Payment in USD for a product shipped from Europe?
Hi! Something curious happened to me: I found an item I’m interested in with a very attractive offer from the seller. The problem is that the product in the listing appears to be shipped from the US, and the price is in dollars with eBay International Shipping.
Since if there are customs duties, they would wipe out all the savings, I decide to contact the seller (the official manufacturer of the item for sale), and they tell me that since I live in the EU, the product will “naturally” be shipped from Europe because their marketplace is indeed located in Europe.
Here’s my doubt: is this possible? If for some reason I end up getting hit with duties and VAT, could I take action against the seller?
Thanks everyone, and please excuse my possible lack of experience 🙂
skysurfer737
OP2 years agoUpdate on the situation! In the end, after being reassured by the seller (whom I considered trustworthy, since they are the manufacturer of the item itself), I decided to accept the potential risk and today I finally received the tracking that confirms the shipment left their European warehouse, confirming their good faith.
Advice for anyone in my situation (in addition to following the guidance of all the very kind people who replied to this post): Always ask the seller and even so, always consider the risk and weigh the worst-case scenario... if it goes well, all the better!
I take this opportunity to thank everyone once again for the help!
heavenwelkin
·2 years agoBefore buying, ask the seller whether the item is shipped from a European warehouse.
If the item ships directly from the US, you will have to pay the related import taxes.
given the amount involved, I advise you to ask before buying.
In any case, if there are import taxes, you should expect about 26~30% on the total purchase price.
Kind regards.
skysurfer737
OP2 years agoThanks everyone for your valuable advice!
I noticed another small positive note among the positive feedback on some Italian buyers' seller page... but I still don't have certainty about the shipping location.
deejaynick
·2 years agoFrom what I can see, as technopartbay says, I expect VAT and duty plus customs fees (i.e. the carrier's customs clearance charges).
If the item is in the USA, obviously... if it's in the EU, everything changes... but who can confirm that for us?
skysurfer737
OP2 years agoConcordo, è esattamente ciò che penserei anch'io... l'unica "conferma" anche se ufficiosa è del venditore stesso che cito testualmente nella risposta alla mia domanda:
"Since you are in EU, of course we will ship from our European warehouse. No worry about the external taxes, the VAT will be included in the invoice, so nothing extra would be paid."
marioelegio
·2 years agoIf the package is shipped from an EU location, everything is fine.
If the package is shipped from the US, you’ll have to pay customs duties and VAT, and you won’t even be able to complain since that origin is indicated in the listing.
hi
mario
technopartsbay
·2 years agoHaving no control reference, we can only say that the shipping location is what counts (that is, where the item is located), not the payment currency.
Based on that, eBay applies VAT or not (up to 150 euros, beyond that it is always and anyway the buyer's problem, including customs duty).
skysurfer737
OP2 years agoBasically, the seller’s response is pretty much worthless? I mean, it would probably be more an act of faith than anything else… especially considering the amount isn’t small.
The listing says the item is located in Southfield, Michigan US