You and me are aiding Chinese exporters via postage costs subsidy

[Bazza]

A lot of DIYers buy bits and pieces on line (eg Ebay) and we may be amazed at how something that comes all the way from China can be a whole lot cheaper than exactly the same item sent within the UK.

This is because Royal Mail is not allowed to charge China Post for the full delivery costs under a United Nations agreement. This is because China is classified as a "Developing Nation". And the Western countries have been suckered into subsiding the delivery costs of exports from co-called developing countries to help them develop.

This madness prevails such that the cost of delivery by airmail from China is less than 20% of our cost of sending a small parcel within the UK.

A typical example is two identical items on Ebay:- Ebay Item 264316819323 from China = delivered to the door in UK = Price £1.65 Ebay Item 283549880717 from UK = delivered to the door in UK = Price £3.84 On this item Royal Mail charges the UK seller £3.0 as opposed to the 81p it charges China Post. Two million items a week are thought to arrive each week from China. They are transported by air freight to the UK. The effect on UK retailers and on-line sellers is self-evident. They simply cannot compete. That is why our High Streets are suffering and UK manufacturing is in steady decline. Jobs are being lost and our economy is suffering. I feel it is up to ourselves to put pressure on to change this and the best way to start is to write on-line to our respective MPs.

[alan_m]

The large number of negative reviews about this seller suggest it doesn't come form the UK - probably a Chinese seller pretending to be in the UK and/or someone in the UK who takes an Ebay order then himself orders from China and then sends it by Royal Mail when he receives it.

Some Chinese sellers have realised that some customers want a fast delivery from a UK seller rather than a 10 day delivery from China. They have a dishonest Ebay listing suggesting that the goods will be dispatched from the UK with a 2 working day delivery. They charge a premium for this. What really happens is that the goods are dispatched from China with an unknown delivery time. The giveaway in the listing is often the sellers registered address is China and/or a disclaimer about delivery times due to the adverse weather conditions in the UK and/or a statement that the buyer shouldn't complain about non-delivery in the first 21 days.

[alan_m]

Actually "Based in Singapore, moonanu0 has been an eBay member since 23 Jan, 2019"

[Roger Hayter]

Why would you want to change it? The international system of postal services taking responsibility for delivering foreign packets is a great idea. It is really only relevant for packets below the value where VAT, duty and carriers' handling charges make delivery uniformly expensive, and is a great scheme for reducing costs for consumers without having to subsidise parasitic agents, middle-men and dealers.

[Theo]

Because it makes the cost of sending mail within the UK more expensive, due to having to subsidise packets that comes from China:

It's great for consumers to get all this tat from China for pennies, but it isn't a level playing field for someone who wants to set up here making competing products (and so a number of products are now China-ship-only because UK suppliers, even importers of the same product, can't compete). Plus this enforced subsidy also undermines the sustainability of our postal system.

Theo

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

and the post office won't let you send a faulty mobile phone back to the chinky bastards ....

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

and the other advantage it puts all the professional electronics punters out of a job in the UK and gives them more time to lord it up on news groups ....

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

and even when they have a box dispatcher working for them in the UK they can't take returns and let you keep the item and refund you for the item.... which you then fix..happened to me a few times....

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

never mind that if you see a chinky selling something for half the price the other chinkies are selling it for avoid them.....I bought half a dozen such items and got a refund for all of them...the scam is they hope you won't bother and they get to keep your money .....

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

who cares the country is fecked anyway big time......fill your boots I say

[Adrian Caspersz]

This OP has a vested interest in trying to stop the distribution of something.

[Andy Burns]

Animal traps?

[newshound]

China is now what Birmingham was in the 19th Century. Get over it.

[Brian Gaff]

Oh really, I thought much of the issue is that we have given up charging duty unless its worthwhile so small items get through. Also you may say its due to this and that, but a friend ordered an item from Italy and it was actually cheaper even with postal costs than it could be bought for in the country anywhere.

I smell some profit making is in the mix at our end. Not that profit is a dirty word its just that some companies get greedy. Brian

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

I don't get it you buy one small Item post free it gets through without charge ...you buy two items post free you get hammered and £8 for the post office for collecting it.....

[whisky-dave]

OK I need about 30 ribbon cables to put in the new kits for this year. I can buy them from someone in china from 76p each free P&P or I can buy them from a scottich supplier for about £3.50 each. from china they take about 3 weeks from scotland about 2-3 days. So I can save the tax payer money by spending ~£23 via amazon or I can go via scotland and pay ~£105. I need these 2-3 times per year.

What choice(s) would you make if it were the tax payers money or your own money.

[Pamela]

Interesting. More reasons to avoid eBay.

[alan_m]

The same sellers inhabit amazon marketplace and other internet selling sites.

[Pamela]

At least Amazon will make good the refund themselves and don't wait 21 days to declare a late delivery.

[Andy Burns]

Doesn't that depend if it is sold *by* Amazon, or sold *through* the Amazon Marketplace?