Chris Horn, co-founder, former CEO and chairman of technology middleware business IONA Technologies, has warned Irish consumers exactly how a no-deal Brexit will impact their Christmas shopping.
Writing for the Irish Times, Horn warned that the impact will be seen as soon as 1 November rolls in, particularly at An Post.
Major Delays
“An Post handles about 14 million parcels from the UK to the Republic per year, and about 10 million from non-EU countries into the State,” Horn said.
“From November 1st, all of these UK parcels would have to be treated as originating from outside of the EU.”
He explained that non-EU parcels require additional checks for paperwork and tariffs.
“Products ordered online from outside of the EU naturally require more time to inspect, certify and tax,” he continued.
“Shipment delays from the UK may become much longer than the current just a day or two.”
In addition to this, Horn drew attention to a comment from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, Heather Humphreys.
The two warned earlier this week that UK retailers may no longer honour the 14 day grace period during which goods may be returned to a vendor, which has been granted by the EU Consumer Rights Directive.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
