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WestLicht Auctions on March 21 and 22, 2014


jc_braconi

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  • 2 weeks later...
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The added information I just found is really astonishing :

 

 

Additional Information

The buyers premium for all items exported out of E.C. is 20%.

For items marked with *, sold and/or shipped within the E.C. (European Community) the premium is 24% (including VAT) plus 20% VAT (plus 10% for photographs) on the hammer price (in total 44% for cameras, 34% for photographs).

For all other items (without *) sold and/or shipped within the E.C. (European Community) the premium is 24% (including VAT)

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Has the premium schema changed ? I seem to remember is not so different ... basically, they have two kind of items for sale :

 

1) Items which are VAT extempt (I think, items belonging to private people, like me)

2) Items which are subject to VAT (I think, items belonging to commercial entities)

 

In the first case, you buy the item from (say), ME : the final hammer price is charged only with auction house commission (20%)... the Auction House , being a commercial entity, is subject to VAT (20%) which is applied to its commission.. total cost for the buyer : Hammer + 20% + (20% on 20%) = Hammer + 24% total.

 

In the second case, you buy the item from a commercial entity (not the auction house), which charges VAT (20%) to the hammer price : another commercial entity (the auction house) charges its 20% commission and, as in the first case, charges the 20% VAT on it; total cost for the buyer : Hammer + 20% + 20% + (20% on 20%) = Hammer + 44% total , no few money.

And there are also payment costs :

 

In addition to the hammer price there are commission charges of 20%. If agreement is reached with us to make payment with a credit card an additional 3% will be charged. The buyer is responsible for the validity of the credit card and for the authorization of the purchase price by the credit card company.

And delivery costs, of course...

 

Obvious conclusion : pay attention to ASTERISK - NO ASTERISK WHEN BID !!! :cool:

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Has the premium schema changed ? I seem to remember is not so different ... basically, they have two kind of items for sale :

 

1) Items which are VAT extempt (I think, items belonging to private people, like me)

2) Items which are subject to VAT (I think, items belonging to commercial entities)

 

In the first case, you buy the item from (say), ME : the final hammer price is charged only with auction house commission (20%)... the Auction House , being a commercial entity, is subject to VAT (20%) which is applied to its commission.. total cost for the buyer : Hammer + 20% + (20% on 20%) = Hammer + 24% total.

 

In the second case, you buy the item from a commercial entity (not the auction house), which charges VAT (20%) to the hammer price : another commercial entity (the auction house) charges its 20% commission and, as in the first case, charges the 20% VAT on it; total cost for the buyer : Hammer + 20% + 20% + (20% on 20%) = Hammer + 44% total , no few money.

And there are also payment costs :

 

In addition to the hammer price there are commission charges of 20%. If agreement is reached with us to make payment with a credit card an additional 3% will be charged. The buyer is responsible for the validity of the credit card and for the authorization of the purchase price by the credit card company.

And delivery costs, of course...

 

Obvious conclusion : pay attention to ASTERISK - NO ASTERISK WHEN BID !!! :cool:

 

Moreover

6) ... For purchases over an online bidder service the premium is 23% instead of 20%.

 

What can I say? Asterisk, indeed, Double Asterisk :D

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Moreover

6) ... For purchases over an online bidder service the premium is 23% instead of 20%.

 

What can I say? Asterisk, indeed, Double Asterisk :D

 

Yes... but it seems that it is also the only case in which you haven't the 3% charging for credit card payment... :o it is specified for online bidding, telephone bidding, written bidding ... so in practical terms , let's say that real premium is 23% ... but just a part of it (20%) subject to VAT.... :o

(Maybe the only way to avoid this 3% is being phisycally present at the auction and making a bank transfer when you are still there... a costly trip...but a pleasant town...)

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Thinking about it a bit more...

Luigi says...

In the second case, you buy the item from a commercial entity (not the auction house), which charges VAT (20%) to the hammer price : another commercial entity (the auction house) charges its 20% commission and, as in the first case, charges the 20% VAT on it; total cost for the buyer : Hammer + 20% + 20% + (20% on 20%) = Hammer + 44% total , no few money...

 

True but this happens always when you buy something, there is a wholesaler, distribution etc. before the shop, taxes and so are separated by different entities and not reloaded on the final price. Obviously the above steps work the spin-off of the price components. Usually no seller tells you: "sorry, there would also be paid the taxes owed by my supplier..."

And what if the seller is, for example, Leicashop? They charge two times the commission, because, formally, they are two different entities. And the buyer is entitled to receive two different bills?...

 

These are only practical considerations, no judgment, maybe it's just my ignorance.

 

cheers.

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Well... I'm not an expert, and VAT rules are complex, and maybe there are even specific laws for auctioners... the explanation I speculated was based only on a reasoning by my side...:o; btw Leicashop also applies the "asterisk" VAT identifier in its online shop.

I know by sure that VAT related rules are or were used for some "grey market" business on cross-border auto sales... years ago, in Italy a private could spare some money buying, say, a new Alfa car imported from Germany... I think they were someway outlawed...

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