[BUG]: Customer creation fails with VIES VAT ratelimit

[andrasszommer]

Describe the bug
Since the latest 1.16.0 release (but may not be related to the version this way) when I start up a new Lago instance (with multiple already existing customers) everything seems fine until I want to create a new customer.
Once, I try to create a new customer through the API (which may related to the timing after the startup, based on its a ratelimit error) the customer creation fails with Valvat::RateLimitError. Some time later I can create the customer without any problem.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Make several VAT checks (I think the startup process may check the existing customers or something)
2. After that instantly try to create customers through the API
3. Valvat::RateLimitError should throw a 500 error on the customer endpoint

Expected behavior
The VAT check should not be a sync process, instead it should run in the background and should not interfere with the customer creation endpoint.

Additional context

INFO -- : [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] {"method":"POST","path":"/api/v1/customers","format":"json","controller":"Api::V1::CustomersController","action":"create","status":500,"allocations":81407,"duration":430.22,"view":0.0,"db":33.36,"ddsource":"ruby","params":{"customer":{"external_id":"01je6r2hyc1q7bdha5vkpbs2r3","lago_id":null,"slug":null,"address_line1":"Address","address_line2":null,"city":"Berlin","country":"DE","currency":"EUR","email":null,"legal_name":"Example","legal_number":null,"tax_identification_number":"DE111222","logo_url":null,"name":"My Customer","phone":null,"state":null,"timezone":null,"url":null,"zipcode":"11111","metadata":[]}},"organization_id":"8cd18b2a-3a7e-42fa-889b-9e4321642c0f","trace_id":"00000000000000000000000000000000","span_id":"0000000000000000"}
lago-api      | E, [2024-12-03T17:11:28.404414 #21] ERROR -- : [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea]
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] Valvat::RateLimitError (The VIES web service returned the error: MS_MAX_CONCURRENT_REQ):
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea]
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/services/customers/eu_auto_taxes_service.rb:27:in `vies_check'
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/services/customers/eu_auto_taxes_service.rb:15:in `call'
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/services/base_service.rb:151:in `block in call'
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/services/base_service.rb:150:in `call'
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/services/customers/create_service.rb:74:in `block in create_from_api'
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/services/customers/create_service.rb:33:in `create_from_api'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/lib/ruby/3.3.0/net/http.rb:1569:in `start'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/lib/ruby/3.3.0/net/http.rb:2297:in `request'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/net_http/prepend.rb:15:in `block in request'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/net_http/instrumentation.rb:30:in `block (2 levels) in request_with_tracing'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent/tracer.rb:357:in `capture_segment_error'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/net_http/instrumentation.rb:29:in `block in request_with_tracing'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent.rb:655:in `disable_all_tracing'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/net_http/instrumentation.rb:28:in `request_with_tracing'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/newrelic_rpm-9.12.0/lib/new_relic/agent/instrumentation/net_http/prepend.rb:15:in `request'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/sentry-ruby-5.18.2/lib/sentry/net/http.rb:31:in `request'
lago-worker   | /app/lib/lago_http_client/lago_http_client/client.rb:44:in `post_with_response'
lago-worker   | /app/app/services/webhooks/send_http_service.rb:15:in `call'
lago-worker   | /app/app/services/base_service.rb:151:in `block in call'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/opentelemetry-api-1.3.0/lib/opentelemetry/trace/tracer.rb:37:in `block in in_span'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/opentelemetry-api-1.3.0/lib/opentelemetry/trace.rb:70:in `block in with_span'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/opentelemetry-api-1.3.0/lib/opentelemetry/context.rb:87:in `with_value'
lago-api      | [c5f6faa5-adfe-4440-8b8f-7405fd9e04ea] app/controllers/api/v1/customers_controller.rb:8:in `create'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/opentelemetry-api-1.3.0/lib/opentelemetry/trace.rb:70:in `with_span'
lago-worker   | /usr/local/bundle/gems/opentelemetry-api-1.3.0/lib/opentelemetry/trace/tracer.rb:37:in `in_span'
lago-api      | I, [2024-12-03T17:11:29.240956 #21]  INFO -- : [ab3eaf1b-e34a-4553-84aa-92baae1e38c9] {"method":"GET","path":"/health","format":"*/*","controller":"ApplicationController","action":"health","status":200,"allocations":161,"duration":1.43,"view":0.15,"db":0.66,"ddsource":"ruby","params":{},"organization_id":null,"trace_id":"00000000000000000000000000000000","span_id":"0000000000000000"}
lago-worker   | /app/app/services/base_service.rb:150:in `call'
lago-worker   | /app/app/jobs/send_http_webhook_job.rb:5:in `perform'

Version

• Lago: v1.6.0+

[jdenquin]

Hello @andrasszommer

We are aware of it but thanks for catching it!
It's actually a sync call because some users may create invoice directly just after the customer, it may lead to bad VAT being applied (or no VAT at all).

As a very quick fix I would recommend you to catch this error and retry this call when you have this error.