Why is Ebay charging GST on used items?

[netscrounger]

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!

[padi*0409]

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@4channel wrote:

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Yes peterkm123, good point. Maybe someone with guts will listen oneday. We live in hope. 100% agree on " anytime"

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Sheesh 4channel, get over it - the GST is a done deal and no government is going to scrap it (unless they slug the taxpayers some other way), the only thing that may change with the GST is that the 10% rate will rise (sooner or later).

Be thankful that the government didn't decide to apply GST to EVERY import under $1,000 - that scenario would have meant paying for not only the 10% GST but any charges imposed by customs for their handling charges.

And if you think that Pitney Bowes handling charges are high, think again, Australian customs charges would have been much higher than PB's, and resulted in major delays for imported goods (though it would have created job opportunities for extra staff to handle the load)

[digital*ghost]

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@peterkm123 wrote:

OK thanks for that, so the GST is on the postage as well as the item. It was my first overseas purchase since this inequitable tax came in on low cost items.

The time to complain about it can be anytime BTW, any time at all. Pressure can be applied by us all emailing the Govt 

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eBay asked members to complain / protest before the GST was implemented. They had an obvious vested interest in blocking or preventing the legislation because the way it's been implemented encourages buyers to purchase goods from somewhere that GST won't be applied, i.e. somewhere that's not eBay. They also threatened geo-blocking like Amazon, to try and get us Aussies on board with preventing this from coming to pass.

Not enough people cared then, and not enough people care now. 

[4channel]

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@padi*0409 wrote:

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@4channel wrote:

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Yes peterkm123, good point. Maybe someone with guts will listen oneday. We live in hope. 100% agree on " anytime"

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Sheesh 4channel, get over it - the GST is a done deal and no government is going to scrap it (unless they slug the taxpayers some other way), the only thing that may change with the GST is that the 10% rate will rise (sooner or later).

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Hey Padi, just commenting on peterkm123's post. That's all.

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@padi*0409 wrote:

Be thankful that the government didn't decide to apply GST to EVERY import under $1,000 - that scenario would have meant paying for not only the 10% GST but any charges imposed by customs for their handling charges.

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Sadly Padi, buying through Ebay which I have have done since 2003 / 2003 or whenever it was, things changed. Now I pay 10% on any item I buy from overseas and much of it from orinary Joes and Joannes selling their unwanted stuff.

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@padi*0409 wrote:

And if you think that Pitney Bowes handling charges are high, think again, Australian customs charges would have been much higher than PB's, and resulted in major delays for imported goods (though it would have created job opportunities for extra staff to handle the load)

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The thought of Australian customs charges in addition to the Pitney Bowes fleecing the people scam is a nauseating thought. Actually there are a lot of hiccups now with Pitney Bowes as I have experienced myself. And I remember your mentioning in a past post of yours, Pitney Bowes confliscating / refusing to send on an electric guitar and it ending up being sold by Pitney  at a later date. I feel sorry for the poor person that was inconvinenced by this. What a joke.

Yes job creation good by customs becoming more and more automated.

[*tippy*toes*]

So glad you mentioned about buying from ordinary Joe's. We never would have known otherwise.

[padi*0409]

I saw that crow......................

Spoiler

 Hahahahahaha

[peterkm123]

Contacting eBay by phone say, takes you to the United States I believe. Aussies might be intimidated by that. I tried it once and a pleasant female American voice was on the other end of the line. We resovled my issue but I was talking to someone on the otherside of the World

I'm not altogether pleased about the GST on postage. For me to post a parcel, it's a fifty km drive to the nearest Post Office. If I sell on eBay, a 100k round trip costs money and I can't post in the 2-3 day timeframe buyers would like. How do you explain to a buyer that it may be 10-14 days before I can post their item ? A trip every other day is not an option. Short trips need planning with other things being done to make the trip worthwhile

I could ask the postie (contractor), who only delivers my mail, to pick up the parcel but it's at their descretion if they want to do that and it's not covered by any type of insurance, nor is the cash left for the postage. Everyone outside of rural towns is in the same boat. Aust Post doesn't cater for "bushies" in any official way regarding eBay sales

I have started lobbying for an official Aust Post pick-up service for eBayer sellers in remote rural locations, I would like eBay to help out, they could lobby Aust Post as well.

[davewil1964]

The Philippines, actually.

[peterkm123]

They got sweet American accents for Philippinos

Anyway, our current low dollar means 30% more for imports. 40% extra all up makes it objectionable and offensive to keep buying

[davewil1964]

The Philippines was/is an American protectorate. It is to be expected they would learn to speak American.

As far as the increase in costs, parity with the $US was a shortlived aberration; the $A is currently around historic levels. So, 10% extra. You always have the power if you think that isn't worthwhile.