens and their government.

Kind regards,
Happy helpful seller

Nice sample letter, thanks for sharing that. If my buyer continues to complain, I'll send him something like that.