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Watchfinder UK return

  • 18-01-2021 12:55pm
    #1
    swimming in a sea
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I got a watch from watchfinder from France so no import issues, but now there is an issue with it and they are telling me to return it to their UK workshop.

    By returning it am i opening myself up for all sorts of import charges, etc. or does anybody know is there a way declaring that is only for repair? thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    banie01
    Registered Users Posts: 16,426 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    WF will carry out the repair and it will be indicated as repair/return when it's sent back to you.

    There are TARIC codes to cover the repair/return process.
    WF are best placed to advise on the process as they will be managing the process.


  • #3
    swimming in a sea
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭swimming in a sea


    Just wanted to give an update. I sent the the watch to Watchfinder UK in late January with all the paperwork filled out or so i thought. It has been held in customs since. The reason I've been told for the hold-up is that customs say i've undervalued the watch, so I send them the invoice to prove the value, but still they won't accept this. I tried in vain to get message that value should not matter anyway as it is not a sale only going for repair.

    I'm now arranging to get the watch returned to me.

    I'm waiting on Watchfinder now to reply, as I bought the watch from their French company so I didn't have to deal with all these Brexit complications.


  • #4
    banie01
    Registered Users Posts: 16,426 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    Sorry to hear you've run into such prolonged customs issues.
    Hopefully WF can sort it out for you.


  • #5
    Deep Thought
    Registered Users Posts: 4,380 ✭✭✭Deep Thought


    swimming in a sea wrote: »
    Just wanted to give an update. I sent the the watch to Watchfinder UK in late January with all the paperwork filled out or so i thought. It has been held in customs since. The reason I've been told for the hold-up is that customs say i've undervalued the watch, so I send them the invoice to prove the value, but still they won't accept this. I tried in vain to get message that value should not matter anyway as it is not a sale only going for repair.

    I'm now arranging to get the watch returned to me.

    I'm waiting on Watchfinder now to reply, as I bought the watch from their French company so I didn't have to deal with all these Brexit complications.

    I wonder if they have an office here as they have an Irish domain website

    The narrower a man’s mind, the broader his statements.



  • #6
    Fitz II
    Registered Users Posts: 2,527 ✭✭✭Fitz II


    swimming in a sea wrote: »
    . I tried in vain to get message that value should not matter anyway as it is not a sale only going for repair.


    I would have thought this was the key point and agree totally.....

    Last time I asked Watchfinder for a quote on a trade they made a quote so bad they were obviously not looking for the business. I quizzed my guy in WF and he said that yes Brexit issues make buying, selling and service very difficult.


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  • #7
    Time
    Registered Users Posts: 993 ✭✭✭Time


    Deep Thought wrote: »
    I wonder if they have an office here as they have an Irish domain website

    Richemonte were advertising for people in Dublin a while back for Watchfinder’s. Nothing ever seemed to come of it though and Watchfinder never opened here afaik.


  • #8
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,055 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Fitz II wrote: »
    I quizzed my guy in WF and he said that yes Brexit issues make buying, selling and service very difficult.
    And why I've got two watches in need of a service that I used to send to an English chap, but I'm not risking it until this brexit nonsense dies down. If it ever does. All it would take is just one muppet in customs and it could turn out to be a monumental PITA

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • #9
    saccades
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭saccades


    Wibbs wrote: »
    And why I've got two watches in need of a service that I used to send to an English chap, but I'm not risking it until this brexit nonsense dies down. If it ever does. All it would take is just one muppet in customs and it could turn out to be a monumental PITA

    Would be easier to be a foot passenger to Holyhead and use the horologist on the main Street.


  • #10
    893bet
    Registered Users Posts: 8,721 ✭✭✭893bet


    swimming in a sea wrote: »
    Just wanted to give an update. I sent the the watch to Watchfinder UK in late January with all the paperwork filled out or so i thought. It has been held in customs since. The reason I've been told for the hold-up is that customs say i've undervalued the watch, so I send them the invoice to prove the value, but still they won't accept this. I tried in vain to get message that value should not matter anyway as it is not a sale only going for repair.

    I'm now arranging to get the watch returned to me.

    I'm waiting on Watchfinder now to reply, as I bought the watch from their French company so I didn't have to deal with all these Brexit complications.

    Which customs is holding it? Uk or Irish?


