Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 22 When I first started in this hobby a few years ago I heard all this talk about how your watch can be seized by Customs. Since then I've ordered quite a few reps from China and never had one even opened by Customs. I did have a few sit in one place for a week waiting for Customs clearance but that's it. Has anyone ever had one seized by Customs or do they only seize the big shipments we see on the news stories? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadPickle 2,747 Posted February 22 i would imagine it differs country to country, in 12 or so years rep collecting/buying/selling i have never had a confiscation but i have had one package opened and resealed with DHL tape, (it was a case from DSN) lots and lots of import/customs charges where i have had to pay anything from around £6 to £25 at the post office before i can get my parcel. Never had one lost lost in the post either selling or buying.... Shortest TD order to doormat was 6 days Mary/Rochest in the good old days before Rochest went bananas Longest order here was m2m 4 months from X- forum member @1littlegreen who got banned for being a scammer, Longest order ever was a case from Essdee on the old HF took about 2andahalf YEARS, one of those group buy things i was in for about £600 and had just about written it off until Elias stepped in some guys were in for THOUSANDS and got sweet FA Never really been ripped off either. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onzenuub 307 Posted February 22 Dutch customs like to seize watches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 22 WOW, two and a half years... that's f***ing insane! When I ordered from Torobravo my reps took about 3-4 weeks after QC GL. I've been ordering from Trusty now and after QC GL he sends it airmail overnight to NY or LA (I'm in USA) and it takes about 8-10 days to arrive mailed USPS from either city. About 5-7 days of that it's sitting in one city, probably waiting for Customs clearance. I get my stuff from Raffles even faster. Ken sends it out next day after payment and I usually see it in less than two weeks by USPS. Never had anything seized, fingers crossed... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dfq23 131 Posted February 22 I had a Tag rep seized once. Certain brands are supposedly more likely to get seized than others especially Rolex and any LVMH brand (like Tag) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FudgyDocker 3,500 Posted February 22 11 hours ago, pickledbeetroot said: Never had one lost lost Is having one lost lost anything like going out out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 22 I think lost is when the USPS has it somewhere for six f**king weeks before it arrives. Lost lost is when it's never coming and you're f**ked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatarms 7,777 Posted February 23 Never had one seized by customs. Only had one stolen when I sent it to a non-trusted watchsmith I'd used many times before (IrishCain). Was a 5 digit TC shark with a gen blue bezel, sent it to him to work on and never saw it again after getting the run-around multiple times about how he lost his teaching job and then was looking to move out of state to find another. About a year later, I'm looking the guy up and found out he got pinched for banging one of his underaged students at a high school. Guess he had some legal bills to pay... AND he managed to land another teaching job at another high school for about a year before they got wind of the story. Great background check they must've done... Anyways, what was this thread about again? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shinynewbling52 178 Posted February 23 It's been a while since I've had any seizures but in 2015 trusty sent a three watch order by EMS which got seized. That same year I had a Rolex datejust one watch order seized then in 2017 also by trusty, had a Rolex Daytona seized. Oh yeah it was DHL because it actually got delivered to my house but I wasn't home so they were holding it at DHL and while it was just being held there they must have opened it up at the office which is weird. Sure wish i was home... so 3 seizures out of maybe 35 to 40 TD orders. Not too bad but still a pain and it can happen but hasnt for a number of years. Probably why you don't receive real useful tracking numbers until last minute when the items are already in the US. I'd rather not know how it's coming to me and have it make it through customs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 23 (edited) WTF does his job search have to do with stealing your watch? Bizarre. Odd that he was okay before when you used him. He probably got caught when the mom saw a Rolex shaped bruise on the teenage girl's ass cheek where he was spanking her... Wow, three seizures in a two year period. Maybe Customs was on a kick back then searching packages. Probably overstaffed in those days. Seems like I see a story every six months or so where Customs seizes a huge inventory of Rolex reps worth in the millions. I'm guessing they're a shipment to the street dealers in USA? Seems like it's always at LAX where they catch them. Maybe they're focusing on the big shipments now because I haven't heard of any seizures recently. Edited February 23 by Hot Little Xixi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philiusmaximus 5,064 Posted February 23 Haven't had any seizures. Had a watch take six months to arrive from Australia. I just wrote it off after a few weeks so was a nice surprise when it was delivered. You roll the dice and take your chances in this game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FudgyDocker 3,500 Posted February 23 I have not had a watch seized ever. I'm pretty sure that I won't either. I may be wrong, but I think my TD knows someone in the AliExpress shipping chain, as it always has a UK Royal Mail shipping label on it and I think that they slip it in with all the AliExpress VAT-paid consignments, so that it'll never be queried by customs. They just go straight through. Very clever and sneaky, I'd say! