Buying from EU

[heronviewer]

I tried to buy an item from Denmark which was advertised in English for £70 but was told by the firm that they could not supply it because of EU rules which now apply to the UK as we are no longer in the EU.
They said the company was not registered in the Uk and the order was less than £135. If it was more than £135, then they could have sent it.
I’m aware that I would be liable for VAT and duty but that wasn’t the problem. Is this correct or are they avoiding the bother of filling in forms .

 

[Dee J]

Seems to be possible
https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/ie/7b7872b1-61d2-ed11-9ac4-00155d9c773cBut I suspect that the administrative grief against a small profit margin, plus delivery and warranty issues places it in the 'too much trouble' department.

 

[heronviewer]

Thanks. Reading the information in the link, I think it is just too much trouble for that company.
The joys of Brexit !!

 

[sploo]

Yep, it (Brexit) pushed the red tape overhead down to individuals, and for small companies the effort to ship to the UK is more hassle that the value of the business. Just another one of the many "wins" from our self-inflicted podiatric ballistic injury.

 

[redhunter350]

Its not difficult to send most goods either way if you use one of the major carriers, DHL, UPS etc, they have pre-loaded forms that are very easy to fill in and guide you through the process. However I can understand if the companies margin is very small its not worth their time to even do this but do sell sporting goods to the EU using this method -- or the Post office for small items. As for leaving the EU I am in favour 100% we never should have signed the Maastricht treaty. The problem with the EU the tail is wagging the dog !

 

[sploo]

Its not difficult to send most goods either way if you use one of the major carriers, DHL, UPS etc, they have pre-loaded forms that are very easy to fill in and guide you through the process. However I can understand if the companies margin is very small its not worth their time to even do this but do sell sporting goods to the EU using this method -- or the Post office for small items. As for leaving the EU I am in favour 100% we never should have signed the Maastricht treaty. The problem with the EU the tail is wagging the dog !

So to summarise: more paperwork for individuals and businesses. UK sellers must simply put up with it if they wish to keep access to the EU market. EU sellers can however accept the loss of the UK market (as they can still easily sell to the rest of the EU, and the additional paperwork doesn't make it worthwhile to sell to the UK). Not exactly a win for the UK is it.

 

[gmgmgm]

It's potentially a whole mound of paperwork for them, especially if they aren't familiar with it.

 

[Jacob]

....Not exactly a win for the UK is it.

No it's a ******* disaster on so many levels.
UK drifts steadily towards becoming a deprived "third world" state.

 

[Adam W.]

It's potentially a whole mound of paperwork for them, especially if they aren't familiar with it.

That's the rub, why would they bother as they have Danish customs and tax to arrange too. It's just a whole boat load of grief.

I'm sure the sovereign tea tastes better on the island now France and Germany are cut off.

 

[Jacob]

It's potentially a whole mound of paperwork for them, especially if they aren't familiar with it.

Lest we forget.
Almost the whole point of the EU was to facilitate trade between members, and between members and the rest of the world and it worked really well.
So leaving the EU makes these more difficult. Surprise, surprise - what did brexiters expect?
Movement of goods, capital, services, people all now made much more difficult with quite disastrous consequences in some areas particularly where EU labour is required e.g. NHS, or in academe and R&D where shared projects now not accessible.
The whole dung-show made much worse as we have no politicians with enough guts to propose rejoining, as they are all after the silly person vote.
But we aren't all idiots!

 

[sploo]

Topically and timely... it'll get worse in just a couple of days time:

 

[niemeyjt]

Rejoin - and adopt the Euro etc etc (if they'll even allow it) - not a chance.

However, Macron's "onion" approach is a different matter - if ring 3 becomes EEA/EFTA equivalent then maybe that is where the UK would rejoin (and where arguably the first referendum agreed also).

Brexit was the failure of multiple politicians - starting with John Major - and ending in Merkel (whose legacy unravels by the day).

 

[sploo]

Not sure about Major and Merkel. In the shorter term; Farage and Cameron certainly (the former for scaring the Tories sufficiently for them to try to become UKIP, and the latter for promising a referendum purely to persuade hardline Eurosceptic voters to cast their ballot for the Conservatives instead of UKIP).

Longer term; certainly there's been a failure in the UK to explain to the population the benefits of membership (and an acceptance of years of untruths about "EU bureaucrats" being printed in the usual rags - which perhaps had more effect than expected).

Even longer term... maybe a failure to have a sufficiently educated public; such that they could spot an incompetent lying moron, even if that incompetent lying moron has an upper class accent.

