On-line Stores & Sellers

Started by Expresso, July 02, 2007, 09:09:12 AM

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Que

#1440
Quote from: "Harry" on November 13, 2021, 12:46:55 AM
Wow, so we can order from Amazon again? Without import duties?

Nope... the individual seller has to join the OISS scheme of the EU, to collect the VAT for the country of destination. Of course it would be smart of Amazon UK proper, to do so.

The Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) is the electronic portal businesses can use since 1 July 2021 to comply with their VAT e-commerce obligations on distance sales of imported goods.

From 1 July 2021, all commercial goods imported into the EU from a third country or third territory is subject to VAT irrespective of their value.

The IOSS allows suppliers and electronic interfaces selling imported goods to buyers in the EU to collect, declare and pay the VAT to the tax authorities, instead of making the buyer pay the VAT at the moment the goods are imported into the EU as it was previously the case (for products over 22 EUR).


https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/ioss_nl


Madiel

Quote from: Que on November 13, 2021, 12:58:39 AM
Of course it would be smart of Amazon UK proper, to do so.

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, given the way Amazon wailed and wailed about how it was too hard to deal with the Australian tax system on its overseas websites (a system that many other overseas retailers, including Presto, seemed to have no difficulty implementing).

They might do it if they consider the EU a sufficiently attractive market for Amazon UK. But how much EU traffic goes there instead of to Amazon France, Amazon Germany etc etc?
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Harry

Good gracious, I had my hopes up sky high when I read this, I need a stiff drink to stomach this blow. Will there be a chance Amazon will join the OISS scheme?
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."


Madiel

Oh that's crazy. I predict backlash. Against Amazon, not Visa.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Biffo

Quote from: Madiel on November 17, 2021, 01:21:42 AM
Oh that's crazy. I predict backlash. Against Amazon, not Visa.

Amazon will be losing a lot of business from me. I try to avoid them for my music purchases, it now looks like I will have to do the same for other items.

I accumulate Amazon purchases on my Visa credit card and pay off the total at the end of the month.

The new erato

There are so many reasons people should avoid Amazon. This is just a minor additional one.

Harry

Quote from: The new erato on November 17, 2021, 02:43:11 AM
There are so many reasons people should avoid Amazon. This is just a minor additional one.

Well not so minor for me as a matter of fact. I ordered quite a few DVD'S and Bu-Rays from England for several reasons. The first and most important one are the Subtitles, English as a preference, for since the film industries abolished a dialogue coach in films and series, the mumbling of lines is becoming a plague. Even my English friends told me they had to put the subtitles on, for they could not understand a word square wise. Secondly a few of those series and films are available on the German Amazon, either synchronized in German, (BAH) or with German subtitles, not to mention that they change all original titles into German ones. The Dutch Amazon has a saddening amount of films and series produced on the soil of England, often for very high prices, and no Blu-Rays as advertised in England. All in all it is a disaster for me.
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."

Que

Quote from: Papy Oli on November 17, 2021, 01:03:43 AM
For the UK holders using Visa credit cards on AMZ:
https://news.sky.com/story/amazon-to-reject-customer-payments-using-uk-issued-visa-credit-cards-12470641

Background info from earlier this year:
https://www.bambora.com/news/mastercard-and-visa-announce-changes-to-interchange-fees-between-the-uk-and-the-eea/


Greed ? Brexit ? Both ?  :blank:

Brexit first, and greed on the part of the credit card companies second:

Amazon said it has made the decision due to "the high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions".

These high fee costs are understood to be a result of Brexit, with the UK no longer under a cap from EU law for interchange fees (up from 0.3% last year to 1.5% this year).


https://www.thejournal.ie/amazon-rejects-uk-visa-payments-5603860-Nov2021/

Brian

I think American Express charges a higher fee than that. And PayPal.

Madiel

Quote from: Que on November 17, 2021, 01:08:34 PM
Brexit first, and greed on the part of the credit card companies second:

It's not greed if it reflects actual higher costs.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

JBS

Quote from: Brian on November 17, 2021, 01:55:34 PM
I think American Express charges a higher fee than that. And PayPal.

A number of years back (meaning things may have changed since, and assuming the same system was used in both the UK and USA) I had a job which involved processing credit card transactions through our bank.
Fees were based on the amount of business the merchant did with the credit card company. The lower the volume, the higher the fees. The greater the volume, the lower the fees. Meaning Amazon is probably charged at the lowest level, and if this is a real problem it will probably be worse for Presto and other UK vendors.