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 23 (edited) Yeah, my TD sends the package to either NYC or LA airmail overnight then it gets sent USPS with someone's name and return address in either city. It seems to take less time to arrive than the other three TDs I've used in the past, also. I'm a happy little girl... I guess if the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels can smuggle tons of drugs and literally millions of people into USA the counterfeiters in China can get a few watches through. Edited February 23 by Hot Little Xixi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FudgyDocker 3,500 Posted February 23 I joined up comparatively late in the rep game, so didn't suffer all the earlier problems that @pickledbeetroot and the other longer-serving members had to endure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,286 Posted February 23 Didn't they used to send watches hidden inside stuffed toys and the like in the early days? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadPickle 2,747 Posted February 23 Hahaha yes in toy cars…. Imaging opening a box only to find a shitty plastic toy car those were the days throwing it across the room in a heavy rage only to see the watch fall out 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadPickle 2,747 Posted February 23 10 hours ago, fatarms said: Never had one seized by customs. Only had one stolen when I sent it to a non-trusted watchsmith I'd used many times before (IrishCain). Was a 5 digit TC shark with a gen blue bezel, sent it to him to work on and never saw it again after getting the run-around multiple times about how he lost his teaching job and then was looking to move out of state to find another. About a year later, I'm looking the guy up and found out he got pinched for banging one of his underaged students at a high school. Guess he had some legal bills to pay... AND he managed to land another teaching job at another high school for about a year before they got wind of the story. Great background check they must've done... Anyways, what was this thread about again? That’s a whole new topic with some real despicable thievery a HUGE list too and it still goes on an on, some guys on HF are in for big amounts from a dude called MidlandsMark, then there’s Dave chico and all the other wannabeeeees Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatarms 7,777 Posted February 23 4 hours ago, pickledbeetroot said: That’s a whole new topic with some real despicable thievery a HUGE list too and it still goes on an on, some guys on HF are in for big amounts from a dude called MidlandsMark, then there’s Dave chico and all the other wannabeeeees Yeah, I have an account over t HF and pop in there about once a week to look around. I've seen some of the pinned threads about the guys who are waiting years for stuff and losing tons of money with no replies from the "modders." The case above is obviously ultimately my fault for sending a watch to a non-trusted smith, but still, the onus of just being a human being falls on him. Not to mention the, uhh, other stuff. BTW, that's the first time I've discussed that publicly here, told a few people in PM. That dude turned out to be a piece of work and I had no idea who I was really sending my watches to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billywhiz 312 Posted February 23 6 hours ago, GingerJesus said: Didn't they used to send watches hidden inside stuffed toys and the like in the early days? Yes and even golf club heads. - There were a few people pissed they had received golf clubs etc from TD's. - They did not realise and thought they were being scammed - You had to smash them up to get at what was inside. - I remember a few stories at the time as the board members trying to 'shhhhh ' the threads were going crazy as TD transport 'hide' methods were being highlight on a public forum Was that on RGv1 ? Bit fuzzy these days - but funny at the time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadPickle 2,747 Posted February 23 53 minutes ago, fatarms said: Yeah, I have an account over t HF and pop in there about once a week to look around. I've seen some of the pinned threads about the guys who are waiting years for stuff and losing tons of money with no replies from the "modders." The case above is obviously ultimately my fault for sending a watch to a non-trusted smith, but still, the onus of just being a human being falls on him. Not to mention the, uhh, other stuff. BTW, that's the first time I've discussed that publicly here, told a few people in PM. That dude turned out to be a piece of work and I had no idea who I was really sending my watches to. there was a thread next door about it and his antics, back in 2015 so guess it may be gone for good when RWI got hacked, i don't need too be reminded of that twisted idiot again. Just goes to show really Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 23 There must've been a rep/teenage highschool girl sex connection for him. I'm picturing him making her wear his rep while handjobbing him to wind it... I'd say there are way less inspections and confiscations now as before because they're just packing them in boxes without the toy cars and stuff disguising them. I'm fairly new to reps - what is HF? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FudgyDocker 3,500 Posted February 23 42 minutes ago, Hot Little Xixi said: I'm fairly new to reps - what is HF? Homage Forum Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,286 Posted February 23 Xixi. We know you're a man. Stop pretending. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatarms 7,777 Posted February 23 2 hours ago, GingerJesus said: Stop pretending. This is funny. It's the same dude that posts wrist shots on his doll. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hot Little Xixi 12 Posted February 23 I sent Ginger Jesus a PM with a nice photo he can enjoy. Just because I'm into collecting reps doesn't mean I have to be a guy. What a f**king misogynist. My boyfriend got me into reps and he can tell that I'm a girl... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
