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How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

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Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#281

Post by gpjanik »

mns wrote: post #241
mstaoru wrote: post #190

I don't know if this EU regulation will work or not (most likely not), but I can share how it is done in China (where package volume is orders of magnitude higher). China identifies "choke points" most packages pass: large platforms and logistics companies. Yes, Chinese e-commerce is more centralized on Alibaba/JD/PDD etc, but there are actually much more logistics companies in China than in EU. They also do not intr…

> They also do not introduce these regulations "from tomorrow" This wasn't introduced "from tomorrow", people had 1 year and a half to prepare for this (at least) or to protest this. See some comments below how individual countries actually messed this up. > But of course EU is fundamentally different in a way that the politicians need to please the electorate, so nothing is really planned ahead. > I don't know if th…

"people had 1 year to protest this" this is terminal stage subjugation to bureaucrats

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#282

Post by whywhywhywhy »

rescbr wrote: post #135
alephnerd wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bigger issue in OP's case is they are dependent on de minimis . The de minimis crackdown [0] and EPR [1] are both being rolled out because Chinese conglomerates like Pinduoduo (Temu) and SHEIN took undue advantage of that while ignoring European regulators on issues such as environmental regulations on packaging [2], dark patterns [2], breaching the Digital Services Act [3], and gacha/addictive engagement mechani…

The issue is that those marketplaces got too mainstream, and the average consumer is too stupid. 10-15 years ago if you were importing stuff from China you'd know that the trade off for cheaper prices is that you'd lose your consumer laws protection and you'd be on your own. If you wanted those, then you'd go to your local retailer and pay extra.

Means nothing though because no European country can produce the goods an impoverished European can afford to pay for the goods so the local store is just the same Chinese goods shipped to that address other than your home address.

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#284

Post by philipallstar »

radicalbyte wrote: post #244
bambax wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. I used to sell objects on Amazon in Europe. You can sell from just one country, but then each sale outside of that country is an "export" that triggers high fees. For sales to be "local", products need to be stored in warehouses in each country. But that in turn means the owner of said products (the seller) has to be registered for VAT in that country, and submitting annual reports in each country's language. I…

Having worked on the inside: this is by design. You know for 100% that Pepsico and Coca Cola unleashed an army of lobbyists to make sure the laws were written in a way where the single market only worked for large business.

Lobbyists don't do this. Regulators/lawmakers need to be corrupt and/or incompetent for lobbying to do this.

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#285

Post by visarga »

logseman wrote: post #254
rescbr wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue is that those marketplaces got too mainstream, and the average consumer is too stupid. 10-15 years ago if you were importing stuff from China you'd know that the trade off for cheaper prices is that you'd lose your consumer laws protection and you'd be on your own. If you wanted those, then you'd go to your local retailer and pay extra.

And then everyone started doing it, which meant that your local retailer isn't in business anymore (see local high streets in many countries). The choice you had 10-15 years ago doesn't exist anymore because everyone went for the cheaper price, and now the question is where the extra goes that we used to pay to the local retailer.

AliExpress and Temu would refund you if you complained about a delivery. Zero risk.

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#286

Post by fallingbananna »

mstaoru wrote: post #190

I don't know if this EU regulation will work or not (most likely not), but I can share how it is done in China (where package volume is orders of magnitude higher). China identifies "choke points" most packages pass: large platforms and logistics companies. Yes, Chinese e-commerce is more centralized on Alibaba/JD/PDD etc, but there are actually much more logistics companies in China than in EU. They also do not intr…

>Could EU just ask DHL/Hermes/whatever to charge an additional €1 "for recycling"? Yes, but...

Within EU we already pay ~€3 for packages from China. And in Austria we will soon pay additional ~€2 for every delivered package. And 20% VAT.

Edit:

I am pretty sure at least some part of these already contribute towards recycling.

The goal here is likely not just to get more funding for recycling, but rather to use materials that can be recycled in the first place. Which you cannot achieve simply by charging businesses or consumers more.

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#287

Post by philipallstar »

dragochat wrote: post #120
philipallstar wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regulatory capture doesn't exist. Only corrupt and/or incompetent regulators.

all people are somewhat corrupt or incompentent. that's why it only makes sense so think in broader terms, and a broader level regulatory capture absolutely exists. the problem is that to solve regulatory capture in the EU parts of governments would have so go to war against corporations on the part of SMBs. but... governments in Europe de facto don't even recognize the right to exist of SMBs, basically _nothin_ of t…

It seems odd to blame lobbying (which you could also "rule of the universe" out of existence by saying everyone lobbies to some extent) when you seem to actually be blaming EU governments for being so hostile to SMBs.

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#289

Post by tietjens »

ahartmetz wrote: post #209
tietjens wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very interesting! Also, I would trade Aldi for Carrefour in less than a second.

They aren't in the same category of supermarket though. Anyway, your name sounds Dutch. Please bring Albert Heijn to Germany. I'm not even sure why, but it's my favorite supermarket I've been to so far.

That's true. I'd trade Lidl for Carrefour then. I like Albert Heijn too. It's like a successful mix of the grocery store tiers.

Re: How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs

#290

Post by runarberg »

Urahandystar wrote: post #226
runarberg wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am from Europe and I think this complaint is misplaced. Europe is currently speeding towards neo-liberalism at lightspeed and shows no sign of slowing down. The beneficiaries are primarily the CEOs and big corporations. The workers are certainly not the ones benefiting from the status quo, especially if you look at the stripping down of consumer protection which is starting to look like completely absent in the con…

Workers need businesses or their is no work. Favouring smaller enterprenuers get more workers.

Businesses need workers a lot more then workers need businesses. And Europes whole deal is to shift this power imbalance in favor of the the businesses. This has to stop.
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