Amex btw charged significantly higher fees than anyone else, which is why some places don't accept their cards.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

ritter

Anyone have an idea of what's happening with ArkivMusic? Their home page has been showing a "Be back soon" message (something about upgrades), but it's been like that for a while AFAIK.

The best they could do in the upgrade IMHO would be to revert to their old webpage, which was among the best to locate specific works (obscure as they may be).

Spotted Horses

Quote from: ritter on December 22, 2021, 11:01:17 AM
Anyone have an idea of what's happening with ArkivMusic? Their home page has been showing a "Be back soon" message (something about upgrades), but it's been like that for a while AFAIK.

The best they could do in the upgrade IMHO would be to revert to their old webpage, which was among the best to locate specific works (obscure as they may be).

I saw that too. I remember they also had a message to the effect that shipping would be free, since they were having trouble fulfilling orders. Now they have shut their web site in the midst of mega-shopping season. I suspect they are done for.

Their old web site was fantastic, with drill-down search allowing you to select a composer then a specific work and see a tidy list of every CD containing that work. Recently their database system became corrupted. I would try to select a composer and see the same composer's name listed a dozen times, then if I managed to select the composer and a work the list would be all wrong. I loved their search system, although I have to admit I rarely ordered from them.

Maybe they will manage to survive. I recall Berkshire record outlet also took a long time to replace their web site and fulfillment system and managed to rise from the ashes.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Brian

I had to obtain $200 in refunds from ArkivMusic this fall after ordering goods from them in April and May which had been listed as in stock, but never arrived. One item actually remained in stock the whole time, they just never sent it. A majority they simply deleted from their database. The refund did come, so that was good, but I decided then to never attempt to order from them again.

Missing the Christmas season is, as Spotted Horses says, a really bad sign. The perplexing thing is that they are owned by Naxos, which is the logistical bedrock of the industry. If half of all the labels trust them with distribution, why can't they manage their own retail storefront?

Spotted Horses

Quote from: Brian on December 23, 2021, 11:24:43 AMMissing the Christmas season is, as Spotted Horses says, a really bad sign. The perplexing thing is that they are owned by Naxos, which is the logistical bedrock of the industry. If half of all the labels trust them with distribution, why can't they manage their own retail storefront?

Well, if they are a front for Naxos I it seems possible that they will do whatever is required to bring the site back. Clearly it was some sort of IT disaster, where the new software was faulty and corrupted their database beyond repair.

I remember years ago I was placing an order with a now defunct web site, cdnow.com. I clicked "complete order" and instead of getting the splash screen saying my order was entered I got a notice from my browser that the site was not found. Huh? Tried go back to the home screen, "server not found." Several days later the site reappeared and I managed check my account status, the order was not there. But a few days later the CD arrived and I was not charged for it. By some stroke of luck the site crashed after it had sent my order to the fulfillment center, but before it managed to charge my credit card.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Madiel

Quote from: Spotted Horses on December 23, 2021, 06:10:01 PM
I remember years ago I was placing an order with a now defunct web site, cdnow.com. I clicked "complete order" and instead of getting the splash screen saying my order was entered I got a notice from my browser that the site was not found. Huh? Tried go back to the home screen, "server not found." Several days later the site reappeared and I managed check my account status, the order was not there. But a few days later the CD arrived and I was not charged for it. By some stroke of luck the site crashed after it had sent my order to the fulfillment center, but before it managed to charge my credit card.

That's some serious split-second timing!
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Spotted Horses

arkivmusic.com still has the "be back soon" notice on their welcome page!
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Traverso

I had placed an order with Presto, but I was still asked to pay the import duties.
After contact with Post.NL this turned out to be a mistake, the complaints are known and it will be refunded in the coming months.
Presto who I approached about this immediately refunded the import costs.

JBS

There seem to be signs of life at Arkivmusic including a new format, some limited new release offerings, and an announcement that a full reopening will be coming soon

QuoteYou spoke, we listened. Our new site, currently under construction, will feature many improvements and enhancements. Our virtual reopening will occur in the very near future, and we want you to be right there with us when we launch!

Our customers and subscribers are the lifeblood of our operation. Your patronage and dedication means the world to all of us. We have always endeavored to bring you the best music, the best shopping experience, and expertise you can truly rely on. And so with all this in mind, we want to say, the best is yet to come!

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk