Ordering From Cousins

[Chopin]

Sometimes, Cousins does not offer much important and relevant information on their products...

[jdm]

11 minutes ago, Chopin said:

Sometimes, Cousins does not offer much important and relevant information on their products...

Actually I've found the contrary. They place a great effort to document and explain their products in detail. If you find an error or are just unsure about something use the support function, they will reply promptly and completely, even on minor issues. Very different from other sellers which beside having a limited stock, don't know much about it either. 

[Chopin]

I'm talking about, sometimes, leaving out information/details that could be useful.

[jdm]

12 minutes ago, Chopin said:

I'm talking about, sometimes, leaving out information/details that could be useful.

You can't expect a reseller to fill its website with the full amount of details that is available from manufacturers or "rebranders" like Bergeon is. Because of that and their high trading standards they are an asset to both professionals and hobbysts.

[Watcher]

13 hours ago, Chopin said:

I'm talking about, sometimes, leaving out information/details that could be useful.

If you want to buy from Cousins a domed rectangular acrylic crystal, the radius of curvature is given as a number with the added information 'The Radius curve measurement can be seen with the Sternkreuz Raduis (sic) Gauge (G0691)'

Cousins neither describes or sells this item G0691

Edited June 3, 2018 by Watcher

[jdm]

5 hours ago, Watcher said:

Cousins neither describes or sells this item G0691

It may have gone out of stock. "Online support" --> "Products and Stock" --> "I can't find what I'm looking for"--> "I'm looking for something else" and fill the form.

Otherwise, if your issue is with the description or misspelling use "Missing product description".

I have done either above numerous times, and they always promptly corrected or clarified the issue to me.

[VWatchie]

Well, just want to add that every time, without exception, that I've contacted CousinsUK about missing information on their site, they have very promptly replied. Usually by updating the info on their site. That's one of many reasons to why I always try to find parts and tools at CousinsUK first. Plus, their prices seem most of the time to be very competitive.

Yes, information is missing quite often, but as jdm says, considering that they carry hundreds of thousands of items, it is more or less unavoidable.

Anyway, I will suggest CousinsUK to inform potential buyers of the Bergeon 4854 cannon pinion remover that it is limited to cannon pinions having a diameter of 1.0 mm and larger.

[ecodec]

I have purchased two or three components in the past from overseas suppliers but when the need arises I will now try Cousins UK. I do little of the "very in depth" repairs as I am Not a qualified Watchmaker. Just a Jobber Fixer. I have little in the way of specialist tools and most that I have are from India and China and re-engineered by myself where necessary. For instance the cheap screwdrivers are fine, just temper the blades and stone up as reqd. I was lucky in getting academic training many years ago and still refer to de Carles and Frieds books if required. Just my way of doing things and I have not had any complaints. I have received help from this excellent forum and I am grateful to you all. best regards, Mike.  PS. Near Southampton UK.

Edited June 3, 2018 by ecodec
Added information.

[clockboy]

Whilst on the subject of Cousins I have noticed just lately if you put in the product code of a item from their catalogue into the search box of their website it no longer finds the item. 

[jdm]

1 hour ago, clockboy said:

Whilst on the subject of Cousins I have noticed just lately if you put in the product code of a item from their catalogue into the search box of their website it no longer finds the item. 

I've just tried searching SELSW2001M and it found both that and SELSW2001MR.
When you find something not working on Cousins use the form mentioned above to notify them. 

[margolisd]

This may of interest to those in the UK using Cousins. I recently noticed that they offer a 2.5% discount for using a debit card instead of a credit card. As was highlighted in this recent BBC News article, CTSI considers these discounts the same as a credit card charge and therefore illegal in the UK. If you have used a personal credit card to buy anything from Cousins since January last year, you should be entitled to a 2.5% refund. If you used a commercial credit card then you may still be entitled to something as the charge can not exceed their processing fee and 2.5% obviously does.

