# Steinhart shipping to Canada?



## jdmb1975

Wondering if anyone here lives in Canada has had a Steinhart watch shipped to them.

I am curious to know how it worked out with the details, were you charged brokerage, duty and all that other nonsense that can happen if the wrong courier is used etc....

Let me know if you have any insight

Thanks


----------



## Uwe W.

jdmb1975 said:


> Wondering if anyone here lives in Canada has had a Steinhart watch shipped to them.
> 
> I am curious to know how it worked out with the details, were you charged brokerage, duty and all that other nonsense that can happen if the wrong courier is used etc....
> 
> Let me know if you have any insight
> 
> Thanks


I've received many watches from Germany. Typically, Steinhart included, they want to ship via one of the big courier companies. The problem with those companies is that they're worse than the tax man. You *will* get nailed with duty and GST charges, PLUS, the courier company will ding you for their brokerage fee (because they were nice enough to clear the watch through customs on your behalf).

The last Steinhart I received, the Marine Chronometer, cost me over $100 more than the cost of the watch.

Here's what you can try. I always insist now (and Herr Steinhart is very accommodating, though he's not a fan of other shipping methods) on having watches shipped using either the sender's local postal service, or in the case of watches coming from Germany, using DHL (yes, they're a courier too, but they're somehow linked to Deutsche Post I think).

I've found that my chances of the watch arriving at my door without ANY additional charges is greater than 50 percent with this method.

The extras are the silent killer when it comes to watch purchases for me. Once I've stomached the cost of the watch there's the seller's shipping charge and all the other ones I detailed earlier to consider.

We'll leave the discussion of exchange rates for another time... :-d


----------



## blighter

It's off topic I suppose, but on similar note. Uwe or maybe others here, do you have any experience with shipping from States/Canada to Europe and the Customs/Vat charges? I would like to purchase a watch in the forums sales corner but most sellers seem to be from States. What would be the best method then? Needless to say, I don't want to get hit...(Considering value of the watch in mind I should probably get it insured and that might be additional problem)... :think:



Uwe W. said:


> I've received many watches from Germany. Typically, Steinhart included, they want to ship via one of the big courier companies. The problem with those companies is that they're worse than the tax man. You *will* get nailed with duty and GST charges, PLUS, the courier company will ding you for their brokerage fee (because they were nice enough to clear the watch through customs on your behalf).
> 
> The last Steinhart I received, the Marine Chronometer, cost me over $100 more than the cost of the watch.
> 
> Here's what you can try. I always insist now (and Herr Steinhart is very accommodating, though he's not a fan of other shipping methods) on having watches shipped using either the sender's local postal service, or in the case of watches coming from Germany, using DHL (yes, they're a courier too, but they're somehow linked to Deutsche Post I think).
> 
> I've found that my chances of the watch arriving at my door without ANY additional charges is greater than 50 percent with this method.
> 
> The extras are the silent killer when it comes to watch purchases for me. Once I've stomached the cost of the watch there's the seller's shipping charge and all the other ones I detailed earlier to consider.
> 
> We'll leave the discussion of exchange rates for another time... :-d


----------



## jdmb1975

Uwe W. said:


> I've received many watches from Germany. Typically, Steinhart included, they want to ship via one of the big courier companies. The problem with those companies is that they're worse than the tax man. You *will* get nailed with duty and GST charges, PLUS, the courier company will ding you for their brokerage fee (because they were nice enough to clear the watch through customs on your behalf).
> 
> The last Steinhart I received, the Marine Chronometer, cost me over $100 more than the cost of the watch.
> 
> Here's what you can try. I always insist now (and Herr Steinhart is very accommodating, though he's not a fan of other shipping methods) on having watches shipped using either the sender's local postal service, or in the case of watches coming from Germany, using DHL (yes, they're a courier too, but they're somehow linked to Deutsche Post I think).
> 
> I've found that my chances of the watch arriving at my door without ANY additional charges is greater than 50 percent with this method.
> 
> The extras are the silent killer when it comes to watch purchases for me. Once I've stomached the cost of the watch there's the seller's shipping charge and all the other ones I detailed earlier to consider.
> 
> We'll leave the discussion of exchange rates for another time... :-d


Thanks for the response. I am all too aware of the duty, brokerage etc from dealing with auto realted items, mostly wheels and tires before tire rack got a standard rate together for shipping to Canada.

It is hard to buy something when you are no 100% sure how much it is going to cost you once it arrives.

I guess I will ask them if they would be willing to help me out and ship via DHL. I know that courier well as I use them fromt time to time to ship. Their rates even domestically are very fair.

Who would you suggest I ask to speak with to increase the chances that I might not have to pay the extra charges?

Thanks


----------



## Uwe W.

jdmb1975 said:


> Who would you suggest I ask to speak with to increase the chances that I might not have to pay the extra charges?
> Thanks


Just email Steinhart through the store and explain in the email that you want the watch shipped via Deutsche Post/DHL. Either Guenther or Sabine will probably reply. They'll tell you that it's not a good idea to ship DHL because they don't provide a tracking number outside of Germany. I'm not sure why they think/say that because I've had other watches shipped to me from Germany via DHL and they had tracking numbers that I could use.

I was about to order another Steinhart recently and they had agreed to do it, so I don't see why they wouldn't for you as well.

Which model are you interested in?


----------



## Uwe W.

blighter said:


> It's off topic I suppose, but on similar note. Uwe or maybe others here, do you have any experience with shipping from States/Canada to Europe and the Customs/Vat charges? I would like to purchase a watch in the forums sales corner but most sellers seem to be from States. What would be the best method then? Needless to say, I don't want to get hit...(Considering value of the watch in mind I should probably get it insured and that might be additional problem)... :think:


Alas, I'm one of the nutters that NEVER sells a watch. So I have no idea about how it would work going in the opposite direction.

Your best bet is to find other WIS people in your country (Ireland?) and poll them for their experiences. I would post something to that effect in the General watch forum as you're more likely to get replies there.

The best alternative would be if you knew someone in the US that could receive the watch and then forward it to you stuffed inside of a dead fish. Eventually the smell will wash off the watch, and you will have saved a bundle... :-!


----------



## blighter

Uwe W. said:


> The best alternative would be if you knew someone in the US that could receive the watch and then forward it to you stuffed inside of a dead fish. Eventually the smell will wash off the watch, and you will have saved a bundle... :-!


Thanks, but it wasn't going to be a diver watch :-d


----------



## jdmb1975

Uwe W. said:


> Just email Steinhart through the store and explain in the email that you want the watch shipped via Deutsche Post/DHL. Either Guenther or Sabine will probably reply. They'll tell you that it's not a good idea to ship DHL because they don't provide a tracking number outside of Germany. I'm not sure why they think/say that because I've had other watches shipped to me from Germany via DHL and they had tracking numbers that I could use.
> 
> I was about to order another Steinhart recently and they had agreed to do it, so I don't see why they wouldn't for you as well.
> 
> Which model are you interested in?


Thanks for the response.

Going to order one for sure maybe two of them. The current limited edition silver and a perhaps another.


----------



## roadie

Yes, try to get it sent via the postal system. I've never had to pay gst, pst, duty or fees when recieving a watch by mail.:-!


----------



## blighter

roadie said:


> Yes, try to get it sent via the postal system. I've never had to pay gst, pst, duty or fees when recieving a watch by mail.:-!


Did you have it insured then or just crossing your fingers?;-)


----------



## roadie

blighter said:


> Did you have it insured then or just crossing your fingers?;-)


to be honest, the insurance part never crossed my mind.


----------



## rocklobster777

Note: I am reviving an old thread here, but one that I used in purchasing my Steinhart and having it shipped to me in Canada.

I just ordered and received my Steinhart OVM and I had them ship the package through DHL. Having the DHL ship method saved me between $80 and $120 dollars in duty, tax, and brokerage fees, I only had to sign for the package when picking it up at the postal outlet. I did not pay any more than the invoice price.

Thank you Steinhart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great customer service. 

I received my watch 2 weeks after ordering and it took 6 business days in shipping/customs. Also Steinhart emailed me a valid tracking # for the DHL website, after the parcel landed in Canada DHL supplied another tracking # for Canada Post. I tracked the package right to my town first through the DHL site then through the CP site.


----------



## mithrilG60

Was the shipping charge the same, 30euro, as for the standard FedEx?


----------



## Uwe W.

Using the DHL method is nothing new, it's the way I used to always get watches delivered to me from Germany. However, more and more companies, Steinhart included, began a policy of not allowing alternate shipping methods opting for FedEx-only deliveries. That you got them to use DHL is a change back to the way things used to be; I wonder if this will be a more permanent option now or if you just got lucky?


----------



## mithrilG60

Do you happen to know the rationale behind that decision Uwe? Is there a reason FedEx is preferred or is it more about ease of using a single supplier of shipping services and/or the ability to get a better rate due to larger volume? I might enquire if they're willing to do that with the Apollon I just ordered, otherwise I'll just have it shipped to my US drop location as currently scheduled.


----------



## heatscore

If you open a business account with fedex, they will give you a discount on every package you send.

