eBay question

[Beefsmith]

I’ve found a piece of equipment on eBay advertised ‘buy it now’ for £2350. The description says no vat. It’s from a reputable company selling some paddock equipment. They however are vehicle traders themselves. They check out on companies house etc.
I’ve enquired as a business and asked about the vat to which they’ve said they can supply a vat invoice so it’s £2350 + vat.
So to me the item description should read plus vat or vat to be added to the final sale. This is not an auction though.
Being sceptical I got a friend to enquire about it as an individual private buyer and he’s been told it’s £2350 total price to him via PayPal etc.
So what’s going on because you can’t just turn vat on and off to suit the buyers circumstances.

 

[icanshootwell]

I’ve found a piece of equipment on eBay advertised ‘buy it now’ for £2350. The description says no vat. It’s from a reputable company selling some paddock equipment. They however are vehicle traders themselves. They check out on companies house etc.
I’ve enquired as a business and asked about the vat to which they’ve said they can supply a vat invoice so it’s £2350 + vat.
So to me the item description should read plus vat or vat to be added to the final sale. This is not an auction though.
Being sceptical I got a friend to enquire about it as an individual private buyer and he’s been told it’s £2350 total price to him via PayPal etc.
So what’s going on because you can’t just turn vat on and off to suit the buyers circumstances.

I would assume the vat is included in the advertised price. I just bought a stable door through ebay and that had the vat included in the for sale price.

 

[Dave W]

Did they actually say it was £2350+ vat or just that they could supply an invoice?

A lot of firms advertising smallholder/horse type stuff don't mention vat and just include it in the price. People are happy to pay the vat if they don't know they're paying it. As soon as you want to put a few hundred quid of "dead money" on top they don't want to know.

 

[raiderz]

eBay rules state that as mainly a domestic marketplace sellers have to include vat in the final price and state on the description that there is vat included and also have their vat number in the details at the bottom.

Most sellers don't tho unfortunately.

 

[Dave W]

eBay rules state that as mainly a domestic marketplace sellers have to include vat in the final price and state on the description that there is vat included and also have their vat number in the details at the bottom.

Most sellers don't tho unfortunately.

eBay can only ask you to. They can't make you put vat in the price.
Reason being they are going to charge you commission on money that belongs to hmrc.

 

[Tim G]

eBay rules state that as mainly a domestic marketplace sellers have to include vat in the final price and state on the description that there is vat included and also have their vat number in the details at the bottom.

Most sellers don't tho unfortunately.

That's how I understand it too, but the selling company can't decide who they charge vat to or not, if they are vat registered then the sale should be vat-able.

 

[Beefsmith]

The advertised price on eBay with ‘buy it now’ is £2350. So if you are joe bloggs you’d pay that much.

However for a business they are saying it’s £2350 + vat.

So if as people suggest items should be advertised inc vat then the £2350 should include it? Which it does if your joe bloggs but does if you are a business.

 

[Goweresque]

Buy one as Joe Public, once you've got it demand a VAT invoice. If they refuse threaten to dob them in to HMRC...........even if you never get one you'd have paid the same for the item if they'd charged you 2350+vat and you'd got it back.....

My feeling is this is not a VAT scam, its a customer psychology scam.

Lets say the real selling price is around £2000+vat, hence the £2350 price listing. Joe public sees the ad, likes the price, pays up, Vatman gets just under £400, vendor gets just under £2k, everyone happy.

However when you ring up as a Vat customer, the price goes up to £2350+vat, because the vendor knows you're interested at £2350 (as that was the advertised price) and also knows you'll get the Vat back as a business buyer so says the price is £2350+vat, in the knowledge that more often than not the VAT buyer will buy at that price. And the vendor makes an extra £350.

Its variable pricing, not variable VAT calculation. There's no law that says every customer must pay the same base price, just that whatever the sale price of any individual transaction is, the Vatman must get the correct % cut.

Its quite clever use of psychology actually.

 

[Dave W]

Buy one as Joe Public, once you've got it demand a VAT invoice. If they refuse threaten to dob them in to HMRC...........even if you never get one you'd have paid the same for the item if they'd charged you 2350+vat and you'd got it back.....

My feeling is this is not a VAT scam, its a customer psychology scam.

Lets say the real selling price is around £2000+vat, hence the £2350 price listing. Joe public sees the ad, likes the price, pays up, Vatman gets just under £400, vendor gets just under £2k, everyone happy.

However when you ring up as a Vat customer, the price goes up to £2350+vat, because the vendor knows you're interested at £2350 (as that was the advertised price) and also knows you'll get the Vat back as a business buyer so says the price is £2350+vat, in the knowledge that more often than not the VAT buyer will buy at that price. And the vendor makes an extra £350.

Its variable pricing, not variable VAT calculation. There's no law that says every customer must pay the same base price, just that whatever the sale price of any individual transaction is, the Vatman must get the correct % cut.

Its quite clever use of psychology actually.

I think that's what I alluded to earlier. But you used better words lol

 

[Jontym]

What really pee’s me off is company’s claiming that they provide a vat invoice with purchases, but don’t until you threaten them with reporting them to HMRC.
I would say probably more than fifty percent of these sellers try this on,
HALFORDS are the latest that I can’t get a invoice from!

 

[sawdust]

What really pee’s me off is company’s claiming that they provide a vat invoice with purchases, but don’t until you threaten them with reporting them to HMRC.
I would say probably more than fifty percent of these sellers try this on,
HALFORDS are the latest that I can’t get a invoice from!

Last time I was in Halfords, lady says I’ll email you a receipt, I said no thank you, I’ll just get one off you now.

 

[How much]

Last time I was in Halfords, lady says I’ll email you a receipt, I said no thank you, I’ll just get one off you now.

They just want your email address to bombard you with marketing crap , however it is handy when something break in 11 months time you can still find the invoice and claim it under guarantee so there is plus side

 

[sawdust]

They just want your email address to bombard you with marketing crap , however it is handy when something break in 11 months time you can still find the invoice and claim it under guarantee so there is plus side

Majority of their tools are lifetime warranty, last time I just walked in with snapped torx and Allen sockets and a fecked 3/8 ratchet and all were replaced without a quibble or proof of purchase.

 

[moo]

If you have there address & VAT number of the seller you can make up your own invoice