The Australian government imposed GST charges on online sales to protect "Brick and mortar" businesses, I get that, but why an I expected to pay an extra $30 on a set of obsolete used motorcycle carbs that I'm buying from a private seller in the US? What a scam! Cancel my bid thanks!
Actually the other proponent that lobbied hard fro GST on low value imports was Bernie Brooks, the then CEO of Myers. But I do think he had a different motive - trying anything and everything to stop the sinking of Myers into retail history. Oh, and also his job!
I would work out the aerodynamics of a parachute made out of solid gold, but I need wind tunnel data; I need the configuration and drag coefficients; I need porosity; I need -
PLONK
Ah. Not very aerodynamic... if we're talking literally. If it's Brooks' contract, he's sure to have seen to his unworthy enrichment in a typically executive sort of way.
The Australian government imposed GST charges on online sales to protect "Brick and mortar" businesses, I get that, but why an I expected to pay an extra $30 on a set of obsolete used motorcycle carbs that I'm buying from a private seller in the US? What a scam! Cancel my bid thanks!
Hi netscrounger , great point there!. If a person is selling some of their unwanted items (And many eBay sellers do exactly just that!), there should be nothing between the seller and the buyer except for the cost of transport, postage etc.. In the good old days (not so long ago), we could get items from the US from ordinary sellers and feel happy about the transactions.
* Then things started to change. This vile scam called Global Shipping came on the scene and like some kind of parasitic worm, inserted itself in bewteen the seller and the buyer. Then the cost of sending the item from overseas to here was doubled, tripled and even quadrupled. And .. .. forget about having items combined as you would ebd up paying more and more and more. Now, people say .. .. .. "Oh, you can ask the seller to relist". Well, that's a yes and a no and quite often it turns into a BIG NO.
* Now we have GST and import duty inserted into the equation where it should never be. We have ordinary people just selling unwanted items and we have buyers (also ordinary people) buying these unwated items and on top of all the other **bleep**, they have to pay 10% GST. Well GST on thjis is wrong .. .. It's obscene and it's a damned curse!
You have avenues for purchasing that may not involve eBay.
You won't be any worse off buying through eBay if you're buying from a large seller who definitely has a > 75,000 AUD turnover annually, who lists on eBay, and is happy to send via a shipping method that doesn't involve the GSP.
If the above criteria don't apply, then your options include direct purchasing and negotiating with the seller for a postage method that is safe and fair. A little googling often helps you to find sites that may meet your needs.
GST is not charged on 2nd hand items in Australia, never was, check the legislation before giving false opinions. Ed
Hi 2bower-birds , well I have never had an extra GST charge placed on any Australian transaction I have made either. So I am in agreement.
BTW: I didn't have GST transactions on buying an item from an overseas seller (Ordinary folk selling unwanted items) until this year. So the money builds up and for regular buyers of record albums, dvds, hi-fi gear, clothes, stamps will be paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars on top of their purchases.
