WH Smith Ebooks for UK Readers

[Smoutie]

Top 30 ebooks are at half-price:

http://ebooks.whsmith.co.uk/

[thfc2008]

Thanks for that - I could only see the top 10 though.

If you do an Advanced search on 'fiction' and sort by 'bestselling' you get a completely different top 10 so this site seems equally as dreadful as the Waterstones one.

[Smoutie]

It's a bit rubbish isn't it! The Top 30 seems to be split into 3 columns - Fiction, Non-Fiction and Business. Not great usability.

If you do buy something - watch out as they slap tax on at the end - I've emailed them to ask what that tax is as it shouldn't be VAT.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Smoutie

It's a bit rubbish isn't it! The Top 30 seems to be split into 3 columns - Fiction, Non-Fiction and Business. Not great usability.

If you do buy something - watch out as they slap tax on at the end - I've emailed them to ask what that tax is as it shouldn't be VAT.

I'm sorry, but why do you say "it shouldn't be VAT"? eBooks are classified under EU law as "computer software" and hence are subject to the standard rate of VAT. Why do you believe that WHS shouldn't be charging you this VAT? Is their web site outside the EU?

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm sorry, but why do you say "it shouldn't be VAT"? eBooks are classified under EU law as "computer software" and hence are subject to the standard rate of VAT. Why do you believe that WHS shouldn't be charging you this VAT? Is their web site outside the EU?

Perhaps, But Shouldn't VAT already be part of the displayed price, as required by the law for consumer good/services. Thats where the question of adding local taxes on top comes in.

Anyway the most irritating thing is thing is that while they are selling the Cybook, their eBooks are not readable on it as they are selling Adobe ePub books.

And while most ,members here would not have a problem, many people would expect WH smiths own eBooks to run on the device[s) they sell

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Perhaps, But Shouldn't VAT already be part of the displayed price, as required by the law for consumer good/services. Thats where the question of adding local taxes on top comes in.

I believe that all that's required on a web site is that they display the VAT before you pay for it, because they won't necessarily know in advance whether or not you, the customer, live in the EU, and hence are subject to VAT.

Many web sites do the same thing. MobiPocket, for example.

Anyway the most irritating thing is thing is that while they are selling the Cybook, their eBooks are not readable on it as they are selling Adobe ePub books.

That is annoying, I agree .

[Smoutie]

Hi Harry - as books are zero-rated for VAT in the UK, I had assumed (wrongly, it appears) that e-books would be too.

I have now received a reply from WH Smith - they say that the tax is "a tax that is added to the price of digital media. In the near future information
about the base price not including tax will be displayed more clearly".

bbusy - you are right, this should therefore be part of the displayed price.

In the meantime, how about a pressure group to zero-rate e-books - this is stealth taxation!

[thfc2008]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I believe that all that's required on a web site is that they display the VAT before you pay for it, because they won't necessarily know in advance whether or not you, the customer, live in the EU, and hence are subject to VAT.

In the UK all decent retail websites (amazon/play/etc) quote prices inclusive of everything.

If WHSmiths are adding on VAT at the end its extremely misleading and I certainly won't be using them if that's the case.

Thanks for the heads up Smoutie!

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I believe that all that's required on a web site is that they display the VAT before you pay for it, because they won't necessarily know in advance whether or not you, the customer, live in the EU, and hence are subject to VAT.

Many web sites do the same thing. MobiPocket, for example.

I wasn't aware of Mobipocket's practice as I haven't bought anything direct from them.

Still does WH Smith Sell to outside the Uk or the EU? They're not shipping the Gen 3 Outside the UK so I was curious.

IF not then would it not be more prudent to assume that VAT will be included when showcasing the price as a most people will assume that it is the same as for paper books and finding the price higher on checkout could be a nasty surprise.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Smoutie

In the meantime, how about a pressure group to zero-rate e-books - this is stealth taxation!

Can't be done. Three EU countries (UK, Ireland, and Portugal) got a special exemption to "zero rate" books when they joined the EU. They made sure that that loop-hole was closed for eBooks.

That's why it's a good idea to buy books from stores outside the EU.

[pdurrant]

The do sell Mobipocket books too. There's just no way (that I've found) to filter the eBooks by format.

Terrible site.

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Anyway the most irritating thing is thing is that while they are selling the Cybook, their eBooks are not readable on it as they are selling Adobe ePub books.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can't be done. Three EU countries (UK, Ireland, and Portugal) got a special exemption to "zero rate" books when they joined the EU. They made sure that that loop-hole was closed for eBooks.

What do you mean by "can't be done"? Sweden changed the VAT for books after they had joined EU. So obviously the VAT can be changed.

[HarryT]

Can't be done because there's an EU wide agreement that "digital products" such as eBooks, computer software, etc, are taxed at the standard rate of VAT, and governments don't have an "opt-out" on it, whereas governments ARE free to set individual VAT rates for books (they are zero rated in the UK and, I think, at 6% in France, for example).

If you're interested, it's "EU Council Directive 2002/38/EC", the "Digital Supplies VAT Directive".

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can't be done because there's an EU wide agreement that "digital products" such as eBooks, computer software, etc, are taxed at the standard rate of VAT, and governments don't have an "opt-out" on it, whereas

Hum, I didn't know there was a standard rate. But then we just have to re-classify ebooks. And rules are not set in stone. They are changed all the time.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can't be done because there's an EU wide agreement that "digital products" such as eBooks, computer software, etc, are taxed at the standard rate of VAT, and governments don't have an "opt-out" on it, whereas governments ARE free to set individual VAT rates for books (they are zero rated in the UK and, I think, at 6% in France, for example).

5.5% here i believe, actually. (that half a point makes all the difference). the special book VAT rate not being applied to ebooks has been the subject of much discussion in the ebook forum lately as Arnaud Nourry (head of Hachette Books) used it as a justification for the (outrageously) high prices of ebooks in France, in an interview.