Custom Duties on CW purchase

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albionphoto
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by albionphoto »

It's not entirely clear to me where the failure occurs. I assume it is with DHL/US customs. CW Customer service can sort it out very quickly once they are alerted to the problem. I have seen a post somewhere on here where CW were going to refund the bonded storage fees but I have no idea what the outcome was.
As an aside, I bought a C60 BLUE LE and bracelet at the end of last year. The total was about $1200. The DHL fee and excise duty was in the region of $80. ABout half of that was the DHL fee.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »


albionphoto wrote:It's not entirely clear to me where the failure occurs. I assume it is with DHL/US customs. CW Customer service can sort it out very quickly once they are alerted to the problem.
That's a pretty fair assumption.

I'm confident that, with the number of packages CW ship to the USA, they have systems in place to ensure the correct paperwork goes with each package.

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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by H0rati0 »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:09 am
albionphoto wrote:It's not entirely clear to me where the failure occurs. I assume it is with DHL/US customs. CW Customer service can sort it out very quickly once they are alerted to the problem.
That's a pretty fair assumption.

I'm confident that, with the number of packages CW ship to the USA, they have systems in place to ensure the correct paperwork goes with each package.

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Must be so, they are shipping around the world all the time. It of course possible that vital paperwork goes missing on exportation as it clears customs or possibly at a transit hub during checking/onward shipment. If that happens the best route is probably to contact CS again.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by ttix67 »

My experience has been that since switching to DHL, I have had to pay customs fees on watches over $800. You can typically get the bond fee/storage fee waived though if you just contact DHL. However, I agree with all posters that royal mail to USPS was the least hassle compared to DHL. Even accounting for DHL's supposedly expedited delivery, this comes to a halt when customs issue rears its head and delays everything.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by Kip »

albionphoto wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 3:21 am It's not entirely clear to me where the failure occurs. I assume it is with DHL/US customs. CW Customer service can sort it out very quickly once they are alerted to the problem. I have seen a post somewhere on here where CW were going to refund the bonded storage fees but I have no idea what the outcome was.
As an aside, I bought a C60 BLUE LE and bracelet at the end of last year. The total was about $1200. The DHL fee and excise duty was in the region of $80. ABout half of that was the DHL fee.
The problem is definitely with DHL. When CW ships watches to the USA they send DHL a spreadsheet with all the information including the Waybill number for items picked up on any given day. Much depends on the agent viewing the package to simply look up the email by manufacturer and then find the Waybill number. In most cases they do and get all the required information. If they can't find it for any reason, they are supposed to contact CW for it. CW informs me that when they resend the email they usually spot it then.

Hopefully CW will be able to get the website setup for worldwide customs/import/duties fee collection and there will be no more issues. This was originally supposed to get rolled out last September. Apparently Brexit and tech glitches have held this up.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by jkbarnes »

Kip wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:55 pm Hopefully CW will be able to get the website setup for worldwide customs/import/duties fee collection and there will be no more issues. This was originally supposed to get rolled out last September. Apparently Brexit and tech glitches have held this up.
That’s good to hear! Hopefully that will go along way to addressing some of these issues.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by scampbell61 »

Pipe dream but it would be nice if CW could separate the watch head and the strap for valuation purposes. Paying an additional customs duty on purchases over $800 adds a major decision factor when purchasing a CW. If sold and shipped separate, I would be more than willing to pay for shipping on the strap.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

scampbell61 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:34 pm Pipe dream but it would be nice if CW could separate the watch head and the strap for valuation purposes. Paying an additional customs duty on purchases over $800 adds a major decision factor when purchasing a CW. If sold and shipped separate, I would be more than willing to pay for shipping on the strap.
Agree completely. I was THIS close to picking up a nearly new C60 GMT, but even at 30% off it was just over the $800 limit for customs. If it was $799 it would be sitting here on my wrist right now. Option to split the purchase into Watch and Strap separately sounds like a great idea for the U.S. market.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by Ukyo »

