Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Be ye warned.

Since the rollout of their new and appalling website:
Buying from M&S online, no matter where you live, you are now charged a price which reflects UK VAT.

For NZ, Aus customers, M&S are _keeping_ that additional 20%.

Quoting the reply I received from one of their customer service weasels this morning:
"The price you see on our website is the same price paid by our customers anywhere in the world. VAT is part of the item price where applicable and the price wont change where it's not applicable. For example an item which costs £10.00 on the website. If delivered in the UK the customer would be charged £10.00 for the item. If it's delivered to New Zealand the customer would be charged £10.00 for the item. This is to ensure all our customers pay the same price."

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Mr H and I are not convinced that's legal. Not sure who we'd ask to investigate though, UK tax office perhaps?

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Don't have an issue with that as I have always paid the price on the website

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Hi Banaari and welcome to this NZ forum.

You obviously must feel very strongly for your very first post to be a dire warning about M&S :D. Perhaps introduce yourself a little as it's good to share.

As for M&S. This is not new news at all . It's old news.

Given that M&S will deliver to NZ I am happy to pay the price on their website. If I wasn't , I wouldn't buy it. :p

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Yes I have complained about this. I think John Lewis are doing it too. I spoke to Customs and Excise and they said it was not illegal. Unfortunately there is a legal loophole which some retailers are taking advantage of to boost their profits and there's nothing you can do except not buy from them.

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

You can apply to customs and excise to claim vat back.
To be fair to M&S, they don't force you to buy from them,
just buy things from a nz shop, support our economy and
save yourself a heap of stress

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

haven't got a problem with it either. M&S has been extremely good at supplying me and my family with a very good service since I have been buying stuff from them since being in NZ. Tesco's also are extremely good. even letting me keep a refund they gave me when goods did not turn up in a timely manner but did so a month later. NZ post seemed to be the culprit but on informing Tesco's the items had eventually arrived they said glad it got there and keep the refund.

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

You can't claim back VAT on internet orders from outside the U.K., that is why the retailers are doing it as the extra 20% goes to their profit. But as many people say, they don't mind paying the extra. The only problem I have is that M&S are not up-front about it and many people don't realise it is happening. It took an exchange of at least 10 emails before they finally admitted how they were charging overseas customers and after that they took me off their distribution list! Might have labelled me as a bit of a trouble-maker. ;)

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Splitting hairs in my view. Be grateful that M&S accommodate you so that you can order such items of luxury from afar.

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

If you didn't pay VAT you should, ethically, be paying GST whilst importing tax free goods. Just like at the airport in the UK if you have purchased tax free from a store and you claim it back - the goods are then subject to the tax of the country to which you are taking them, surely?

Jan

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

This is not actually VAT even though it is the same amount. They get away with it because it is classed as a 'service charge' which to you and I as expats makes it look like it is the VAT element that has not been removed. So they do take it away with one hand and add on the same amount with the other!

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Ah I see :)

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

I never shopped at M&S anyway.

What do they sell that you have to go to the trouble of having it shipped half way around the world
to be happy that you cant get here ??

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Are there any clothing shops that do drop the VAT when shipping to NZ? :confused:

Re: Marks and Spencer VAT rort
 

Knickers of course!! :rofl: