I was the high bidder on a lot from the JEAN VINCHON NUMISMATIQUE auction. The auction terms say 18% commission, no VAT with written proof of export out of the EEC. When I received the invoice, the commission was 21.6% (along with 30 EUR shipping on a 360EUR winning bid). I emailed them and they will reduce the commission to 18% if I provide them with a copy of my passport. Not for nothing, but I really don't feel like emailing them a copy of my passport. I understood (assumed) "written proof" would be the receipt for shipping outside the country. I haven't responded yet, just wondered what others would make of this.
That makes no sense. They're literally exporting it out of the EEC... why on earth would they need a passport as proof? I don't know about you man but the day an auction house asks for my passport I'm done with them. Maybe the 12 bucks is worth a customer to them who knows.. it's just a very strange request. Hopefully you can get it all worked out.
Bizarre. Too many other coins, too many other auctions. Odd / inattentive Customer Care... vote with your feet. Move on from this "Seller".
There's a good chance that this is a legal requirement. Christie's and Sotheby's won't let you bid until you've done the same money laundering checks as banks require. They say it's required by law, and given their size I suspect that's true. They might just be following the rules. I have some sympathy because I remember when the money laundering rules were tightened up around the turn of the millennium and I was a very junior bank employee having to explain to corporate customers why we needed a copy of their passport and utility bill. Understandably a lot were riled by the request - which was a legal requirement. It was especially galling because we dealt with some families who had been with the bank literally for centuries!
It's a really bizarre request. The destination that they're shipping the coin to would seem like better proof for VAT removal purposes than a copy of your passport. Every European auction house I've purchased from (NAC, Nomos, Gorny, CGB, Lanz etc) has automatically removed VAT from the bill on seeing that my shipping address is outside of Europe, and I've never been asked to furnish proof of any sort.
That would be the last coin I ever bought from them. Under no circumstances would I give an auction house a copy of my passport. There is enough information on there to have your identity stolen. They don't need your passport they're just trying to get you to back off the request and pay it. I would just tell them something like I live outside the country and have never left it I don't have a passport here is the address it will be shipped too.
It's possible that people could be using forwarding services from other countries to evade local duties. Maybe a zealous inspector or auditor required that this firm adopt the policy. From the auction house perspective, they gain nothing. This adds hassle and upsets the customer without any advantage to them, so I'm inclined to think it's something they have to do rather than choose to do.
It's possible, but I think a likelier reason is that the person handling the OP's request for removal of VAT is a new employee or simply unfamiliar with how to deal with the situation.
Maybe so, but out of curiosity I checked their website, and it seems that, if you bid in one of their auctions, they want your bank ID (basically the account number) and a copy of your national identity card. ("Merci de joindre un relevé d’identité bancaire, une copie de votre carte nationale d’identité.") Now if they actually refer to the "EEC", they seem to be unaware of the fact that the EEC ceased to exist in 1993, but auction houses elsewhere have similar ID requirements, see here (UK) for example ... Christian
Yes, quite right on EEC. I missed that. The link you sent is for a real estate firm, and different rules apply to real estate whether sold by auction or not. It's not typical here to require ID before bidding online, but the 'big' firms do demand the same standards. I'm guessing they get caught up on regulations because of their size.
I've had quite a similar issue with a german auction house recently (not about cancelling VAT as I stay in Europe, but about giving ID or passeport) While bidding at their auction via Sixbid (first time at that very auction house but there are many others affiliated to sixbid where they know me for being a returning customer and from whom they could have informations about me and my reliability) I was requested to give my identity card or passeport copy and bank account informations. Of course I was not willing to do that and answered that should it be a problem for them not to get these I would gladly accept them to cancel my bids..... ... to which they answered "thank you, we can accept your bids anyway" Q
Is 30 euros shipping standard for European auction shipping? That seems very high. I'm just now getting into this auction world. I have a 145 Euro bid on a coin right now. German auction. I've mentally factored in the buyers fee and shipping. But I certainly did not imagine 30 euro shipping on a €145 coin should I win it.
I would shoot for an alternate form of proof. I would offer something that a local authority would accept. Black out any non-essential info on your proof, like ID numbers. The following are proof of residence in Texas: Drivers licence - http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/s...-residency-now-required-for-Texas-9393794.php Information needed to get a drivers licence - https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-57.pdf
I thought that some of the prices charged for shipping were high until I started looking at the postage on the packages sent. It is not uncommon for the postage of pieces coming to me to be double digit. If you add the cost of the mailer and time of employees, I think shipping is break even, not a profit center for most companies.
I think Nerva likely has it right. They could be shipping the coin to a French citizen on vacation in the U.S. The passport is stricter evidence of compliance. Decide how badly you want the coin and maybe ask them what other evidence they'll accept. Maybe a utility bill will suffice. .
