FedEx import fees, delayed by 10 days?
Not a complaint here, just interesting. For any of my previous international deliveries, I have been required to pay the import fees/duties before the delivery. I took the delivery of my Brellum watch on 2/19, and there was no fees charged. Today in the mail, I just got the invoice from FedEx. Just surprised that this is how they charge you, after delivery. Anyone else experience this?
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Chris
New watch enthusiast.
Pennsylvania, USA
Member since
Last active: 1 hr ago
7.25” / 18.42 cm
Is this just for high dollar items?
Never. Then again I've never purchased a watch costing $X,XXX from another country and had it shipped here.
Yes, had the same: watch came, invoice a few days later. Seems to be FedEx‘s approach, with DHL I had to pay when picking it up.
Normally, your shipment is withheld by your carrier until it is cleared by customs, that is to say until you paid customs duties. If you picked up the watch, I assume you implicitly acknowledged you would pay the duties.
Right now, I face another interesting issue. The Japanese shop I bought a watch from thought it was a good idea to send the watch and the strap separatly because in certain instances, they experienced that crocodile leather straps were confiscated by customs. Well. No. They double the tracking numbers, DHL/FedEx/whatever app downloads, the emails and I will most likely receive a strapless watch anyway :)
I've had FedEx invoice later as well.
Yes, had the same: watch came, invoice a few days later. Seems to be FedEx‘s approach, with DHL I had to pay when picking it up.
For me the DHL approach makes more sense. It seems to be in-line with the delivery, meaning as it's in transit, they send you an email asking you to pay online. Super easy way to do this.
Yes, I made a watch purchase from a Japanese seller, FedEx handled customs clearance into the US, and I received an invoice a week or so later in the mailbox from FedEx
Yup, this has happened to me as well. Usually with FedEx. Once when ordering a watch and the other time when ordering a fountain pen from out of country. Import fees invoice arrived via snail mail.
For me the DHL approach makes more sense. It seems to be in-line with the delivery, meaning as it's in transit, they send you an email asking you to pay online. Super easy way to do this.
DHL in Germany or at least at my place is doing it a little different: no e-mail, just a card in the mailbox saying they tried to deliver and I have to pick it up… no attempt to deliver as I was at home… I go to the shop to pick the parcel up and have to pay VAT, custom etc. At least, I do not get the parcel if I do not pay…
In UK I've found it depends on the carrier, sometimes it's an email before but delivery isn't held back for payment, sometimes delivery is held back, and sometimes they invoice afterwards. And occasionally, bless 'em, you get away with a freebie!
They do it to keep their warehouses clear. They pay the fees on behalf of the importer and then claim it back from you. Usually there will be a limit to the amount of risk they’ll take on. But for express carriers, it’s worth doing it this way rather than having thousands of shipments sitting, waiting for payment.
Postal services are a bit more risk averse, and want you to pay the fees before they release the goods to you.
DHL in Germany or at least at my place is doing it a little different: no e-mail, just a card in the mailbox saying they tried to deliver and I have to pick it up… no attempt to deliver as I was at home… I go to the shop to pick the parcel up and have to pay VAT, custom etc. At least, I do not get the parcel if I do not pay…
I assume that’s DHL parcel, not DHL Express?
Normally, your shipment is withheld by your carrier until it is cleared by customs, that is to say until you paid customs duties. If you picked up the watch, I assume you implicitly acknowledged you would pay the duties.
Right now, I face another interesting issue. The Japanese shop I bought a watch from thought it was a good idea to send the watch and the strap separatly because in certain instances, they experienced that crocodile leather straps were confiscated by customs. Well. No. They double the tracking numbers, DHL/FedEx/whatever app downloads, the emails and I will most likely receive a strapless watch anyway :)
You need a CITES certificate to import exotic leathers - to confirm the leather is not bad from endangered species. Sending it separately, I guess is a way to try to circumvent automated customs checks (I.e.
If the description says “watch” it will be checked for a leather strap). If they describe the strap some other way in a separate shipment, they may dodge the customs checks.
What I would say is that this is pretty dodgy behaviour from the shipper - it’s either a legit leather and they should have no issue during import. OR, it may actually be endangered species leather… which is really not good
In UK I've found it depends on the carrier, sometimes it's an email before but delivery isn't held back for payment, sometimes delivery is held back, and sometimes they invoice afterwards. And occasionally, bless 'em, you get away with a freebie!
Express carriers are held much more accountable to submit accurate customs declarations than the postal system. Its quite unfair actually.
I assume that’s DHL parcel, not DHL Express?
Not sure. Happened to me twice, prefer the FedEx approach.
Normally, your shipment is withheld by your carrier until it is cleared by customs, that is to say until you paid customs duties. If you picked up the watch, I assume you implicitly acknowledged you would pay the duties.
Right now, I face another interesting issue. The Japanese shop I bought a watch from thought it was a good idea to send the watch and the strap separatly because in certain instances, they experienced that crocodile leather straps were confiscated by customs. Well. No. They double the tracking numbers, DHL/FedEx/whatever app downloads, the emails and I will most likely receive a strapless watch anyway :)
FedEx, DHL, UPS etc. act as your customs broker when the package enters the country, and the do the paperwork etc. to shepherd it through customs. And they front the money and pay the duty to customs, otherwise customs would not release the package. Then they collect the money from you, plus a fee for their services, before they deliver, or in the case of FedEx, after.
I don't know what you mean by double tracking numbers. Exotic leathers require a CITES license to import. You don't have a CITES license. Lot's of people get away with it and receive the strap, but if your unlucky, the will confiscate the strap, and there are horror stories about the rest of the watch disappearing along with the strap, or the watch shows up with destroyed lugs from them trying to remove the strap. So I guess the theory is by separating the watch and the strap, they can confiscate the strap without affecting the watch.
In UK I've found it depends on the carrier, sometimes it's an email before but delivery isn't held back for payment, sometimes delivery is held back, and sometimes they invoice afterwards. And occasionally, bless 'em, you get away with a freebie!
Yeah, so far no freebies for me ☹