Are import duties still an issue?

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mvlow
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by mvlow »

Rice & Gravy wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 1:33 pm
So... if one were to buy a watch from CW over $800USD (after discounts) are the duty fees importing to the US unavoidable? There seems to be conflicting information in this thread.
When CW used to use Royal Mail/USPS to ship to the USA it was a toss up if they charged you import duties on a watch valued at over $800. It seemed to be more luck than process if the USPS pulled your package for customs fees. I have had four watches shipped from CW and have never paid any import fees. I believe the C65 GMT on a bracelet was the only one that was over $800 after discount.

Now that CW are using DHL the system has tightened up as DHL wants their cut for processing customs charges. I think it is pretty safe to assume that if your watch ships via DHL and is over $800 on the customs paperwork supplied by CW, you are going to pay import fees. You may still get lucky and one slips through, but I think that would be the exception rather than the rule.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by Rice and Gravy »

That makes sense I suppose. Unfortunately, if you don't get lucky and get hit with it those fees it puts the watch back up to full retail price.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by mvlow »

Rice & Gravy wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 3:07 pm That makes sense I suppose. Unfortunately, if you don't get lucky and get hit with it those fees it puts the watch back up to full retail price.
IMHO, if we assume we are going to pay import fees then we can make an informed decision as to whether the watch is worth it to us to purchase. Consider it as a bonus if somehow we are lucky and it slips through the cracks and we don't pay the fees.

If you take into consideration that we are paying 20% less than our UK friends because we are not paying VAT and consider that you can save even more money if you buy from the UK site in £'s due to the current exchange rate, we still get the CW at a reasonable price, just not as good as not paying import fees.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by Rice and Gravy »

^ Agreed.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by Foghornk »

1. Ordered watch/confirmed 30 Sept. “You will receive a despatch confirmation as soon as we ship your order.”
2. Text from DHL October 8: “estimate delivery October 10...authorize DHL to deliver without signature...” (ignored—I want to sign for the delivery) Checked website—delivery sometime on 10/10 during business hours.
3. Text October 9: “Hello, this is DHL regarding tracking no....Please reply with Yes to authorize DHL to deliver without a signature.”
4. 10/10 12:57 PM: voicemail. “my name is ....giving you a call from DHL express in reference to a shipment that is currently on hold with US Customs...please return my call...”
5. Called DHL: they need a “watch detail sheet” form filled out with the cost of the components of the watch to calculate customs. Form appears elsewhere on this forum. C Ward customer service is, of course closed for the day being 6 hours ahead. Form was emailed. Email also says that I am advised that “there is a $31 dollar storage fee after 3rd day that the item is held in storage. Thank You!”
6. Problem: C Ward currently closed. Tomorrow’s Friday of a 3-day weekend... The representative I talked to said that she had sent the form to the seller as well as to me—I’d have thought from other posts on this forum C Ward had had enough warning about this stuff to be covering their action with US Customs to allow more seamless delivery.

Conclusions: 1) C Ward doesn’t appear to have given notice of when things were shipped (10/8). 2) DHL would rather get authorized to drop off with no responsibility on a fantasy date while customs holds your watch than give an honest delivery date one can work with. 3) C Ward should be able to get this information going tomorrow, since I know I can get an ETA movement for $400 bucks and a bracelet from them for $175, but DHL says the parts have to equal the stated price in total. (Guess labor’s not an issue). 4) We have yet to see what the duty will be;

5) I like the watch well enough to recommend buying in the UK and confounding yourself with a VAT refund rather than wasting all this time on the C Ward/DHL interface that this forum has documented as sort of defective regarding US Customs for some months now.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by Foghornk »

Today's update--post +1:

Tried to send a form as Kip suggested on p. 3-4 of this thread with percentages, but DHL said they need dollar values totaling the discounted invoice total.

CW's invoicing of a "head", and not breaking it into case and movement prices prevents independent calculation.

Megan in Customer service said to email Kyran Smith to get the numbers, but they were closed for the day (1630 GMT). She did say that they'd refund any extra "storage charge" DHL would charge for any 3 days of "storage." This is a 3-day weekend in these parts.

Have emailed Kyran. Will see if anything comes back today or over the weekend.

Perhaps CW would like to post a percentage breakdown of movement/case value for their watches to facilitate we customers filling out these forms to DHL's satisfaction?
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by Foghornk »

Kip wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 9:28 pm Having dealt with DHL/customs many times, you can fill out the form as follows and it will be sufficient.

customs worksheet.jpg
As of October 10, 2019, this form is insufficient. DHL requires actual numbers for the parts (and the parts within the "head" on the invoice" that total the total/final invoice amount, adjusted for any discount received. Thus, all parts must be individually suitably discounted on this sheet as well.

Per Joshua Natasha Robinson, DHL International Specialist. She is not unfriendly, but firm as to the requirements....and rejecting the percentage sheet that's given here.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by watchaholic »

Cw MUST get on top of this. Way too many other options in this big wide world to go through this kind of frustration.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by Lavaine »

Funny how this was never an issue when CW shipped via RM. Yet they continue to insist that this change to DHL shipping of in the best interest of the customer. I wonder how many buyers simply can't be bothered to jump through these (frankly ridiculous) hoops and just refuse the shipment and get a refund. If I was living in the US, I would not buy from CW right now, unless they planned on discounting the price of the watch to account for my time filling out the forms they should be completing when they ship the product.
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Re: Are import duties still an issue?

Post by dlb »

about to order CW watch, after VAT reduction should be under the $800, sending it to California. I've read through the forum, which is great information. should i assume that I wont pay any customs duty, as the watch is below the $800 mark?? any advice would be great, thank you.
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