Changes for EU and UK customers
tl;dr: The Tindie platform does not currently offer a solution for the latest changes to the European Union import rules and regulations (IOSS) or for local tax collections (UK). To continue providing service to our EU and UK customers, we will launch the new Electrolama shop around mid-September.
If you’re in the UK, please read below for a temporary solution.
If you're in the EU and interested in buying our products, please sign up for the waitlists on the Electrolama Shop and you will be notified when we launch.
Read below to find out in detail how this came about and what it means for you.
🇬🇧 Temporary arrangements for customers in the UK
If you're in the UK, email us at support@electrolama.com with your order (how many zzh sticks, how many debug adaptors) and we can generate a manual invoice and send it to your email, so you can place your order. This is a temporary solution while we get ready to launch our shop.
You will receive VAT invoices for your purchases and will be able to pay in GBP. Orders ship in 2-3 days.
🇪🇺 New arrangements for customers in EU countries: IOSS
From 1st July 2021, the value added tax (VAT) exemption for the importation of goods into the EU with a value not exceeding €22 was removed. As a result, all goods imported into the EU is subject to VAT. If the sale of goods to buyers in the EU is facilitated through an electronic interface, the electronic interface is considered to have made the sale and is in principle liable for the payment of VAT. The Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) was created to facilitate and simplify the declaration and payment of VAT for distance sales of imported goods with a value not exceeding €150. You can read more about it here.
We are now registered for the IOSS scheme but as with any new complex system, there are currently a lot of problems reported online and we do not want to expose you to them. We are currently testing this new system by sending test packages to several friends of Electrolama residing in various EU member states. Once we can verify that these packages are delivered smoothly and the IOSS scheme glitches have been ironed out, we will start accepting orders from EU customers on the Electrolama Shop. Our current target for the launch of our online shop is mid-September.
If you’re from the EU, this is how IOSS works:
- For orders under €150: VAT will be collected as part of the checkout process and you will not have to pay VAT or any unexpected handling charges imposed by your local postal service/delivery company upon delivery. Simple!
- For orders over €150: Orders over the value of €150 are liable for customs duty which is not covered by IOSS (a VAT system) therefore local customs, VAT and handling fees may apply upon the delivery of your package.
What about the Tindie Shop?
We love Tindie and we will continue to sell to destinations outside the UK and EU on the platform for the time being, but as we keep developing more products they will be launched and kept in stock primarily in the Electrolama Shop. Please sign up for the waitlists on the Electrolama Shop product pages.
As always, thank you for your patience and support. These are not easy times to navigate for a small business started during the pandemic but we are growing and learning every day, and hopefully that reflects in our improved services.