Ancetry.co.uk price for subscription re VAT

John H

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Oct 12, 2012, 10:09:13 PM10/12/12

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Hi,
Recently there was a posting on soc.genalogy.australia+NZ about using
Ancestry.co.uk as your membership so that you saved from the ancestry.com.au
price.
The price for standard world wide membership at co.uk site was �155.40
(155.4UK Pounds).

From memory, It was stated that the VAT would be exempted and price would be
less than the standard price of �155.40
WELL I joined and the price came out at �155.40
SO I wrote to them and asked for the VAT exemption and got following reply:
++++
Thank you for contacting Ancestry.co.uk regarding the VAT included in the UK
Subscription.

The acronym VAT stands for Value Added Tax, a tax specific to member nations
of the European Union. All those purchasing Internet services within such
nations will be charged an additional 17.5% tax to such orders. Even though
you're not in the European Nation, the tax still applies to you, as you are
purchasing a membership with a European site. For more information, you may
wish to visit the following URLs:

How VAT Works
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/how_vat_works/index_en.htm

VAT Rates
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/how_vat_works/rates/index_en.htm

If you need additional assistance, reply to this email or feel free to
contact us by phone at 0-800-404-9723 from 9 AM to 10 PM GMT, Monday through
Friday or from 9 AM - 8 PM GMT, Saturday and Sunday.

Best regards,

Alyxandria
Customer Solutions Associate
Ancestry.co.uk
http://ancestryuk.custhelp.com/

+++
BTW I notice that depending upon what day you go into ancestry.co.uk the
price varies quite considerably,
like if you join today then the price at the page where you enter your
credit card details is �135.13,
even though the line under the choice of membership page shows the �155.40
I even commenced subscribing as a UK citizen using a friends in UK address
and it still came out at �135.13,
so the difference apparently isnt VAT, even though it looked like it is/was.

So join today for a better deal again??
Adding 17.5% to �135.13 would give a total of �158.78 not �155.40.
Wierd to say the least!! I give up!.

BUT the �155.40 is still cheaper when converted to $AUD and bank fees added
than the Ancestry.com.au price, so still worth using ancestry.co.uk.

regards
JohnH

Andrea Roberts

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Oct 13, 2012, 12:09:24 AM10/13/12

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Hi John,

I have found that Ancestry US is cheaper as well. It pays to look
at them all at the time your membership is due to get the best one
for the next 12 months. The Australian site seems to be the dearest
at all times.

Ancestry UK's explanation re VAT seems strange. If you are
travelling in any European countries and buy something (over a
certain amount) you can claim the VAT back at the airport when you
are leaving. That has always been the case. Seems like they are
milking the cow at both ends.

Cheers
Angie

Some family trees have beautiful leaves, and some have just a bunch of nuts.
Remember, it is the nuts that make the tree worth shaking.
~Author Unknown

Andrea Roberts....in Melbourne, Australia.
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Searching for Pyke/Millsom/Goodman/McCann/Johnson/Rorke/Presnell/
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http://www.1stopmedia.org/angieroberts/index.html

John H

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Oct 13, 2012, 12:59:02 AM10/13/12

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Hi Andrea,
I think the difference is that when you purchase an article and take it back
to your country then the exemption is granted as it is being removwed from
the UK for use elsewhere.
BUT when you purchase a service which is being provided in England from an
English site then the service isnt perhaps "leaving the country" and looks
like the exemption doesnt apply.

Another interesting one was when I recently purchased 12mths update for a
TOM TOM GPS I got charged the VAT and complained and they refunded the VAT,
so who knows!!

regards
John H

"Andrea Roberts" <ajro...@people.net.au> wrote in message
news:mailman.23.13501...@rootsweb.com...

Norman

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Oct 14, 2012, 12:40:35 PM10/14/12

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John H wrote:

> Hi,
> Recently there was a posting on soc.genalogy.australia+NZ about using
> Ancestry.co.uk as your membership so that you saved from the ancestry.com.au
> price. The price for standard world wide membership at co.uk site was

> #155.40 (155.4UK Pounds).

>
> From memory, It was stated that the VAT would be exempted and price would be

> less than the standard price of #155.40 WELL I joined and the price came out
> at #155.40 SO I wrote to them and asked for the VAT exemption and got

> page where you enter your credit card details is #135.13, even though the
> line under the choice of membership page shows the #155.40 I even commenced

> subscribing as a UK citizen using a friends in UK address and it still came

> out at #135.13, so the difference apparently isnt VAT, even though it looked

> like it is/was.
>
> So join today for a better deal again??

> Adding 17.5% to #135.13 would give a total of #158.78 not #155.40.

> Wierd to say the least!! I give up!.
>

> BUT the #155.40 is still cheaper when converted to $AUD and bank fees added

> than the Ancestry.com.au price, so still worth using ancestry.co.uk.
>
> regards
> JohnH

......And just to complicate the calculation further, the VAT rate has been 20%
since 1st Jan 2011.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire