Tried to order something from Europe..

Don't forget that that nice, amiable Jean-Claude Juncker, who at the time was General Secretary and Head of the EU Supreme Soviet, said "If you leave, we will hurt you".

We are now seeing this in action. Expect more of the same.

I hope that the UK government realises that the only way to deal with threats from the General Secretaries, Kommissars, and Apparatchiks is with superior force, otherwise there's going to be some form of Prague Spring from the EUSSR - although not using military force, that would look just too crude.

The Natural Philosopher was thinking very hard :

Yep!

Simple solution - everyone follows us out of the EU.

It's what you voted for. Own it.

We voted for war with the EU? Funny, I don't recall that being on the ballot paper.

Neither do I recall that when British Empire countries gained independence, that Britain and the rest of the Empire immediately made trade difficult for the new nations.

Well I just ordered something from Portugal and there was no problem.

The exporters did say that their shippers had had some issues just around the date of the actual changeover (i.e. around beginning of January) but that these were sorted out now and things are running smoothly again.

There were loads of things that weren't on the ballot paper that were

Completely different thing.

This is the problem with the left brainers, they don't get the 'human' stuff in all this, they only go by the black and white rules and then are surprised when something *they* didn't expect but all the right brainers saw as clear as day happens.

You take your football home and then are surprised when you don't get invited to any of the parties or people wouldn't even piss on you if you were on fire.

ALL of this is *people stuff*, something you will never ever understand, after all, you think a tiny majority *actually* represents the 'will of the people'. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Being a left-brainer is far better than having a dysfunctional right brain, not least because those with a dysfunctional right brain don't have the capacity to diagnose their own problem or the root cause of it.

as I have explained elsewhere

An FTA only affects commercial wholesale importation

it has no effect on domestic retail importation

domestic retail importation is still subject to the rules that local (UK) VAT should be paid on the item, and where appropriate, import duty

because the HK company is "winging it" hoping that the package wont be intercepted and duty applied.

No, the rules are at our end

you mean - our domestic shippers apply the rules more thoroughly that other countries

probably because it gives them an opportunity to whack on a extortionate handling fee

When did he actually say this? Can you provide a cite?

Yet I just bought an item from Lithuania and because it was through eBay, my profile is VAT registered, I got the VAT exclusive price and came PDQ.

If I wanted to wait another few weeks I guess I could have ordered it from China.

Given the abuse you shower on others, I assume you must be a remainer with a B12 deficiency.

We do get the human stuff, we eat meat and meat products that prevent us from abusing others who we disagree with.

Please explain.

So it appears a lack of B12 also has effects on numerate brain functions. Perhaps you have forgotten, through your B12 deficiency, that the number of brexit votes cast were 8% more than remain votes. Hardly a minority.

Only someone with a B12 deficiency would think that anyone too lazy to vote would be a remainer.

No.

Well - from over here in the EU (Ireland to be precise).....

....at the moment - many of the suppliers I used to buy from in the UK have either stopped supplying to the EU, or are selling 'minus UK VAT' and leaving it up to the couriers to work out local VAT, plus import duties (20%), plus handling charges, before they deliver the items.

(One particular UK supplier that I have used quite frequently took until

Net result - buying from the UK is not currently a cost-effective option..

I bought some jewellery fittings last week from a supplier in Poland.

The local discussion groups on Facebook are full of people who used to buy from the UK and are now full of people seeking alternative suppliers in the EU.

Same thing the other way round - many Irish sellers have suspended sales to the UK.

Enjoy that sovereignty....

The issue that I am seeing is companies being unwilling to register with the UK's HMRC for VAT.

Thus, they have problems sending lower value goods to the UK. If they operate any sort of online portal, there is no choice, they must register. I suspect many carriers will refuse to accept unless the VAT has been sorted.

Over GBP 135, it appears that they can get the carrier to collect the VAT (and duty, if applicable). But at extra cost (likely to the recipient on or before delivery).

It appears some major portals, like Aliexpress and iHerb, are adding the VAT and it is no practical issue. But for smaller companies, it could be quite an overhead.

Hitting this change to rules - related to but not expressly brexit - alongside loss of low value consignment relief, has resulted in an unpleasant mess.

Its amazing how scared the EU are to break international law and treat Britain deliberately worse than any other independent country.

They have effectively declared war.

This will not end well for them

The Swiss have already done a deal on financials

Sure. I am just surprised at how petty, vindictive, scared and psychopathic the EU has shown itself to be. They are a serious danger to Europe.

As their COVID cockups are demonstrating

Odd that I have no problem ordering from OUTSIDE the EU.

As I said earlier I'm having no problems ordering from the EU.

My recollection is that Juncker was shown making the remark in a TV news report aired before the 2016 Referendum. I was struck at the time by the demonstration of the EUSSR's line of thought, and have since been mildly surprised that there appears little mention of it on the interweb.