So they’ve ‘launched a Pokémon Center for Germany’, yet shipping still goes from the UK to Germany? So they haven’t opened any new Pokémon Center distribution centers in Germany itself, they simply allowed the existing UK Pokémon Center to ship to specifically Germany.
Might explain why it’s only open in Germany for now, instead of the entirety of Europe. I assume they’re likely trying to find distribution third parties that handle the import fees from the UK to European countries, so the buyers won’t have to deal with that? Which for now is just Germany as a test.
Funny that it travels through The Netherlands, though. But that does make me hopeful that The Netherlands will soon be open for the (UK) Pokémon Center webshop as well.
Still, why not just open a distribution center (aka Pokémon Center) IN Europe itself? Wasn’t that the whole point, so there aren’t any import fees to deal with at all.
I never really understood why the general Pokémon Center webshop (the non-Japanese one), doesn’t simply ship worldwide.. Would have been a lot easier.
Yes, correct. The company doing the fulfillment overall is Global E and they explicitly state that you won’t have to deal with any customs during checkout.
Interestingly enough the GLS tracking for The Netherlands mentions “Smart GL Logistics Limited” as the sender while GLS tracking for Germany notes a former medical company (???) as the sender, their address however is that of the freight forwarding company " Your Cargo Contact". And yes, this also means I have three different tracking numbers (Global E, GLS Netherlands, GLS Germany) for the same parcel. Interesting construct overall, but packages I received from China with the other party using fulfillment companies also had a similar complicated network of involved logistics companies and they worked just fine.
Does TPCi pay 21% VAT when shipping product to Europe from the American print facilities? Or the China plushie factories? That could be part of it, just cost more to do business in Europe
They also have to pay VAT / taxes when shipping to the UK.
Putting a pokemon center in the UK and dismissing they whole EU mainland is something really weird.
It’s not only for Pokemon Center they “ignore” EU, it has been for years they did not have equal standards for game (cardgame) support. And what about the very poor distribution last year of TCG product. The list goes on and I know very very much items never getting to Europe simply because they didn’t want us to get them.
TPCI, I have been fighting for equal things for almost 20 years.
Trying to get the same promocards/items and finally stopped asking about it.
I have been around from the start and have seen to much.
Food for thought, but if you can print/fabric an item inside the EU you can also sell it. No brainer. If it forfills the laws to be produced it can be sold.
vat is something that has to be paid if its imported or made in Europe. so it doesn’t matter. its the same as sales tax in america
Pokemon has a new factory running in the Netherlands. printing for Europe only. America has/will stop printing for Europe. before the hits would be printed in America. flown in and packed in the Netherlands. now they print it all here.
tpci exports it to Europe. they pay 21%, they can get the vat back because Pokemon UK probably buys it. so its 0. when they sell it, the buyers pays the vat. and Pokemon send it to the government.
tpci sells it without vat to UK, Pokemon UK pays the import. pays the vat and import tax. they get a refund on the vat paid on import. and when sold they pay it.
but from what I know. the future elite trainer boxes/center boxes. will be printed in the Netherlands. and America will do it for America obv.
I know but most stuff was printed in the us recent years. I think from 151 on it moved more and more towards the Netherlands. from the looks of it Belgium isn’t used anymore. millennium has a company near Rotterdam. they recently moved to a new building 10x the space they had now.
Which for now is just Germany as a test.
But that does make me hopeful that The Netherlands will soon be open for the (UK) Pokémon Center webshop as well. 