I sound like a fedex commercial.


----------



## Uwe W.

mithrilG60 said:


> Do you happen to know the rationale behind that decision Uwe?


Yes, I was told that it was FedEx's tracking, faster delivery, and that one company was responsible for the entire delivery. Perhaps most important for Steinhart, it was simpler and more efficient for them to just ship everything using one method.

When you use DHL, the tracking can be dodgy at times (Canada Post does NOT always pick-up the tracking end of the delivery), it does take longer, sometimes much longer, and you are adding another link to the process. I have had a couple of items that I ordered (not watches) go missing using the DHL-Canada Post method and lost my money as a consequence. However, it's still my preferred method.


----------



## mithrilG60

heatscore said:


> If you open a business account with fedex, they will give you a discount on every package you send.
> 
> I sound like a fedex commercial.


lol, but a valid one. Most couriers do this, an obvious advantage for a company like Steinhart that does much of their business in large numbers of individual direct-to-customer shipments. I was wondering more if there was a different reason, such as the ones Uwe outlined. I'm sure it was a combination of both logistics and economics. Either way, emailed Sabine to see if DHL is an option for me. If it is then great, if not it just means another stop on one of our bi-monthly shopping trips across the border to Blaine/Bellingham.


----------



## rocklobster777

Uwe W. said:


> Using the DHL method is nothing new, it's the way I used to always get watches delivered to me from Germany. However, more and more companies, Steinhart included, began a policy of not allowing alternate shipping methods opting for FedEx-only deliveries. That you got them to use DHL is a change back to the way things used to be; I wonder if this will be a more permanent option now or if you just got lucky?


Yeah it was this thread that got me to ask for DHL in the first place, basically I told them that I was fine with a longer wait for delivery and possibly no tracking number, they said okay!


----------



## pavel36

I may be a nut, but to me saving $50 bucks on a watch I want is not really an issue... I had at least 10 watches shipped from Germany and all by FedEx ( except one by UPS which is worse IMO)... Yeah you will pay import taxes and FedEx will charge you $10 brokerage fee, but they will get this package to you in a day or two with proper tracking and I find FedEx very flexible in terms of delivery options... 
Just my two cents...

p.s. 
Ofcourse sometimes it gets ridiculous...like today I got a rubber strap from Steinhart worth $67 CAD and end up paying additional $27 in taxes and charges when I picked it up from FedEx, ...sigh...but I can live with it... To think of it we get ripped off in taxes and gas prices here in Canada even more....so what are you gonna do


----------



## chickenlittle

When I ordered the Marine chronometer, I asked for DHL shipping. It was delivered with no additional fees. It felt like I committed a successful robbery. I was giddy.

I subsequently ordered the bracelet but forgot to ask for DHL. FedEx of course charged me GST plus a $10 handling fee. I felt robbed.


----------



## Uwe W.

I just don't like FedEx, and UPS even less. It bugs me that they double-dip on each of these shipments. They charge Steinhart to deliver the package, a cost which of course Steinhart passes on to us. But then they also charge a handling fee, on top of the duty and taxes that they collect for the government. With DHL, the price I pay for shipping to the seller covers the cost of that package arriving to my door, and when they do ask for duty and taxes - it does happen on occasion - there aren't any additional charges.

For me the difference between the two shipping methods is speed and cost. You pay less with DHL, but the trade-off is it takes longer. I could care less about waiting a few extra days for a watch to arrive if it means that I'm saving some money AND I'm not adding to FedEx's bottom line.


----------



## mithrilG60

pavel36 said:


> I may be a nut, but to me saving $50 bucks on a watch I want is not really an issue... I had at least 10 watches shipped from Germany and all by FedEx ( except one by UPS which is worse IMO)... Yeah you will pay import taxes and FedEx will charge you $10 brokerage fee, but they will get this package to you in a day or two with proper tracking and I find FedEx very flexible in terms of delivery options...
> Just my two cents...
> 
> p.s.
> Ofcourse sometimes it gets ridiculous...like today I got a rubber strap from Steinhart worth $67 CAD and end up paying additional $27 in taxes and charges when I picked it up from FedEx, ...sigh...but I can live with it... To think of it we get ripped off in taxes and gas prices here in Canada even more....so what are you gonna do


For me it's only partially about the money. Yes an additional $100 charge on a $600 watch is a pretty significant add-on'in terms of percentage, however it's mostly about the principle. FedEx charged me MORE in extra fees on the last strap I ordered than I paid for it in the first place. I don't care how you try to justify it, that's BS and I refuse to do any more business with them unless I have no other options. If Steinhart will only ship to me via FedEx I won't force the issue, but I also won't send it to Canada. I'll send to the US where the fees are a much more reasonable 3% instead of the 17% we pay in Canada. I already have almost all of my online purchase delivered to Blaine, WA to save on shipping and tax so why should this be any different?


----------



## pavel36

....I completely agree with the last two posts... I wasn't defending FedEx. Just saying that I gave up on trying to save on taxes etc... We pay them here everywhere we go... I just accepted it as part of the reality...


----------



## Uwe W.

mithrilG60 said:


> FedEx charged me MORE in extra fees on the last strap I ordered than I paid for it in the first place.


Why was the strap shipped via FedEx? Normally Steinhart - and every other manufacturer that I've ordered from - sends straps by regular post. It takes a week or two to get it, but they typically arrive without any additional charges.


----------



## mithrilG60

Uwe W. said:


> Why was the strap shipped via FedEx? Normally Steinhart - and every other manufacturer that I've ordered from - sends straps by regular post. It takes a week or two to get it, but they typically arrive without any additional charges.


I'm not sure to be honest, I can only guess that it got mixed in with their watch shipment pile by mistake. It's the only one that's ever come to me via FedEx.


----------



## mithrilG60

pavel36 said:


> ....I completely agree with the last two posts... I wasn't defending FedEx. Just saying that I gave up on trying to save on taxes etc... We pay them here everywhere we go... I just accepted it as part of the reality...


Regarding the saving on taxes part, I guess it depends largely on where you live. Vancouver is obviously right on the border, with Nexus it takes 20min to get to Blaine from my front door and another 10 to get to Bellingham. My wife and I cross down a couple time a month to get gas ($0.40/L - $0.50/L cheaper), dairy and whatever online purchases we've made, these are almost always day trips that last only a few hours. We always make a full declaration and in 12 years I've been sent in to pay tax and/or duty just once. Schemes, or even effort, to get around taxes don't usually make any sense on individual purchases, but over the course of a year our savings will be a couple thousand and that does make sense.


----------



## mithrilG60

And just in case there's any confusion, I'm not advocating smuggling or any other possible method of illegally avoiding taxes. I full declare everything I bring back from the US and if a DHL shipped watch was assessed tax/duty by Canada Post I'd pay it without question.


----------



## Riker

Steinhart do ship bracelet orders via FedEx to the Southern Hemisphere, but why so to Canada for a leather strap......?



Uwe W. said:


> Why was the strap shipped via FedEx? Normally Steinhart - and every other manufacturer that I've ordered from - sends straps by regular post. It takes a week or two to get it, but they typically arrive without any additional charges.





mithrilG60 said:


> I'm not sure to be honest, I can only guess that it got mixed in with their watch shipment pile by mistake. It's the only one that's ever come to me via FedEx.


----------



## mithrilG60

Riker said:


> Steinhart do ship bracelet orders via FedEx to the Southern Hemisphere, but why so to Canada for a leather strap......?


I'm pretty sure that was just an honest mistake on the part of someone at Steinhart, but I didn't bother to try to find out why it happened. I've ordered several other straps/buckles from them prior to that order and each time they were shipped via DHL/Canada Post. Also regarding this $10 processing fee FedEx charges, that's a different charge from brokerage. The brokerage fee is baked into the shipping price for International Express shipments, this $10 charge is a processing fee applied to "calculate and invoice the total fees owing". In other words a total gouge. However, you can skip it by opening a FedEx account in which you supply a credit card number which they automatically bill for each shipment you add to the account instead of invoicing you.

And speaking of DHL... Sabine confirmed this was an option for me this morning at start of the business day in DE and six hours later I just received the DHL tracking number for my Apollon. By sometime early next week I expect to be welcoming my new watch home


----------



## mithrilG60

Update: My Apollon took 6 business days from pickup in Augsburg to delivery in Vancouver via DHL/CanadaPost. No hassles with customs and no additional fees, taxes or duties accessed. Also, while CanadaPost does generate a new tracking number when they take control of the parcel, you can track the shipment the entire way via the DHL tracking info. There is a bit of a delay in terms of status updates once CanadaPost takes over, but it's not like DHL loses track of it at the border.


----------



## Uwe W.

mithrilG60 said:


> Update: My Apollon took 6 business days from pickup in Augsburg to delivery in Vancouver via DHL/CanadaPost. No hassles with customs and no additional fees, taxes or duties accessed. Also, while CanadaPost does generate a new tracking number when they take control of the parcel, you can track the shipment the entire way via the DHL tracking info. There is a bit of a delay in terms of status updates once CanadaPost takes over, but it's not like DHL loses track of it at the border.


Trust me, you got lucky. I've had plenty of shipments that had the tracking go dead at the handover. It's still my preferred method, but it lacks the piece of mind of a two-day FedEx delivery.


----------



## bvc2005

Congratulations mithrilG60. I wish I had your luck. I've shipped using DHL from Singapore and Germany in the past and got hit with GST, PST, and Duty every time. Perhaps it's a West coast vs East Coast phenomenon. Did Steinhart declare the full value on the Customs Declaration? Enjoy the Apollon! I'm still itching for the OVM...


----------



## mithrilG60

bvc2005 said:


> Congratulations mithrilG60. I wish I had your luck. I've shipped using DHL from Singapore and Germany in the past and got hit with GST, PST, and Duty every time. Perhaps it's a West coast vs East Coast phenomenon. Did Steinhart declare the full value on the Customs Declaration? Enjoy the Apollon! I'm still itching for the OVM...


Yes they did, the full 408 euro. I doubt they'd mis-declare the customs value and I'd never ask them to. The shipment entered Canada via Montreal so I doubt it's a East vs West Coast thing either, just luck of the draw as to whether your package is reviewed by a CBSA agent that wants to will you or not. Same thing as coming back into Canada from a cross-border shopping trip; while I've only ever been sent in to pay the taxman once, it could potentially happen every time. It's all just a calculated risk that I won't be asked to pay, and if I am occasionally required to pay taxes I don't have a problem with it since I still come out a head in the long run (plus those taxes do help fund all the gov't programs we take for granted).


----------



## Loco

I ordered the Marine Officer Bronze in December and since someone mention to ship via DHL I decided to try that option as I detest giving Fedex any of my money.

My shipment took about 10 days but did show up the 27th of Dec with no additional fees and yes Steinhart included the paperwork detailing the value of the watch. I think the whole Fedex duty fees is a scam by Fedex to rip off customers.

All of my future shipments will be travelling this way.


Dean


----------



## bvc2005

Congratulations for dodging the tax man, and of course, for the Marine Office Bronze.


----------



## mithrilG60

Loco said:


> I think the whole Fedex duty fees is a scam by Fedex to rip off customers.


There's no scam. The fees FedEx collects are those they're told to collect by the CDN gov't. There's no brokerage assigned to Express shipments. The difference is they get a small percentage as a handling fee so they collect on *every* shipment. CanadaPost uses a certain amount of discretion.


----------



## Uwe W.

Loco said:


> All of my future shipments will be travelling this way.


What FedEx does might be described as a rip-off, but it's NOT a scam. They're following the law to the letter, and charging you for acting as a broker on your behalf. Other couriers such as UPS actually charge a lot more.

As for the DHL route, don't expect that every order will sneak under the wire. I just received a shipment and Canada Post dinged me for all the fees. I'd say it's 50/50 odds, which is still better than 100/0 with FedEx.


----------



## bvc2005

Call it what you will. Canada Post charges a flat $5 brokerage; that's reasonable for what is normally 1 line entry paperwork for 1 watch. Of course, duties, provincial sales tax and GST are applicable on any commercial shipment over $20. However, when certain courier companies apply exorbitant fees for brokerage charges, paperwork, and disbursements charges, now that's simply taking advantage of the situation. Just my 2 cents...


----------



## Uwe W.

bvc2005 said:


> However, when certain courier companies apply exorbitant fees for brokerage charges, paperwork, and disbursements charges, now that's simply taking advantage of the situation.


Far be it for me to defend FedEx, but $10 (which is what they charge for brokerage) is exorbitant, especially when you consider they're fast-tracking the shipment through customs?


----------



## mithrilG60

bvc2005 said:


> Call it what you will. Canada Post charges a flat $5 brokerage; that's reasonable for what is normally 1 line entry paperwork for 1 watch. Of course, duties, provincial sales tax and GST are applicable on any commercial shipment over $20. However, when certain courier companies apply exorbitant fees for brokerage charges, paperwork, and disbursements charges, now that's simply taking advantage of the situation. Just my 2 cents...


FedEx charges a $10 processing fee if they have to spend you a bill or create an invoice. That fee is waived if you create a FedEx account which allows them to bill your duties/taxes directly to a credit card. There is no brokerage fees for any international express shipment, that applies to all parcels and not just watces. I fail to see how FedEx, or any other courier for that matter, is "exploiting" anything by collecting the legitimate taxes/duties owed on goods imported through their service.


----------



## bvc2005

Add to that disbursement fees , and additional per-line fees, and it adds up. Scroll through the plethora of FedEx fees and you will get the picture. So...... a flat $5 Canada Post fee is a winner in my book.


Uwe W. said:


> Far be it for me to defend FedEx, but $10 (which is what they charge for brokerage) is exorbitant, especially when you consider they're fast-tracking the shipment through customs?


----------



## Uwe W.

bvc2005 said:


> Add to that disbursement fees , and additional per-line fees, and it adds up. Scroll through the plethora of FedEx fees and you will get the picture.


I've had quite a number of watches sent via FedEx to me and have yet to be charged for any of those items you listed, just the CDN taxes, duties, and the FedEx $10 processing fee, so I'm not sure why you would have been charged for those other items.


----------



## bvc2005

I don't know either. Here in Montreal, and by experience, DHL, FedEx, spare no expense at milking us dry on international shipments. Hence, why I avoid them like the plague. One more reason to move to TO I guess.


----------



## Loco

bvc2005 said:


> Congratulations for dodging the tax man, and of course, for the Marine Office Bronze.


I don't think of it as dodging the tax man as they opened and inspected my package but for whatever reason they have chosen not to charge me any fees for an $1100 watch while Fedex managed to charge me $96 on a $800 watch.Hmmm

As I stated previously I will have all my future shipments sent this way.

Dean


----------



## mithrilG60

bvc2005 said:


> I don't know either. Here in Montreal, and by experience, DHL, FedEx, spare no expense at milking us dry on international shipments. Hence, why I avoid them like the plague. One more reason to move to TO I guess.


FedEx charges a $10 processing fee to calculate and invoice any taxes/duties owed. As mentioned before, that fee is waived if you setup a FedEx account so they just bill your CC directly. There are no other fees involved. Couriers charge additional brokerage fees, usually ridiculously exorbitant, on "Standard" shipments however all of them include those brokerage fees in the shipping cost for their express or overnight delivery options.


----------



## mike70sk

has anybody recently tried to get there watch shipped via the post office, i would like to save the money, but not sure how Steinhart would react by asking them, and don't want to go through to much hassle. Is it still easy to get them to this ? how long does shipping take ? and still not getting taxed ?


----------



## Uwe W.

mike70sk said:


> has anybody recently tried to get there watch shipped via the post office, i would like to save the money, but not sure how Steinhart would react by asking them, and don't want to go through to much hassle. Is it still easy to get them to this ? how long does shipping take ? and still not getting taxed ?


There's nothing wrong with requesting the watch be shipped via DHL. However, shipping takes much longer - up to two weeks - and as for being charged the duties and taxes it can go either way. I've had to pay for some shipments, and not for others.


----------



## mithrilG60

Uwe W. said:


> as for being charged the duties and taxes it can go either way. I've had to pay for some shipments, and not for others.


This. It's all down to the discretion of the CBSA agent that processes your shipment. I do find that they tend to be a bit more "vigilant" in the summer, probably due to summer students caring more about doing their jobs than the regular full-time civil servants. CanadaPost has also started charging the $10 "processing fee" if they assess tax/duty, noticed that this week when I paid the taxes on a parcel containing some replacement HID bulbs for my car.


----------



## mike70sk

so a shipment through DHL you get a tracking number that works in Europe and Canada, and its is it signature on delivery ? i was thinking of ordering in the fall.


----------



## mithrilG60

You do get a DHL tracking number, sometimes that number stays the same after the hand off to Canada Post and other times Canada Post will issue a new tracking number. I can't answer regarding signature on a delivery as I always have orders like this delivered to my office as that way I know reception will always be available to accept the parcel


----------



## Uwe W.

Signature is required. Tracking is flaky at best, but then again, FedEx deliveries often are ahead of their tracking system.


----------



## chickenlittle

My experience with DHL: slower delivery, inconsistent tracking. Last time the package tracking site I was directed to didn't even have English. If I recall it was all in German. Have am OVM on the way and stuck to the Fedex default. Shipped Friday and expected this coming Monday.


----------



## Uwe W.

chickenlittle said:


> Last time the package tracking site I was directed to didn't even have English. If I recall it was all in German.


DHL is a German company...

A German could make the same complaint about trying to track a package being sent from Canada via Canada Post and finding out that the tracking page was only in English (or French).


----------



## chickenlittle

Uwe W. said:


> DHL is a German company...
> 
> A German could make the same complaint about trying to track a package being sent from Canada via Canada Post and finding out that the tracking page was only in English (or French).


For an international mail services company, wouldn't Fedex be the better comparison? And Fedex though a US company does provide tracking in German.

