Buying overseas items with (not required) overseas tax not removed by ebay

[alwayspossible]

Items listed on ebay's German website often ( if not always) include local tax which overseas buyers need not to pay.

That tax is in the order of 21%.

It is interesting to note that for Australian buyers an item's price is not reduced by the value of local tax.

It is clearly a dishonesty of ebay and loss to overseas buyers.

Any reply from ebay about this matter??

[davewil1964]

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@alwayspossible wrote:

Yes, Ebay does not set prices and does not set postage costs.

But it adds postage costs to to the final price automatically.

In the same way it can REMOVE not required taxes.

Many buyers have paid not required taxes as it increases their profits.

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You're comparing apples and oranges. eBay CANNOT. Only the seller can.

[cherry*135]

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@alwayspossible wrote:

Yes, Ebay does not set prices and does not set postage costs.

But it adds postage costs to to the final price automatically.

In the same way it can REMOVE not required taxes.

Many buyers have paid not required taxes as it increases their profits.

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Sellers that are legally required to add GST, VAT etc to their items just can't make buyers from other countries exempt because they feel like it. They have to apply to their own countries Govt/Tax Office for an exemption before sales are made.

It is not something most sellers bother doing, perhaps they don't have many sales to overseas buyers. As mentioned above the time/paperwork required doesn't make it worthwhile for them to get the exemption.

Postage costs are set by the seller (obviously they work out how much to charge from their country's postal service rates) the Govt/Tax office has nothing to do with postage rates. The seller puts the postage cost in the listings.

eBay take a % of the postage cost paid as a fee (up to 9.9%)

If you expect an exemption from GST/VAT etc, msg the overseas seller first and ask if they do it.