Malaysia Watch Forum
Main Forums => General Discussion - Modern Watches => Topic started by: chrisc on July 08, 2010, 02:50:12 PM
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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!!! :Mad:
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.............
(http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/chriscck/Benarus%20World%20GMT/MyBenarusWorldDiverGMT2.jpg)
(http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/chriscck/Benarus%20World%20GMT/MyBenarusWorldDiverGMT1.jpg)
(http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/chriscck/Benarus%20World%20GMT/MyBenarusWorldDiverGMT3.jpg)
(http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/chriscck/Benarus%20World%20GMT/MyBenarusWorldDiverGMT4.jpg)
(http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/chriscck/Benarus%20World%20GMT/MyBenarusWorldDiverGMT7.jpg)
(http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad327/chriscck/Benarus%20World%20GMT/MyBenarusWorldDiverGMT10.jpg)
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. :Cheers:
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Thanks chrisc for sharing and glad there's happy ending.
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so far i have no problem, bring about 5 watches so to this date..
but i have some intresting semi related story to share...two years a go...
I was at Bulgaria attending an exhibition as exhibitor...as i dont want to carry to many thing, i send via TNT my stapler, pen , brochure, file, etc...all office thing ...and guess what...it got stuck at the custome like really really stuck...
I have to go back and fort to TNT office which located in war zone like area...in a country where nobody speak english
then went to custom offices, visited not less than 8 officers, even one slam door on me...and none speak english...
after 8 excruciating hours.....
all they wanted is some 50 euro for duit kopi......
and what make things worst, after paying got all document and they ask me to go to TNT office...i was shocked but i continue...
Funny all this while my parcel is just behind the counter of TNT offices...if really all they want is that 50 euro i could have paid much earlier....
At one point i think i almost broke down , and feel like crying...here I am , alone in country i never been tooo....what make it worst, we dont have diplomatic ties with bulgaria hence the nearest embassy is in hungary in which there is another country in between hungary and bulgaria...at one point, the officer of TNT offer to send it there....idiot......
I make huge complaint when i am back home...they gave me a pen...F&%k TNT...the worst ever
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Oh wow.. i used to have taht issue when i buy my Toys from US... that is why i pay more for DOOR TO DOOR... the hassle and stress is just not worth it....
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Sorry for what happened to you chrisc. Never thought it could be so difficult.... :Mad: ....
Glad so far I had never gone through this.... :Praying:
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Sorry to hear about your trouble with Kastam. Glad you finally got the watch thru after all the heartache.
:Cheers:
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aiyo bro, wat a hassle u went through. i got my polising kit just a few days ago n reach directly 2 my hse, lucky me :Cheers:
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Bro, I feel you.
Same thing happened to me once. I was not as patient as you so I didn't wait around. The damage to me was RM50 and two days later the watch arrived at my doorstep.
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Sorry to hear that you have been through such all troubles in getting your watch, i can feel that :Scolding:
I "kena" one time but not in Msia. It happened when i was in UK.
I bought a watch (used) from US and have it ship to UK address, i thought if the seller declare the item as "Gift" then I can avoid paying tax. I was wrong and it's not the case in UK, as long as the item is categories as taxable item, they will not bother to look at the description. The sender/receiver have to pay the tax in order to clear it from the custom :HammerHead:
The point is, i solved my issue (as mentioned above) in a very much simple steps/procedures then what you had been through... i first received a notice instead of a parcel. The notice is about the item that i am about to receive is taxable and I have to pay in order to have it release from custom; and i can do it Online (pay the tax by credit card or debit card or bank transfer). Once i'm done online, the custom release and ship to my address within 1 day!!
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Well! friends,
im sure we all went thru some of this stuffs now and then....the main point is...if newbies to all this..pls read the end...
when sending the watch, must include "watch" word...also if your watch comes with lots of freebies and stuffs..make sure when itemized individual..dont included a price...just put lump sum!...and must include...its is a complete package with watch (if can add...watch will not function 100% without mentioned items)
then the bloody custom got no say ...he have to let it go..since watch catergory isnt taxable.
enjoy! well! im way pass the anger...now just enjoying the watch...pls read the review...just did it!!!
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Thank you bro. Noted about that. :thumbsup:
We are really lucky our gov don't tax watch. My friend in Germany said that the cheap Seiko 5 sell for RM1k there! Adoi.... :HammerHead:
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true...lucky our gov dont tax on watches...but...then what is this:
1. chances of corrupted custom officer making money off items like this ..when they try and say invoice dont state ..so pay tax.
2. why are our watches not cheaper compared to singapore? or other neighboring countries? is because of our retailer's high margin? or
well! anyway! there are always good and bad....just bear with it...no issues...all Malaysian boleh!!!
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true...lucky our gov dont tax on watches...but...then what is this:
1. chances of corrupted custom officer making money off items like this ..when they try and say invoice dont state ..so pay tax.
2. why are our watches not cheaper compared to singapore? or other neighboring countries? is because of our retailer's high margin? or
well! anyway! there are always good and bad....just bear with it...no issues...all Malaysian boleh!!!
Had to agreed with that. A watch sold here for RM4-5k... after discount maybe get RM3-4k+ :Mad:... but outside our country the same watch can get below RM3k. Cis! :Scolding:. :mooning:
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This is part n parcel for collecting watches...
I been to that building 5 times...
For collecting my watches...
Is fun in the end! U learn from this! U get a good experience to post in mwf n all mwf members learn from ur experience...
U appreciate things hard to come by
we more eagle to see ur watch strap...
Congratulations!
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wow...what an experience!!
i am surprised that customs allowed you to take pics!! :P
well for what's worth, at least you don have to pay more than the 18RM...I mean they can be so stubborn and insists you pay more for the "taxes" -- worst just keep you in day prison for misleading/writing wrong info on the invoice. One can never know what customs can do.
As for the word " watch " -- it is so difficult to decide.
Because when I insure my package via EMS or Fedex, ParcelPro prefers me to write "timing instrument" -- so if I were to send watches to Malaysia, should I write as "watch" and hence uninsurable by ParcelPro or write as "timing instrument" so that I can get it insured (which seems like a safer bet)
Headache man!!
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Thank u so much for sharing this - I better get the seller to ship to me using DHL, UPS or Fedex when I'm getting my Invicta Speedway II Chrono next month. I've also heard of a similar problem from a friend of mine when he used USPS to ship a fur jacket over to M'sia, so now this post certainly confirms the same BS happens with anything else as long as USPS is used.
And I certainly dont want to be kicked from the post office down to LCCT like a football. :Blue: