IOSS woes

[jalve]

Are eBay sellers selling to Europe aware that the IOSS system appears to be totally broken? The purpose of this system was to make it easier for customers to pay VAT as eBay collects it at the time of purchase. Then recipients are not supposed to have to do anything to clear customs; the package should be simply delivered to them as if the item were shipped from EU.

This sounds nice in theory, but in practice it has failed on 100 % of my eBay purchases since the system was launched on the 1st of July. Finland Post blames incomplete electronic information in their system, which the sender is supposed to submit. Now, I am not a seller, so I don't know if this information is supposed to be entered by eBay or the seller. However, it is clear that something needs to be done about this, since now the recipients still have to take care of customs clearance by themselves, and possibly pay VAT twice, first to eBay and then to customs. To add insult to injury, there is also a "service fee" that Finland Post collects for doing nothing. You are not supposed to have to pay this fee if the VAT was collected at the time of purchase, but persuading them to release the package without payment is a real pain. As a result, eBay is no longer my favorite place to shop. So, sellers, if you're wondering where all your European customers went, try to get eBay to do something to fix this before it is too late!

[golffies]

To confirm what you say, but from the perspective of the professional buyer, eBay is just as bad. No one in customer service seems to know how to declare an account as a professional buyer. As a result, when the delivery address is in the European Union, it is now impossible to pay via eBay without VAT. And of course, the VAT collected by eBay and declared through the IOSS platform is totally lost: it is then impossible for a company in the European Union to enter it in its accounts to deduct it later.

The only way around this at the moment is to patiently ask each seller if they are willing to issue a payment request through Paypal, to pay them directly for the transaction made on eBay. Red card!

I can tell you that I too look elsewhere before looking to buy on eBay.

[richard1rst]

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@jalve wrote:

Are eBay sellers selling to Europe aware that the IOSS system appears to be totally broken? The purpose of this system was to make it easier for customers to pay VAT as eBay collects it at the time of purchase. Then recipients are not supposed to have to do anything to clear customs; the package should be simply delivered to them as if the item were shipped from EU.

I recently had a package to Belgium. I am not sure how or why, but Belgian customs sent an email to MY personal email address but all in Dutch and addressed to the buyer.

Even though the shipping label clearly said that the VAT tax was paid, Belgian customs was billing the buyer for both the VAT (5 euros) and also a "custom clearance fee" (15 euros). Even if they eventually forgave the VAT there is still that customs clearance fee. So much for "simply deliver it to them". 

[beerbelly69]

Three of my ebay orders since July are still stuck in Belgian customs. At first they had random charges of ~100€ VAT applied to them (for <100$ items) so I requested a recalculation from the Bpost tracking page. For one of them, the charges were adjusted to reflect the actual item cost (but not dropped as they should be), and I got this "explanation" from Bpost:

"Analysis shows that the data was not correctly transferred to ITMATT. So that ITMATT can transfer the package details to us (i.e. taxes have already been collected by your seller and your package can be delivered for free) It does not matter whether your IOSS number is on the invoice or on the packaging. It is important that the data is entered into our system. Please contact the seller for this so that he can do the necessary."

The second order is still in review, and the third is in a broken state where it says there are charges to be paid, but no amount and no pay button. I was hoping they'd at least ship it back to the seller but that hasn't happened either. I contacted the Bpost help line, but they could do nothing because it's a customs issue and they said to just wait - it's been 4 weeks in this state. There doesn't seem to be a way to contact Belgian customs directly.

Meanwhile, my aliexpress orders from China arrive with no problems, so I have to wonder if this is really an ebay issue rather than a customs issue.

[pjcdn2005]

The way I understand it, when a label is printed, customs in that country should receive the information online for VAT etc but many postal systems are not set up properly to do that.   

[argy_eyes]

@pjcdn2005 

At the risk of jumping to conclusions (and as a seller who hopes to continue to have buyers outside the USA) this thread frustrates me. EBay has an obligation to inform sellers about this.  If some countries are not prepared to handle the data eBay provides, what are they? I'll exclude them until the system works. 

It sounds like one of those issues that eBay will ignore, hoping it just goes away. I don't care if there is no solution - just acknowledge and define the problem and I'll respond accordingly.

