ORIGINAL: Gresbeck
ORIGINAL: GoodGuy
That is quite a lot. I think the VAT rate in Italy is 22%, right?
So you'd have to pay 24.68 EUR (= 33.34 USD) VAT, if they apply the calculation (game + shipping costs * 22% = VAT) I posted above. Did they add some weird processing fee?
I'd be interested to get to know their reasoning for that VAT bill.
I'm travelling now and I don't have the bill (which I conserve, and I can scan if you wish). I received the package yesterday (and paid 31,07 Euro). It seems that
1. VAT (22%) is calculated on a presumptive value (apparently, they don't trust the declaration and apply a standard value based on size and weight of package). IIRC it was ca. 20-21 euro.
2. Ca. 10 euro are labeled as "administrative costs". Not sure what that means. It could be a service fee paid to FEDEX to clear the package through customs.
All in all, I don’t like complaining (and I won’t insist on the topic), but I think the matter hasn’t been professionally handled by Matrix, for the following reasons:
1. The announcement about shipping and possible customs tax should have been posted (at least) some days before the release;
2. Customers don’t know the total price they will have to pay to get the game delivered;
3. EU customers are differently treated depending on different custom authorities behavior (which they cannot control and predict); Matrix should take responsibility to guarantee a uniform customer treatment;
4. Even worse, although I’m happy for my EU friends who didn’t pay VAT, packages to which VAT was not applied are technically “smuggled”. Matrix announcement should be read as follows: “C’mon guys, we all know VAT is normally evaded, and the great majority of you will evade it, we’re sorry for the few people to which the law will be applied”;
5. Matrix had alternative ways to handle the problem. The offer of a digital download for the same price (without expedition costs) has been extensively debated, and I won’t insist on it. Let’s assume Matrix cannot accept a “digital only” distribution; but couldn’t delivery into EU be delayed till February / March, when a EU distribution is settled?
I accept the statement that this was an exceptional product released under exceptional circumstances, I believe in Matrix good faith, but I won’t accept such a policy any more.
It's very frustrating for the European players this thinks.
I can´t understand the abuse by Matrix to us with this issue.
We want pay the game, we don´t complain it price, but the other unnecessary costs are priceless. [:-]
I got my bill for £15.44 from FedEx today.