To wonder why shoppers are surprised at post-Brexit customs and duties?

[Wherrsmaclickypen]

Shoppers are apparently 'dismayed' 'shocked' and 'angry' to receive bills for import taxes and handling on their online shopping from the EU. It not just media reporting - there are lots of annoyed and confused comments on retail social media pages. Many are angry at the retailers for not posting UK specific warnings. 🤷🏻‍♀️

We have come out of the EU. What exactly did people think was going to happen?

PS If there are any pro-Brexit knitters out there, who enjoyed shopping at Hobbii, Ritohobby et al, you have brought this on yourself, and the rest of us.

Partly because I'm used to ordering from places like China and aslong as it is under £15, no fees are due, I assumed EU would be the same.

But also, and this is more of an issue, not realising that many UK sites are shipping from EU warehouses and this will incur unexpected charges. I recently ordered Merrell trainers through their UK website, they are an American brand, but no hint that they didn't ship from the UK. The delivery was held up because it was shipped from the NL, although no duty was payable, I suspect because Merrell had covered it. I think H&M has been having similar issues.

"Easiest deal in history"
"Frictionless trade"
Etc.

Bloody pissed off though, it should be Brexiteers shouldering those costs, unfortunately that's unworkable though.

But sovereignty! Surely extra tax is worth a blue passport? And making immigrants go home? Sunlit uplands!

I don't really get why people are surprised either! And I can't feel much sympathy tbh.

Although I can recommend Wool Warehouse as a great UK based alternative for your yarn needs!

It is legitimately baffling.

Same with all the fish exporters who supported brexit and are now going out of business.

It's just common sense if you were paying any attention.

No tariffs said BoJo. The whole VAT and customs costs thing is really complicated.

@SusannaSpider I buy from China regularly and even purchases of just a couple have pounds now have 25% tax charged on them

Honestly, as a remainer i assumed stuff would change but i didnt know what would change and in what way - im not sure anyone did because they didnt agree the terms until well after we left.

I saw there was a 'deal' i didnt look at what the deal as it was entirely outside my control. I saw a tweet about soy sauce from japan remaining tariff free and registered that had zero impact on my life as my soy sauce comes from netherlands.

Generally I put very little thought into where a product i order comes from and what the relevant trade deals are. So i will moan as much as I want because thats the only thing with in my power to do.

My parents in law are EU nationals. If they send gifts to my kids we will now get stung for a massive customs and vat charge on them if the parcel is over £39.
We've had to tell them not to send anything now.

A couple of pounds, not have pounds!

I thought it would happen. Many people expected it. But we were told it was just project fear.

I do wonder what the benefits of be it actually are? So far they seem to be extremely well hidden.

*brexit! Not be it.

Surely the obvious question is whether the vendor made it clear to the buyer that there would be an additional charge on top of price paid? If not then I think I’d be annoyed too.

If you’re buying from a co.uk website the assumption is that you are dealing with the UK arm of a business or just a UK business period. The key here is transparency and allowing the buyer the choice of whether to order from X company that will incur and extra cost or order from Y company that won’t.

Fish exporters like this guy. Brexit was never going to broaden our options.

I forgot all about it until I tried to order something from a "European Outdoor Clothing Company" and saw a reminder that delivery will be four weeks "because of Brexit". I just took my custom elsewhere.

Because a lot of people , not all, thought of nothing else but immigration when voting for Brexit.

No but I am super annoyed about a parcel sent to me before Christmas from the US, which went via Paris and has been stuck 'in transit' for nearly 4 weeks now. I don't mind paying whatever customs fees will inevitably be due, I just want it to get here!

Yanbu op 🙄

I am more than a little tired of the "we knew what we were voting for, give us our brexit now" brigade whingeing about getting all the shitty outcomes they were promised as the inevitable consequence of no longer being a member of the EU.

Surely the obvious question is whether the vendor made it clear to the buyer that there would be an additional charge on top of price paid? If not then I think I’d be annoyed too.

I think that's reasonable if it's a UK business with a UK url which is actually shipping from the EU. But plenty of people are complaining that business which they know to be in the EU aren't making this clear as well. They really don't have to be responsible for that.

Because people seem to have thought we could stop doing the things we did for Europe but them continue doing everything they did for us.
Seems people took for granted everything we gained from them. Including the ability to be naive about where we buy our products from.

Im surprised that they’re surprised

@Godimabitch yep this basically. It’s like when people get divorced but they think nothing will change. Then get annoyed when things are different financially, they need to have different living arrangements etc

This is literally what they voted for. They can't be surprised.