  • #11
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,055 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    saccades wrote: »
    Would be easier to be a foot passenger to Holyhead and use the horologist on the main Street.
    Sadly the two in question would need specialists, one's a tuning fork, the other's electronic. For the "basic" mechanical stuff I'm looking to go local anyway in the future. Other EU watchmakers are a possibility too. Over the years I've used French, Spanish and German watchmakers, all but the German were a good experience.

    Now I have a "paper trail" for most of my watches shwoing when and where I bought them and the values at the time. I'm sure I could navigate the customs stuff, but again all it needs is one muppet and it's a pain. Even having to go through the rigmarole with a non muppet would just add to overhead I don't need. The UK has a pretty substantial watch and watch servicing business, new and vintage and I can't see how brexit isn't going to seriously negatively affect that. I'm getting the feeling in some quarters it already is with sales slowing, non UK residents not buying at the prices they're looking for in the old system.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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  • #12
    swimming in a sea
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭swimming in a sea


    893bet wrote: »
    Which customs is holding it? Uk or Irish?

    It's with UK customs, of course I'm trying to get this progressed through UPS so you can imagine my trouble. I've been on the phone every day to them telling them to return it to me, only today I finally got a UPS supervisor to reply to me to say they can't return it either as customs won't release it for that either.

    So I sent them the invoice again with the value again as who knows if it was passed on to customs the last time i sent it.

    If it does finally get through to Watchfinder, i'll be telling them to send to my sister in law in London and just wait for her to bring it back.


  • #13
    Lorddrakul
    Registered Users Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭Lorddrakul


    What a ball ache.

    Good luck with it.


  • #14
    swimming in a sea
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭swimming in a sea


    I didn't want to constantly be updating as it was giving me a pain in the ass.

    So in my last post I said i told UPS to return the watch to me after i managed to get in contact with someone in their UK office, but coincidence or again them not listening to me they actually got it released from customs. It was sent to Watchfinder but they refused delivery as there was a customs charge to pay and they refused 3 days in a row so back to UPS depot it went. I was trying again to find what was going finally got UPS to tell me they wanted 20% of the customs value of the watch to be paid by Watchfinder on delivery. I then got through to Watchfinder and they said they were working with UPS to get it resolved, I then got a UPS message to say the import charges had been paid and after another 2 weeks of delays it arrived in Watchfinder today. I hope the watch is okay, so left Jan 25th and arrived April 09th, I presume Watchfinder paid the cost and probably can reclaim this but it’s a Brexit $hit show.

    Has anybody experience of the process the other way? as thinking I should just send to relative in London and wait for them to bring it back over with them (virus permitting)


  • #15
    Fitz II
    Registered Users Posts: 2,527 ✭✭✭Fitz II


    I have gotten very frustrated reading your post I can only imagine what its like to actually be living it....disgrace on UPS part, this is a genuine repair.


  • #16
    Marcusm
    Registered Users Posts: 10,175 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    Wibbs wrote: »
    Sadly the two in question would need specialists, one's a tuning fork, the other's electronic. For the "basic" mechanical stuff I'm looking to go local anyway in the future. Other EU watchmakers are a possibility too. Over the years I've used French, Spanish and German watchmakers, all but the German were a good experience.

    Now I have a "paper trail" for most of my watches shwoing when and where I bought them and the values at the time. I'm sure I could navigate the customs stuff, but again all it needs is one muppet and it's a pain. Even having to go through the rigmarole with a non muppet would just add to overhead I don't need. The UK has a pretty substantial watch and watch servicing business, new and vintage and I can't see how brexit isn't going to seriously negatively affect that. I'm getting the feeling in some quarters it already is with sales slowing, non UK residents not buying at the prices they're looking for in the old system.

    I would expect at the moment that it is due to unfamiliarity and the need to get things moving. Eventually it will settle down as the repairs side of the business should be subject to inward processing or similar reliefs which just require paperwork rather than any additional duty costs.

    Had issues with new desktop which arrived early January with defects, as did the replacement. As the vendor (Apple) required them sent to the U.K. for assessment (even though rejected a refund to be provided rather than a repair or further replacement), this took approximately 8 weeks to be picked up from my home. Multiple promises of expedition, multiple hours on the phone, multiple failures of service.

    Eventually, the watch service centres etc will invest in a customs agent to facilitate their continuing business and the paperwork will be semi automatic.


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