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Morseman
·It's been a while since I purchased any watches and never from overseas, but I recently bought three silver bracelets from a well-known jewelry company in Finland, as a Christmas present for my wife, as three separate transactions. The three items arrived via FedEx at my U.S. address just fine. Unfortunately I got the sizes wrong - THREE TIMES. Rather than try to return the items and hope correct sizes would still be in stock for Christmas, I placed a new order for the correct sizes, planning to return the incorrect items later.
This new order of three items in a single order, pushed the value over $2500 and the new order got held up by FedEx in Memphis for Customs clearance. I got an inquiry direct from Homeland Security requiring me to fill out a multipage form, including my social security number. Reluctantly I did this, but I did indeed then receive the items.
However, when I tried to return the incorrect sizes in a single package via FedEx, the shipping fee was almost $400. Moreover, the high total valuation of the three items triggered a requirement for something called an "EEI number", which I did not have, and I was told I needed to get it from Customer Service. I called FedEx Customer Service and they were very helpful but said I first must get an EIN number from the IRS. All this because the valuation was over $2500.
I asked if it would help if I split the shipment, to reduce the value of each package even though it would double the shipping fee. The agent got very excited and said they certainly couldn't advise me to do that and if Customs, or Homeland Security, or the Gestapo, or whoever, got wind that I was trying to do something so nefarious, they would come after me with a vengeance and I would STILL need an EIN number.
So anyhow, I did go online with the IRS and immediately got an EIN number. But then to get the EEI number I first had to use the EIN number to request an ITN number. This request was multipage FedEx form apparently normally something that a commercial exporter would fill out. To file this request I would need to pay a small fee, but that could only be paid if I first got a FedEx account.
I'm sure the savvy folks on this Omega forum would know how to deal with these issues, but at this point I think I'm just going to try to sell the incorrect sizes on Ebay, and take this as a lesson not to make high-value overseas purchases.
This new order of three items in a single order, pushed the value over $2500 and the new order got held up by FedEx in Memphis for Customs clearance. I got an inquiry direct from Homeland Security requiring me to fill out a multipage form, including my social security number. Reluctantly I did this, but I did indeed then receive the items.
However, when I tried to return the incorrect sizes in a single package via FedEx, the shipping fee was almost $400. Moreover, the high total valuation of the three items triggered a requirement for something called an "EEI number", which I did not have, and I was told I needed to get it from Customer Service. I called FedEx Customer Service and they were very helpful but said I first must get an EIN number from the IRS. All this because the valuation was over $2500.
I asked if it would help if I split the shipment, to reduce the value of each package even though it would double the shipping fee. The agent got very excited and said they certainly couldn't advise me to do that and if Customs, or Homeland Security, or the Gestapo, or whoever, got wind that I was trying to do something so nefarious, they would come after me with a vengeance and I would STILL need an EIN number.
So anyhow, I did go online with the IRS and immediately got an EIN number. But then to get the EEI number I first had to use the EIN number to request an ITN number. This request was multipage FedEx form apparently normally something that a commercial exporter would fill out. To file this request I would need to pay a small fee, but that could only be paid if I first got a FedEx account.
I'm sure the savvy folks on this Omega forum would know how to deal with these issues, but at this point I think I'm just going to try to sell the incorrect sizes on Ebay, and take this as a lesson not to make high-value overseas purchases.
