Yesterday I was considering purchasing a crochet pattern on Ravelry. It was priced at $6 (£3.95). Just checked now and Ravelry no longer shows the price in dollars, but just pounds, £4.63 (I calculate it should be £4.74, but I think this might be due to conversion rates, but thats not my point). So, I checked out the sellers website and it says $6. She also has links to Etsy and other selling platforms. Etsy are still selling it for £3.95 for an instant download! The lack of consistency is going to mean platforms that are helping charge the correct amount are going to suffer. Why would someone pay more for something on Ravelry than what the same things costs on Etsy. I know the correct answer is that the seller should have taken the necessary steps to ensure all her selling platforms are charging VAT correctly, but this is a working example of how difficult that is. It also shows that if Ravelry can do it, so can Etsy. Yes its the sellers responsibility, but having the selling platform onside doesnt half make a difference. I know its a low price example, but thats one of the reasons the rules are so stupid. We shouldnt even be having this conversation.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 08:44:13 +0000