*Note to self: Not knowing what day of the week it is looks really really bad*

All item pages have this text prominently shown:

New 15% VAT Rate Applied
All listed prices on applicable products sold by Amazon.co.uk now include the new, reduced VAT rate of 15%. This has been applied automatically to the price of your item so you don’t need to do a thing.

With a link to more info:

UK Vat Rate Change
Important Note: As of 00.01 hrs, Monday, 1st of December 2008, the standard UK VAT rate will change from 17.5% to 15%. The VAT rate charged on Amazon.co.uk orders will be updated at this time. All references within our Help pages to the VAT rate will be updated during business hours on Monday 1st December, 2008.

but… you have been given a weeks notice and the change has to be made on the 1st December 2008, we can all comply because we can all end listings, i don’t think they will swallow and argument that it could not be done.
or i’m chicken one of the two….cluck

Best to be squeaky clean and everything in order than have a time bomb ticking waiting to see if they find it.

Quite apart from which an unexpected bonus from eBay makes it VERY costly for them, as I’d advise everyone to end every 30 day listing they have running, relaunch on the 1st with free subtitle, relist again on the 31st Dec again with free subtitle and then on the relist at the end of January remove subtitle unless you want to pay for it.

Effectively they’ve inadvertently given every seller on the site (with a featured/anchor shop and worth upgrading if you don’t have one), 60 days of listings with subtitle for the cost of as little as a penny (or 5p with a featured shop).

There’s no excuse not to cancel and relaunch with the correct VAT rate and every reason to do so and take a 60 day advantage with free subtitle at the same time.

#16 I would imagine that most “larger sellers” don’t use SMP for there invoicing/accounts record.

It will be interesting to see what number of listings have the correct VAT amount, in the eBay designated VAT field, this time next week.

years ago we got hit with £5000 bill from the VAT man,
when we said we did not have that kind of money, and you cant get blood out of a stone,
the VAT man replied

we can!

the only people who do not understand the power of these guys are ones that have not dealt with them, being on the wrong side of HMRC is only slightly better than being murdered or raped.

as my dear old accoutant used to tell me:
customs officers used run along the cliff tops with cutlasses chopping up smugglers.
nothings changed except they dont carry cutlasses due to H&S anymore.

I too think all this is a little overstated though

I bet Dollars to Doughnuts yer not Vat Registered,
because your opinion would be different if you were,
the VAT man is your worst nightmare, if they start to dig into your books and trading activity

I am certain not one single ebay seller is going to get punished by the them for only changing the rate as the listings run their course.

My being VAT registered or not has nothing to do with my opinion.

It is of course your time and your money and you are free to do as you wish, my opinion is that both could be spent in better ways.

Personally I’d rather edit a couple of hundred listings than a couple of thousand invoices. I just HAD to be changed, making it easier to change in the future would be good though

we learned long ago .not to harrass, upset, or disturb,
them unless we really need too

I don’t give a stuff about principles, what I do care about is that my next VAT inspection is as painless as possible and fine free.

madness if you ask me.

it has to cost more to do all this admin than any fine or refund is ever going to cost

Why edit when you can cancel and relist? Except a word of caution, if you have a listing with a long tail of recent sales say 35 days, you cancel and relist you’re down to 5 days recent sales…. worth considering editing those if you’ve got no sales on the current listing but did on the previous.