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Watchmaker wants me to put a nominal value of £50 on the parcel...

Perrier
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Hi all

Can I get your thoughts on this?

I'm sending a watch worth around £4,000 to the UK for repair. I'm in Hong Kong.

The watchmaker wants me to put a nominal value of £50 on the parcel, for easy customs clearance, but that means I can only insure the package for £50.

Obviously I'm worried if the package gets lost or stolen, I'm down £4,000...

Is this normal procedure for sending watches for repair?

Cheers
 
Stewart H
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This can be an awkward one because, unless the package is marked in a way that HMRC recognise, they will want to charge the recipient VAT and import duties as if he has bought the watch. I believe that marking the customs declaration as being for repair and return will satisfy them but it would be advisable to contact HMRC to get an official statement on this .

I would not send it insured for a value less than its true worth.
 
STANDY
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Attach paperwork to the outside of the parcel and declare at full value.

The watchmaker should be able to provide paperwork.

Buy the seller, and sometimes the watchmaker 😉
 
kpaxsg
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There’s suppose to be a special form which indicate the reason for the shipping which in this case is an honest repair. Fill the form and both ends need not pay for duties... report in full
 
ConElPueblo
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Whatever you do, just don't do it without the watchmaker's consent. If I was the person receiving the watch - and who probably has a good reason for wanting the transaction done in the matter stated - I'd be pissed if someone ignored my instructions which may or may not cause me extra paperwork. If you don't like his terms, find another watchmaker.
 
watchyouwant
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you will not be able to insure watches from hong kong for full value. they are classified as jewellery. your first step must be to ask the carrier, what happens to your compensation after it is lost. and was insured for pounds 4000. i`m quite confident, you will not gt back pounds 4000, but US$ 500...... kind regards. achim........... i think, use a low value as stated, but send courier with step to step internet tracking for your peace of mind.
 
dennisthemenace
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What happens here in the UK is Customs will hold the package and require the watchmaker to fill out a form confirming that the watch will be exported when the repair is completed. Only then will the package be released without duty being paid.
 
Spacefruit
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Be careful.

Why don’t try the OF underground railway?
 
Perrier
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Thanks for the replies everything.

I'm talking to a famous watchmaker in the UK and they are saying I just say it is a watch for repair, and they will pay any customs charges (and won't bill me for this). I just have to pay any customs charges at my end when the watch is shipped back to Hong Kong.

They are also saying I should say the watch has no commercial value.

This doesn't sound right...
 
Larry S
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THis is FUBAR ..... find another watch maker. Or use the OF UR as suggested.
 
STANDY
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Send it to @photo500 in Australia ( Perth ) 😉 bit closer as the crow flies also.
 
Larry S
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STANDY STANDY
Send it to @photo500 in Australia ( Perth ) 😉 bit closer as the crow flies also.
Good point ... why does it have to be Europe? Plenty of watchmakers in States as well who deal internationally.
 
Archer
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Perrier Perrier
Thanks for the replies everything.

I'm talking to a famous watchmaker in the UK and they are saying I just say it is a watch for repair, and they will pay any customs charges (and won't bill me for this). I just have to pay any customs charges at my end when the watch is shipped back to Hong Kong.

They are also saying I should say the watch has no commercial value.

This doesn't sound right...

If they mean that the value for customs purposes should be zero, that could very possibly be correct. It really depends on the specific laws of the country in question, but when an item is shipped back and forth across international borders for repairs, the rules pertaining to value are a little different than for a purchase.

In some places the customs authorities will ask you to pay the full customs fees on the value of the item up front (as if it were a purchase) as sort of a bond, that will be refunded when the item is shipped back and you have proof of that. In some cases they will accept paperwork from the watchmaker stating that the watch will be sent back so they don't get charged anything up front, and if that watchmaker ever gets audited and is found to be keeping the watches, they will get hammered I suspect.

But technically when an item is temporarily imported for repairs, the customs value would be zero coming into the country for repairs. The customs value going back would be the value added while away (value of the repairs) and not the value of the actual item.

But if they are asking you to undervalue the shipment, be careful - this is not something that really should be required if the paperwork is filled out correctly.

Cheers, Al
 
neilfrancis
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Perrier Perrier
I'm sorry, I don't know what that means...
I think what @Spacefruit means is, ask around and see if another OF member living near you is travelling to the UK from HK any time soon...and have them drop it off / post it in UK.
 
ConElPueblo
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I think I actually gave a the OP a pretty good suggestion in the other thread he posted - as @Perrier is going to Paris in a few weeks, why not mail the watch from there?
 
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