How can a seller charge shipping costs when no shipping is involved.

[*bmw_rider*]

I wanted to purchase a digital copy of a computer game from a supposedly American company selling on Ebay. The seller charges for the game in US currency plus charges almost double that cost in shipping.

Why is shipping being charged when I download the game on the Internet? There is no shipping and when I ask the seller about this he tells me it's Ebay who makes the shipping charge and he will reimburse me the shipping fees after I've made the payment.

Surely if he can reimburse me then it must be he who receives the money and not Ebay. Plus I wasn't aware that Ebay was involved in shipping matters.

Is this simply a scam to get more money, or Ebay actually making this charge?

Rathe than make another post I'll also ask this.  I recently made a small purchase on Ebay from a Chinese seller. The seller charged me GST and included it in the item price. I was given no invoice showing this GST charge nor his ABN. This means there is no official record of this GST payment.  How does the Australian Government get it's hands on this payment?  Surely if I'm purchasing something for use in business then I should be able yo show record of this taxation payment in returns to the ATO.

I have no problems with paying GST, but I refuse to pay it when it's not shown until I've commited to buying the item, or given proof of making such a payment. I'm thinking perhaps this Chinese seller is using this to put more money in his pocket. The fact he's selling the item for one cent and then adding a shipping fee to boost the total payment and sending the item via China's free post system makes it appear to be yet another way for sellers to make more on their sales. Can a seller make this charge without showing it in the listing?  Should Ebay be informed of these extra payments?

[kopenhagen5]

The Australian eBay site rules has always been that if you sell digitally delivered goods you must send a hard copy.

I don't know if this still applies.

It's also possible the seller has automatically been opted into the GSP and his listings will show a postage cost for International delivery.

[imastawka]

I believe it has to be a hard copy they send.

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/digitally-delivered-goods-policy?i...

Not allowed

Examples of items that sellers are not permitted to list on eBay:

• An MP3 file
• An eBook
• Wallpaper for a computer
• Recipes in electronic format
• Songs you bought from iTunes
• Movies you copied from DVDs you own
• Video games you copied from the original CDs
• PDF files of product manuals or user guides that you don't own the copyright of or you aren't authorised to resell by the owner, the owner's authorised agent, or the law

Digital goods are also not covered by Ebay's Money Back Guarantee

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-pol...

Not covered

• Buyer's remorse
• Any reason besides not receiving the item or receiving an item not as described in the listing (see the seller's return policy for return options)
• Items damaged during local pick-up
• Items not delivered when the buyer arranges pick-up or delivery of the item (for instance, the buyer arranges freight)
• Duplicate claims through other resolution methods
• Click & Collect items that weren't collected by the buyer
• Local pickup items that weren't collected by the buyer
• Items sent to another address after original delivery
• Vehicles, Real Estate, Websites & Business for Sale, Classified Ads and services, Tickets
• Digital Goods and Intangibles, with the exception of digital gift cards

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@*bmw_rider* wrote:

Rathe than make another post I'll also ask this.  I recently made a small purchase on Ebay from a Chinese seller. The seller charged me GST and included it in the item price. I was given no invoice showing this GST charge nor his ABN. This means there is no official record of this GST payment.  How does the Australian Government get it's hands on this payment?  Surely if I'm purchasing something for use in business then I should be able yo show record of this taxation payment in returns to the ATO.

I have no problems with paying GST, but I refuse to pay it when it's not shown until I've commited to buying the item, or given proof of making such a payment. I'm thinking perhaps this Chinese seller is using this to put more money in his pocket. The fact he's selling the item for one cent and then adding a shipping fee to boost the total payment and sending the item via China's free post system makes it appear to be yet another way for sellers to make more on their sales. Can a seller make this charge without showing it in the listing?  Should Ebay be informed of these extra payments?

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others have addressed the digital goods part of your post, so I will address the GST on your Chinese purchase.

GST was introduced on low-cost imports from 1st July 2018.  The collection method chosen was for the Electronic Delivery Platform (EDP) to collect the GST at time of sale.  eBay, as the EDP for your Chinese purchase, are the ones who collected the GST.  Your Chinese seller does not need an ABN.  eBay will forward the collected GST to the ATO, so nothing suss going on there.

As for the GST not showing until checkout, this too is allowed. Rather than re-posting the information you would be better served reading the info and links in thIs thread:

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/GST-when-buying-overseas-a-few-FACTS/m-p/2171248#M92475

[*bmw_rider*]

That simply covers ptrated games etc.  The game I'm wanting to buy is somehow purchased by the seller and he's selling them on. All perfectly legitimate as he's buying from the manufacturer and simply adding his profit margin.  Although in this case his selling price is way below what others ar selling it for and this has been supported by what he's charging in shipping.  Adding the two together, the initial cost plus the shipping works out more than buying it with no shipping from someone else.