The one thing I missed about DHL is the fact that many of my shipments came through with no taxes levied such as my Steinhart Marine for example. No taxes makes happier delivery experiences.


----------



## Uwe W.

chickenlittle said:


> For an international mail services company, wouldn't Fedex be the better comparison?


DHL is a division of the German postal service, hence my use of Canada Post as an example. I also assumed that the shipment you mentioned originated in Germany, which would make it understandable that your tracking number landed you on a page written in German. Regardless, all you had to do at the time was click on the English version of the site. Or if something like that isn't available, Google Translate can be a useful tool.


----------



## chickenlittle

Got my OVM yay!

HST = 55.32
Fedex fee = 10.00
HST on fee = 1.30
Declared value = 425.50


----------



## bvc2005

chickenlittle said:


> Got my OVM yay!
> 
> HST = 55.32
> Fee = 10.00
> HST on fee = 1.30
> 
> View attachment 1579263


That's not bad! What was the declared value?

Looks great on your wrist!


----------



## chickenlittle

Declared value was 425.50. I ordered when I thought CAD was strong to take advantage of the exchange rate.


----------



## bvc2005

chickenlittle said:


> Declared value was 425.50. I ordered when I thought CAD was strong to take advantage of the exchange rate.


Smart move! How are you and Ms OVM getting along?


----------



## chickenlittle

bvc2005 said:


> Smart move! How are you and Ms OVM getting along?


Not sure I would have bought any of my other watches if I had bought the OVM first. In my opinion this $500 watch is hard to beat for rugged good looks and value. If I can only keep one watch in my collection this would be the one!


----------



## itr452

sorry to bring this back from the dead but no other place to put this

Ordered a Ocean two white on Dec 30th, knew they were closed so was in no rush

Got shipping notice on Wednesday but knew that Fedex does the pickup on Thursday.

Shipped out Thursday, expected delivery was Monday, however came to my door at 11AM here!

Unfortunately I was in the hospital with my new born son, and just picked it up from the depot, so pretty darn impressed.

Did get dinged $112, nothing you can do I did request DHL/Deutche Post but guess they don't do that anymore.

Now to order the 22mm rubber strap or not, do those get dinged by CBSA as well?


----------



## darkhelmetlive

$112? Gross. What was the breakdown of fees?


----------



## justaworm

itr452 said:


> sorry to bring this back from the dead but no other place to put this
> 
> Ordered a Ocean two white on Dec 30th, knew they were closed so was in no rush
> 
> Got shipping notice on Wednesday but knew that Fedex does the pickup on Thursday.
> 
> Shipped out Thursday, expected delivery was Monday, however came to my door at 11AM here!
> 
> Unfortunately I was in the hospital with my new born son, and just picked it up from the depot, so pretty darn impressed.
> 
> Did get dinged $112, nothing you can do I did request DHL/Deutche Post but guess they don't do that anymore.
> 
> Now to order the 22mm rubber strap or not, do those get dinged by CBSA as well?


Did they ever mention why they weren't going with DHL? Wonder if you could have tried pushing back. That's pretty crappy man...


----------



## Uwe W.

Going with DHL is no guarantee that you won't have to pay the duty and taxes. Sometimes you get nailed. Sometimes you don't. And it used to be Steinhart's policy to only ship FedEx, so it's a bit of a surprise that they were convinced to use DHL for some, but maybe they reverted back again to only using their standard shipping method for North Americans.


----------



## itr452

darkhelmetlive said:


> $112? Gross. What was the breakdown of fees?


crap i may have thrown away the receipt

it was something like 5%GST/7%PST on 411 euro, $10 fedex handling fee then duties which were $30?

It would have been nice not to get dinged but I expected to get dinged with fedex and don't mine the $10 charge since I effectively got the watch the next day!

Steinhart never replied to my email about using DHL, now if they can only reply to my email about the O2 strap being a hole too big for my wrist doh!


----------



## the_sim

According to the Import duty & taxes calculator from Import duty & taxes made easy | DutyCalculator the breakdown of fees would have been like this:


Total customs value (FOB):*CA$579.26*This is the amount that customs values your import at- Duty:*CA$28.96* - GST + PST:*CA$72.99* Total import duty & taxes due:*CA$101.95*This is the amount that needs to be paid to customsThen there would be $10 Fedex fee.


----------



## mitchjrj

F'g "global economy" my a$$. This stuff drives me insane. In my experience UPS is the worst for this crap.



the_sim said:


> According to the Import duty & taxes calculator from Import duty & taxes made easy | DutyCalculator the breakdown of fees would have been like this:
> 
> 
> Total customs value (FOB):*CA$579.26*This is the amount that customs values your import at- Duty:*CA$28.96* - GST + PST:*CA$72.99* Total import duty & taxes due:*CA$101.95*This is the amount that needs to be paid to customsThen there would be $10 Fedex fee.


----------



## calvincestari

mitchjrj said:


> F'g "global economy" my a$$. This stuff drives me insane. In my experience UPS is the worst for this crap.


The only thing UPS/FedEx/etc. can control is their extortionate "handling/brokerage fee". The rest they are bound by law to collect and pay to our government. I share the same feelings as you that we're getting ripped off however there is nothing we can do about it. FedEx at least you can side-step the extortion-fee by opening an account online.


----------



## WeTheNorth

Ugh.. I just ordered the Ocean 1 last wed. And requested this morning to have them ship through DHL. I have my fingers crossed i won't have to pay another $100+, as i already was weary of spending the money i did on the watch (it's my first real non-fashion brand watch). If i don't have to pay more than $30 then i will buy a Seiko 5 SNK809 Black so im really hoping i don't get taxed very hard lol


----------



## calvincestari

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



WeTheNorth said:


> Order my Ocean 1 on 01/14/15 got confirmation of payment received from paypal immediately, received confirmation from Steinhart on the 16th. After reading some horror stories of massive fed ex charges for shipments made to Canada, i requested to have them ship with DHL. I am hoping i did not jump the gun on that request, this is my first automatic watch purchase and I have never really ordered things from overseas. I have my fingers crossed all goes well


My Ocean 1 Vintage Red arrived last week via FedEx. Total duties/tax (in BC) was $60.16. Breakdown is: GST = $20.69, PST = $28.97, FedEx extortion fee = $10.00, GST on FedEx charge = $0.50. I expected it to be more.


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



calvincestari said:


> My Ocean 1 Vintage Red arrived last week via FedEx. Total duties/tax (in BC) was $60.16. Breakdown is: GST = $20.69, PST = $28.97, FedEx extortion fee = $10.00, GST on FedEx charge = $0.50. I expected it to be more.


Better then I was thinking. They did not charge you duty on the watch. When did you order it? I ordered mine on January 7th and immediately paid using PayPal. I got confirmation from PayPal right away but only got confirmation of payment received from Steinhart on January 12th. Hopefully they will ship it this week!!


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



calvincestari said:


> My Ocean 1 Vintage Red arrived last week via FedEx. Total duties/tax (in BC) was $60.16. Breakdown is: GST = $20.69, PST = $28.97, FedEx extortion fee = $10.00, GST on FedEx charge = $0.50. I expected it to be more.


I will be very pleased with $60.16 after seeing what some people paid. If that is the case In total it would have cost me $571.46 thats including all fees and taxes. I feel like the watch is worth that anyway.


----------



## calvincestari

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



the_sim said:


> Better then I was thinking. They did not charge you duty on the watch. When did you order it? I ordered mine on January 7th and immediately paid using PayPal. I got confirmation from PayPal right away but only got confirmation of payment received from Steinhart on January 12th. Hopefully they will ship it this week!!





WeTheNorth said:


> I will be very pleased with $60.16 after seeing what some people paid. If that is the case In total it would have cost me $571.46 thats including all fees and taxes. I feel like the watch is worth that anyway.


Nope..no duties. That's why I was expecting more. I just checked the FedEx invoice again and there is $0.00 next to the duties amount. So at $473.45 (initial purchase) + $60.16 (duty/taxes/FedEx) it comes to $533.61 which isn't that bad.


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

Just got a email stating they are shipping out orders that were paid on the 9th and that my order will take a few more days to process, But they also told me that they took note to send by DHL, so ill update as i go


----------



## 604nguyen

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

Bought an Ocean 44

Ordered............January 5, 2015
Shipped............January 19, 2015
Received..........January 20, 2015

Watch was $536.78 (inclusive of shipping)

Duties..........$23.20
GST.............$24.36
PST.............$34.10
Fedex Fee.....$10.50

Total Taxes ....$92.16 

For a grand total of $628.94 CDN for the watch...


----------



## watchlover7023

I order all my Steinhart watches from Gnomon Watches and never had to pay tax on them.And I am on my 13th Steinhart already.


----------



## itr452

watchlover7023 said:


> I order all my Steinhart watches from Gnomon Watches and never had to pay tax on them.And I am on my 13th Steinhart already.


Anders is great however, he didn't have my watch that I ordered from Steinhart in stock and it would have worked out roughly the same since his prices are in USD


----------



## mithrilG60

watchlover7023 said:


> I order all my Steinhart watches from Gnomon Watches and never had to pay tax on them.And I am on my 13th Steinhart already.


