Custom Duties on CW purchase

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jkbarnes
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by jkbarnes »

rkovars wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:14 pm My new Super Compressor that my wife got me for my birthday got hung up. She told me after the fact that she had a really hard time... If it happened to me I could sort it out but she was very close to getting the watch sent back because she didn't know what to do.
It was my wife who bought me my first CW. Thank god it came in below the limit because she would have gone nuts trying to deal with sorting out the customs duties and associated fees.

This was before CW started using DHL for shipments to the US. My understanding is that customs duties hadn't been much of an issue until DHL became the default shipper?
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by ajax87 »

I wish I understood customs duties a little better. I did some research, but it’s so convoluted I gave up after a while. I didn’t have any issue with DHL this time either but the customs duty on the C65 SC was $86, whereas the duty on the Abyss I bought a couple months ago was $42. The C65 retails for only 8% more, so how is the customs duty 105% higher?

Not expecting an answer, it’s just that the C65 SC is such a superb watch I had to find SOMETHING to complain about :lol:
Alex
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by rkovars »

I'm wondering if the exhibition case back has an effect in the cost. Only reason I say that is because one of the questions DHL asked was 'how many crystals did the watch have?' (my SC got held up in customs). The schedule is supremely opaque and somewhat subjective. I can see how you could end up with different charges for the same watch depending on which examiner happened to look at it that day.

It is just as bad for many other goods like electronics etc. You know it is bad when there is an entire industry built around interpreting the rules.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by JAFO »

Going the other way, when I've bought from jomashop they put the dollar value of the goods on the outside. I think they should include carriage but they don't. UK post charge 20% of whatever conversion they use as sales tax, plus £8 admin. I have never had a package opened. Occasionally I have not been charged. The no charge zone is just £15 so any decent watch gets caught. It would be great to have £500 ($800) tax free, but no chance in the UK, unfortunately. Do US authorities open packages?
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by rkovars »

JAFO wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 6:16 pm Do US authorities open packages?
They do but not always. It is more of a spot check or if they don't think the forms are accurate.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by redmonaco »

Never had a problem with NN watches. They all were "As New" :0)
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by JohnF »

Hello all. I am new to the forum. Thinking about getting the Elite GMT 1000 direct from CW. As far as custom charges. I recently bought a watch over $800 from an AD in Switzerland. The Bondage Storage fee was $62. Total charges was $134. The AD accidentally forgot to include that watch breakdown form. And supplied customs with that information. He refunded me the $62. I paid the rest.

I bought a few watches over $800 before from overseas. I paid nothing. DHL was not the shipper. Fedex and EMS were.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by Ukyo »

Just checking in and as from other's past experiences including mine, it appears DHL is the only one asking for duties when FedEx isn't. At least not in the U.S.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

I'm in the "clearance event" mode as we speak on getting a watch delivered to the States. They (DHL) asked me to fill out the Watch/Clock Worksheet today. Pretty odd to ask the receiver of the watch to value the movement, case and strap but I did the best I could based on some internet searches. Expecting to get hit with a substantial DHL bill at the end of this. Knew this was a possibility going in but was hoping it might slip through. Oh well...
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by albionphoto »

MichaelMD wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 7:49 pm I'm in the "clearance event" mode as we speak on getting a watch delivered to the States. They (DHL) asked me to fill out the Watch/Clock Worksheet today. Pretty odd to ask the receiver of the watch to value the movement, case and strap but I did the best I could based on some internet searches. Expecting to get hit with a substantial DHL bill at the end of this. Knew this was a possibility going in but was hoping it might slip through. Oh well...
If this happens it's better to contact CW customer service by phone and have them sort it out. They will involve the CW logistics team. This happened with my C60 BLUE LE at the end of the year. The risk is that you won't get the notification from DHL in time to catch the CW customer service team before the end of their day. If this goes on to long you may end up paying bonded storage fees as well as US excise duty. If you fill out the form yourself you may end up being charged more than the proper amount.
This still doesn't work as well for watches to the US as it should and DHL and their US customer notifications are part of the problem. I think CW were trying to implement an upfront US Customs charge feature. I wish they would as it would make buying CW watches in the US much easier.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by A1soknownas »

albionphoto wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:22 pm I think CW were trying to implement an upfront US Customs charge feature. I wish they would as it would make buying CW watches in the US much easier.
Mike France said that CW would be one of the first 50 retailers and only watchmaker in the WORLD! who has a website that can deal with all duty and local taxes at the point of checkout, particularly useful for the US market. It will be clear and payable in one transaction meaning that the customer does not have to deal with any other cost including those valued over $800. Was to be in place by September 2020...