 

[eribaMotters]

It's not just low cost items effected. A while back I looked at getting a £2,000 caravan awning imported from NL. Not a hope. The manufacturers I approached said it is not worth the hastle.
Back in 2007 I bought a new caravan from Belgium, no problems, very easy. I thought about it again in 2021 but I soon discounted the idea due to the hoops I'd need to jump through. I was expected to pay full NL vat, import duty and UK vat, then try and claim the NL vat back.
I'll let you guess my views on Brexit as I do not think this is the forum to enter into a debate.

Colin

 

[niemeyjt]

Not sure about Major and Merkel. In the shorter term; Farage and Cameron certainly (the former for scaring the Tories sufficiently for them to try to become UKIP, and the latter for promising a referendum purely to persuade hardline Eurosceptic voters to cast their ballot for the Conservatives instead of UKIP).

Longer term; certainly there's been a failure in the UK to explain to the population the benefits of membership (and an acceptance of years of untruths about "EU bureaucrats" being printed in the usual rags - which perhaps had more effect than expected).

Even longer term... maybe a failure to have a sufficiently educated public; such that they could spot an incompetent lying moron, even if that incompetent lying moron has an upper class accent.

Major ratified Maastrict without a referendum - leading to the formation of the Referendum Party and UKIP.

Merkel completely failed to identify the way the wind was blowing and offered Cameron crumbs as part of his renegotiation. Had she had the gumption to go with something akin to Macron's Ring 3 then I suspect Brexit would not have happened.

Maybe I am biased being here - but I like referenda - it gives people the chance to create laws and overturn bad laws. People become more involved in politics and have only themselves to blame if something goes pear-shaped. Maybe AES has thoughts?

Instead, we have silly beggars in the House of Commons who were so fixated on trying to overturn the referenda result that they missed the opportunity to do something sensible in the form of Nick Boles's Common Market 2 amendment.

There is no situation a politician cannot make worse.

 

[sploo]

Major ratified Maastrict without a referendum - leading to the formation of the Referendum Party and UKIP.

Merkel completely failed to identify the way the wind was blowing and offered Cameron crumbs as part of his renegotiation. Had she had the gumption to go with something akin to Macron's Ring 3 then I suspect Brexit would not have happened.

But that's effectively saying that people are wrong to take reasonable action if it might result in fringe nut jobs doing something stupid (e.g. creating UKIP). I do agree that had the other EU states fully grasped the strength of said nut jobs they may (and should) have thrown Cameron more of a bone to try to ward them off.

Maybe I am biased being here - but I like referenda - it gives people the chance to create laws and overturn bad laws. People become more involved in politics and have only themselves to blame if something goes pear-shaped. Maybe AES has thoughts?

The problem with referenda is... well..



Being serious; the issue is that you're often asking the public for a decision on matters that are extremely complex (e.g. international trade and law); for which almost all of us are not capable of understanding to a degree sufficient to make a sensible conclusion.

There is no situation a politician cannot make worse.

On that, I most definitely agree.

 

[treeturner123]

Politicians.

Yes, many are terrible, mostly now either have had no other job other than in politics or are barristers with no real knowledge. Gone are the days of politicians who had other life experiences. But!!

1. MPs are put up as candidates by increasingly small 'CABALs' of activists in all of the main parties since there are now so few people who are party members let alone Active members. So, to get better politicians, join a local party and break the CABAL!
   
   
2. What would you have in their place? A dictator - Very few are benevolent, hardly any resign so the only way to get rid is by violence? A president, who gets there because he spends more than the other candidate - USA? Coalitions - Look at Italy!!

Try reading 'How Westminster Works, and why it doesn't. A really great insight into the system with the surprising conclusion.. Spoiler alert...

The best part of Westminster is The House of Lords - Who know. And by the way, don't ever thing of turning that into an elected chamber, it would then be just an extension of the Commons!

Phil

 

[Keith Cocker]

Rejoin - and adopt the Euro etc etc (if they'll even allow it) - not a chance.

However, Macron's "onion" approach is a different matter - if ring 3 becomes EEA/EFTA equivalent then maybe that is where the UK would rejoin (and where arguably the first referendum agreed also).

Brexit was the failure of multiple politicians - starting with John Major - and ending in Merkel (whose legacy unravels by the day).

Brexit was the failure of the Tory party pure and simple. They were running scared of Farage and his British Bigots and thought they could weasel their way to success. God rot them!

 

[sploo]

The best part of Westminster is The House of Lords - Who know. And by the way, don't ever thing of turning that into an elected chamber, it would then be just an extension of the Commons!

The issue with the House of Lords these days is the high number of totally unsuitable individuals being put there by totally unsuitable politicians. Very well explained by this (rather sobering) Led By Donkeys video:

 

[John Brown]

The issue with the House of Lords these days is the high number of totally unsuitable individuals being put there by totally unsuitable politicians. Very well explained by this (rather sobering) Led By Donkeys video:

Scary. We are totally screwed on multiple fronts.