That's great; maybe it's just me but somehow I find paying more overall in order to avoid paying taxes to be somewhat of a Pyrrhic victory. Appollon Chrono from Steinhart + 17% tax/duty + FedEx fee works out to $1259.10 CAD, the same watch from Gnomon is $1370.00 CAD (based on 2015.01.20 exchange rates and including a 2.5% credit change exchange fee).

And Gnomon shipments are no more exempt from tax and duty than Steinhart shipments via DHL are, just because you've gotten lucky doesn't mean that everyone will and tacking another 17% onto the Gnomon price brings it up to $1613.43. I have nothing against Gnomon and have heard nothing but good things about Anders and his service but no thanks.

Gnomon was a better option before the USD went on a tear and regained much of it's 2008 losses over the last several months. Anders is still a great option if the piece you want is backordered at Steinhart and you can't wait for it. However all things being equal I have little interest in paying a 10% - 30% premium on the same watch.


----------



## watchlover7023

Gnomon might be more expensive depending on where you are. But their extended warranty and quick service and replies to my emails is something I appreciate more. It certainly adds to the overall shopping experience. I run a company offering services to customers and can relate to Gnomon's business model.


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



604nguyen said:


> Bought an Ocean 44
> 
> Ordered............January 5, 2015
> Shipped............January 19, 2015
> Received..........January 20, 2015
> 
> Watch was $536.78 (inclusive of shipping)
> 
> Duties..........$23.20
> GST.............$24.36
> PST.............$34.10
> Fedex Fee.....$10.50
> 
> Total Taxes ....$92.16
> 
> For a grand total of $628.94 CDN for the watch...


Did you order directly from Steinhart?
From what I have read they only ship on Thursday.
That would be great to hear that they have started shipping everyday to catch up.


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

one day from Germany to Canada seems very fast no?



the_sim said:


> Did you order directly from Steinhart?
> From what I have read they only ship on Thursday.
> That would be great to hear that they have started shipping everyday to catch up.


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

They emailed me yesterday saying they were shipping products from orders made on the 9th, and that mine would be a few more days, so it seems the Thursday only may not be true anymore



the_sim said:


> Did you order directly from Steinhart?
> From what I have read they only ship on Thursday.
> That would be great to hear that they have started shipping everyday to catch up.


----------



## 604nguyen

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



aristoc said:


> one day from Germany to Canada seems very fast no?


yes very fast indeed


----------



## 604nguyen

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



the_sim said:


> Did you order directly from Steinhart?
> From what I have read they only ship on Thursday.
> That would be great to hear that they have started shipping everyday to catch up.


Yes, I ordered directly from Steinhart. They ship out on other days as well,.... atleast in my case anyways.


----------



## calvincestari

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



aristoc said:


> one day from Germany to Canada seems very fast no?


I had the same experience. 1 day delivery and actually a day earlier than FedEx said was the expected delivery date. Worth the EUR 30 delivery fee!


----------



## mithrilG60

watchlover7023 said:


> Gnomon might be more expensive depending on where you are. But their extended warranty and quick service and replies to my emails is something I appreciate more. It certainly adds to the overall shopping experience. I run a company offering services to customers and can relate to Gnomon's business model.


There's no "depending on where you are" involved, this is a thread discussing Steinhart's shipping options to Canada so the final price in Canadian dollars is the only relevant measure. Again, there's nothing wrong with ordering from Gnomon but he is moderately to significantly more expensive than ordering direct from Steinhart for the same piece. Whether an extra 6mons of warranty (most credit cards already provide more extended warranty than that, mine doubles the OE warranty) and a receiving couple emails is worth paying the premium is ultimately a choice that each individual has to make for themselves.


----------



## M1K3Z0R

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

For those that got the Fedex bill, was it COD or did you get the bill a week or two after delivery? Either way, the $10 extortion fee is similar to what CP charges and is much more reasonable than the old arbitrarily high fees. The surprise bill after delivery is what bothered me most about Fedex, there is no chance to dispute the fee or refuse delivery beforehand, they imply you accept their terms and conditions with no notice of them beforehand. With the $10 fee it's not as big a deal, but the principle of getting billed afterwards without notice at the time of delivery still doesn't sit well with me.

BTW - AFAIK they can't hurt your credit rating if you refuse to pay, though they will spam you to death with collections letters. Don't ask how I know 



aristoc said:


> one day from Germany to Canada seems very fast no?


Not at all surprised, a watch I ordered from Japan got from there, through the states, to Mississauga and through customs in well under 24 hours... then bounced around Mississauga for 2 full days and sat there for a weekend before getting to my door in London Monday morning.


----------



## mithrilG60

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

It's COD in Canada unless you have a FedEx account. If you have a FedEx account they just charge the credit card on file automatically, they also waive the $10 processing fee.


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

I dont get this. Ordered on the 5th. Does that mean payment confirmation email on the 5th? Thanks



604nguyen said:


> Bought an Ocean 44
> 
> Ordered............January 5, 2015
> Shipped............January 19, 2015
> Received..........January 20, 2015
> 
> Watch was $536.78 (inclusive of shipping)
> 
> Duties..........$23.20
> GST.............$24.36
> PST.............$34.10
> Fedex Fee.....$10.50
> 
> Total Taxes ....$92.16
> 
> For a grand total of $628.94 CDN for the watch...


----------



## 604nguyen

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



aristoc said:


> I dont get this. Ordered on the 5th. Does that mean payment confirmation email on the 5th? Thanks


I ordered from the Steinhart website on the 5th, received their invoice moments later, and I paid immediately.
I got my payment confirmation January 12th.


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

Just got a shipping email. After emailing the aftersales department. here is what it says in the shipping email:
*"Please note that tracking numbers for Europe become active approx. 24 hours after receipt of this message. Outside Europe it takes approx. 48 hours."
my tracking so far only says that a label was printed and info. sent to fedex on Jan 22.

When you email an order and they send an automatic email reply that your order has been placed, then Steinhart needs to get a watch ready for shipping right away. Once your payment is made they just need to ship. Instead it looks like when you first place your order by their online form and you get the auto reply email confirming your order request they are really doing NOTHING. They wait until a payment is confirmed and only after that do they begin to prepare a watch for shipment. *


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



the_sim said:


> I ordered mine on January 7th and immediately paid using PayPal. I got confirmation from PayPal right away but only got confirmation of payment received from Steinhart on January 12th. Hopefully they will ship it this week!!


Got my shipping notice today. Tracking only says that a label was created on January 20th but I know it could take a few hours to get the latest update.


----------



## mithrilG60

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



the_sim said:


> Got my shipping notice today. Tracking only says that a label was created on January 20th but I know it could take a few hours to get the latest update.


The watch will most likely be in your possession by the time FedEx's tracking number is active and available, that's a delay caused by FedEx not by Steinhart.


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



mithrilG60 said:


> The watch will most likely be in your possession by the time FedEx's tracking number is active and available, that's a delay caused by FedEx not by Steinhart.


Yes I agree. Got my NATO straps, tools and heavy duty spring bars today. Now I just need the watch and I am ready to go south for a couple weeks.


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*

I got my shipping notice from Steinhart with a DHL tracking number on Monday the 26th. When should i expect it to arrive at my door? on Canada Post's site it says it hasn't been received yet and is still in transit to Canada. Any Ideas?


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



WeTheNorth said:


> I got my shipping notice from Steinhart with a DHL tracking number on Monday the 26th. When should i expect it to arrive at my door? on Canada Post's site it says it hasn't been received yet and is still in transit to Canada. Any Ideas?


 what watch did you order? I would love to know what your charges will be in the end since I am in the same city. Fed ex says I am getting my watch on the 30th. Shipped today the 28th. I wish Fed x would tell you in advance what all the charges will be before arrival.


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*



aristoc said:


> what watch did you order? I would love to know what your charges will be in the end since I am in the same city. Fed ex says I am getting my watch on the 30th. Shipped today the 28th. I wish Fed x would tell you in advance what all the charges will be before arrival.


I'll keep you posted, I ordered the OB1 Ceramic, let me know for yours too, so i know which method is cheaper for the next watch i order lol


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

watch is now in munich. probably frankfurt next before overnight flight to usa before canada. when do you think is a good time to tell the wife i bought it?


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*



aristoc said:


> when do you think is a good time to tell the wife i bought it?


Wear it first then when she ask you about when you got that watch just say: "That old thing?? I don't know. Bought it a few weeks ago. Wanna go out for supper tonight?"


----------



## mithrilG60

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to US....*



aristoc said:


> what watch did you order? I would love to know what your charges will be in the end since I am in the same city.


Charges will be purchase price less shipping converted to CDN + 5.5% duty + either PST/GST or HST depending on your province.


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

LOL

Well i just checked Fed X tracking and the watch is now in the sorting facility in my city. Wow that is only one day from Germany. She must be getting very excited to meet me. I need your help deciding if I should bring flowers when I meet her later today. What do you think?



the_sim said:


> Wear it first then when she ask you about when you got that watch just say: "That old thing?? I don't know. Bought it a few weeks ago. Wanna go out for supper tonight?"


