GMT watches and Customs

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
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tikkathree
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Re: GMT watches and Customs

Post by tikkathree »

I was in a zoom conversation earlier this week with two guys, friends of mine whose jobs have been touched by the Brexit-induced change to import/export adminstration/documentation/process/nightmare. This conversation developed spontaneously from my saying that I'd done a weekly supermarket shop on Tuesday morning and that the store carpark was empty apart from ten cars. Other than during lockdown or when everyone was trying to panic buy various items this is the quietest I've ever seen it and pre-coronovirus it would have been find a space if you can.

Anyway, friend A works in a stores role for a local company involved in the sale of what I'm calling niche brand cars and motorbikes. Only a couple of weeks ago he was telling me how busy they were and selling new machinery almost faster than they could get stocks from the manufacturers. This week business has gone completely flat due, he believed, to brexit changes coming into force. Importing and exporting both dramatically affected by new "beaurocracy".

Friend B runs a business involving import, stockholding and export of small quantities of "product" to end user consumers. Whereas previously he could put product and invoice/delivery note in a padded envelope and simply post it there is now a mountain of extra paperwork for each item shipped. Lots of verbal abuse from customers in European countries suddenly faced with additional charges which they simply didn't experience previously. Much of what I read in this forum about watch export from CW and the customs and duty tangles mirrored his own experiences.

Both talked easily about Customs in GB and overseas appearing to be awkward, sending things back, querying one item in a shipment which then delayed the rest of the shipment, the "cost" of storage during investigations being passed on to the seller, freight and delivery companies declining work and so on.

Frankly it all sounds like a mess of horrendous proportions and my polite suggestion of "teething issues, it'll soon settle down again" wasn't greeted with any warmth at all.

Why am I saying this? I think I'm saying guys, CW are innocent passengers in some kind of train wreck: please give them some slack, please don't take out your frustrations on the customer service team at CW Towers and, if you're in the UK, write and tell your MP instead.

GMT Watches: I used to think that I had no use for any watch with a GMT/timezone function so I skipped merrily past them. Three years ago, through DNA and a very long story, I discovered having a whole family including two brothers and four sisters living in another time zone. Now I have eight of the things!
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
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MichaelMD
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Re: GMT watches and Customs

Post by MichaelMD »

Same thing happened to me early this year. I looked online to get some opinions on how to fill out the form. I completed it based on a ratio I found on another forum. Went through fine and I even saved a few dollars in the process. It's a pain but it will go through.
albionphoto
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Re: GMT watches and Customs

Post by albionphoto »

I've bought three CWs in the last year. Each of which were above the $800 threshold. Only one of these transactions has worked perfectly (the last one).
This does not seem to be CW's fault. They send all the info to DHL who sometimes realise the information is transmitted electronically and sometimes don't. If you get the notification that you need to fill out the customs form I have found it is best to telephone CW in the UK and explain what has happened. They will contact their logistics group and send the information to DHL in a manner that DHL can't ignore. The important thing is to get on the phone and do so quickly. Clearly this can get very frustrating when you get the DHL notification at 5:00 PM EST on a Friday. Timezones don't help you.
These issues seem to be rare though. The US is supposed to be 30% of CW's sales and I can't believe that these failures happen too often or they wouldn't have much US business left. It is very frustrating when it happens and you do have to be active in getting it fixed.
Mark
Bremont, Casio, Citizen, Christopher Ward, Chronotechna, Mido, Omega and Oris
Toph
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Re: GMT watches and Customs

Post by Toph »

I think this is A US customs issue. Only time it every comes up is in the Us. They are asking for your SSID for goodness sake haha, Australia has very strict import laws and there is never an issue at all. Ever.
Hope your watch arrives safe and well!
On the second point I love GMTs.. have 2 CW GMTS👍
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Where no counsel is the people fall but in a multitude of counsellors there is safety
Instagram @tophstewart
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