Maybe around the corner...!
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

albionphoto wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:22 pm
MichaelMD wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 7:49 pm I'm in the "clearance event" mode as we speak on getting a watch delivered to the States. They (DHL) asked me to fill out the Watch/Clock Worksheet today. Pretty odd to ask the receiver of the watch to value the movement, case and strap but I did the best I could based on some internet searches. Expecting to get hit with a substantial DHL bill at the end of this. Knew this was a possibility going in but was hoping it might slip through. Oh well...
If this happens it's better to contact CW customer service by phone and have them sort it out. They will involve the CW logistics team. This happened with my C60 BLUE LE at the end of the year. The risk is that you won't get the notification from DHL in time to catch the CW customer service team before the end of their day. If this goes on to long you may end up paying bonded storage fees as well as US excise duty. If you fill out the form yourself you may end up being charged more than the proper amount.
This still doesn't work as well for watches to the US as it should and DHL and their US customer notifications are part of the problem. I think CW were trying to implement an upfront US Customs charge feature. I wish they would as it would make buying CW watches in the US much easier.
I went with the second option and filled it out myself. The risk of paying the bonded fees outweighed the possibility of paying a little more in taxes. But in the end I may have to pay both. We'll see. Didn't want to keep DHL waiting and I was able to find a couple examples online on the rough breakdown in costs of movement vs case vs strap so I went with that. Fingers crossed...
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

A1soknownas wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:54 pm
albionphoto wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:22 pm I think CW were trying to implement an upfront US Customs charge feature. I wish they would as it would make buying CW watches in the US much easier.
Mike France said that CW would be one of the first 50 retailers and only watchmaker in the WORLD! who has a website that can deal with all duty and local taxes at the point of checkout, particularly useful for the US market. It will be clear and payable in one transaction meaning that the customer does not have to deal with any other cost including those valued over $800. Was to be in place by September 2020...

Maybe around the corner...!
I would love to see that but I also can understand that it must be incredibly difficult and expensive to have a system like this Tariffs and tax laws change all the time and there are probably hundreds of different tax districts and rates in the U.S. alone. Must be a huge undertaking to try to put this together. It would be great to have for sure.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by ajax87 »

MichaelMD wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:11 pm
albionphoto wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:22 pm
MichaelMD wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 7:49 pm I'm in the "clearance event" mode as we speak on getting a watch delivered to the States. They (DHL) asked me to fill out the Watch/Clock Worksheet today. Pretty odd to ask the receiver of the watch to value the movement, case and strap but I did the best I could based on some internet searches. Expecting to get hit with a substantial DHL bill at the end of this. Knew this was a possibility going in but was hoping it might slip through. Oh well...
If this happens it's better to contact CW customer service by phone and have them sort it out. They will involve the CW logistics team. This happened with my C60 BLUE LE at the end of the year. The risk is that you won't get the notification from DHL in time to catch the CW customer service team before the end of their day. If this goes on to long you may end up paying bonded storage fees as well as US excise duty. If you fill out the form yourself you may end up being charged more than the proper amount.
This still doesn't work as well for watches to the US as it should and DHL and their US customer notifications are part of the problem. I think CW were trying to implement an upfront US Customs charge feature. I wish they would as it would make buying CW watches in the US much easier.
I went with the second option and filled it out myself. The risk of paying the bonded fees outweighed the possibility of paying a little more in taxes. But in the end I may have to pay both. We'll see. Didn't want to keep DHL waiting and I was able to find a couple examples online on the rough breakdown in costs of movement vs case vs strap so I went with that. Fingers crossed...
I’m curious how it’ll work out for you. If you don’t mind, could you report back what your customs duty fee turns out to be? If I recall, you ordered a C1 Worldglow, correct? I just took delivery of a C1 Moonglow which is pretty much the same construction and price point, and paid a duty fee of $136.
Alex
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

ajax87 wrote:
MichaelMD wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:11 pm
albionphoto wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:22 pm If this happens it's better to contact CW customer service by phone and have them sort it out. They will involve the CW logistics team. This happened with my C60 BLUE LE at the end of the year. The risk is that you won't get the notification from DHL in time to catch the CW customer service team before the end of their day. If this goes on to long you may end up paying bonded storage fees as well as US excise duty. If you fill out the form yourself you may end up being charged more than the proper amount.
This still doesn't work as well for watches to the US as it should and DHL and their US customer notifications are part of the problem. I think CW were trying to implement an upfront US Customs charge feature. I wish they would as it would make buying CW watches in the US much easier.
I went with the second option and filled it out myself. The risk of paying the bonded fees outweighed the possibility of paying a little more in taxes. But in the end I may have to pay both. We'll see. Didn't want to keep DHL waiting and I was able to find a couple examples online on the rough breakdown in costs of movement vs case vs strap so I went with that. Fingers crossed...
I’m curious how it’ll work out for you. If you don’t mind, could you report back what your customs duty fee turns out to be? If I recall, you ordered a C1 Worldglow, correct? I just took delivery of a C1 Moonglow which is pretty much the same construction and price point, and paid a duty fee of $136.
Yep, will do

What I don't get is why DHL didn't have the sheet that's included with all that information. So if I get hit with one of those bonded storage fees I'm gonna have some words with the CW customer service folks.

By the way a friend of mine got the red/blue GMT a year or so ago and paid the exact same amount you did, like to the dollar. Yet that watch is like 30% or so cheaper. Doesn't make any sense

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