I started a thread earlier this week about the challenges and barriers to selling internationally for Folksy sellers.
I’ll be using all this research to represent our making community at a Parliamentary round table lunch next week.
With only 14 seats at the table, including 3 MPs, 1 Director General, 2 CEO’s, 1 MD and 2 other business owners - I really want to make the most of this opportunity to give the gazillions of UK makers/designers selling online the voice they deserve.
(My big girl pants are in the wash as I type! )
I covered all the context for my research in that thread, so if you want to have a read, here’s the link.
I’ve heard from lots of people for whom GPSR has been a major sticking point - unsurprisingly!
So to get a little balance - and expand on what I don’t know, I would love to hear from any Folksy sellers who HAVE registered with an EU representative to become GPSR compliant.
This is something that I plan to do this year - once a few other business gremlins have been neutralised - so I don’t have any first hand experience of the full process.
I’d love get your feedback on the process as a whole, and whether you feel it has been beneficial so far. If you are happy to share, a little context would be really helpful, so I’ve got a few specific questions:
How long have you been compliant
Was the cost greater or less than you first imagined it would be
Was the process more difficult or easier that first expected i.e. risk assessments, identifying your product categories etc
Has the investment to continue exporting to NI and EU been worthwhile i.e. have sales paid for the costs of compliance yet
Have you seen an increase in NI/EU orders since becoming compliant
Have you opted for any additional services with your provider i.e. VAT/IOSS for your own website
More people are active in the Clubhouse FB group so you might want to repeat this post (and perhaps the other one as well) over there to get more responses.
(The meeting sounds like a great opportunity so I hope it goes well and thank you for representing us micro businesses)
I didn’t know there was a FB group for Folksy sellers now - I’m afraid I’ve been out of the Folksysphere for rather a long time
I hoped that by keeping the discussion on here, it might help Folksy to spot any opportunities to help sellers further - especially in the absence of proper support from “the powers that be”.
They did such sterling work in response to GPSR and I’m sure I’m not alone in being very grateful to them for helping to unscramble the requirements.
Hi @SashaGarrett
I have a customer in Canada who buys from me, she has contacted me because she wants me to send an item to a friend in Sweden for her birthday. I initially messaged and said no because of all the regulations and mentioned she might be able to send it as a gift then afterwards thought perhaps i can do that on her behalf otherwise it will cost her piotage to Canada then to Sweden which would be double the item cost, Could I post it as a gift for her? There would be nothing from me in it !but I won’t if I need to do the whole compliance thing.
I’m not registered in the EU but I’ll keep an eye on this thread to hear from people who are, because if it becomes more straightforward and cheaper, I’d definitely consider it. (At the moment it is a hard no haha!)
I just googled “does GPSR apply to gifts” and it doesn’t look like good news for this option I’m afraid.
I think only you can decide whether this is a risk that you are willing to take, on behalf of the customer.
I had a look and it did seem it was a way around it as gifts can be sent without all the paperwork, however I also read up on Swedens postage and they are very strict and they seem to have a high level of small parcels gòing missing. After spending quite some time I questionned why I was doing it because if something did go wrong this would be on me and at the end of the day I choose not to sell to the EU so I will message her again and tell her it not an option.
Just not worth the hassle, it’s only a small item value so no idea why I spent time on i. If the query had come through ftom a none return customer I would have just said no..
Thank you
Debby - you did it because it’s the natural thing for many of us to do!
We want to do right by our customers, especially our repeat ones - we have a stronger personal connection to them.
We don’t want to miss out on potential sales if we can avoid it
But equally, you did the right thing for YOU.
Why risk upsetting a repeat customer if something goes wibbly?
Why risk your business reputation for something you aren’t 100% sure about
You looked into it because you care - that doesn’t make it a waste of time, just a learning experience… that will save you time and headspace should a similar enquiry come through in the future.
Thank you Sophie, thats actually very true. We do look after our customers, the order was such a small one making the sale didn’t reakky come into it but my customers seems such a nice lady.,
She was fine about it and completely understood and said she will be back soon for another treat x
I am really struggling with all the new rules. A big portion of my sales were to Europe and I don’t want to lose them but the last order I posted to Germany my customer had to pay 75 Euros to get it through the customs. Most customers aren’t going to pay that so orders will be returned to me.
)
