Club Obi Wan

Last week I sent my Wested jacket back across the pond for repairs on the liner.
Sent it by US postal (feel like going a little postal right about now) paid $40.00 to ship it, filled out what I believed was the correct paper work, a customs declaration & dispatch note CP72. I email Gerry to see if they received yet and the reply was not good. They had to refuse because the shipping company asked for 60 more, which Wested refused and sent it packing. And yes I did mark on out side of box that item in side was for repairs.

The company there sending it back gave me a tracking # and it said it was going to be here on 07-06-04. A whole month??? When it only took mine to get there in about 4-5 days.

Has any one else had a similar experiance and give me some insight, Help me guy's and gals

Oh man!
I do feel sorry for you and I sure hope things get cleared out.
The shipment with my jacket went smooth and I've never heard of this before.

Let's hope someone will chime in. Did Gerry have any further explination on why this happened? Did it actually arrive at Wested? Maybe it is possible to go backwards and from that find out where things went wrong and who made a mistake. I'm sure help is on the way.

Regards,
Swindy

I have no experience of this with Wested myself (obviously) but I know what a killer customs can be getting things from the states.

I think all you have to do is write in big obvious letters: JACKET BEING RETURNED FOR ALTERATIONS so that no charges are levied.

Ken

If you sent the jacket back thru the United States Postal Service, and
you filled out all the correct documentation, then something is obviously
wrong on Wested's end.

Did you send it Express Mail from your post office? If you did, then it
should indeed have cost you right around 40 bucks for the shipping. That
is what it has cost me each time I sent my Wested back for one reason
or another.

The only explanation that I can think of is that your package was not
clearly marked that the contents were for repairs, alterations or an exchange.

If you only put that information on customs document itself, and you did
not put HUGE labels all over the rest of the box, then the idiots at the other
end did not look very closely at the packages declarations, and they must
have assumed it was a straight delivery for Wested, and they wanted to charge
Wested for the duties on the price of the contents as if it was a new item
being sent to them.

I have found that you absolutely MUST put many, many labels on your
packages, all over each and every side of the box, and two or three
times on the top, that your package is for "Repairs or alterations only"
all over it, or you get screwed like you just did.

Unfortunately, they don't have the brightest bulbs working at these types
of jobs, and if you don't make it VERY clear, they don't look at what they
are doing, and just assume what is going on.

What you should do now is, once you get your jacket back, go to the
post office, and get the proper paperwork to get your original shipping
money back. This will take up to three months, but once you fill out the
dispute paperwork, you will usually get your 40 bucks back.

Then, re-pack up the box, put on the correct Express Mail customs
documentation and declarations, and put on AT LEAST 6 HUGE labels all
over the box, with at least two of those huge labels on the top of the
box, right next to the customs docs, that say, "Jacket being returned to
the U.K. for repairs/alterations", and resend it.

There is no way that package should have come back to you, or have
been hit with duties by UK customs because of their customs department making
a mistake. The mistake is at there end, not yours.

You did it right, so fight it tooth and nail if you have too. Just make sure
you add in the extra huge labels all over the box on the next go around
just to make absolutely sure it gets thru. Its better to overkill the box with
very clear labels, than to be unsure, and let this happen again.

Good luck.

Flathead

There is not problem at the Wested End.
The parcelforce van arrives and asks for £62 import duty and fees which we refuse to accept.
From what I gather and this is the most importanat point is that although it had being sent to England for repair/alteration it did not state that it was purchased from England and being returned to its place of purchase.
I knoe Gerry has being dealing with this but I will try Monday to get some common sense with the Customs people.
Cheers
Peter

Thanks for all the great response's. I did mark the box but probably not big enough or as many times as I should have.

Thanks Flathead for the idea of fight the govermnt, about getting my money back, I might have a chance right, it's only the goverment and not City Hall. Won't be so hard to pay it again knowing I'll get it back.

