Sending watches to Germany

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welshlad
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Sending watches to Germany

Post by welshlad »

Recently I ordered a UHR watch from Germany. Unfortunately they sent me the wrong model by mistake. So they asked me to send it back.

I've just taken it to the Post Office and they have refused to take it, citing a German customs prohibition on sending valuables (which they take to include watches) into Germany.

Has anyone else come across this? Sounds garbage to me!

I've also emailed UHR for their advice.
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Sounds crackers to me!

Surely loads of people must have returned Steinharts, Stowas etc! :shock:
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by footycrazy »

Was it a quartz watch, I have recently sent a quartz watch to the Russian Federation and was told by the post office that i would have to remove the battery for the flight. Which was a pain having wrapped it very securely and then having to go home and unwrap it and remove the battery then re-wrap to send it. Then send the buyer an email to explain why his new watch will not be working when it arrives and that he will have to go and get a battery fitted. What a F****ing palaver.

Also on the declaration i had to state that the watch had NO battery.
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by welshlad »

Yes, they did ask me if it had a battery, as that would be a definite no. But it's an automatic so that's not a problem here.

Just heard back from UHR who say to just send it back without making any statement about the parcel contents.

So will try another Post Office later! What a PITA!
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by phllox »

I have recently sent my Steinhart back to them in Germany using the French Post with its value declared... with no issue at all. :thumbup:
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by Tomsolo »

How bizarre, i'm sure we've all flown many many times and when was the last time you were told at the boarding gate to take the battery out of your watch....? [-X

Also How do CW get their watches to Germany then....? sounds like the post office are having a laugh :shock:
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by village »

Utter tosh. Yet another Post Office employee who doesn't know their arse from their elbow.
You can send it Airsure no problem.
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Why not have a look at the Customs and Prohibited Items details on Royal mail's website?
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by Tomsolo »

Well as i was bored so i looked into this battery thing and there is some truth in it... see below for one of many google hits

http://tamebay.com/2012/11/royal-mail-b ... eries.html

The worlds gone mad i tell ya...!

And i thought your average watch battery was silver oxide...not Lithium?
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by welshlad »

I've looked at the Royal Mail website for the list of prohibited items for sending to Germany. The relevant bullet point they were referring to in the Post Office was:

•Coins, bank notes, currency notes or securities any kind payable to bearer, travellers checks, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, precious stones, jewels or other valuable articles. (my bold)

They claim a £200 watch is a "valuable article".

Let's see what another Post Office says later...
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by Galton321 »

This seems barmy to me. Clearly watches can be sent from Germany to the UK or you wouldn't have it! There is no customs barrier between countries in the EU. You do not have to make a customs declaration on the parcel as you would for the USA or anywhere outside the EU. There are prohibitions on some items, obviously dangerous items such chemicals and explosives and some valuables which are generally negotiable such as diamonds, cash, gold etc. These are mainly due to money laundering prevention measures and the high insurance risk which the PO will not cover. I returned my Mako to a dealer in Germany, just wrapped it up and addressed and posted it. Take your parcel to the PO and just post it. The contents are not restricted and you don't have to make any declaration. If you are sending it recorded or registered you may be asked its value to make sure its loss will be covered but you don't have to say what the item is. Anyway I always use some form of special delivery which I can track.
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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by akirk »

total nonsense :) civil servants gone mad...
In 2010 a UPS cargo plane crashed in Dubai, and it was later reported that undeclared Lithium batteries were on board.
so did the batteries get up and bash the pilot on the head? I doubt it - yes, I understand that should there be a fire they are difficult to put out... but...
- can you imagine telling traveller they can't take lithium batteries on a plane - laptop / ipad / iphone / camera / watches / ipods / etc. you might suddenly have very empty planes...
- perhaps the better solution is not to allow the plane to catch fire / crash in the first place!

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Re: Sending watches to Germany

Post by welshlad »

Just been to a different Post Office and they took it, no problem at all. They asked what it was, so I told them, but they said that was fine.

So all's well that ends well. Although, it was a bit of a PITA in the process. Ho hum. :?
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