Your argument reminds me of a couple complaining at pre-paid buffet restaurant (not sure if you guys have these in EU, but there's a few places that charge up front in my city). Their model is if people don't like it, they can take their business elsewhere. I'm assuming the owner had dine and dash customers prior, and wanted to play it safe. I'm not saying people try to evade VAT here, but you have to understand from the owner's perspective. Also, a dude above you comments on how they could charge VAT prior to shipping, and I think that's a good too. But at the end of the day, businesses operate in the best of their interest, not the customers'. If you disagree, just take your business elsewhere like the buffet example above, and that will show them. Maybe when they saw the sales drop, they would change their policy. Just my $0.02
The problem is not what is the best interest of the business but of the legality of charging TVA on a product which is not shipped to a different country.
Like I said, VAT can absolutely and should be charged at the time of shipping or be dealt by the shipping company with an invoice, not at the time of purchase.
If you host it for 3 years, you will be out of 20% of the price of the item for 3 years. This money could be invested in another field. If you bought 5 cards, you could have bought 6 instead.
In the meantime, the vendor will have 20% of the price of the item in his books. What happens if the company goes bankrupt ? Do you have to pay VAT another time because the money if not there anymore (if you bought via fpgaland and get it hosted on mineority which are two differents companies)
What happen if mineority goes bankrupt and is unable to ship your card back ? You would have paid 20% more for essentialy nothing.
Do you see the issue ?
All cards are sold out, please deal it with mineority or fpga.land directly! If they are going to change pricing then everyone gets notified by email or smth.