Online shopping to the door
Wednesday 6th May 2009, 3:01PM BST.
Gary Whipp, managing director of Jersey Post’s new enterprise division. Picture by Tony Pike: (00684738)
A NEW service from Jersey Post is set to revolutionise the way Islanders shop online.
Jersey residents will be able to buy from websites of major UK stores such as Ikea and Currys and have goods delivered direct to their door from next month.
It will allow major items such as sofas, fridges and flatscreen TVs to be bought from the UK. Many UK and European retailers will not deliver to the Island due to the costs involved.
And Islanders will be able to avoid VAT as Jersey Post’s new division Ship2me will provide the necessary paperwork to reclaim the UK tax. Negotiations are taking place with UK customs to allow VAT to be automatically deducted in future.
• Jersey postage rates went up today, bringing the cost of a letter for local delivery to 37p, and one to the UK, 42p.
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post.
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This is great news for those of us who are fed up with the over-inflated High St prices.
I’m sure a retailer can give us the their reason as to why they feel they have to charge so much. I know minimum wage is about the same as the UK; wholesale costs from manufacturers would be the same and if items imported in bulk then the addition cost per item for transport would not be too much. IMHO it is down to the high rents the retailers must pay here in Jersey. Guernsey is starting to struggle with vacant shops in their town and I’m sure this welcome service from Jersey Post will result in the same thing happening here.
It is unfortunate that businesses will have to close and shops remain empty for the landlords to reduce their rents so shops can charge a price that we in Jersey would be prepared to pay. So good luck with this venture Jersey Post; I for one will be signing up on your new website to give me addition online stores I can shop at and so reduce the cost of items I buy.
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So a States funded company are advising people to buy on the internet. therefore its the retailers in town who suffer as it will be easier than ever to buy online. I amazed such a thing is allowed to be promoted and i hope the JCRA pay a close attention.
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this is a great idea by jersey post about time somebody saved us from all these over priced shops
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This is good,but everyone should pay G.S.T.when they bring in goods,not just the local retailers,
it is not a fair system for local retailers.
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great,now we that do already buy on-line can,t be accused of tax-dodging,and those that overcharge us will have to think again….
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Jersey sam, everyone does have to pay GST if it’s over £300, not just retailers!
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Jersey John, have you ever not thought why are Jersey prices are just as high or if not higher than the UK? Jersey retailers do not pay VAT, but then keep the margin on top! Thats not fair to us shoppers, having to pay the premium so they can make more profit!
I have saved thousands shopping online, its the future. Jersey businesses should have changed with the times and took adavantage of the rise of e-commerce, there are certainly many Jersey based businesses that could have helped them achieve this.
So fair play Jersey Post, a long time coming but now we can at last get items from UK retailers unwilling to ship to our island.
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It will be great to have more choice of online sites to buy from and I’ve already bought a 32″ LCD television from a well-known online retailer for less than £300 after the VAT had been taken off, so I didn’t even need to pay any GST on it either!
I’m afraid there will be more local shops closing, as people haven’t got the money to pay their extortionate prices, especially when they realise they can get a particular item cheaper online!
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a lot of people already buy on internet but to be able to buy from stores that normally don`t deliver to jersey is great but to have the vat deducted as well is super great as we are greedly ripped of here,at last jersey is moving into the 21st century,others have mentioned the high rents greedy people charge so if they suffer serves them right. GOOD LUCK TO JERSEY POST,THANKS
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great news! Local shops inflate their prices A LOT more than necessary – for instance a wedding dress I brought online cost me £150.
the same dress made from the same people cost £950 locally…
how can they justify that kind of a mark up?
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Jersey Post, a States Dept has started a new divison, with Tax payers money, using land owned by the tax payer? or rents paid by the tax payer? and have put a new 1(1)k resident to run it (who pays his wage and social)? and the are the States now saying “Do not buy local”.
Didn’t Jersey Post have to shut down their fullfilment divison because it was deemed unfair to local companies and tax payers?
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bella
when you can afford it, do us all a favour and buy yourself a keyboard with a shift key so that you can do capitals and apostophes!
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R B no need to get personal – that was a very spiteful comment
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This good news story is still attracting the usual whiners.