Obviously I don't intend to pay more doe anything, but I see the seller's actions as illegal as far as Ebay's concerned. I recall a number of years ago there was a question as to sellers selling low to get sales, but boosting their shipping costs to compensate.  I assume Ebay finally banned that opportunity because up until now I haven't seen it happening. It seems if there's a dhifty way to get more money. they'll use it.  Such as Australians listing in US dollars and now sellers demanding GST when they have no right to. I was only wanting to bring Ebay's attention to these possible mini scams.  But as usual trying to find somewhere to contact them is nigh on impossible. Obviously they make it as hard as possible to put people off.

It's exactly the same as complaining about Chinese sellers claiming to have a warehouse in Australia and the USA and the UK when in fact they sell out of China. It's killing the Aussie's chance of selling Chinese goods by being severly undercut. I'g like to know how any seller can get 60 or 90 Negatives a month and still be classed as a top seller. Then again Gumtree is much more prone to having scammers and this makes Ebay much safer, BUT at the cost of having these people using every trick in the book to squeeze as much out of the buyers as possible without Ebay jumping on them. I've been promised on 3 occasions that they would remove any sellers misrepresenting their location, it's yet to happen,in fact it's become normal procedure.  As long as the money keeps coming in I don't believe Ebay cares who does what, except for blatant criminal matters of course.  OK soap box removed.

[*bmw_rider*]

You're joking of course.  I pay a Chinese seller a tax amount and the ATO expects that seller to forward the money on to them. That would have to be the dumbest idea anyone's dreamed up.  Since when did the Chinese government allow the Australian taxation office the right to demand payment from Chinese businesses. There are no invoices involved so that means an Australian business couldn't possibly claim any amounts payed for items valued at less than $1,000.  So I purchase an item valued at $999 and pay $99.90 GST and expect someone who can't be touched by our Taxation Office to hand it over. That's $99.90 I won't be able to claim on.  Where is there a record of this being kept which is freely available to our Tax people? And indeed myself to use as proof of payment. The only place it's listed is on the Paypal payment page and that isn't a formal document.

I was wondering how they intended to charge this GST, this is one way which should be the most illogical choice.

[*bmw_rider*]

Please excuse my silly spelling mistakes. I'm lying flat on my back due to spinal damage and it's rather awkward seeing the key board. Sorry

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@*bmw_rider* wrote:

You're joking of course.  I pay a Chinese seller a tax amount and the ATO expects that seller to forward the money on to them. That would have to be the dumbest idea anyone's dreamed up.  Since when did the Chinese government allow the Australian taxation office the right to demand payment from Chinese businesses. There are no invoices involved so that means an Australian business couldn't possibly claim any amounts payed for items valued at less than $1,000.  So I purchase an item valued at $999 and pay $99.90 GST and expect someone who can't be touched by our Taxation Office to hand it over. That's $99.90 I won't be able to claim on.  Where is there a record of this being kept which is freely available to our Tax people? And indeed myself to use as proof of payment. The only place it's listed is on the Paypal payment page and that isn't a formal document.

I was wondering how they intended to charge this GST, this is one way which should be the most illogical choice.

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did you read my post??????  The seller is not charging or collecting the GST.  eBay is adding the GST and collecting the GST.

Read the thread I provided a link to.  The information is there to better understand the GST.

Spoiler

I only used large text because I think bmw didn’t see that part of my previous post.

[imastawka]

That simply covers ptrated games etc.  The game I'm wanting to buy is somehow purchased by the seller and he's selling them on. All perfectly legitimate as he's buying from the manufacturer and simply adding his profit margin. 

And of course you believe him, cos it's true, right?  Sellers don't lie.

Just remember, you will not be covered by the EMBG and the seller knows this, and so has no inclination to refund your 'postage cost'

K1000 has covered the GST component of your query.

[*bmw_rider*]

OK, OK, no need to scream it at me. You're wrong of course, the seller has told me he gets the extra 10%, completely legally according to him.  That is what I originally complained about.  If it was Ebay collecting the GST then I have no problem with it apart from the fact I have no invoice to present to my accountant next year.  Or does Ebay itemize each payment and furnish me with a legitimate invoice every year?   Why hasn't Ebay informed it's members of this and explained how it's expected to work?

I also have to wonder about the other items i've ordered after this one I was charged GST on. They were via Ebay and there was no GST involved, bith from China and within Australia.

Honestly this does sound like a typical Aussie lash up from our Government.  I wonder how long it's going to take until they realise what a mess they've made of it and how much it's costing them to recoup it. I guess it's Hardly Normal we can thank for this. He's been pressuring the government for years to start charging this.  All because his department stores weren't dragging in what he expected at Christmas time. Obviously the millions he's making isn't enough compared to what the Chinese On-Line stores are making.