Probelm with customs clearance due to CITES

[Lantalon]

A friend of mine is very annoyed due to a very bizare incidence. He ordered two Glycine watches from a seller in the US. Glycine is a known Swiss watch compay but sometimes it is much cheaper to re-import Swiss watches. 

Yesterday he got contacted by UPS due to problems at customs clearance. The two watches come with genuine leather straps and now a certificate is required to prove that the leather straps do not fall under the scope of CITES i.e. the leather from the straps is not from any endangered species. 

I googled around and there are indeed several similar cases reported in other forums. I think it's a bit strange to do these controls with more or less famous watch brands importing from countries like the US. 

Don't know if anybody had similar or other customs problems by ordering watches from outside the EU?

 

 

 

[jdm]

Not sure why are you posting this as first post in a watch repair forum, anyway:

I don't think it matters to Swiss about ordering outside of the EU, because Switzerland is not part of the EU.

I think your friends has two choices,
1. Obtain a letter from your country fellow Glycine company about the strap, or if that's not possible
2. Without admitting fault, arrange with customs for straps to be removed and destroyed.
3. Have these sent back, get a refund, and plan better for a next time.

BTW, i see this is a subtle revenge by Swiss customs for those that re-import domestic products. Your friend might also be questioned about the declared value of the goods.

 

 

Edited April 22, 2017 by jdm

[Lantalon]

well we are in "Chat About Anything Here" and it was not my first post...anyway :-)

I agree with you and I also suspect that Swiss customs is pushed to be overeager in this respect. But I heard similar stories from people ordering e.g. Seiko watches from Japan to Germany. 

The problem is -  option 3 is no option. If you fail to proove within around 30 days that your good is not a CITES case then it is considered as such and it will be kept by customs. "In dubio contra reum". You pay and get nothing.

Maybe option 2 would work with common sense people if you expect them at customs ;-)

I also doubt you get support for option 1.

My personal consequence is that in the future when I order a watch from outside the EU I take care that it is equiped with a bracelet. 

Well in a couple of weeks I will tell you if and how my friend got it solved or if I soon have to visit him in prison :-)

[jdm]

Sorry for not reading your post count right.

Option 2 is what people in the US does in similar cases. Maybe in the US they have more common sense, yet people complains having to show up in person or send a delegated agent.

And I think that the choice of having it sent back must be given. Because customs have no rights on metal parts of an article not fully made of leather.