Jersey John and 4thepeople – the public moan when there is monopoly, now you are moaning because there is (healthy) completion. Please decide which you want and stick with it. I’m sick of all the whining.
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thanks for the tip mr.smart guy.i,m not the brightest star in the sky regardingIT maybe thats because i never had any training on it.i taught myself to use computer a couple of years ago and as i had never used a keyboard prior to then i still don,t know what most of the keyboard buttons are for.as they say you can,t teach an old dog new tricks and i am well past learning anything new and shall do so all in my own time unless of course if you can arrange and pay for lessons for me,if not i suggest you skip over my comments if they get to you that much.problem solved!!!
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And 4thepeople the fulfilment industry was shut down because the UK Treasury didn’t like UK companies using Jersey to avoid paying VAT on low value goods such as CDs and DVDs. It wasn’t harming local retailers, it was reducing the UK Treasuries income and harming UK retailers that charged VAT to UK customers.
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Excellent news!!
I’m surprised our good friend Adrian hasn’t posted a comment yet though
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This is a great idea! For long enough we have been charged well OTT for goods here. Its about time the greedy retailers dropped their prices, then more people would shop here. Myself, and I know a whole load of other people,barely go to town anymore. You can get practically anything, from a CD to a bin on Amazon.co.uk – no VAT, Free Post and delivered straight to your door! EBuyer.co.uk too – excellent prices and you get a VAT refund. I bought a TV from there, £75 cheaper than in town. The retailers blame high shipping charges to here.. rubbish, if bought in bulk, saving on freight they could sell them cheaper. And their rents are high which is probably the big factor. And we all know who the rent goes to…..
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yipee!! ikea, argos and all that jazz. i buy everything online as it,s much, much cheaper than over here. maybe this will destroy local trade, and it serves them right. Here,s hoping we can buy food online next!!!
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I’m with #Julie8. I’ve bought a number of things online & had them sent to Jersey – you don’t pay GST on them, it’s great
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An excellent way to help make ends meet. Every penny now counts. I for one can’t afford to waste money on a dispicable tax. I would recommend everyone buy as much as possible online. When GST receipts fall maybe those in charge might think of a better way to bring tax in and to spend it more wisely?
The cartels need bringing to heel they have had it too good for too long as far as I am concerned. Maybe when 17.5% VAT is taken off goods I might be prepared to pay 3% GST, until then sorry I’m not up for double taxation I’m afraid. Hopefully once food and essentials are taken out of GST I might even be able to get by without spending a penny on GST.
For those of your unsure what I mean about VAT does anyone believe it costs at least 17.5% to import things into Jersey the traditional way? Maybe a 5% levee to get goods here might be acceptable but not 17.5%.
Why oh why don’t the states get a grip and sort this anomaly out?
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Truly amazing. The new boss at Jersey Post has taken the business by the scruff of the neck and yanked it into the 21st Century. Now we will see if Jersey Logistics was more than a logo on the side of a van.
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Adrian
I agree with you on principle (wow a first! May be it’s the start of a beautiful relationship?) but be careful using words like “double taxation”. The only tax you pay is the 3% the rest is mark up for the local retailer.
I’m also not sure why you think it’s up to the States to “get a grip and sort this anomaly out”. It’s not down to the government to tell retailers how much to charge for goods. It’s up to consumers to shop around and avoid retailers taking the micky. This new service has given more power for the consumer to do just that. The market will sort itself out.
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With the continued restrictions on parking and access into St Helier ( can someone please explain why the pavements in Don Street have been wideened ?) the clear message to me is that shoppers are not welcome in St Helier unless what they buy is consumed on, or outside of the premises – e.g. dining Al-Fresco !
I spend practically nothing in St Helier and always prefer to buy out of town where I can park my car for free. The cost of parking, and threat of a £60 fine if you over stay your limit is not exactly inviting!
Ah, use the bus, they say ! Not with a 32″ flat screeen tucked under one arm on the way home!
St Helier seems only to wish to cater for the disabled, who are well provided with ample free parking for their automatic BMW’s & Merc’s, and thouse who simply want to ‘hang around’ and enjoy a drink and a bite.
The high ticket purchases are now bought on line or out of town.
RIP St Helier, with a little help from Jersey Post !!!!!
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