Got a watch serviced by Al (in Canada), I'm in the USA. Well after getting the watch back from Al (in perfect working order I might add), FedEx sends me an invoice in the mail, saying I owe $150 in Total Duties, Tax, Customers, Other Fees. WTF?!? The only reason I received an invoice at all is because my credit card on file was old, so they couldn't charge me silently. Plus they sent this to my wife, not me - how they ever got her name is a mystery. I filed a dispute today. My understanding is that there is no duties or taxes on repair or service work. Am I missing something here, or is FedEx as screwed-up as usual?

 

Always amazed at FedEx and invoices, how many businesses would send out invoices to Tom, Dick & Harry without credit checks etc. Wonder what there collection success rate is

 

I believe you are absolutely correct! Even if there were fees the sure as hell wouldn't be $150 on service work.

 

I was living in Virginia when I received my Speedmaster back from Al after service via FedEx last year. A few weeks after delivery I received a similar bill. The amount I had to pay for customs and fees was $16 and some change.

 

That's a major screw-up on their part, I'd fight them

 

Dispute already filed with FedEx, they said it may take up to 3 months to resolve.

 

Charges seem 'curious' at best and I won't sling poo at 'em though deserving. And so, more corporate foot dragging By FedEx? Not surprised

Seems this one should be in the bag and hope the cows don't come home first ... 3 months

 

Perhaps the wrong description code for the contents? I believe you are correct regarding there are no duties/taxes imposed on the service of a watch. Hey! but after all, you were lucky to get your watch serviced!

 

Know why they charged you? Because the government knows that so many people lie about a watch they actually bought by saying it was only sent for repair / service that they figured you were bullshitting them too to get around duties and taxes.

 

I wish you had emailed me mate - this happens sometimes and I could have advised you how to handle it so that it did not take so long.

If you need me to get involved let me know - they have all the paperwork so they have either lost it all or someone there doesn't know what they are doing.

Cheers, Al

 

I send literally hundreds of serviced watches back to the US each year - I know how to do the paperwork thanks.

Cheers, Al

 

Al, I don’t doubt your abilities to do paperwork and not knowing what the process is, there's always the possibility in every automated or manual system to error during the process – potential errors that you have not control after the pack leaves your shop – my comment was not to imply an error on your part. It's obvious there was an error.

 

No worries Al, its not your fault, FedEx seemed to agree right away it was a mistake on their end, makes no difference to me how long it takes them to clean it up.

 

Well they should have the watch information sheet, the repaired watch breakout worksheet, and the foreign shipper's repair declaration sheet. This details the value of all of the parts of the watch, and shows clearly what repairs were done and how much those repairs are worth. I always scan these documents so I have electronic copies of them in case they are lost - that has happened a few times. If you need copies of those let me know and I can email them to you.

In most cases even if they charge you on the value of the repairs, if you just call them and tell them this is your watch coming back from service, they will waive the charges. I have had maybe one incident that I can recall where they dug in and would not give the money back, but that is very rare.

Cheers, Al

 

Contact Fed-ex and tell them Pay-Pal said you have a year to change your mind!!!!

 

dude, I think you're one of the coolest guys on this message board and I always enjoy your posts (oh, no - here it comes) but,

i really think this is a situation where you could have left Al's name out of things for a hundred different reasons and here's a couple:

1). Al is 100% always on point with paper work so I know this isn't his fault.

2). Dude just had a heart attack and he probably doesn't need any extra drama or stress right now.


Full disclosure: I've never done a penny of business with Al and we're not close or friends at all other than the confines of this forum.

I know you were just venting and probably didn't think for a second that stuff like this could have a negative impact on his business. Al's a big boy and he'll probably not be happy with me "defending" his honor lolzzzz

Repo - please, I'm begging you don't be upset with me.

I (((love))) Al because he's taught me more about how watches of all kinds actually work and it didn't cost me a dime in tuition. That's how I know he's good guy.


If anyone gets this far into my boring ass post I'll share some information with you. Fed-ex has been in a full blown war with the US government for close to 20 years over the legal status of a large percentage of their workforce. fed-ex claims that drivers are independent contractors (1099) in the US and the US Government asserts that they are employees (w2). The amount of money involved here is staggering; it's in the scores of billions of dollars. This war, like all wars, has lots of collateral damage and you're now amongst the damage, repoman. I have friends on both sides of this issue one of whom spent almost the entire of his career working on it.

 

Yeah, I completely see your point, I didn't really even think before typing it in, but I agree, this is an issue purely between me and FedEx

No chance of that happening.

 

Confirming they do have all that paperwork, because copies were included in what they sent me, and which is why the service agent was so quick to file a disputed claim, even before I asked her to do so. I think we're golden here. All this took a grand total of 5 minutes of my time.

 

I'm pretty confident this is not going to have a "negative impact" or any other impact on Al's business with a reputation as strong as he has.

 

Al's reputation is transcendent, but if the mods want to clean up this thread and remove specifics, then please by all means do so.