Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 My package was handed over to us customs two weeks ago, 12-31-13, and there it has sat. I've checked every day (multiple times) on EMS, but no further movement or information. I'm new to this site and club, and pretty new overall, I've been collecting maybe 6 months or so. I have received 4-5 packages in the past couple months, would this amount of regularity raise anything? Is this order screwed? Unfortunately I stepped out on this one, and had 5 nice reps on the way. So I'm freaking. I have been very happy with my company, which is one everyone on here knows, and I would really like to avoid having either he or myself stuck holding the bag here. Would anyone/ everyone with any helpful wisdom in this type of situation please advise? Thank you VERY MUCH in advance. Jesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpz5142 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Have your tried tracking it on the USPS website? Sometimes after it reaches the US, EMS stops showing any activity. It should be close to delivery, but with the holidays and weather a bunch of packages are slow to arrive his time of year. Check it out and let us know! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceocorona Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Have your tried tracking it on the USPS website? Sometimes after it reaches the US, EMS stops showing any activity. It should be close to delivery, but with the holidays and weather a bunch of packages are slow to arrive his time of year. Check it out and let us know! +1. I have had packages show customs for three weeks. EMS tracking can be slow at updating. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Yes sir, I have, and just tried again. They have the same info: it ends 12-31 after 'handed over to US customs' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks so much guys for taking your time, very kind, very stand up move! May I ask has anyone lost a package this way? Was there any positive resolution beyond that as far as getting replacements? Thank you again, Jesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Would it be advisable --or not-- to contact usps? Do I have anything to worry about? I'm strictly a collector and do not get these as a business (not that there's anything wrong with that).... Not that I'd say anything other than 'it is a gift from a friend in the far east'. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplehd Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Where was it shipped from? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 GUANGZHOU EMS, CHINA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplehd Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I know that i have seem threads where it took 3 weeks,after being held in customs, to be delivered. How many watches were included? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 This part hurts the most. 5 that I think are Really Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I went ahead and just called USPS. I had been nervous to do so, now seems silly. I was getting some hope off the fact that their website shows, when I do the tracking, a status of 'In Transit'. This has little meaning, as it turns out. And USPS has little to offer in the way of help, only that 'it's with customs. Been there 2 weeks. CAN be there up to 45 days. We don't know why, what how, etc, in further info.' Yeah so I have there a: Hublot Big Bang King red rose gold A-7750 (w/ blue stick hr markers, bezel dot)-----love this one Then, an: Omega Seamaster--Aqua Terra Auto SS/ LE white/ RG/ swiss 2836----mmmm And then: Patek Philippe, Nautilus Jumbo Grey Sticks, Swiss ETA For some reason, I have a feeling it may be the two that follow which MAY have brought me undue scrutiny (could be wrong, of course). I have several Rolex's in my collection, but seldom order them. It seems obvious they'd be far and away the most recognizable to anyone, anywhere, right? Anyway, they are: Rol Skydweller SS/LE Roman white Asian 2836 Rol ProHunter Sub PVD/PVD Asian 2836 I was very excited, needless to say..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Triplehd, what are your thoughts on that particular package, being what it is? (If you will be so kind. Thank you very much for your time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBuys Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 (edited) Would it be advisable --or not-- to contact usps? Do I have anything to worry about? I'm strictly a collector and do not get these as a business (not that there's anything wrong with that).... Not that I'd say anything other than 'it is a gift from a friend in the far east'. Thoughts? Well my friend, you'd be wrong with that statement. It is a federal crime to deal (as in sell) anything that is a copy of a legitimate product and use their likeness and name with the product. You had better adjust your thinking where you said "I'm strictly a collector and do not get these as a business (not that there's anything wrong with that)" as it can get you in trouble. The mantra is that you are a collector and would only sell infrequently to other collectors as you build and manage your collection. I would also caution you to temper the quantity within a single purchase because groups of anything illegal could get you a charge of dealing in that illegal market. That having been said, I do not believe that you are necessary at risk on this purchase. You are demonstrating pure noobian tendencies to over-react. Give it time. Most federal charges that I have heard of are for much larger groups of items. The quantity of the shipment may draw attention to the shipment and I believe the worst that could happen is seisure. Edited January 14, 2014 by BigBuys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 While importing any replica is somewhat of a crap shoot ( see my post below), the chances of seizure may very well go up with numbers. While 5 watches isn't going to make headlines, it very we'll send up more red flags than a single watch.I also believe Rolex watches are much more familiar to everyone, consequently they are more likely to be scrutinized. I doubt that most customs agents have ever heard of Patek or Hublot, much less ever seen one. Everyone knows that Rolex watches are expensive watches, so when they see a Rolex being shipped in with a value of say 50-100 USD, they know something is amiss. