Buying jewellery on a Caribbean cruise

SUPREME12

I've heard that jewellery, specifically a Rolex watch can be bought much cheaper than in the UK. What I'm not clear on is what I'd have to pay when I bring it back into the UK. I've tried the Customs and Excise website but there's no specific detail on there.
Can anyone help please, I don't want to do anything dodgy!

knightstyle

In many places you stop at you can buy a Rolex or Omega watch for onder £20 guaranteed to work till the boat leaves port!
Seriously there are some bargains but you will never buy a genuine Rolex for less than 20% discount on UK prices. The better fakes are very good, even experienced dealers cannot tell without a close internal examination.
Some fakes even use genuine dial faces and hands.
That said I have had an "Omega" for 7 years, still keeps quite good time, has a lovely glass back to see the self winding mechanism, I paid £6 for it in Singapore.

Caz3121

SUPREME12 wrote: »

I've tried the Customs and Excise website but there's no specific detail on there.
Can anyone help please, I don't want to do anything dodgy!

not sure if this is the specific link you already read
https://www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/arrivals-from-outside-the-eu
Customs duty on the full value + VAT (20%)

If an item costs £500 duty free
Customs duty 2.5% = £12.50
VAT = £100
total cost £612.50

you will need to call them if the item is over £630 as the 2.5% may be different

SUPREME12

knightstyle wrote: »

In many places you stop at you can buy a Rolex or Omega watch for onder £20 guaranteed to work till the boat leaves port!
Seriously there are some bargains but you will never buy a genuine Rolex for less than 20% discount on UK prices. The better fakes are very good, even experienced dealers cannot tell without a close internal examination.
Some fakes even use genuine dial faces and hands.
That said I have had an "Omega" for 7 years, still keeps quite good time, has a lovely glass back to see the self winding mechanism, I paid £6 for it in Singapore.

Thanks for this and I'd be happy with a 20% discount, the watch is £12000 here so it would make quite a difference!
However if I have to pay customs duty and VAT then it never going to be worth it so I don't understand why I've been told it's so much cheaper. I guess it could be that you can get a fake Rolex cheaper but I don't want a fake one, however good it looks.
Yes it was that website I looked at but when you ring the number it's only VAT and none of the menu choices were appropriate so I gave up.

Caz3121

SUPREME12 wrote: »

I don't understand why I've been told it's so much cheaper..

probably because they are taking about bring it into the country without declaring it - paying duty or VAT

gettingtheresometime

Obviously depending on what time of day you land a customs official may not even be present.....no one was on duty when we went through customs at 6am!

I know the ship we went on recently had a 'shore shopper' who they were pushing people to speak to if they wanted to buy any jewellery on port days.....I wondered if there was an 'incentive' for them to recommend certain shops iyswim

littlereddevil

The cheapest place I have found Rolex watches is Texas.
We have bought three over the years at different times.
Mind you we didn't declare them, just wore them and luckily didn't have our luggage searched, as they would have found the boxes.

DKLS

littlereddevil wrote: »

The cheapest place I have found Rolex watches is Texas.
We have bought three over the years at different times.
Mind you we didn't declare them, just wore them and luckily didn't have our luggage searched, as they would have found the boxes.

I didn't declare the wife's Omega she just wore it and no questions asked, however I did post the box and paperwork to home just in case.