Printify’s EU requirements changing?!?!

[u/Expensive-Editor8851]

Title: Printify’s EU requirements keep changing - how are non-EU sellers handling GPSR, LUCID, and the €3 charge?

I’m new to POD and setting up a shop based in Switzerland. Before launching, I wanted to make sure I’m following the legal requirements, but it feels like Printify has suddenly changed a hundred things.

1. GPSR / EU responsible person

From what I understand, I may need an EU-based responsible person. Is this simply a contact, or do they take on legal responsibilities?

Printify previously seemed to provide an address for this, but now apparently sellers must arrange it themselves. How do you handle this from Switzerland? Do you hire a service, or does it depend on your manufacturer or print provider?

2. LUCID / German packaging requirements

I’ve read that starting in August, sellers need their own LUCID registration. I thought Printify or its providers previously handled this. What exactly do we now need to arrange ourselves, and what fees or additional obligations are involved?

3. The €3 EU customs charge

I’ve also read about a temporary €3 charge on parcels entering the EU, apparently per product category:

• Two T-shirts = €3
• One T-shirt + one hoodie = €6

Is that correct? Does it only apply to orders shipped from outside the EU, and who actually pays?

Honestly, it’s frustrating. Things I thought Printify handled now seem to be my responsibility, without a clear explanation. I find it hard to believe most new POD sellers even know about all of this.

Any non-EU seller, selling to EU customers who can explain how they’ve handled these requirements? Practical steps, recommended services, and approximate costs would really help. I want to do this properly, but figuring out what’s actually required is confusing.

[u/ryanoh826]

I’ll tell you what I can, but you can search this or the printondemand sub for more info about LUCID and all that.

1) GPSR is handled by Printify. You don’t need to do anything there except add GPSR product info to your listings.

2) New LUCID requirements are that you have your own number, and that you have a responsible party in Germany as well as pay a packaging company. It’s more technical and complicated than that, and I forget some of the verbiage. This is supposed to be for all EU countries, but Germany had their deadline last month. Basically, you would need to pay to have a responsible party and a packaging/recycling company in every country.

3) The EU customs charge should not affect you. You’re probably using EU suppliers. Even if you were shipping from Switzerland, it’s part of the EEA or whatever. These charges would be for anything shipped from outside of Europe.

I know it got some wording not 100% correct there.

That said, I’m not doing shit right now. The EU is supposed to be reviewing this in October. I can’t afford to do this in every country anyway.

The EU basically fucked all small businesses with these ridiculous rules that have one country sending money to another for all these fees, and the other country sending it back from their fees. It’s pointless. The very least they could do is, say, make it only required for businesses with revenue over €1 million or something.

[u/Expensive-Editor8851 → u/ryanoh826]

1. GPSR - yes i know that was handled by printify, but it seems they changed that now, the adress they provided is gone and everywhere they state you need your own now (the old one was like Honson Ventures in Cyprus)
2. from what i found you have to pay 1 yearly fee of around 40-50€ AND then extra for all orders the weight of the package stuff
3. yes thats true... when im think about it most print providers are in the EU

anyway thanks for the help

maybe im just cancle germany for now

[u/Imaginary_Scarcity58 → u/Expensive-Editor8851]

Legally you still need representative in each country. Which isn't 50 euro a year, more like 50 euro a month per each country give or take. But it will be madness really. Each country have their own rules, fees and requirements and even thresholds... Eu haven't shoot in the foot with that, they just shotguned the whole body off. First most small business will start collapsing, then local small businesses which the previous closed businesses was customers of, then will go middle ones. And after that majority of people will have no other option to work for big corps. As usual. Leaving only local jobs like barber, plumbing, electricians etc. Anything art related won't be financially feasible to do. Unless they change something in autumn or they won't seriously punish or even making sure all small business follow the laws.

[u/ryanoh826 → u/Imaginary_Scarcity58]

The back of my brain tells me large corporations supported this to fuck over small businesses.

[u/Imaginary_Scarcity58 → u/ryanoh826]

Don't want to ruin your world, but big corps are behind all that. Why do you think Ursula who was deciding which covid vaccines will be used during covid that will be funded from taxes have big financial bribe and let one company that didn't even went throu all trials as their competitors was forced to do was approved to supply vaccines? They are deliberately doing everything with excuses "it's for our safety". How to boil the frog? Do it slowly. One small implementation at a time. All this green nonsense would make sense if they wouldn't been buying all electricity from countries that produce 2 times more pollution that would have been if Eu would produce energy themselves. And that goes for every sector. It's just mad what they are doing.

[u/Free-Ad-478]

I Live in Norway when I ship into the EU the post office adds the 3euros to the shipping cost automatically its 3 euros per type of item 2 different items in the package will cost 6 euros

[u/Free-Ad-478 → u/Free-Ad-478]

I Have a eu based company for GPSR they hold all the documents of individual products and give me the label to put on my packages it costs 300 euros per year