AliExpress Tax in the EU (&UK) in 2021

[Baryonyx]

Has anyone in Europe bought anything (I.e. latest PNSO models) on AliExpress since the start of the New Year? (Happy New Year!).

It seems the too-good-to-be-true set up has finally come to a close as the VAT free limit for packages below €22 has been abolished, meaning suddenly these wonderful cheap models and not quite so cheap! I can hardly complain, but I wish I'd ordered my Vitae Tiantaiosaurus already...

I suppose it was bound to happen! ED of course will be stocking the PNSOs anyway but Vitae et al might require more consideration from the economic perspective.

I wonder however how Aliexpress will respond; will things be offered even more cheaply to EU ( &UK  ) customers in order to maintain business?

Argh and Wilson just jumped up by 10 pounds Haha! Sorry if I'm sounding naive about this. I'm maintaining perspective but with all the alluring models coming out it's a little bit of a shock!

[RobinGoodfellow]

The whole situation is not so clear.
On EU website the switch-off date is January 1st 2021 (*)
But on my local Customs website (Italy) I'm reading that the new regulation will take place on July 1st 2021.

I have some Aliexpress items on transit right now.
I will post infos soon..



(*) I'm not talking about Brexit but new Customs tax from China for less than 22 euro valued items.

[RobinGoodfellow]

..see under " Amendments ":

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=LEGISSUM:l31013&from=IT

[Baryonyx]

Thank you @RobinGoodfellow,that is very helpful even though it is still confusing!

I tried last night experimentally to pay for an item and sure enough the tax was being applied there where it hadn't before.

Also this morning, most of the PNSOs I had in my cart suddenly say they 'do not ship to my country'. The rest have insane shipping fees out of nowhere. Maybe that is a temporary hitch though..
Very strange!

[ceratopsian]

I had tracked down the Jinyunpelta last night on AliExpress and was intending to pay for it this morning.  Shipping is now sky high.  So something else I can't have or at least don't feel inclined to pay that much.  (Feeling very sore as Brexit means I can't buy my beloved cactus hybrids anymore from Germany, or the EU in general - and no one in the UK sells or breeds similar plants.  A £10 plant with the required certificates will now incur something like an additional £125 fee.  So I've just lost a large part of a hobby I've had for 30 years.)

[Baryonyx]

Well for the moment the shipping seems back to normal @ceratopsian. That seems to have been a fluke (sometimes, for example, you see prices inexplicably doubled on Aliexpressfor a few hours). Very sorry to hear about your cactus plants! I can only imagine how inconvenient if not really difficult many different things might become for people in the coming months.

[ceratopsian]

Thanks @Baryonyx.  I'll look again.  (And thanks for the sympathy!)

Well for the moment the shipping seems back to normal @ceratopsian. That seems to have been a fluke (sometimes, for example, you see prices inexplicably doubled on Aliexpressfor a few hours). Very sorry to hear about your cactus plants! I can only imagine how inconvenient if not really difficult many different things might become for people in the coming months.

[SidB]

I had tracked down the Jinyunpelta last night on AliExpress and was intending to pay for it this morning.  Shipping is now sky high.  So something else I can't have or at least don't feel inclined to pay that much.  (Feeling very sore as Brexit means I can't buy my beloved cactus hybrids anymore from Germany, or the EU in general - and no one in the UK sells or breeds similar plants.  A £10 plant with the required certificates will now incur something like an additional £125 fee.  So I've just lost a large part of a hobby I've had for 30 years.)

I have to admit that I'm stunned at the absurdity of the increase, @ceratopsian. I'd noted that my shipment of five small dinos to London from Toronto now costs me $40 Canadian, a big increase, but that's nothing to what you are facing. My sympathies! Are they trying to compel you to buy local or at least encourage the growth of British sources for what previously was done more efficiently on the continent?

[ceratopsian]

Sorry for it being off topic: S @SidB - it's theoretically partly to prevent the importation of pests on plants. But we have imported plants for years from the EU without worrying about this. The other certificate is to protect wild plants from being collected. But the cacti are all seed raised in origin, not wild imports. I think there is also oversight. The rules are all geared to massive nurseries, eg supplying supermarket chains. The bureaucrats didn't think of hobbyist.

Returning to topic: I ordered the Jinyunpelta as the postage was back to normal. The tax was a small amount. I'll see what happens when it arrives and if I get charged more tax on top!

[Shonisaurus]

I'm glad for my part that I bought the Vitae jinyunpelta and tiantaiosaurus in both color versions. All beautiful figures that I just received in my case. I'm very sorry that nothing can be bought from China now. Maybe I had a premonition when it came to not wanting to buy more PNSO dinosaur figures for economic reasons and savings. I regret, however, that many DTF members who fortunately can afford this noble hobby and beautiful taste find these expectations frustrated. That is a complete injustice.

Although honestly that the online stores of Great Britain and Europe will fortunately solve that problem as for example everythingdinosaur is doing fortunately. Of course, the prices of the products will be much more expensive. Damn trade wars that prevent people from getting rich with their respective businesses!

[ceratopsian]

@Shonisaurus: I bought the Jinyunpelta yesterday from a shop on Aliexpress. So it is not impossible. Just more expensive.

[Shonisaurus]

@ceratopsian Yes it is true it is a little more expensive and fortunately it is not impossible to buy it, but what I mean is that due to the whim and ambitions of the four powerful of this world of East and West with their trade wars, sellers and buyers in this case of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, and that it will take its toll from the economic point of view and also that these packages will be withheld by the customs service and impose tariff rates on us, of course, when before one could buy products from China without fear some of tariffs, is what worries me the most among other things.

I'm glad you bought those figures, when they arrive at your home, I'm totally sure you'll love them.

[Duna]

I haven't read all the posts, but most problems come when you select the fastest shipment. NEVER EVER SELECT THAT. Just the ordinary stardard or what it may be called shipping method. Otherwise you are flagging your parcel with a big red X for Customs. In fact, most fast shippment (DHL, and so) are delivered by them directly to Customs door.
I ordered yesterday some and no extra taxes.

[ceratopsian]

I think it depends a lot on the country you live in.  The UK a few years ago rarely bothered to check incoming parcels and packages from the USA, China, Switzerland, wherever,  regardless of the type of shipping involved.  The customs officials over the last couple of years rarely let anything through without imposing the charges.  I've seen quite a change over time.

I haven't read all the posts, but most problems come when you select the fastest shipment. NEVER EVER SELECT THAT. Just the ordinary stardard or what it may be called shipping method. Otherwise you are flagging your parcel with a big red X for Customs. In fact, most fast shippment (DHL, and so) are delivered by them directly to Customs door.
I ordered yesterday some and no extra taxes.