FSAddon European sales will stop

[Francois]

Dear customers, dear flightsim friends,

due to some new and incredibly stupid regulations pressed upon us by the European Commission, it is now impossible for me personally to continue digital sales in Europe. The new VAT regulations are so complex and time consuming that it is impossible for small companies with a limited budget and even more limited time to adhere to them.

I am sorry for you, for my authors, and for myself. I worked 10 years to set up a means to make some money for us all and provide you with stellar Flight Simulation products and sell them in my OWN little shop, so I could accompany the products with stellar support and the occasional ‘freebie’ ! Alas, our politicians and tax bureaucrats have decided that they will rather have people go to welfare and spend tax payers money than to work hard and make an honest buck.

I will also take the MAIN WEBSITE off-line and switch to the new one. Unfortunately I can NOT take the current forum along. I have tried, but it is technically too hard. On the new webshop I will only sell DVD’s internationally (these are exempt so far from the new VAT rules…… not for long probably) and downloads to NON-EU customers !

Our FSAddon products for DOWNLOAD can still be found on simMarket.com, Aerosoft.com and FSPilotshop.com

The new shop will be here: http://fsaddon-publishing.myshopify.com/
The new website is here: http://fssupport.com/fsaddon/

These URL’s may change yet over the next weeks……

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you and thank you for sticking with us all these years !

Francois

[PHo17]

Dear customers, dear flightsim friends,

due to some new and incredibly stupid regulations pressed upon us by the European Commission, it is now impossible for me personally to continue digital sales in Europe. The new VAT regulations are so complex and time consuming that it is impossible for small companies with a limited budget and even more limited time to adhere to them.
...

I am sorry for you and us - customers to hear that. I couldn't more agree with you that European Union is consistent with it's "lose - lose" politics. One actual example being these Russian sanctions. Everybody lose not least my own country Finland. It is more or less like shooting own leg.

Almost every morning when I open my morning's newspaper I can read of these stupid regulations that highly payed EU officials have invented. Today's news was that because of a in 2010 announced directive Finnish museum authorieties ware forced to reveal in public all coordinates of the known wrecks in our sees. By today many of them has been robbed. For what we need this kind of Union?

Pekka

[roger-wilco-66]

Hi Francois,

this is shocking, I'm really sorry to read this. These over-regulations are getting worse every year.

Maybe you should have moved to Barbados (...) and set up a global FSADDON shop there??


Cheers,
Mark

[Dumonceau]

François,

Wouldn't it be able for us EU citizens to buy online from you through a proxy or the Tor network?

I mean, if my IP address is one from Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia, there would be no problem, is that correct?

Cheers,

Dumonceau

[gray eagle]

François,

Wouldn't it be able for us EU citizens to buy online from you through a proxy or the Tor network?

I mean, if my IP address is one from Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia, there would be no problem, is that correct?

Cheers,

Dumonceau


I dunno, have you read this article? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12...ity_pet_hates/

to quote for the article "Very naughty people use Tor" bear in mind, not my words but a quote from the article......

[Roger]

Sorry to hear this Francois! yet again the Eu blunders with bureaucracy.

[roger-wilco-66]

Just hiding the IP-adress won't cut it. You have to fake your whole identity (and subsequently risk loosing your customer rights).
That also might put the seller in harms way if some tax MIB show up and probe the sales figures.


Cheers,
Mark

[dougal]

Ain't you just gotta love the bleepin Eurocrats Sorry to hear that Francois, I know how hard you work too.

[JensOle]

Sorry to hear this. I'm from the "No" country Norway and this is another typical reason for not joining... The EU is killing its population with bureaucracy.. Sadly for Norway we are taking on most of the rules and regulations even if we are not a member nation to be compatible and due to the EFTA agreement..

[Bjoern]

The EU is killing its population with bureaucracy..

Yes, the streets are clogged with piles of bodies!

[Francois]

Part of the new regulations is that companies are FORCED to not only REGISTER all customer details (which in my view is against quite a number of privacy laws from the same EU), but they also need to PROVE the location and correctness of those customers !! That is one of the reasons I cannot comply.... I don't have the time, nor the means to do such things.

And it is rumoured that the same laws will come into effect in 2016 for ALL goods (so not only digital downloads as it is now). That will stop ALL of my direct sales to Europe, including DVD's.

[stovall]

Hopefully Europe is not using the U.S. as an example in bureaucracy. We definitely know how to create bureaucracy. Not sure I completely understand the problem. Using the Internet, only people outside Europe can buy your creations? Hard to understand why government would want to suppress sales that only bring in monetary gain for them in the form of taxes. The world is getting very complex.

[mal998]

Geez,
When are people going to learn that they hold the power, the power of the vote. If they don't like what the bleepin' politicans are doing they can kick the fools out on their arses!

[DaveB]

Geez,
When are people going to learn that they hold the power, the power of the vote. If they don't like what the bleepin' politicans are doing they can kick the fools out on their arses!