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*



aristoc said:


> LOL
> 
> Well i just checked Fed X tracking and the watch is now in the sorting facility in my city. Wow that is only one day from Germany. She must be getting very excited to meet me. I need your help deciding if I should bring flowers when I meet her later today. What do you think?


She must have travelled partly with mine. Mine left Germany yesterday, was in Memphis overnight and is now in Winnipeg at the sort facility. I got a call from FedEx yesterday and I ended up paying the import fees over the phone. I was pleasantly surprise to hear that it was only $64.42. I don't have the breakdown of the invoice yet but I would figure they did not charge me any duty on my OVR. I'll confirm that later today when I receive it.


----------



## the_sim

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

Here is the breakdown of my invoice from FedEx:
Steinhart OVR @ $294.12 Euros = $414.77 Canadian.
Duty = $0.00
GST (5%) = $20.74
PST (8%) = $33.18
FedEx Fee = $ 10.00
FedEx Fee GST = $0.50
TOTAL = $64.42

I am curious to see what WeTheNorth will pay to get his shipped to Toronto using DHL. He got his shipping notice on Monday and I got mine on Tuesday. My watch arrived on Thursday by mid morning.


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

Fed ex screwed up. my tracking says "package at station , arrived after courier dispatch" I guess I have to wait until tomorrow night.


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

no duty awesome!


the_sim said:


> Here is the breakdown of my invoice from FedEx:
> Steinhart OVR @ $294.12 Euros = $414.77 Canadian.
> Duty = $0.00
> GST (5%) = $20.74
> PST (8%) = $33.18
> FedEx Fee = $ 10.00
> FedEx Fee GST = $0.50
> TOTAL = $64.42
> 
> I am curious to see what WeTheNorth will pay to get his shipped to Toronto using DHL. He got his shipping notice on Monday and I got mine on Tuesday. My watch arrived on Thursday by mid morning.


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*



the_sim said:


> Here is the breakdown of my invoice from FedEx:
> Steinhart OVR @ $294.12 Euros = $414.77 Canadian.
> Duty = $0.00
> GST (5%) = $20.74
> PST (8%) = $33.18
> FedEx Fee = $ 10.00
> FedEx Fee GST = $0.50
> TOTAL = $64.42
> 
> I am curious to see what WeTheNorth will pay to get his shipped to Toronto using DHL. He got his shipping notice on Monday and I got mine on Tuesday. My watch arrived on Thursday by mid morning.


Still waiting for mine, its in the hands of Canada Post now, Tracking from them shows it being in Montreal  I hope it comes in by tomorrow!!!


----------



## aristoc

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

Going to pick up my watch tonight:

Payment made..........Jan 8
Payment received......Jan 14
Shipped...................Jan 28
Received..................Jan 30

Total time from my payment made is 22 days. The delivery is 4 days longer than the terms and conditions of 8 working days delivery after payment received.

Ocean one price incl. shipping.......................464.55 (324.12 Euro) 
additional Fed Ex charges(no duty charged).....65.22

Grand Total..................................529.77


Number of emails sent with questions.........2
Number of emails replied to ......................1


----------



## WeTheNorth

*Re: Steinhart shipping time to CANADA*

My expected delivery date according to Canada Post was yesterday and no delivery came, still says in transit so i'm guessing it is still at the mississuaga plant. If i pay less than $60 i'll be happy if not i'll opt for the quick fedex delivery next time over DHL/Canada Post. Actually DHL was good, the longest delays have been on Canada Post.


----------



## pettitave

I just ordered the nav b 44 premium with a10 last night direct from Steinhart and will be shipped to Niagara, Ontario. 
I asked for dhl as well so we will see how it goes. I'll report back with all the delivery details and any fees or duties once the watch arrives. 
To receive dhl shipping did everyone just request it on the notes during ordering? Or have to get confirmation via email prior to even placing an order?


Bill


----------



## WeTheNorth

And i'm still waiting.. Long story short Canada Post is brutal... They received my watch from DHL on Jan. 26th. They posted the expected delivery as Jan. 30th. And still no watch. Good things come to those who wait keeps repeating in my head, i placed my order on Jan. 12th so it's been quite a wait. I'm at ease because i'm expecting to receive a flawless O1B.. hopefully tomorrow is the day


----------



## Uwe W.

And that's why most don't go the DHL route. It's a regular parcel post, not a courier service, so it does take much longer. In my experience the average is two weeks from the day it was sent.


----------



## WeTheNorth

My watch has arrived but it was delivered to my mailbox even through it needed a signature which I never gave lol also the tracking still shows 'In Transit' but other than that all looks great, watch is in perfect shape, box isn't damaged. As for the DHL charges, I'm not sure if they will mail a bill to me because as of now I haven't had to pay anything and the paper that was attached was in german but had no dollar figures other than the price of the watch and $0.00. So it seems promising


----------



## mitchjrj

Past experience says you'll get billed. Pics?


----------



## WeTheNorth

mitchjrj said:


> Past experience says you'll get billed. Pics?


I figured lol, i'll post some pics tomorrow


----------



## Loco

mitchjrj said:


> Past experience says you'll get billed. Pics?


I have rec'd 2 watches from Steinhart that were shipped via DHL, it has been over a year and I have yet to receive a bill.


----------



## RdKetchup

Ordered and paid my Nav-B Chrono II on January 20th, received confirmation the next day, the watch shipped on Monday February 2, arrived in Montreal the next day (February 3).

I had the package put on hold at the FedEx facility, that way I was able to pick it up at noon on that day. If I had waited for home delivery, it would probably have arrived today. 

Total for duties, taxes and fees was 215$. Ouch.


----------



## WeTheNorth

Loco said:


> I have rec'd 2 watches from Steinhart that were shipped via DHL, it has been over a year and I have yet to receive a bill.


I heard it's 50/50 with DHL, hopefully i get lucky with my fees (or lack there of) too haha

Here is my O1B ceramic for mitchjrj and anyone else curious


----------



## vince.cb

RdKetchup said:


> Ordered and paid my Nav-B Chrono II on January 20th, received confirmation the next day, the watch shipped on Monday February 2, arrived in Montreal the next day (February 3).
> 
> I had the package put on hold at the FedEx facility, that way I was able to pick it up at noon on that day. If I had waited for home delivery, it would probably have arrived today.
> 
> Total for duties, taxes and fees was 215$. Ouch.


That is almost theft.. 
I have also been considering a Steinhart but the thought of paying 1/5th of the cost of the watch in fees is a big turn off. 
The taxes and duty fees are truly exaggerated, thanks sharing, I will look into the DHL option others have suggested.


----------



## Uwe W.

vince.cb said:


> That is almost theft..
> I have also been considering a Steinhart but the thought of paying 1/5th of the cost of the watch in fees is a big turn off.
> The taxes and duty fees are truly exaggerated, thanks sharing, I will look into the DHL option others have suggested.


It's the same for anything that you purchase, new or used, that has to be imported into the country. And marginally more than what you have to pay on top of a local purchase anyway. Most of the watches that I've bought over the past few years have been while travelling and from duty-free ADs; however, when you order from a manufacturer outside of the country you have to expect all the associated taxes. With respect to DHL, it's NOT a guarantee that you won't get dinged for all the same fees as you would with FedEx (minus their $10 brokerage fee). So don't be shocked if you end up paying the taxes anyway. Good luck.


----------



## aristoc

I never paid any duties for my watch when it arrived. Only $10 for Fed Ex fee. Then I paid 13% HST. Don't forget we saved the 19% VAT that they pay in Germany. So we are doing very well compared to what they pay.

Isn't it true that Saskatchewan and Alberta do not pay any sales taxes?



Loco said:


> I have rec'd 2 watches from Steinhart that were shipped via DHL, it has been over a year and I have yet to receive a bill.


----------



## Loco

aristoc said:


> I never paid any duties for my watch when it arrived. Only $10 for Fed Ex fee. Then I paid 13% HST. Don't forget we saved the 19% VAT that they pay in Germany. So we are doing very well compared to what they pay.
> 
> Isn't it true that Saskatchewan and Alberta do not pay any sales taxes?


I think it is only Alberta that doesn't pay the sales tax, we in Saskatchewan pay both taxes 5%PST and 5%GST = 10% total taxes

I have ordered 10 watches on line in the last year, 9 of them from Steinhart_. _*The only time I that I have not paid any taxes were when they were shipped via DHL*. Even though they end up doing their final leg by Canada post, I still was not charged any taxes.

I did have one watch sent from Australia (Auzzy Express Post insured) and its final leg was by Canada post and I was charged a whopping 16% in taxes, I can't remember the breakdown but I definitely remember the total.

If cost is a concern and you don't mind waiting, I would go with DHL but if speed of delivery is an issue then I would go Fedex.

I hope this helps.

PS: I should note all of these watches went through Canada customs in Montreal.


----------



## pettitave

Just received notice that my watch was shipped last night via DHL from steinhart to Ontario. I'll post all the shipping details details once they come in.