I've taken it up with Cousins, although their website is designed to make it virtually impossible to message them, and their reply was absurd and made no sense. It just seemed to be a canned response not relating at all to my enquiry. It was as if they didn't even understand the message and additionally they made it so I couldn't reply to them. Really quite nasty actually considering I spent a huge amount there last year setting myself up with tools.

So I'm going to send them a letter and ask for a refund. If they refuse I might put in a complaint to Trading Standards or even consider Small Claims.

I hope this might be useful to fellow Brits and do message me if you want to join forces. 

[chrisdt]

Basically what they have done is increase their charges to cover the costs they incur by using a credit card. Then give you 2.5% back if you use a debit card.  Sylvia Rook from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute said was "no different" to a card surcharge. This is not the only company to use back door methods to retain their finances. I personally refrain from using a debit card on line. Bank transfer is probably the way to go although you still are in effect paying the 2.5% surcharge. I had an altercation with a local auction house soon after the ruling came in in January last year. I left the goods I had bid on and said  "I'm afraid you will have to sell these items again" They billed me by post on two occasions but I just returned the invoices "Less 2.5%...Please amend" Needless to say I didn't pay and never got the goods.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

[margolisd]

Well done for standing up to them. It's sadly quite a common occurrence. As a business owner myself, I know what the charges are. And they're nothing like 2.5%. Even the most expensive ones like Amex aren't that bad. And you don't have to accept Amex if you don't want to. I try to use credit cards to purchase because they offer all sorts of extra benefits, insurance and protections. And if you pay it all back at the end of the month it costs nothing in interest.

I'm fed up with cousins. Bunch of Essex wide boys (I grew up in Essex so I'm allowed to say that.)

[Tmuir]

In Australia probably around 10 years ago they passed a law allowing companies to charge you a reasonable fee for paying with credit cards to cover their costs, depending on the company and the card you are using this is usually between 0.4% and 2.5%.

I just pay with cash or from my saving account at those companies to avoid the charge or if possible not shop there, but with Cousins just accept I need to pay it as in Australia they are legally entitled to do so.

[Flubber]

Man, do I get tired. I live in Sweden but buy most of my spare parts and tools online from cousins in the UK. I was waiting for a delivery when I got this text from Postnord (the swedish postal service) that they needed to get VAT and some customs charges, totalling 30% of the amount I paid, before they can do the delivery. That is more expensive than when you buy crap directly from China. 

I thought the UK had a preliminary agreement with the EU til the end of the year 2020 but I could be wrong. Has anyone else had the same problem ? How does it work if you order stuff from cousins and you're located in the US, for example ?

If this would persist, does anyone have any good suggestions of other stores, preferrably within the EU, where you may order watch parts ?

[Mark]

Well, let's be clear - looking at the title of this thread people could assume the VAT and Customs charges are from Cousins when clearly they are from your countries government. Or did Cousins ALSO charge UK vat (20%) on your order? In other words, if you have been DOUBLE charged duties from both countries then maybe you need to seek advice from a TAX lawyer to claim back either the UK levy or the Swedish levy.

I live in Thailand and have been waiting for a package from Cousins to clear customs for the past week Cousins did not charge VAT as it is an export, and VAT was 7% and customs duty normally 5% they decided would be 10% because they say watch repair tools should be at a higher rate (crazy but true) PLUS I had to pay a fee to UPS for clearing services and another bullshit charge I cant even work out was for, but I can't do nothing about it so I accept it if I want to import products from other countries.

I am not a huge fan of Cousins, but it's clearly not their fault that governments rake these TAX's from us - the money doesn't go in their (cousins) pockets!

[jdm]

5 hours ago, Mark said:

Or did Cousins ALSO charge UK vat (20%) on your order? 

Normally they do for orders shipped to EU countries, unless the buyer has entered and validated an EU VAT id.

If OP has paid VAT to Cousins all he has to do is to show Post that on the invoice. 

If he has not paid VAT by having his VAT ID in Cousins, then he's correct that the previous customs and VAT treatment (not a preliminary agreement) has been extended until end of 2020, and should point out that. 