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thank you, and thank you. Understood and appreciated. I shall remain hopeful for now. (Panerai153, for what it's worth, I included the qualifier '(not that there's anything wrong with that)' for only one reason: I did not wish to offend anyone here. Personally, I have not so much as discussed or attempted to sell any gen, ever. I am far more concerned with adding on, not subtracting. In almost every case they're worth more to me than what I payed. I'm still in the stage of being blown away by what I have the good fortune of being able to wear everyday. Not sure this stage ever passes though, so maybe it's not technically a stage). Ok so Lord willing, it comes through. If it does not, what is a reasonable expectation of my dealer, understanding of course that this could likely vary (anyone's experienced opinion very much appreciated). And gentleman, thank you all for your time and consideration. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archetypal Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Keeping fingers crossed for a good result for you brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraggle42 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I have heard of watch packages sitting in customs for many weeks before jumping back into life and starting to move again and be delivered. I wouldn't worry myself until you either get the delivery (celebrate) or get the letter from customs. Even in the latter case some people have said they have gotten around it with a very carefully worded letter. For future reference what I would do if I was buying 5 watches is to ask the dealer to put a maximum of 2 watches in any package, and stagger sending the packages at 1 week intervals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were buying to resell, What I was trying to say that when that many watches comes through customs, it might raise some red flags. Also Rolex are so well known, and everyone knows that they are expensive watches, so that only adds to the suspicion. Rolex USA spends a ton of money lobbying and pressuring the government (read Customs) to stop Rolex watches coming into the USA, and that isn't just reps, there have been some notable cases in the past where dealers were bringing in "Grey market" watches, and Rolex is just as adamant about stopping them as stopping reps. AFA time in customs, here is a story, happened to me. I have been buying cigars from a seller in Australia who imports cigars from that little island south of you. They usually shipped Registered mail, and Australia post didn't have tracking. In the fall of 2012, I ordered a couple of boxes of Cigars. This was just after the deal where some bombs were discovered in laser printer cartridges, almost immediately, the USPS and customs started cracking down on packages that were over 13 oz., Lots of stuff was getting opened and seized. The cigar seller decided that if you bought a box of large cigars, they would split them into two packages 12 and 13. Smaller could go but not in the box. So I ordered a box of larger and a box of fairly small cigars. waited and a couple of weeks later the package with the 13 cigars arrived, then I waited and waited, after about a month, I emailed the seller told them what had happened, and they reshipped the package of 12 and the package of 25 small cigars. both of these arrived OK. About 3 months ago, I went to my PO box and there was a notice. Went around to the desk, and the clerk handed me a package from Australia. Now this was at least 10 months from the order date. I got them home, and sure enough there was the package of 12 cigars. about 2 weeks later, Same thing, package notice, opened package 25 small cigars. I emailed the shipper to tell them what happened, and they told me that they had gotten a bunch of emails from the USA in the past few weeks of folks getting cigars that had been ordered 8 months to a year before. It seems like the US Customs in New York was cleaning out a warehouse that held package that had been stopped but couldn't be proven to be contraband!! I suppose in their perverse way, they got the last laugh, figured that cigars that sat through the freezing winter and then the sweltering heat in a warehouse wouldn't be fit to smoke anyway!! And pretty much they were right. the larger ones have rehabbed OK, but the smaller ones, UGH!! So moral of the story, no matter how long, it takes, your watches may show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessej Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Wow, unreal. Now this is exactly the type of information that you'd just never know unless you know. Ok, here's a big follow up question. I have been very steady with the guy I primarily order from currently, have done very good business with him over quite a few orders. He's been great, and I've certainly been a great customer. Now, as I was getting started I tried orders with a number of sites. I know I have seen dealers guarantee the package to your front door. Obviously if a package is held, it doesn't make it this far. So: is there an industry standard here? Is there a norm that a customer should expect from a dealer in this set of circumstances (regarding, obviously, the replacement of merchandise)? If so, is there any norm as far as a period of time? I Really appreciate insight here gentleman. I do not at all relish the idea of my guy getting beat over the head here. Obviously though, it's a sickening prospect to be beat over the head here myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heynow12 Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Most dealers will not refund you in full unless you order from them a ton. They most likely will say your SOL or refund you their profit, which is usually around 20%. But just message them and ask them what their policy is. They should have known not to send FIVE in one package! 5 watches at one time - I think that's just asking to get seized. You want to keep the packages under 10 pounds and I try to only do two watches at a time. Longest I've had a package in customs was two weeks, then it was released. Had a couple packages seized and got a letter within 30 days after they were taken. Don't call USPS or anything it will raise flags. Also, if you get the letter, ignore it and throw it away. Good luck man - I hope the outcome is in your favor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffindodger Posted May 14, 2014 Report Share Posted May 14, 2014 so did you ever get your watches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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