So what about all those non compliant ROHS watches on Ebay?

For your later comment, I don't think this has anything to do with ROHS. I've been shipping old watches to Germany and lately they are ALL getting held up in customs because they are opening them up and checking for invoices inside to make sure they are the same amount as the declaration.

That's my understanding. Well, you can *ship* them... I ran across something on enforcement that implied they were going to be going after high volume consumer items first off.

Dunno about that. I've had stuff sitting waiting in Altena Germany for over a week because some minor detail of the paperwork wasn't in order. Presumably those officials are doing something. German for city hall is "rathaus".

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

I'm afraid it does.

I do recall hearing that the 'relevant authorities' were asked about this issue since you're surely not the only one with lead times and compliant parts have been in short supply even, but the story I heard was that 'officially' you have to scrap all non-compliant product !

In short, the politicians and their lackeys haven't a clue about the real world.

I have a friend whose company had completed unsold product so they formed a new 'sales company' to take on the old stock from their first one so as to show that the goods were 'in the supply chain' before 1 July.

Well........ AFAIK nothing much happened after the CE business ( certainly in the UK ) so I expect non-compliant product will continue to be shipped. Or do they expect companies to voluntarily liquidate to uphold RoHS ? Do the politicians actually think it would stop ? Yet another nail in the coffin of European industry though, since they'll have to bear the cost of compliance whilst only 'respectable' foreign competition will bother of course.

Graham

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I've had to change out a number of parts from foreign suppliers (be they US or European non-EU) as they can't ship me the old parts any more. That's been somewhat painful as the new parts are not 100% form, fit function compatible. Although I get an exemption (automotive) on most of my products that means nothing if I can't get the parts.

On the cost, there was an article (Times, I think) a couple of weeks back estimating that the RoHS directive would push electronics prices up by an average of 5%. Personally I think that's a low estimate.

PeteS

That might be because the sales tax there is very high. 16%, and now they have decided on a tax hike and will change it to 19%. Ouch. AFAIR it is called "Einfuhrumsatzsteuer" when it's levied on imports.

Hello Spehro,

The rivals are burdened the same since they collect the sales tax at customs when stuff goes to end users.

Yes, and if there is no invoice (in addition to the signed declaration) they seem to hang onto the goods and wait for the intended recipient (a company in this case) to contact *them*. Even with a matching invoice on the outside of the package, there have been extraordinary delays.

It's not really any net money for them when it's sent to a substantial company, the tax is rebated for VAT registrants AFAIUI, and there is little or no tariffs on this sort of thing, so I don't see why they are bothering except to harass importers. With consumers, it is net tax and I guess they don't want their captive market consorting with lesser burdened rivals.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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You're not alone. Even though the military have an exemption that allows them still to use lead - they've had the same trouble sourcing all the parts they want too !

The Chinese companies I was dealing with had estimates in the 10-20% range !

Graham

I know, but if they didn't bother with collecting every bit of the tax (say on packages worth less than a certain amount), it would not be the same.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

"Spehro Pefhany" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

When I buy stuff in China or Taiwan, some sellers think they help me with putting fraudulent invoices on them, with extreme low values. It only causes me trouble - I have to deliver some proof to the customs office about what I actually payed. Of course it makes no difference, VAT is rebated anyway and import tariffs aren't that high.

But some people pretend they are an actual company, thinking up a nice sounding name etc. That plus a fraudulent invoice increases the chance of not paying the 19% sales tax here, and perhaps another 3-4 percent import tax. Most of it slips thru, but sometimes they pick a parcel and turn it inside out and upside down.

The worst is merchandize being send through the postal services. They have to handle parcels from many different countries, all with different and often unreadable forms. UPS, DHL and Fedex goes a lot smoother, because they use standard forms worldwide, all alike.

Hello Spehro,

It's been a long time but IIRC they do. When I bought even small things from overseas while in Germany the sales tax had to be squared away or they wouldn't release it.

Hello Graham,

And that does not include the increase in warranty overhead for premature failures.

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Did the 5% price increase consider the extra energy cost incurred by the higher temps (approx 37 Deg) by the use of SAC solder?

And, if the lead-free solder turns out to be a bummer, for tin whiskers, tin pest, or some other yet-to-be-identified problem, what will the cost of rework, replacement, etc, ?

And which group of Euro-Crats might accept reponsibility?

Barry Lennox

Now that the deadline has passed, have the affected companies all increased their retail prices by 10-20% ?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Items made before 1Jul can be sold until the stock runs out. Items made after then "must" be compliant for sale in the EU and any other country that blindingly followed like dumb sheep.

Where did you come across that snippet of info ? It's quite the reverse of what the bureaucrats were once saying !

So that doesn't really help if it's a sub-assembly that's non-compliant that you want to use after July 1. Of course you could always ignore the lead police and I expect there'll be plenty of that going on.

It'l be interesting to hear about the wailing and gnashing of teeth when the early failures prove to be even less green when ppl have to throw away what would otherwise be perfectly functional equipment.

Graham

Expect to see those 2 or 3 year warranties rapidly withdrawn !

Graham

In the current market ? You're kidding. Just another cost to be absorbed but I guess it'll have to work through in time.

Graham

Hello Graham,

I expect worse, whole companies rapidly withdrawn (from the market).

This whole thing is as poorly researched and prepared as the dreaded 1.6 gallons per flush toilets here. Yes, US bureacrats can do such things as well, just not quite as bad as RoHS. Anyhow, those toilets typically plain don't work. Nobdoy wants to be a four-flusher but most people have to flush 2-3 times before, well, you know. The water savings versus an old 3-gallon unit are probaly zilch or negative but the law's the law.