MichaelMD wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 2:27 pm
scampbell61 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:34 pm Pipe dream but it would be nice if CW could separate the watch head and the strap for valuation purposes. Paying an additional customs duty on purchases over $800 adds a major decision factor when purchasing a CW. If sold and shipped separate, I would be more than willing to pay for shipping on the strap.
Agree completely. I was THIS close to picking up a nearly new C60 GMT, but even at 30% off it was just over the $800 limit for customs. If it was $799 it would be sitting here on my wrist right now. Option to split the purchase into Watch and Strap separately sounds like a great idea for the U.S. market.
Would love that option too but they'd have to send in separate packages increasing the shipping cost. I ordered the Lympstone on the strap because the bracelet wasn't available at the time of initial release. After a coupon, it was below the 800 USD threshold so I didn't have to pay any duties. Order the bracelet when it was available but since I ordered it separately, the total cost was more, probably due to the first one having a strap. After that, I ordered the original blue Sapphire on the bracelet and I was charged 70 USD in duties. The Lympstone with a bracelet actually cost more than the Sapphire with a bracelet. I was thinking if I should've just ordered it with a strap and the bracelet separately and just sell the straps to make back some money... lol
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by JAFO »

Shame the lympstone bracelet doesn't fit the C65, or you could just swap them around. That's an answer going forward maybe.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by Ukyo »

JAFO wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 10:34 am Shame the lympstone bracelet doesn't fit the C65, or you could just swap them around. That's an answer going forward maybe.
Can't do it even if it was the same size and curved end shape as it's a PVD gun metal. I love their gun metal color though and it was what attracted me to the Lympstone but the watch is too big and I haven't worn it for more than a day or 2... waste of money actually... but I digress... lol
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

Ukyo wrote:
MichaelMD wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 2:27 pm
scampbell61 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:34 pm Pipe dream but it would be nice if CW could separate the watch head and the strap for valuation purposes. Paying an additional customs duty on purchases over $800 adds a major decision factor when purchasing a CW. If sold and shipped separate, I would be more than willing to pay for shipping on the strap.
Agree completely. I was THIS close to picking up a nearly new C60 GMT, but even at 30% off it was just over the $800 limit for customs. If it was $799 it would be sitting here on my wrist right now. Option to split the purchase into Watch and Strap separately sounds like a great idea for the U.S. market.
Would love that option too but they'd have to send in separate packages increasing the shipping cost. I ordered the Lympstone on the strap because the bracelet wasn't available at the time of initial release. After a coupon, it was below the 800 USD threshold so I didn't have to pay any duties. Order the bracelet when it was available but since I ordered it separately, the total cost was more, probably due to the first one having a strap. After that, I ordered the original blue Sapphire on the bracelet and I was charged 70 USD in duties. The Lympstone with a bracelet actually cost more than the Sapphire with a bracelet. I was thinking if I should've just ordered it with a strap and the bracelet separately and just sell the straps to make back some money... lol
The duties definitely change the calculations don't they. I added it up and if I buy that GMT on strap and then add the bracelet later, essentially I can get the watch with bracelet AND strap for close to the same price as buying on the bracelet alone.

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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by jkbarnes »

What turns me off more than the duty itself is the potential hassle of dealing with and paying it after reading some of the stories on here about DHL. And if I’m to be honest, any issue with additional duty probably boils down to being annoyed in principal than the actual cost of the duty. I think if I can afford a $1000 watch, I can handle an extra $70 in duty.

What I’ve come to realize is that the thought of a duty has added a subconscious filter to potential purchases - I like it, but do I like it enough to pay additional duty? I’m sure if and when I come across a model that really commands my attention, paying a duty won’t even enter my mind.
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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by MichaelMD »

Good points. It's just as much the hassle of dealing with DHL as it is the actual cost. But I agree if it's a watch you really want just suck it up and pay the duties.

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Re: Custom Duties on CW purchase

Post by nordwulf »

About 4% duty and no sales tax for the USA is very low compared to other countries where sales tax/import duties of 15 - 25% is not unusual. CW had the plan of including any duty and import charges in their prices to make it hassle-free without any surprises. That would be a great step forward.
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