----------



## pettitave

Just received my nav b 44 premium with the soprod movement. Here are the shipping details for those interested about shipping to Canada. I had it shipped via DHL.

Ordered on Jan 31
Payment confirmation from steinhart Feb 3rd
Shipped on Feb 5
Arrived in Canada Feb 9
Delivered Feb 11 to my door from Canada post with signature ( but Jeff at my door)

There was no delay at the the border and no forms or documents that had to be faxed to customs with missing information like some others experienced.

The only amount that was paid was the price of the watch and the shipping. I paid by PayPal right to steinhart upon ordering. No other fees or duties were paid upon arrival at the border.


----------



## Uwe W.

pettitave said:


> There was no delay at the the border and no forms or documents that had to be faxed to customs with missing information like some others experienced.


Probably because that's a U.S. Customs thing; I've never heard of Canadian customs imposing such requirements.


----------



## yakkity

Got my OVR today,
Ordered on website: 2/1
Order confirmation: 2/4
Shipped out: 2/9
Received: 2/13

Went with Fedex, $60 for GST+PST, no other fees.
Nice watch


----------



## WeTheNorth

I have now had my O1B for over a month now and I have yet to receive any bills from DHL.. so it looks like I got lucky and paid zero duties or taxes on it


----------



## bvc2005

WeTheNorth said:


> I have now had my O1B for over a month now and I have yet to receive any bills from DHL.. so it looks like I got lucky and paid zero duties or taxes on it


Sweet!


----------



## aristoc

Oh come on you know the mail takes a lot longer than one month to reach your house in Toronto !


WeTheNorth said:


> I have now had my O1B for over a month now and I have yet to receive any bills from DHL.. so it looks like I got lucky and paid zero duties or taxes on it


----------



## NHauss

Anyone have any recent news on this? I'm looking at ordering an Oceanblack DLC w ceramic and i feel like $100 extra would push it out of my range with the weak dollar ($650+ CAD is getting up there)


----------



## pancake81

Just bought my first Steinhart a few weeks ago. Ordered and asked if they could send it DHL, no problems. It did take about 15-20 days, but no fees or tax's to lay when I picked it up. That's the route I would go


----------



## pancake81

The dollar is weak, but so is the euro. You can likely buy one direct from Steinhart than you could a used one on eBay.


----------



## NHauss

Thanks for the response. I've liked these watches for a while but only recently have really begun to consider ponying up for it, It'll be my most expensive watch by threefold (have a nice citizen eco-drive titanium chrono that retails for around the same but I picked up new off ebay for a great deal). 

Glad I looked for this thread as I had heard some horror stories about fedex even prior to reading it. Did you email them directly or make a note on the order form?


----------



## pancake81

I had emailed them and asked about sending DHL. They said no problem, and just make a note of it on the order form. I would say you can just say "please ship via DHL" on the order form. 

It does take a few weeks as appose to a few days with DHL, but it could potentially save you $90. Money is worth more than time to me, lol. Also, DHL international will pass it on to Canada post once it's in Canada. So your DHL tracking number kind of goes dead (not really, but lags behind big time). Don't worry, just wait for It to arrive.


----------



## roadie

pancake81 said:


> It does take a few weeks as appose to a few days with DHL, but it could potentially save you $90. Money is worth more than time to me, lol. Also, DHL international will pass it on to Canada post once it's in Canada. So your DHL tracking number kind of goes dead (not really, but lags behind big time). Don't worry, just wait for It to arrive.


Great attitude to take, and I'm all for saving a few bucks any way I can. Us Canadians can be monetarily challenged at times. And I think your estimate of a few weeks may surprise you. ;-)


----------



## pancake81

My watch was at least 2 weeks through DHL, shipped to central BC. May have been a few days quicker, but I didn't realize Canada post had it, and was trying To pick it up at DHL; they said there was no record of a package being shipped to me (even with the DHL tracking number I gave them..)

Eventually I got a "please pick up" notice from Canada post in my box. Went in, signed for it, no money to be paid. 

Apparently it's hit or miss with DHL if you have to pay. As appose to FedEx which always collects the tax (at a minimum)


----------



## NHauss

Totally agree. Unless its something I need by christmas or a birthday then what's the rush? I mean its not like it's our only watch haha


----------



## vohkuhl

Wish I found this thread sooner because I got hit with a $120 custom fee before the watch could be sent out from Germany via fedex.

Thought it was weird that I would have to pay the fee first versus paying when item is delivered. Hopefully no surprises/additional fees when the watch shows up next Tuesday. I'm in BC by the way.


----------



## bvc2005

Ouch!



vohkuhl said:


> Wish I found this thread sooner because I got hit with a $120 custom fee before the watch could be sent out from Germany via fedex.
> 
> Thought it was weird that I would have to pay the fee first versus paying when item is delivered. Hopefully no surprises/additional fees when the watch shows up next Tuesday. I'm in BC by the way.


----------



## rod101

thanks for this thread guys. I ordered yesterday and emailed them to send DHL. can't wait for my ocean one gmt black to arrive. will be a nice watch to pair with my Rolex sub no date.


----------



## vohkuhl

bvc2005 said:


> Ouch!


Yup!!! Expensive lesson but I'm sure well worth it!



rod101 said:


> thanks for this thread guys. I ordered yesterday and emailed them to send DHL. can't wait for my ocean one gmt black to arrive. will be a nice watch to pair with my Rolex sub no date.


Now if only we could do something about the exchange rate...


----------



## rod101

vohkuhl said:


> Yup!!! Expensive lesson but I'm sure well worth it!
> 
> Now if only we could do something about the exchange rate...


agreed, I felt it was still good value for $708cdn shipped for this watch.


----------



## pettitave

I'm wondering if you only save with steinhart when shipping with dhl. I got hit with fees when ordering dhl with stowa. Both from Germany. 
Weird. 
Is steinhart the only company where we save when using dhl? 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


----------



## vohkuhl

pettitave said:


> I'm wondering if you only save with steinhart when shipping with dhl. I got hit with fees when ordering dhl with stowa. Both from Germany.
> Weird.
> Is steinhart the only company where we save when using dhl?
> 
> Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


I wish I could say yes but considering your experience with Stowa, it sounds like a hit and miss. Mostly hit going with DHL but there could be those random incidences where you are slammed with a fee.

Good luck!


----------



## mithrilG60

It's got nothing to do with the brand you're buying, all reputable companies will make a full and accurate customs declaration on the import forms. DHL merely hands the package off to CanadaPost and it's the CanadaPost agent. (usually in Montreal) who decides whether to access tax/duty or not. Given CanadaPost's current decline I would expect they will be going after all potential revenue streams so I think you'll see the "hit rate" as it were go up.


----------



## Zero_Regret

I ordered the O1B on the 15th and they shipped it out on the 22nd. I opted for DHL and received the watch on the 25th with no fees. Very surprised it how fast it was.


----------



## NHauss

This thread should be renamed: SHIP DHL TO CANADA! For me it was faster than advertised here to the west coast (under a week from shipping notice) and $0 on top. Even if it is hit and miss it will never be as much as Fedex!


----------



## gwhysow

Hi. I have brought in a couple, but none direct. Everything has gone through Gnomon. Happy Hunting!


----------



## sefrcoko

vohkuhl said:


> Wish I found this thread sooner because I got hit with a $120 custom fee before the watch could be sent out from Germany via fedex.
> 
> Thought it was weird that I would have to pay the fee first versus paying when item is delivered. Hopefully no surprises/additional fees when the watch shows up next Tuesday. I'm in BC by the way.


Same here... $120 in fees through fedex to Ottawa for a vintage gmt direct from steinhart.

...Still worth it lol.


----------



## sefrcoko

sefrcoko said:


> Same here... $120 in fees through fedex to Ottawa for a vintage gmt direct from steinhart.
> 
> ...Still worth it lol.


Just received a Steinhart OTi500 Premium recently. Like my Vintage GMT it was ordered directly from Steinhart. This time however, I emailed them to ask for my watch to be shipped via DHL instead of FedEx. They agreed and I received my watch without any additional fees or duties! I guess it's true...if you are in Canada, ask Steinhart to ship your watch via DHL to save all the fees that FedEx charges. Confirmed


----------



## RCNDrew

Hi everyone, I just thought I would add my excellent experience with Steinhart to this thread. I ordered a new OVM on the evening (BC time) on Tuesday 29 August and the watch arrived at my home on Vancouver Island on Friday the 1st of September. Total duty was 0. Taxes and brokerage was $68 CAD. All in all I am very satisfied. Steinhart informed me that they no longer ship with DHL due to cost. Hope this helps,

Drew


----------



## samuelws1996

RCNDrew said:


> Hi everyone, I just thought I would add my excellent experience with Steinhart to this thread. I ordered a new OVM on the evening (BC time) on Tuesday 29 August and the watch arrived at my home on Vancouver Island on Friday the 1st of September. Total duty was 0. Taxes and brokerage was $68 CAD. All in all I am very satisfied. Steinhart informed me that they no longer ship with DHL due to cost. Hope this helps,
> 
> Drew


Did you order shipping with Fedex / DHL? Any special note made to Steinhart?


