Ebay does NOT keep it's word !

[EbayDoesntCare]

I am from Belgium and bought a computer part in the UK. On Ebay it was explicitly stated that it was "All duties and taxes included" for my location. Due to a post Brexit custom declaration error in the UK, I had to pay the VAT + a clearing cost before I could get my item from customs. This amounted to 50% of the value of the item. I complained to Ebay for customer protection and Ebay ... as ever... just drops me and rules that it is OK for me to pay the 50% extra !!!!!
Lesson learned AGAIN. Ebay can not be trusted!

So I went to Paypal and they kept their word and refunded me. Yes there are trustworthy companies.

[rsot]

Welcome to the forum OP - all the best as you master stealth

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Nice that you got refunded via PP

[agent006140]

and the seller lost the part and shipping??

[slokor]

You thought you could trust ebay...?
And you realy think that you can trust paypal...?
hmmm....

[SaiJin]

Originally Posted by EbayDoesntCare

I am from Belgium and bought a computer part in the UK. On Ebay it was explicitly stated that it was "All duties and taxes included" for my location. Due to a post Brexit custom declaration error in the UK, I had to pay the VAT + a clearing cost before I could get my item from customs. This amounted to 50% of the value of the item. I complained to Ebay for customer protection and Ebay ... as ever... just drops me and rules that it is OK for me to pay the 50% extra !!!!!
Lesson learned AGAIN. Ebay can not be trusted!

So I went to Paypal and they kept their word and refunded me. Yes there are trustworthy companies.

You can't trust ebay NOR paypal.

Don't ever ever take their word for it. Learn from our mistakes... why do you think this forum and eBay Stealth got founded a decade ago?

[EbayDoesntCare]

Originally Posted by agent006140

and the seller lost the part and shipping??

I tried to negotiate with the seller. I proposed a refund and a return to sender of the item, but he insisted that the problem was mine only. At a certain moment he stopped al conversation and basically concluded: "I am paid. Solve your own problem". After all the spare part cost only 60 euro. The duty was 30 euro and if the seller proposed to pay each of us 15 euro ...half of the duty ... we could have solved it. No big deal. But without conversation : No solution.

[rsot]

Originally Posted by EbayDoesntCare

I tried to negotiate with the seller. I proposed a refund and a return to sender of the item, but he insisted that the problem was mine only. At a certain moment he stopped al conversation and basically concluded: "I am paid. Solve your own problem". After all the spare part cost only 60 euro. The duty was 30 euro and if the seller proposed to pay each of us 15 euro ...half of the duty ... we could have solved it. No big deal. But without conversation : No solution.

Open communication - nice

[paulfoltyn]

Originally Posted by slokor

You thought you could trust ebay...?
And you realy think that you can trust paypal...?
hmmm....

Paypal slightly more so than ebay. Just slightly

[Xilla]

Yes, as far as I understand - buyers are obliged to pay all taxes. Although initially they can say something else.

[markrey]

So how exactly is the seller's fault? ebay is the one that charged you VAT, not the seller and the seller can complete all the forms correctly and still customs might stop the merchandise and demand that you pay VAT again, some Countries are unprepared to handle IOSS and some Countries are trying to charge VAT again even if all the forms are correctly filled and electronically submitted.

You could have complained to the customs authority in your Country and show them you paid VAT already and if they still want you to pay VAT again just refuse the merchandise and it would have been sent back to the seller, but you didn't do that and choose to pay VAT again, also you could have insisted with ebay, show them that you paid VAT twice and be persistent in asking them to refund you the VAT, instead, you went to paypal which apparently screwed the seller and let you keep the item and the money? My apologies if my assumption is incorrect and they only refunded the VAT portion of your payment.

[EbayDoesntCare]

Originally Posted by markrey

So how exactly is the seller's fault? ebay is the one that charged you VAT, not the seller and the seller can complete all the forms correctly and still customs might stop the merchandise and demand that you pay VAT again, some Countries are unprepared to handle IOSS and some Countries are trying to charge VAT again even if all the forms are correctly filled and electronically submitted.

You could have complained to the customs authority in your Country and show them you paid VAT already and if they still want you to pay VAT again just refuse the merchandise and it would have been sent back to the seller, but you didn't do that and choose to pay VAT again, also you could have insisted with ebay, show them that you paid VAT twice and be persistent in asking them to refund you the VAT, instead, you went to paypal which apparently screwed the seller and let you keep the item and the money? My apologies if my assumption is incorrect and they only refunded the VAT portion of your payment.

I am not saying that Seller is at fault. But I am not at fault either. Actually we are both victim. One small problem: As far as the seller was concerned... He had send the goods and was paid, for him : Case closed.

The Belgian customs argument is: For small items with a value of less than 150euro, we can not start a case. The import has a correct (electronic) ITMATT message that shows that the VAT is paid, than all is ok. If the ITMATT has a problem ... you can NOT do anything else than send the goods back to the seller and start all over again or pay the duties. Return of undelivered items is free and shipping again would have cost about 10euro. 5 for me and 5 for the seller ?

My conclusion: We say in Belgium: "Where there is a will ... there is a way". By keeping communicating, this problem could have been solved in a good way for both seller and buyer.
But this is not the point of my story here.
Ebay's conclusion was: Final decision: "The dispute is closed. No refund can be made."
The seller left me with the problem too: "Figure it out on your own !"
Only Paypal prevented me from paying 50% more than was advertised.

[agent006140]

Is the item shipped using Ebay Global shipping?

[agent006140]

how did Paypal refund you? based on what?