Peter thank you for reading this post, I'm not blaming any one over there I'm just frustrated about the extended lead time for me to get my orriginal jacket back and re-ship to you.


Thanks again every one I'll let you know what happens and if any one else has .02 cents to add, be my guest.
Croft

Peter, I hope when I said the problem was on Wested's end, that you
didn't think I meant it was Wested's fault. I meant that it was the fault
of the U.K. customs. So by your end, I meant the U.K. end.

Indiana Croft, the post office has the paper you need to fill out for any
questionable shipping charges that you incure. Just show them the box
once your jacket gets back from the U.K., and show them that all the
correct documents were filled out by you, and that you just want either
your original shipping money back, or you want them to re-send your
package again. Only this time, put the big labels all over it like we are
saying.

I had to do this, and the paperwork they gave me was very clear, and I
got my money back in 90 days.

Flathead

Thank Flathead once again.
I will fill the proper paper work out once jacket is back, but don't plan on waiting to get money back before re-shipping, unless theyy say they'll resend at no cost. But of course I'll be equiped w/many a sticker.

And Peter you'll see acouple of emails dont be over worried about my ire, I was frustrated for good reason which if you really need to know about I'll email you.

Thanks all.
Croft

Hey every one it looks like Peter has come through for me in a BIG way.

Hi Bruce

Peter here. I have had the Parcelforce local manager bring the parcel to me (£60.00), and although we have had to pay for the documentation of £8 we are confident that we will eventually get the other £52 import duty and tax back from customs and excise.

All this because you left off ‘ PURCHASED FROM ENGLAND and being returned etc. although common sense would suggest that you would not be sending it to us for repair unless you bought it from us in the first place. Now I have to fill in forms, find your old invoice and despatch details as proof of export just to get back what should not have been in the first place. So it is not just USA customs officer who are thick but all customs officers worldwide.

Cheers

Peter

I have emailed him my apologies for my stupidity and have of course offered to pay him the (£60.00), even if as he states he'll get it back I wanted him to know that i am willing to pay him.
(In my only defense I did write that it was for repairs), just not big enough and not bold enough. I also didn't know about the part, about saying I purchased it from England.
I'll keep posting any updates. Let this be a lesson to all.

Croft.

Maybe this should be posted as a sticky at the top of the page, for future reference. I was considering sending my Wested goat back for a few minor alterations, and I'm glad I read this post first.
Sorry to hear about your dilemma, Croft, but this also goes to show what lengths Peter will go to please his customers.
Kudos to Peter.

Excellent idea Indy Blues. Since much of our gear will cross international
borders at some point, a post with guidelines would be very helpful and
could help prevent headaches like this one for both vendors and
customers. It wouldn't have to be complicated, just a compilation of what
has been learned and posted here in the various forums.

Regards,
Indybill

This seems to be a lesson learned, unlearned, then learned again, as this has been discussed several times in the past years when folks have had this same problem. IndyDawg was one of the first to experience this snafu with getting things across the big water to Wested for repair about 2 or 3 years ago (probably longer now ), and that can be found in the search function here. Though Peter has changed shippers, the instructions have not changed as to how items are supposed to be returned overseas for repair, and not be charged the fee. I believe this is going to be included in the updated FAQ that Mike is currently working on for the main page, so it will have a spot for folks to find in a regular location. Regards. Michaelson

I might also add that in some cases it might be easier to find someone local to make the alterations. Not a slam towards Peter The Great, but as a precaution agaisnt silly Customs agents around the world.

Customs Agents… I hate these guys.

Agreed. I've done it both ways with complete success.

If you have it done locally, make doublely sure you take it to someone who has the expertise and equipment that can work on/with leather. They're around, but unless they have a heavy duty sewing machine that can push a needle through hide, don't leave your jacket with them. Unlike cloth, once a hole is made, it's there forever in leather, and you don't want someone starting and stopping seam repairs who has NO idea about the nuances of leather work. Regards. Michaelson