International service fee for Kobo purchases? - Page 3

MrsJoseph · 03-14-2011, 02:56 PM

Just curious - does anyone else pay Kobo a state sales tax when buying ebooks from them? I was just about to buy an ebook and noticed that I would be charged a DC sales tax and then later an international processing fee. This just keeps getting more and more expensive.

bevdeforges · 03-14-2011, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Just curious - does anyone else pay Kobo a state sales tax when buying ebooks from them? I was just about to buy an ebook and noticed that I would be charged a DC sales tax and then later an international processing fee. This just keeps getting more and more expensive.

Kobo has just recently started charging me in euros because I'm located in France. All their euro-prices have French TVA included, which raises the price of the books by 20%. Plus, because I had been using my US credit card before, when prices were in US dollars, I'm now getting hit with the "foreign transaction fee" by the credit card company in the US.

I suppose I will have to switch to using my French credit card - but I suspect I'll get hit with their higher "foreign transaction fee" because the charge is coming from outside the EU.

Perhaps it is time to change the billing address on my US credit card....

taming · 03-14-2011, 07:48 PM

The International fees are are bank charges determined by whatever bank or other institution issues your credit card. As the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger, it seems that more banks are charging these. Welcome to my world--Canadians have been ripped off in terms of conversion and fees for a long, long time when we buy on-line from the US.

MrsJoseph · 03-14-2011, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

The International fees are are bank charges determined by whatever bank or other institution issues your credit card. As the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger, it seems that more banks are charging these. Welcome to my world--Canadians have been ripped off in terms of conversion and fees for a long, long time when we buy on-line from the US.

I was willing - somewhat - to deal with the transaction fee. But the state sales tax??! How am I being charged a sales tax when Kobo is located and delivering from Canada? If I buy a book from Amazon I do not get charged a state sales tax because Amazon is not located in my state and does not have a physical presence in my state (well, lack of state since I don't live in a state). There is no reason I can find for me to be charged this fee.

wyndslash · 03-14-2011, 09:22 PM

how about getting yourselves a gift card and just using that to make amazon purchases? could avoid the additional fees every time you make an ebook purchase that way

MrsJoseph · 03-14-2011, 09:43 PM

I can't buy from Amazon. :-( No kindle and I don't know how to strip DRM.

wyndslash · 03-14-2011, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I can't buy from Amazon. :-( No kindle and I don't know how to strip DRM.

oh, oops. but what about just gift cards in general? i know most online bookstores carry them...kobo doesn't have? (or B&N?)

NightBird · 03-14-2011, 10:12 PM

Quote:

There is no reason I can find for me to be charged this fee.

Are these agency books? If so the publishers have to pay sales tax if they have a nexus in your state and Kobo would be collecting that for them.

tubemonkey · 03-15-2011, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I was willing - somewhat - to deal with the transaction fee. But the state sales tax??! How am I being charged a sales tax when Kobo is located and delivering from Canada? If I buy a book from Amazon I do not get charged a state sales tax because Amazon is not located in my state and does not have a physical presence in my state (well, lack of state since I don't live in a state). There is no reason I can find for me to be charged this fee.

Have you considered asking your DC government why they're charging you this tax?

taming · 03-15-2011, 09:56 AM

Regulations for international commerce are, in some cases, different that interstate commerce. US sellers have always had to charge Provincial and Federal sales tax for Canadians. I pay sales tax when buying from any on-line retailer. You will have the same situation soon in the US, if your state governments have their way.

PS: We don't get to keep the tax money, yanno. It gets sent to your government.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I was willing - somewhat - to deal with the transaction fee. But the state sales tax??! How am I being charged a sales tax when Kobo is located and delivering from Canada? If I buy a book from Amazon I do not get charged a state sales tax because Amazon is not located in my state and does not have a physical presence in my state (well, lack of state since I don't live in a state). There is no reason I can find for me to be charged this fee.

MrsJoseph · 03-15-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightBird

Are these agency books? If so the publishers have to pay sales tax if they have a nexus in your state and Kobo would be collecting that for them.

You know, I didn't check to see if it is agency? I've not purchased any agency 6 books since the pricing change...

MrsJoseph · 03-15-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Have you considered asking your DC government why they're charging you this tax?

DC is as full of crooks as PG county. DC would charge me for air if it could.

I've done a ton of internet searches on sales tax for ebooks and kept running into the location of the seller and the huge story about amazon evading sales taxes - but not on ebooks in particular.

But I did neglect searching on Agency 6.

MrsJoseph · 03-15-2011, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

oh, oops. but what about just gift cards in general? i know most online bookstores carry them...kobo doesn't have? (or B&N?)

I just checked, Kobo does have gift cards! That will be a great way to keep myself on budget.

Thanks

MrsJoseph · 03-15-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

Regulations for international commerce are, in some cases, different that interstate commerce. US sellers have always had to charge Provincial and Federal sales tax for Canadians. I pay sales tax when buying from any on-line retailer. You will have the same situation soon in the US, if your state governments have their way.

PS: We don't get to keep the tax money, yanno. It gets sent to your government.

I didn't know that international commerce tax laws were different than interstate - or why Kobo is different from the other Canandian re/sellers I've used in the past. I think this was why I was surprised...

tubemonkey · 03-15-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

DC is as full of crooks as PG county. DC would charge me for air if it could.

Say it ain't so?

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03-14-2011, 02:56 PM	#31
MrsJoseph Loves Ellipsis... Posts: 1,554 Karma: 7899232 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Kobo Wifi (broken), nook STR (returned), Kobo Touch, Sony T1	Just curious - does anyone else pay Kobo a state sales tax when buying ebooks from them? I was just about to buy an ebook and noticed that I would be charged a DC sales tax and then later an international processing fee. This just keeps getting more and more expensive.

03-14-2011, 07:48 PM	#33
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	The International fees are are bank charges determined by whatever bank or other institution issues your credit card. As the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger, it seems that more banks are charging these. Welcome to my world--Canadians have been ripped off in terms of conversion and fees for a long, long time when we buy on-line from the US.

03-14-2011, 09:22 PM	#35
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	how about getting yourselves a gift card and just using that to make amazon purchases? could avoid the additional fees every time you make an ebook purchase that way

03-14-2011, 09:43 PM	#36
MrsJoseph Loves Ellipsis... Posts: 1,554 Karma: 7899232 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Kobo Wifi (broken), nook STR (returned), Kobo Touch, Sony T1	I can't buy from Amazon. :-( No kindle and I don't know how to strip DRM.