Incorrect new GST amount applied to invoice on overseas purchase

[6508.froggy]

I have made two purchases with the new imposed GST on overseas purchases. The first was correct at 10% on purchase price and postage. 

I have just gone to make payment on another purchase and the amount imposed on the invoice as import duites is 14.7% (NOT THE LEGISLATED 10%).

Have sent a message to eBay and await there response which could be like a circus when it appears no one in customer service seems to know about GST.

Be causious when making payment. 

[papermoon.lady]

I think it might depend on your PayPal currency (AUD or original currency when you make a payment).

[marwi5023]

I never have any money in PayPal. They deduct it from my bank account.
Surely an Australian tax should be charged in Australian dollars on the amount of Australian dollars paid.
PayPal aren't remitting the GST amount to the British seller.

[marwi5023]

$10.44 transaction $1.06 GST. $26.44 transaction $2.66 GST.
Both have an extra cent that you can bet won't get to the Government.
One hundred million transactions, one million dollars pocketed. Tax free

[gutterpunkz05]

Good to see everything is running smoothly, just as anticipated.

[papermoon.lady]

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@marwi5023 wrote:
I never have any money in PayPal. They deduct it from my bank account.
Surely an Australian tax should be charged in Australian dollars on the amount of Australian dollars paid.
PayPal aren't remitting the GST amount to the British seller.

---

Same here. They deduct the money from my bank account.

I did choose to pay in the original currency (as default) because apparently PayPal's conversion rate is worse than the bank's conversion rate.

[6508.froggy]

Update - 2 hours on the phone today - Ebay firstly requesting where is my break up of the import duties - response unable to get through to GSP - Pittney. Eventually they were able to transfer me through the Pitney Bowes. 

Absolute no joy there!!! could not explain the break down of the Import Duties - all they could say was there was 10% GST of the cost and postage amounting to $6 something. Yes I explained I am aware of that but what is the balance made up off.  They could not answer that.  - Oh I will transfer you to Australia Pitney.  Thank you I replied please don't make me wait to long as it is just on 2 hours already. 

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT they disconnected me on the transfer !!!

Back to square one HOW SIMPLE is it to break down the import duties on an invoice. - obviously not easy going by not being able to get a response. Very obvious there is a lot of surplus in there for Pitney Bowes. 

I would have thought it would be a requirement to list the GST amount for those that are registered for GST and have an ABN number to complete their BAS. The amount they are charging is not the 10% so what would you claim.?????

I am afraid I am not going to give up but have had enough frustration today to get a simple answer. 

Will continue to pursue as I have a real Beef about this blantant RIP OFF !!!!

[countessalmirena]

The determination is fairly blazing from you; I am amazed that you had the patience for that two-hour phone marathon.

(Yes, I can believe the disconnection. "Too hard", one can almost hear them thinking. "Make it go away. Just one simple inadvertent touch of the disconnect button, and I can go and have my not-long-before-midnight vodka.")

Perhaps a letter - official, on your business letterhead - may elicit a more informative response. (It could hardly result in a less informative one.)

[6508.froggy]

Just another update. 

Have had two responses to an email which were obviously scripted responses which in my final response let them know what I thought as they were not answering my queries.  Advised them by Australian legislation they need to advise the GST amount contained in the import charges.

The response was:

(Seán here from ebays Global Shipping Department. I'm sorry that the information my colleagues has provided is not satisfactory. I have requested a VAT Receipt from our shipping Partners Pitney Bowes as this would be the most detailed document available to us in relation to your charges. This can take 4-6 business days to process. We will email you with that documentation once we receive it.

Again Gayle, I am sorry that the information provided to date has not answered your query and please rest assured we will forward the Vat Receipt which is the most detailed document available to us to you as soon as we have received it.)

Let us see what this says if I receive the VAT receipt. 

As we all know GSP is adding a little meat in the import duties for themselves. I have noticed on a low value item this inflates the ratio of fees to GST more so than a higher value item. This makes me think they have a set fee which is not so evident in higher value items.  

[6508.froggy]

UPDATE ! on Import charges GSP

Eventually received a copy of the invoice from Pitney Bowes for my transaction.

WOW!!  could not believe my eyes how dodgey is this!!!!  The invoice showed as follows::

Transportation service charges 1 £0.00       £26.60      £26.60
VAT @ 20 % £0.00

Total £26.60

NO MENTION OF GST!!! nor VAT NOR IMPORT DUTIES. 

I was originally invoiced::

20.35 GBP  Shipping.

6.35 GBP Import Duties

They got the total correct. 

To me this is very suss!!  and I suspect the Australian Governement will never see the GST portion when we are purchasing with Pitney Bowes involved.  We as buyers are paying Import duties when it cannot even be verified on Pitney Bowes invoices.   

I have responded with a very terse email message (once again) still demanding the breakdown of the import duties and advised Pitney Bowes that I will be taking this matter further unless they can provide an invoice with the correct charges and breakdown as paid by myself. 

[brerrabbit585]

Have you checked what shows in paypal for this item?  I think others have said that the paypal transaction shows two different components of the payment, one of which goes to a separate ebay account for GST.  If your original payment is like this then ebay have collected the GST and not Pitney Bowes, and all they're doing is charging a 'brokerage' fee to fill in a customs form and perhaps put the ebay ABN on it to show that the gst has already been paid on the item.