What do you call your watch on the US custom form?

[steve burns]

especially empty ones, from people who have bought watches out of country and not paid duty on them.
If you are sending a watch out of country, and it is coming back, you have to get a certification form from customs saying that it was in the states before you sent it out of the country for repair. I forget the form number. I had to do that for an Omega I sent back to switzerland for repair. If the form was not enclosed, I would have been assessed duty.

[TempoKing]

Originally Posted by sleddog

The original shipper should have declared it's contents....??

Please write:

If it is a used watch ?
Replacement assembled watch parts

It has a meaning but also means nothing

[IconicWatchCo]

precision instrument (chronometer) for personal and hobby use

[Tools]

Rolex is a trademark item and cannot be shipped into the US unless it is through their authorized distributor, and therefore, if it says Rolex on the description, Customs will seize it and send it back to the shipper..

FEDEX must declare whatever you (actually the shipper should have done this) say it is and it's value. They will pay any required duty on the stated value and send you the bill.

The shipper has left you in a bit of a pickle....

[dhh]

I have used "measuring device" many times

[psv]

I'm tried Chronometer Instrument with Fedex, now they're sending me all kinds of papers needing to specify this and that + a two-pager to fill out for Import Registration of my company, incl my SSN!? WFT?! I've already paid 25% VAT on this piece (not in the US though) and been s-ed over by my bank with horrible exchange rate when I did the wire.

It is actually not a Rolex so I'm not trying to mess that company over! ;-)

I'm not to happy with the sender... (a watch store, I thought they would know better)

[sleddog]

Sorry to hear this Patrick....

As I said earlier, it was most likely flagged for inspection because of vague details on the contents, or possibly none at all....

Hope things get better for you!

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by psv

I'm tried Chronometer Instrument with Fedex, now they're sending me all kinds of papers needing to specify this and that + a two-pager to fill out for Import Registration of my company, incl my SSN!? WFT?! I've already paid 25% VAT on this piece (not in the US though) and been s-ed over by my bank with horrible exchange rate when I did the wire.

It is actually not a Rolex so I'm not trying to mess that company over! ;-)

I'm not to happy with the sender... (a watch store, I thought they would know better)

Maybe it's easier to send it back and start all over?

[gregmoeck]

just be honest

[toph]

i say mecahnical Steel watch no batteries. never any problems

Certain batteries ( silver oxide) are being banned in a few states in the USA this year in July and shipping any of them by plane in or out of Australia is banned/ very hard because Mercury in these batteries is corrosive.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by gregmoeck

just be honest

First realistic answer.

Are all the "say this" and "write this" advice on how to cheat and avoid a couple of bucks on import taxes?

[Yazo]

If its not a Rolex just be honest... You should be good.

[toph]

Originally Posted by MonBK

First realistic answer.

Are all the "say this" and "write this" advice on how to cheat and avoid a couple of bucks on import taxes?

in the UK you pay over 30% on anything over $50. so on $6000 aint a couple of bucks my friend

P.S steel mechanical watch, thats what it is.

[mailman]

Used Timekeeping Device

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by toph

in the UK you pay over 30% on anything over $50. so on $6000 aint a couple of bucks my friend

P.S steel mechanical watch, thats what it is.

I understand that your government forces you to cheat on taxes and it is your civil duty to avoid them at all cost but here the import duty is approx. 1.5% - 2% and I'll be damned if I'd risk going to jail for that.

[dddrees]

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

[psv]

I have no intention of cheating anyone, I just had no idea it was this complicated.

I received a couple of different forms from Fedex until they finally sent me the right one, the "Watch Worksheet". On top of that you need to fill out a 2 pager named CBP Form 5106 for anything valued over $2,000.

Being scanned and faxed back to Fedex right now. Let's see what happens from here.

This watch better be all that and a bag of chips! ;-) (Panerai Boutique Edition from Europe)

[bayerische]

Side note;

You should have pressed the store on selling you the watch without VAT, should be possible, I think.

Anyways, congrats on your purchase, and hope this form does it!

[avantix]

FedEx is a little weird with watches. I ship watches ALL THE TIME with ParcelPro (insurance carrier) through FedEx and they always ask for a watch worksheet. Basically a simple one page document asking for the value breakdown. Never asked any of the recipients in the States that I send to if the watch was earmarked for customs charges but I assume it is. ParcelPro which is probably the largest of the third party insurance services ALWAYS recommend 'Precision Instrument' and if the word watch or *gasp* Rolex is ever used in declaration forms it will result in instant insurance termination. Also, insurance with UPS and FedEx is limited to 1k so anyone shipping without extended third party coverage is taking a HUGE risk. FedEx and UPS will accept payment for extra coverage but in the unfortunate event of a loss or theft they will only issue a check for 1k. At least that's what it is in Canada, almost certainly the same stateside.