Import duty on a watch

[pmanson]

Hi All,

I've found a watch I really like on the net. The company is based out of Japan so if I order it and customs pick it up whats the import duty likely to be?

The watch is about £110.


Thanks,

Phill

[alexkp]

Not a lot on that amount.

No more than £20 if you are unlucky, nothing if you are more fortunate.

[Andrew Noakes]

I think duty would be 4.5%, and you have to add VAT too. So theoretically it would cost you about £24.

[MrsRotty]

Is it from TokyoFlash? I recently bought the radioactive watch from them and paid £24 all in for customs etc. I didn't realise you can pay the delivery driver cash or cheque when he delivers!

Ali

[pmanson]

MrsRotty said:

Is it from TokyoFlash? I recently bought the radioactive watch from them and paid £24 all in for customs etc. I didn't realise you can pay the delivery driver cash or cheque when he delivers! Ali

Yes it is! I really want this one -



Just waiting to see how my funds are and didn't want to be caught out by any extra unexpected charges!

[bruciebabe]

This does seem to be down to luck.
Sometimes HM C&E seem to be after every penny of VAT and duty, other times they are less pedantic.
Just recently I have had a few non EU parcels including, coincidentaly, a watch from HK, without them asking for a single penny.

[bga]

pmanson said:

MrsRotty said: Is it from TokyoFlash? I recently bought the radioactive watch from them and paid £24 all in for customs etc. I didn't realise you can pay the delivery driver cash or cheque when he delivers! Ali Yes it is! I really want this one - Just waiting to see how my funds are and didn't want to be caught out by any extra unexpected charges!

Customs & handling charges will be about £32 on that one. Got one myself a couple of weeks ago.

[MrsRotty]

I bought the Radioactive for MrRotty as an anniversary present. He wasn't sure when he first opened it, but after wearing it to work on the Monday, he hasn't taken it off since!! Most reactions are along the lines of "WTF is that?!" But a number of techies have even asked how it measures the radiation! MrRotty has now become a show-off...

[bigandclever]

OK, I'm thick. What time does that watch say?

I think 08:43:25

>> Edited by bigandclever on Tuesday 28th June 13:33

[MrsRotty]

I would hazard a guess at 5.38?

[bga]

MrsRotty said:

I would hazard a guess at 5.38?

yep

[pmanson]

bga said:

MrsRotty said: I would hazard a guess at 5.38? yep

BGA - How are you getting on with it? Looks good!

[MrsRotty]

MrRotty has just mailed me to say that a colleague has decided to order one of these:

[princeperch]

as angusfaldo will tell you when he kindly responded to a similar question posed when I was importing my watch, if your unlucky youll get stung for the vat on the watch, there is a nominal handling fee (think he said it was about 50p), but no import duty as such.

Depends on whether the firm your buying it off are "customs friendly" or not..

www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?f=141&h=0&t=153083

>> Edited by princeperch on Tuesday 28th June 14:50

[bga]

pmanson said:

bga said: MrsRotty said: I would hazard a guess at 5.38? yep BGA - How are you getting on with it? Looks good!

it's great! I went with the chrome one in the end and it is a bit bling but I like it. In retrospect the black case would have been better.

As far as wearing itI did have a problem with it - the display went a bit nuts, nothing prising the back off & removing the batteries didn't sort out. The links are also tricky to remove - but not more so than a normal watch.

Looking at it's build quality you are paying for it to be "different". Pretty simple innards & not waterproof by any stretch of the imagination. The body is pretty sturdy.

The time is easy to tell once you get used to it (takes all of about 3 minutes). The display is usually blank but you press the button on the side for it to light up for a few seconds.

I doubt I will wear it much but looked a bit of fun!

[Balmoral Green]

The power of Pistonheads eh?

I got a black pimp a few weeks back after someone posted the Tokyoflash website details.

I ordered late Monday night, it arrived Friday morning. I had to pay a charge, cant remember how much, £20 or something, it might have been £17, or it could have been more, £24. Dunno, but hardly important is it.

These watches are getting very fashionable amongst PH'ers. neil.b was wearing a cyberpunk last Tuesday, and I have seen a chrome and blue pimp too.

Anyone bling enough for a gold and red pimp?

[pmanson]

Thats a quick turn around. I'll order it towards the end of the week so that it'll arrive early next week. (In and out all weekend and I don't want to miss it being delivered!)

Also its pay day on Thursday!

How do you find the quality?

[lunarscope]

What do you think about this one from Fossil ?

www.shadestation.co.uk/policewatches/product.asp?pid=2005

I think it looks very (modern) stylish for the price.

[Balmoral Green]

pmanson said:

How do you find the quality?

Well, it's big and heavy, so it 'feels' quality, even though it probably isnt. The only thing with mine is that there was a tiny black cap stuck on top of the thing you push in with a biro to set the time, it came off, so now the 'real' one that was underneath and made of brass stood out against the all black everything else. But no worries, I coloured it in with a permanent marker.

'Pimp time' between 6pm and 1am is a bit conspicuos, and you cant turn it off.

[s2gonzo]

I've got the original Blue "Pimpin aint easy" like this one. Top watch and still works fine.
If it gets caught you will pay between £20 and £30 to customs. But I have had some sail through no worries.

Have a look at the Sashin Diode as well, very nice... and a mate has the "Radioactive" and its a superb, Absolutely nuts thing.