Dear Friends,
Good day to all! i ordered my Benarus World GMT diver about 10 days ago! and they had the watch send via USPS. here i would like to share a story on our Malaysia Custom. Today, 8 July 2010, i just received a Malaysia post note to collect a parcel! and here i was hoping for my watch! Reaching at Poslaju Malaysia Subang SS13, early in the morning only to find that the post note was to collect a letter from Custom Malaysia that the watch was withhold by them for Custom and Tax clearance! i was very blurred upon looking at the letter. to my understanding, watches and camera are all tax free!!! was i mistaken!!! NOPE! dont think so! i was spot on!
anyway! immediately i called the Custom office for status update and understanding on that matter. The nice malay lady, told me to come over or appoint someone third party to do the clearance. i ask if there is tax on the watch, basically! she said its tax free but there are items in the parcel that are taxable!!!
Wow!!!....i was astonished and also was partly furious! anyway! headed down to Custom Malaysia at LCCT, Sepang! damn, no parking...and got summon by JPJ later for parking on yellow line, but only my car and several other got the summons, apparently workers or custom officers can park their private car on the same yellow line and get away with it....."Malaysia Boleh"....also our so called "One Malaysia" but double Standard treatment!!! what to do!
Total time spend in the Custom office is about 1 hour plus.
1. First, see the counter 2 officer, pass them the letter. they will ask you to wait 5mins, while the prepare the letter for you to collect your parcel.
2. Go to counter 1 with relevant documents that you just got from counter 2. collect your parcel, but you must leave your Entry tag there until all custom proceedings have been completed. They scared you take the parcel and just walk away!
3. take Parcel and documents to counter 5 for custom clearance and interviewing.
4. there, i was ask to open up the parcel. i showed them that this is a all in one package watch set. it comes with 3 straps and a mesh bracelet. they say! because the overseas document only stated Benarus World diver GMT. therefore, they say its not a watch and it taxable! well! after opening up the parcel....show it to them that this is indeed a wearable wrist watch...they say okie "fine thats a watch"
but still the other items are Taxable. i look at them stupidly and ask! what, you want to tax...the straps? they say yes! and sadly, the invoice from Benarus, stated all items separately and with a price. they wanted to tax me for those items. So i ended up arguing with them, that this is a complete watch set, pack in one box set and not separately. And by the way! i have order separate straps before and never gotten tax. So finally, revealed was because the item on the invoice was stated about USD1000...hence, they are trying their luck to swindle my money thru TAX excuse.
5. finally! they gave in, and firmly gave me an advice, that next time on the INVOICE - include the word "WATCH". they then ask me to proceed back to Counter 2 to apply for AP documents for the watch clearance.
6. Well! back to counter 2, apply for Custom clearance document....need to pay them RM18 for the paper work. wait for 20 mins.
7. Finally, back to counter 5, to let them verify the documents, then to counter 1 to get the entry Tag (driving license bounded to it), then to new counter 3/4 to make get final document stamp and parcel cleared.
Sorry! for being such long winded on this story! but just a good place for me to vent my anger and frustration!!!!!argghhhh!!!
Conclusion is that...if you are going to online order a watch...get them to send via FEDEX, i had no issues like this when i receive my LACO from FEDEX. this guys are expert...they have ppl in the customs.
If there is no choice. if they have to use USPS or their national post! well! make sure the documentation...states
1. WATCH or All items comes as a Watch Set.
Thanks for reading! sorry for my england language...hehehe! baru pass SPM saja...
............Some pictures that i have taken during my wait.............
SORRY! this is purely venting my frustration on Customs issue. i will dedicate another topic on the Watch Review!!sorry to all moderators...i know this topic is more appropriate on the General discussion...but i wanted the topic next or on the same sub- forum to the Benarus watch review!!!
Thanks! cheers.
