ebay import warning

[Helen Bach]

Bought an item (not hifi related) from a seller on ebay about a month ago. The seller stated it would take a little time to arrive (from inside the UK) and I didn't worry that it hadn't arrived on time. Then I needed the product, and tried to contact the seller. Ebay said he was no longer trading. I checked my bank account and there was no refund. I contacted ebay, explained all, and they refunded almost immediately. Still none the wiser.

 

[BrendanD]

Everyone gets het up about the ramifications of Brexit but there are hundreds of countries in the world all of which have their own customs and taxation requirements to fulfil. The EU is a very very small part of the world.

But just happens to be our nearest neighbour, 400 million people in a customs union and 40% of UK trade……

 

[psi310398]

It’s not all Brexit. The Single Market can be pretty patchy too.

I have a house in Italy, formerly owned by a German with German plumbing and ironmongery. I have given up buying replacement parts from Germany or France with any hope of (I) seeing the product at all - many German companies simply won’t sell outside their borders - or (II) getting it in a hurry or intact. I now generally make an overnighter of it and pop up to Rheinfelden or Freiburg to get the stuff.

I once flew to Gothenburg and back on the same day to pick up a bit of (admittedly small and not overly heavy) Meridian kit on the basis that a day off and £35 plus a coach fare to the airport was cheaper than the post, packing and insurance, let alone customs and VAT charges.