----------



## sefrcoko

samuelws1996 said:


> Did you order shipping with Fedex / DHL? Any special note made to Steinhart?


They no longer ship via DHL.


----------



## TheJackel2013

It makes a difference. Fedex, will for sure charge the duty and HST. When they use to ship DHL, it would get handed off to Canada Post at the border and 9 times out of 10, they wouldn't bother with processing for duty/HST.


----------



## bvc2005

Did your item ship via courier?


----------



## sefrcoko

AJPointless said:


> I ordered my first OGMTB while I was living in Sask. Yes, retardedly, shipping in Canada did result in outrageous brokerage fees, which came extra on top of the price and shipping costs already paid. I've ordered while living in the US, in Japan, and even had one ordered and sent to Sweden to meet me there back in 2016, and never had to deal with the same garbage, nor ever did I have to deal with customs clearances or fees either. Only in Canada. Soooooo happy I finally left living there.


How did it ship, and how much extra did you have to pay for it to be outrageous? There are taxes, and then possibly duties and/or brokerage fees that come into play. Taxes are taxes, a combination of federal and provincial. Duties may apply depending on the type of product, value, etc. Brokerage fees are usually charged by the courier company, but can be skirted if you handle customs yourself. For me it's usually just easier to factor in the extras from the get-go.


----------



## drcab

i had one shipped by Loomis... they hand off to Can Post... you will pat GST PST and 6%. No broker fee with can post


----------



## walking_line

I enquired with Steinhart last week and mentioned the DHL and Loomis options. They said that they will only ship FedEx now.


----------



## boci202A

walking_line said:


> I enquired with Steinhart last week and mentioned the DHL and Loomis options. They said that they will only ship FedEx now.


That sucks! I'm having second thoughts about ordering from them now...


----------



## roadie

boci202A said:


> That sucks! I'm having second thoughts about ordering from them now...


Which model are you considering? Would it help to look at ordering from Gnomon? Never done it, just wondering if it would help your cause financially.


----------



## boci202A

roadie said:


> Which model are you considering? Would it help to look at ordering from Gnomon? Never done it, just wondering if it would help your cause financially.


Yes that is definitely the option I'm considering. I'm set on three models and need to settle on two, before ordering. I might even order separately to minimize declared value. 
Marine Officer Bronze , Aviation chronograph and Ocean 1 Vintage Dual Time Premium.


----------



## walking_line

roadie said:


> boci202A said:
> 
> 
> 
> That sucks! I'm having second thoughts about ordering from them now...
> 
> 
> 
> Which model are you considering? Would it help to look at ordering from Gnomon? Never done it, just wondering if it would help your cause financially.
Click to expand...

The USD to CAD conversion actually makes it more expensive from Gnomon, even with their free shipping. Euro to CAD is preferential. You'd probably end up paying tax & duty from Gnomon too. Anyway, my Ocean Ti 500 arrives on Friday, so I'll post back about how much it ends up costing from FedEx.

The way I'm looking at it, is that I'm still getting a great watch at a good price, even with brokerage fees, etc.


----------



## johnMcKlane

did steinhart ever do promo ? what would be the lowest price ever ??


----------



## walking_line

Ok, so the watch showed up a day early. The damage on the taxes, duties & brokerage fee was $86 & change. I think it broke down to a $10 brokerage fee (which, I have also been charged by Canada Post in the recent past), 5% GST & I believe, 6% duty. It's pretty much what you'd pay by having it shipped Canada Post. They've gotten a lot better in the last year or two at assessing the taxes & duties on packages entering the country (parcel shipping is the biggest part of their business now), so I think you're still better off purchasing directly from Steinhart instead of Gnomon, at least until the CAD gets a bit stronger against the greenback.

Now, with all that being said, I may apply for a refund on said taxes & duties as I'm not sure that I'm going to keep the watch. But, that's another thing for another thread...


----------



## boci202A

walking_line said:


> Ok, so the watch showed up a day early. The damage on the taxes, duties & brokerage fee was $86 & change. I think it broke down to a $10 brokerage fee (which, I have also been charged by Canada Post in the recent past), 5% GST & I believe, 6% duty. It's pretty much what you'd pay by having it shipped Canada Post. They've gotten a lot better in the last year or two at assessing the taxes & duties on packages entering the country (parcel shipping is the biggest part of their business now), so I think you're still better off purchasing directly from Steinhart instead of Gnomon, at least until the CAD gets a bit stronger against the greenback.
> 
> Now, with all that being said, I may apply for a refund on said taxes & duties as I'm not sure that I'm going to keep the watch. But, that's another thing for another thread...


That is good to know. Thanks for the update.


----------



## roadie

johnMcKlane said:


> did steinhart ever do promo ? what would be the lowest price ever ??


I've been following Steinhart for a very long time and owned up to 7 models. They have never had a promo or clearance on older models. If you like one you should just buy it before it goes out of stock and you have to wait 6 months for new stock. (or buy used) Best thing to watch is CDN$ currency fluctuation against the EU.


----------



## johnMcKlane

Do we have to pay tax and duty with gnomon ?


----------



## roadie

johnMcKlane said:


> Do we have to pay tax and duty with gnomon ?


Of course you do. Although Gnomon ships for free via DHL you'll still be responsible for paying PST, GST, and import duty upon receipt of your watch.


----------



## bvc2005

roadie said:


> Of course you do. Although Gnomon ships for free via DHL you'll still be responsible for paying PST, GST, and import duty upon receipt of your watch.


In addition don't forget miscellaneous charges that DHL charges for its services such as disbursement fees, entry preparation fees, etc.


----------



## roadie

bvc2005 said:


> In addition don't forget miscellaneous charges that DHL charges for its services such as disbursement fees, entry preparation fees, etc.


Well I wondered about that. If they ship via DHL for free then are you still responsible for the brokerage fee on your end? Just asking. I've never received a free DHL shipment.


----------



## bvc2005

In my experience yes, and those fees (brokerage, disbursement, entry prep fee etc.)can be exaggerated. My first choice is always Postal service.


----------



## boci202A

bvc2005 said:


> In my experience yes, and those fees (brokerage, disbursement, entry prep fee etc.)can be exaggerated. My first choice is always Postal service.


+1

I managed to get almost new Ocean 1 Vintage Dual Time Premium on private sale, here on forums. It's still possible but unlikely that I get dinged for all the fees/taxes by Canada Post.


----------



## bvc2005

Fingers crossed. Keep us posted.


----------



## johnMcKlane

boci202A said:


> +1
> 
> I managed to get almost new Ocean 1 Vintage Dual Time Premium on private sale, here on forums. It's still possible but unlikely that I get dinged for all the fees/taxes by Canada Post.


can they just send it gift ?


----------



## walking_line

They can mark it as a gift. I think that works up to a certain value. They can also declare a lower value, but then it can't be insured when shipping for more than that.


----------



## CaptMichael

Updated Experience with Gnomon and DHL shipping to Canada.
I ordered a Steinhart OVM from Gnomon Singapore with free DHL Shipping to Victoria BC late afternoon (BC Time) on Monday 27 May.
The watch was showing as "In Stock" and i started receiving very prompt shipping status updates. 
Gnomon shipped the watch the same day (Singapore time) and within 24 hours (Tue) it was showing in Hong Kong.
Expected delivery on DHL's Tracking site has shown as "By end of day Friday 31 May".
Next physical status was DHL Cincinnati and the package seemed to linger for almost 24 hours (Wed-Thur), Thursday morning I received a message with the required customs fees (approx $30 CDN), These have been paid online and the DHL Tracking Status now shows the package at the "Sort Facility in British Columbia", presumably at YVR Vancouver International Airport.
I'm fully expecting that I'll have my new watch in hands tomorrow (Friday 31 May), less than 100 hours from order placed with Gnomon until delivery in Victoria, BC.


----------



## CaptMichael

Updated Experience with Gnomon and DHL shipping to Canada.
I ordered a Steinhart OVM from Gnomon Singapore with free DHL Shipping to Victoria BC late afternoon (BC Time) on Monday 27 May.
The watch was showing as "In Stock" and i started receiving very prompt shipping status updates. 
Gnomon shipped the watch the same day (Singapore time) and within 24 hours (Tue) it was showing in Hong Kong.
Expected delivery on DHL's Tracking site has shown as "By end of day Friday 31 May".
Next physical status was DHL Cincinnati and the package seemed to linger for almost 24 hours (Wed-Thur), Thursday morning I received a message with the required customs fees (approx $30 CDN), These have been paid online and the DHL Tracking Status now shows (Thurs midday) the package at the "Sort Facility in British Columbia", presumably at YVR Vancouver International Airport.
I'm fully expecting that I'll have my new watch in hands tomorrow (Friday 31 May), less than 100 hours from order placed with Gnomon until delivery in Victoria, BC.


----------



## CHESSKING

Bought from Steinhart directly, I paid closer to $60 CDN Import through DHL. 

Im actually selling my Coke GMT on Kijiji.. Will list on this form shortly.


----------