I'm not quite sure how that would work mate. When the EEC was originally formed (the European Economic Community).. the idea was sound. Unfortunately, the EEC 'as was' is all but gone and has morphed into what we now know as the EU which is something completely different. One thing is for sure.. the EU seems to cause more problems than it solves!

ATB
DaveB

[huub vink]

Sorry to hear this Francois. But at least we are still able to purchase your nice products.

And a gentle reminder; please do not turn this in discussion about the European Union, politicians and/or bureaucrats. This is a forum to discuss FSX related subject, lets limit to that.

Thanks,
Huub

[Francois]

I only explained that I will stop selling download products to EU customers and why. Basically, I can no longer afford it because of the exorbitant administrative and financial burden laid upon me. No discussion with people here...... although I AM discussing with politicians and their 'executives'....

[Dumonceau]

Part of the new regulations is that companies are FORCED to not only REGISTER all customer details (which in my view is against quite a number of privacy laws from the same EU), but they also need to PROVE the location and correctness of those customers !! That is one of the reasons I cannot comply.... I don't have the time, nor the means to do such things.

And it is rumoured that the same laws will come into effect in 2016 for ALL goods (so not only digital downloads as it is now). That will stop ALL of my direct sales to Europe, including DVD's.

François,

Given the fact that all your sales are registered on your site, wouldn't a "dump" of the database be enough? The proof on location of those same customers is in their IP addresses which can be logged quite easily in the same database.

Surely you are not responsible for the surfing "behaviour" of those customers?

Also, seeing that the new rules are focussed on VAT, and the fact that us EU citicens pay VAT when buying from your site, if you would just pay the VAT to the state administration where you live, AND provide those details in your database, you should be ok, not??

Dumonceau

[DaveB]

But at least we are still able to purchase your nice products.

Yes.. that's the main thing Your re-sellers are already geared up for VAT and while I understand your 'cut' will be diminished publishing via them.. it will be something for you and the team and we still get our hands on the goods.

ATB
DaveB

[Mickey D]

Yes.. that's the main thing Your re-sellers are already geared up for VAT and while I understand your 'cut' will be diminished publishing via them.. it will be something for you and the team and we still get our hands on the goods.

ATB
DaveB

Yup. https://www.gov.uk/government/public...vate-consumers is quite clear. Final paragraph

"Digital portals, platforms, gateways and marketplaces

If you supply e-services to consumers through an internet portal, gateway or marketplace, you need to determine whether you are making the supply to the consumer or to the platform operator. If the platform operator identifies you as the seller but sets the general terms and conditions, or authorises payment, or handles delivery/download of the digital service, the platform is considered to be supplying the consumer. They are therefore responsible for accounting for the VAT payment that is charged to the consumer."

It's the portal's responsibility to charge VAT. But I can see sales to any EU country ceasing. But hey ho there's the rest of the world. With luck Britain will be on her way out come May.

[DaveKDEN]

The slow ever enveloping creep of Socialism. Before you know it, you don't have any freedoms left.

[Naismith]

The slow ever enveloping creep of Socialism. Before you know it, you don't have any freedoms left.

Actually it is the complete opposite of Socialism.

[DaveKDEN]

Actually it is the complete opposite of Socialism.

You're joking right? The overwhelming evidence throughout history is the more power given to government, the less freedom the individual has. I think you need to re-examine the definition of Socialism as it's been PRACTICED in our times, vs. how it's been sold to you by liberal professors that permeate Universities. Government control and eventual state ownership of the ways and means of production and distribution of goods and services. Doesn't sound like individual freedom to me.

Undergrad in Political Science 1987, Masters in Public Administration 1995.

One of the best quotes ever - and it sums it up in one sentence:

"The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money" - Margaret Thatcher

[Dangerousdave26]

You're joking right?

...And the topic of discussion here is FSAddon selling products in Europe not any other Political discussions.

Leave them at the door when entering SOH.

[Francois]

".... Also, seeing that the new rules are focussed on VAT, and the fact that us EU citicens pay VAT when buying from your site, if you would just pay the VAT to the state administration where you live, AND provide those details in your database, you should be ok, not?? ...".

I'm afraid it is more complicate than that. With the new rules I need to calculate 75 different tax rates depending on where a customer lives and what he buys...... 29 rates at the very minimum. My current shop software can only calculate 3, and I cannot change that.

But in addition I need to be able to show TWO bits of proof regarding every customer's location, his/her full credentials and address, IP address and all order details.

I need to do this twice. Once for the regular VAT for citizens of my own country, and then once for all other EU customers separately.

Furthermore I have only 20 days (was 30) to report after end of quarter, I need to have a special permit for it AND I need to keep all records for 10 years.

Folks, it is just TOO MUCH bother for those very few Euros I make with this, believe me. I just turned 62, I want a life... for what's left of it, and have some fun! Ideally I'd love to USE FS a little myself the next few years, too.....

[Bushpounder]

I am so sorry to hear this, my old friend. This has been your life. But this is only for European sales, correct? Can't you still develop and market the items through other FS outlets to remain in the game?

Don