Amazon UK and Brexit is a Mess

Amazon UK sent out email to its Irish (and EU) clients today about how they will handle things post-Brexit.

It wasn’t exactly informative or helpful.

The choice of language was telling.

Bottom line: they have no idea what they’re doing or how it’s going to impact customers in the EU who want to order from the e-commerce giant from January onwards (realistically from later this month, as import duties etc., kick in when the product arrives in Ireland).

Here’s the full text of the email they sent out:

Hello,
As you have placed an order on Amazon.co.uk and selected an EU delivery address in the past, we wanted to let you know that from 1 January 2021, when the Brexit transition period ends, you’ll see some changes when you shop on Amazon.co.uk and select an EU delivery address. These changes could include:
- VAT (or the regional equivalent, if applicable, https://www.amazon.co.uk/vatrates) being due in the country of delivery, or your package may be subject to customs duties, taxes and fees (“Import Fees”)
- the collection of VAT, or an estimation of Import Fees (“Import Fee Deposit” https://www.amazon.co.uk/ifd), which may result in a price change at checkout.
We will continue to accept eligible returns. If the reason for return is the result of an error (e.g. if the item is defective / damaged / incorrect), any costs incurred for the return will be paid by Amazon. Otherwise, any costs incurred for the return (including transport costs, as well as any associated import fees or customs where applicable) will be payable by the person returning the goods https://www.amazon.co.uk/returnshelp.
We hope this helps and we see you again soon.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
Amazon.co.uk
Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that can't accept incoming e-mail. Please don't reply to this message

They don’t seem to know how orders will be handled.

I’d love to know how much EU business is worth to Amazon and specifically the UK branch.

Amazon have had a .ie domain name for many years, but it currently just redirects to the main UK website. Over the years Amazon services such as Prime and Prime Video have been extended to Irish users and the company has offices in Ireland and employs a lot of people.

Admittedly this isn’t entirely Amazon’s fault. The UK government still hasn’t finalised its exit agreement from the EU and to say “the clock is ticking” at this juncture doesn’t quite capture the urgency. How trade will be handled post Brexit is largely unclear, especially between the UK and Ireland.