Thread: Stupid customs

Well, the import tax here in Switzerland is crazy to, vat +import tax +some tax for the work and so one.. ....but, it goes after the valu of the item.

CRAZY

As a practical matter Rolex is Rolex no matter where it is in the world it originated but its just the way they set up the distributorship in the U.S that makes it a different case from a strictly legal view. They are all manufactured in the same factory in Switzerland.

If you buy a Rolex in the U.S and are returning to the U.S no problem. You can actually declare it before leaving to ensure there are no problems or carry the receipt. Unless it looks all shiny and new or they go through your luggage and find the box with the papers it probably would never come up as an issue. They can check with Rolex USA and run the serial # if they wanted to.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Nope totally illegal. It a long story but basically you are not allowed to bring counterfeit or copyrighted articales into the U.S unless its genuine stuff. Now when Rolex S.A set up Rolex USA they did it as a subsidary of its case making operation which is not legally part of Rolex therefore Rolex USA is not legally part of Rolex SA so when you are bringing in a Rolex to the U.S from outside the U.S its like bringing a copy of a copyrighted object and that is illegal. It may be stupid and a technicality but Customs is forced to enforce it. As a practical matter if you declare it they will tell you, you can't bring it in and suggest you bring in a package and ship it back to the seller. If you don't declare it and they suspect its new and find a watch box and papers in the luggage or check the serial number and it will tell them when it was manufactured and where it was sold they will confiscate it. So the moral is if you do buy it ship the box back to the U.S and put some dirt or scratches on it so as to not draw attention to it.The only exception is if you are in the military and you buy in the px overseas you can bring in 2 Rolex watches in your lifetime.

And people ask me why I think our government is to big and to intrusive........

Originally Posted by Chady

I have one on order already actually, or rather I'm trying to get in touch through Lynn, but haven't heard anything yet.

Anyhoo, classic was where I first found out about his razors (actually classic was the first place period I fell upon when I started staight-browsing) and that set had been taunting me since I first laid eyes on it, You never forget your first love and all that stuff.
They had it physically in stock to boot so there would be no wait.

Ps. We use Danish crowns still in Denmark but thats a non-issue.

Edit. Picked the set up and tried out the brush + razor, and I have to say that I love both of them. The strop has a leather and canvas side, canvas being pasted with something green. I'm assuming its somewhat like, if not actually, chromium oxide. There was an extra green glob in the box for the strop, about the size of a cue tip.

I guess that makes sense (though maybe a little expensive). But the main thing is you have some great gear in your hands right now!

Apologies on the Euro assumption. I was in Copenhagen for a week 8 years ago and should have known better! Good to see another European country stick with their historic past.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

As a practical matter if you declare it they will tell you, you can't bring it in and suggest you bring in a package and ship it back to the seller. If you don't declare it and they suspect its new and find a watch box and papers in the luggage or check the serial number and it will tell them when it was manufactured and where it was sold they will confiscate it. So the moral is if you do buy it ship the box back to the U.S and put some dirt or scratches on it so as to not draw attention to it.

Well, this is very surprising and deeply disturbing. I mean this is not something average person would normally know. Although I guess you can argue that if you don't declare it, you deserve to get it confiscated.

But out of curiosity, if a person is wearing a new rolex watch and you find a box and all papers but the papers don't say where it was purchased. Would you normally confiscate it? I mean I'd just say I bought in in US and brought it with me on vacation and took the box because such treasured possession cannot be stored outside of the box. Of course, you could ask for the receipt to which I would say that no normal, sane, non-OCD person would normally take a receipt on vacation. What would be the course of action? I mean I could produce a receipt for brooklyn bridge on a later date.

I have never bought a rolex overseas and not looking to cheat the system. just wondering how messed up the situation could get.

really not all that messed up. Unless a watch looks brand spanking new it would probably never come up. If you came in with any other watch and it was brand new looking you would probably be asked but from a custom's duty aspect and there is no real way of checking but Rolex is a special case since it involves the prohibition of bringing it in altogether and Customs can check with Rolex USA and run the serial numbers and it will tell them where the watch was sold. Rolex has total control of the sales of all their products.

If the watch box was found along with all the papers that would raise suspicions and it would also depend how busy they were and what kind of mood the Customs Inspector was in. If they have suspicions they are in thir right to confiscate it but probably they would take all the info and if neceassary contact you later and have you bring it in. Its strictly how they want to handle it. I was involved more on the enforcement end rather then the inspections end.

True the average person would have no way of knowing this but then again there ain't no bargins in Rolex watches anywhere in the world they should all be the same price so there is really no reason to buy outside the country unless you are in the military and buy in the PX where you can get a good deal.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

OMG! First, congrats on getting a razor box where $400 is a third of the value.

Second, what on earth does your government do with that money?

I would like to point out that a recent international survey found the Danish to be among the happiest people on the increasingly warm planet (maybe Denmark is getting warmer?). Chady must be especially happy with his new Levi!

I think Chady is a University student -- and as I understand it, all Danes go to University (what we 'Mericans call college) for FREE! They may even receive some spending money too!!

I do not know too many college students over here who can afford a beautiful Levi (let alone know much about the virtues of stright razor shaving). So, I am very sorry for Chady that he was surprised by duty, but, I am very happy for him that he lives in a cool (err, warmer) place! Let's have a get-to-gether in Denmark!

PS . . . my references to global warming relate to the recent HOT thread about that subject!

RalphS

I am, and yes its free for everyone and, after tax, we get just shy of ~1k usd a month and discounts on a lot of stuff for being students.

But the primary contributor to my life is still a pair of good parents