As Mark said in no case the OP can be charged VAT twice, or any custom duties. 

At the same time we know that Sweden is one of the strictiest countries when it comes to collecting fees on packages, there isn't even an allowance as most other countries have. 

[Watchtime]

why don't you try Flume in Germany....

[Klassiker]

Flume will not deal with hobbyists.

[Flubber]

10 hours ago, Mark said:

Well, let's be clear - looking at the title of this thread people could assume the VAT and Customs charges are from Cousins when clearly they are from your countries government. Or did Cousins ALSO charge UK vat (20%) on your order?

Yes, Cousins charged me the 20 % UK VAT because I'm a hobbyist so I don't have a VAT Id so that has been paid. To be clear, my beef is not with Cousins but with Postnord (I guess) and I just wanted to hear if anyone else (in the EU ?) had had a similar experience since I think it is wrong.

I have made a complaint with Postnord and we'll see what the outcome of that'll be.

 

2 hours ago, Watchtime said:

why don't you try Flume in Germany....

Thank you for the suggestion but as @Klassiker said, it would appear they don't deal with hobbyists which seems to be a pity since they seems to have a lot to choose from.

 

[Mark]

11 hours ago, Flubber said:

Yes, Cousins charged me the 20 % UK VAT because I'm a hobbyist so I don't have a VAT Id so that has been paid. To be clear, my beef is not with Cousins but with Postnord (I guess) and I just wanted to hear if anyone else (in the EU ?) had had a similar experience since I think it is wrong.

In that case, it is most likely not legal for them to charge you VAT as Cousins has already collected this levy on their behalf, they cant have it twice surely?

Import Duty is another matter though, not sure what the legalities are but I would have thought that the current trade agreements still stand until Brexit completes - or am I wrong?

[Flubber]

6 hours ago, Mark said:

Import Duty is another matter though, not sure what the legalities are but I would have thought that the current trade agreements still stand until Brexit completes - or am I wrong?

You’re probably not wrong and that is what I thought as well. I haven’t paid any fees here in Sweden yet but it’s like an hour wait time on the phone and up to five days on e-mail so we’ll see but considering no one else has responded here it must just be an error at PostNord just in this case.
 

Do you have any good watch parts/tools dealer in Thailand you may recommend ?

[jdm]

42 minutes ago, Flubber said:

Do you have any good watch parts/tools dealer in Thailand you may recommend ?

From Thailand you would pay more for Swiss tools compared to Cousins, which has a best price promise. And for Chinese tolls the best source is AliX. 
Nothing relevant about parts from Thailand but I remember there is one or two sellers on Ebay.

[Mark]

4 hours ago, jdm said:

Nothing relevant about parts from Thailand but I remember there is one or two sellers on Ebay.

There is RTB in Bangkok. I’ve been there. Great little shop, but a pain to get too. They are Horotec and Bergeon distributors. Prices on par with Europe but options limited as only a small shop. Lovely people. They Remind me of Gleave & Co in London. 

[jdrichard]

Well, let's be clear - looking at the title of this thread people could assume the VAT and Customs charges are from Cousins when clearly they are from your countries government. Or did Cousins ALSO charge UK vat (20%) on your order? In other words, if you have been DOUBLE charged duties from both countries then maybe you need to seek advice from a TAX lawyer to claim back either the UK levy or the Swedish levy.
I live in Thailand and have been waiting for a package from Cousins to clear customs for the past week Cousins did not charge VAT as it is an export, and VAT was 7% and customs duty normally 5% they decided would be 10% because they say watch repair tools should be at a higher rate (crazy but true) PLUS I had to pay a fee to UPS for clearing services and another bullshit charge I cant even work out was for, but I can't do nothing about it so I accept it if I want to import products from other countries.
I am not a huge fan of Cousins, but it's clearly not their fault that governments rake these TAX's from us - the money doesn't go in their (cousins) pockets!

You live in Thailand?? I do not get double charged with Cousins shipped to Canada.


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