DHL Left My C65 GMT at Wrong Address - RANT

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JAFO
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Re: DHL Left My C65 GMT at Wrong Address - RANT

Post by JAFO »

There are difference in the way the UK deals with this. In the UK HM Customs (Border Control) assess the duty/tax to be paid, based on the seller's declaration and the Royal Mail collect payment before delivery. Border Control can open any package. RM charge £8 for handling the collection, so it makes it in general uneconomic to import small value transactions. Probably because of that Amazon, eBay and AliX now collect the 20% import tax (VAT) and remit it to the UK tax authorities (HMRC) so that there is nothing for the Royal Mail to collect.

Maybe it's because the US has different rules for each state, or maybe the US is out of date in some financial practices, but US rules seem quite arcane. For instance, in the UK we rarely write cheques now - most payments are made using automated bank to bank payment systems. That doesn't seem to be the case in the US.
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Lawrence
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Re: DHL Left My C65 GMT at Wrong Address - RANT

Post by Lawrence »

A quick google search revealed an article on the TLW site and here is an excerpt.....

Let’s assume, however, that a client is importing a brand new Grand Seiko that was purchased online from a retailer in Japan. The duty that is owed on this shipment will be determined by U.S. customs according to chapter 91 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule. That is 36 pages of fine print classifying the various duty rates on just watches and clocks. The full HTS is over 4,000 pages long. Chapter 91 differentiates between quartz watches, manual and automatic winding watches, stop watches (chronographs) and others. But across all the different types, the value of the watch is always broken down into three main parts, the case, the movement and the strap/bracelet. This breakdown is crucial because with very few exceptions, the movement is usually taxed at a very low fixed rate of $0.80 to $4.50. The case and strap, however, are typically taxed with a percentage that ranges from 3-8.5%. That is why it is so important that the sender properly breaks down the value of the watch.

It goes on and on.....
Omega Speedmaster, Bulova Accutron Gemini, Tudor Black Bay Heritage Maroon & Black, C65 Trident Bronze SH21 LE, C65 Trident Black, C65 Trident Diver SH21, C65 Trident Ombre LE, Longines HydroConquest beautiful AF and better than C60 300
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Re: DHL Left My C65 GMT at Wrong Address - RANT

Post by Lavaine »

Lawrence wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:23 pm A quick google search revealed an article on the TLW site and here is an excerpt.....

Let’s assume, however, that a client is importing a brand new Grand Seiko that was purchased online from a retailer in Japan. The duty that is owed on this shipment will be determined by U.S. customs according to chapter 91 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule. That is 36 pages of fine print classifying the various duty rates on just watches and clocks. The full HTS is over 4,000 pages long. Chapter 91 differentiates between quartz watches, manual and automatic winding watches, stop watches (chronographs) and others. But across all the different types, the value of the watch is always broken down into three main parts, the case, the movement and the strap/bracelet. This breakdown is crucial because with very few exceptions, the movement is usually taxed at a very low fixed rate of $0.80 to $4.50. The case and strap, however, are typically taxed with a percentage that ranges from 3-8.5%. That is why it is so important that the sender properly breaks down the value of the watch.

It goes on and on.....
It's all quite ridiculous. Canada still has an overly complex system of duties, but nothing quite as complex as the United States. As we've seen time and time again, the US system causes nothing but problems with lost, ignored or not included duty worksheets.
In Canada watches are assigned a flat duty. No worksheet required. A Swiss Watch with a jeweled movement is 5% duty. SImple as that. Courier brokerage fees, however, are another matter entirely. You never have any idea how much the brokerage and other fees from your courier will be. You can ship the identical item multiple times, and duty and taxes owing will be consistent, but the courier fees will be all over the place.
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