Amazon UK Prime Day Irregularity

Amaris on 11/07/2017 - 11:05

FYI

Tried to buy a Bosch drill which is on 'deal of the day' at Amazon UK. As you know it is Prime Day today. The deal price is 47.49. The prices shown on Amazon UK are usually VAT inclusive and when you choose your shipping destination Amazon usually takes the amount charged as VAT off. However, it seems that this is not happening for deals.

What seems to happen is….at checkout the price shown is starting from the VAT inclusive price for UK customers and VAT exclusive price for overseas customers. So the Prime day discount you are getting for a particular item is less for overseas customers. The end result is the VAT inclusive price for UK customers and the VAT exclusive price for overseas customers is the same.

When I brought this up with Customer Care they said this was intentional and showed me a policy which states that for lightning deals the price charged will be the same regardless of the customer's location. However, they did make an exception for my order!

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Comments

  • Diji1 on 11/07/2017 - 11:33

    So collecting tax where they shouldn't be … dodgy! (I am a huge Amazon fan still)

    • Amaris on 11/07/2017 - 11:34

      Me too. They are saying it is not collecting tax but offering a higher price for overseas customers shopping their 'deals'.

  • jimbobaus on 11/07/2017 - 11:34

    I have noticed since July 1 Amazon US has started collecting GST on some items
    Maybe this is related to that.

    • Amaris on 11/07/2017 - 11:35

      Maybe they've not been told that the GST threshold is still A$1000

      • jimbobaus on 11/07/2017 - 11:36

        Yeah maybe, i know they now show a TAX payable section when you order and list your address as Australia.
        They say they "pay the tax on your behalf" but collect it from your first

      • cloudy on 11/07/2017 - 13:32

        I have a feeling the biggest retailer in the world does not live under a stone, they know what the threshold is. They lobbied these issues regularly in their own favour.

  • drewbles on 12/07/2017 - 21:16

    I have the same issue with some items I bought. Turns out they have three completely contradictory policies but end game is they should not be collecting VAT on sales outside the UK.

    I haven’t been refunded (yet!) but have strongly replied to their weak reply so crossing fingers for a similar outcome.

  • drewbles on 13/07/2017 - 14:27

    To clarify: Lightning Deals are deals that change very hour or so, during the Prime Day period. My purchase was not a lightning deal as it was available for the entire Prime Day offering. I'm now in a battle with them pointing out they are contradicting their own rules :)

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