Mike

[golffies]

There is a very safe way around the problem for the next few weeks: make it easy for your European buyers to pay you directly through Paypal, rather than through eBay.

• The transaction is done on eBay, which will receive its commission on the final sale price,
• but the payment is made directly between the buyer and you, excluding VAT.

Paypal does not add VAT at all. The buyer will then receive your package without paying VAT twice.

[fl4y3r-61]

Hello, 

At least I'm not alone. I have received the same message from Bpost word for word. I contacted the Japanese seller and I'm waiting for an answer. 

I buy worldwide and it's the first time I encounter this problem and only with Ebay. 

If I have a solution i'll be sure to notify it here.

All we can do for now is keep blocking it in customs with revision form but I fear that the packages will end up "lost" after some time.

Hope someone finds a solution. 

[he.sahel.zhhexvzi8]

Well sayed from another disappointed finnish customer. 3.6eur purchases costed nearly 9 euros. Have to put ebay on hold again.

[fl4y3r-61]

Ok really **bleep**, posted a 2 pages messages ...... pages bugged ....... and now I have to type it again.....

I'll make it short.

DO NOT LISTEN TO EBAY.

Contacted support, was told to pay fees and tva and that they would pay me back as soon as I can prove I received the package. "We are sorry blablabla "

Did it and paid 30.54 € (within 15 € of fees goddamit customs that's excessive).

Showed proof of receiving packages and receipt for the fees.

Got back 14.91 ..... USD so .... 12.61 € .... not even HALF of what I paid to get it.

I'm trying to contest it but have little faith.

Maybe I should try social media dunno?

I should have never came back to this hellish website.

Run you fool.

[ptyardsale]

It can never work because there is no code for each individual transaction therefore customs have no idea what's going on.  It is the dumbest thing ever. 

[ramiroll]

Shipping to EU from "Ebay" on address label must be included IOSS number to pass EU customs hassle free, this IOSS number sellers can obtain opening Ebay "Print address label" and seller must copy this number's full row onto actual address label.

Can't check it for EU myself from inside EU.

But I know there is same system shipping to Australia, Norway and some Latin American countries.

But likley there is more countries ....

Unfortunately Ebay doesn't include this IOSS number to buyer's shipping address sent by Email and seller has to get with extra steps.

[sapnai]

golffies, 100% same situation in Lithuania. What a shame ebay!

I had a phone call to customs service and they confirmed that:

- putting IOSS on the parcel box won't help

- putting IOSS in the invoice will not help

- there is no way to submit invoice once parcel reached customs

- there is seller's responsibility to submit IOSS.

- the only acceptable way to submit IOSS is electronically, through seller's systems.

I will come back to ebay only in very worst case

[axentius]

Same situation in Sweden.

Seller from ShenZhen in China, claims that the shipping company has done all the IOSS stuff.

PostNord in Sweden claims the opposite.

PostNord won't accept any changes or proof.

PostNord want's a service fee that is higher than the price for the item, plus VAT.

eBay told me that they could return the VAT to me, but the service fee is higher than the item price plus VAT.

I think I will start to buy items from outside of the EU only from sellers where VAT is not collected at eBay checkout. It will cost a little bit more in some cases, but give me zero headache with sudden VAT and fees.

[geronsi0]

Same here. Also a buyer from Belgium, bought from Switzerland and was told the same thing by Bpost.

On top of the service fee of €15, they also calculated a higher VAT amount than what I paid to ebay so I asked for a recalculation. I added my receipt that clearly shows VAT is paid and that has ebay's IOSS number on it. They haven't replied yet and said it can take up to 2 weeks.

Another issue is that the seller said it was a gift on the paperwork (higher than €45), so I'm sure this will make things worse when dealing with Belgian customs.

Ebay said they'll pay me back the double VAT but I can not recover the service fee.

I asked ebay if I will get a full refund, including shipping if I simply refuse the package and they said I will. I don't know if that means for the seller, if they have to pay shipping out of pocket or not.

BUT! I also read on one of the threads here that ebay is actually the one that is supposed to forward the IOSS number and not the seller (or am I reading this wrong?) It came from someone working at ebay.

 

If this is true, I think ebay should cover the service fee. But I'm sure they never will so all I can do is never use ebay again.