Acronym.

[TEKsevenZERO]

nuts - sorry about the disinformation on the discount code at haven folks - my mistake and I apologise profusely.

feel free to neg rep and all that ...

[stadsvandringar]

Anybody get the ch-j3b? Or the ch-j31? I'm on the fence about getting one of those or a shadow project gore tex coat. How do you the the ch series holds up? Worth the price of admission?

[magik]

Whats Acronym like replying to emails? Ive sent them 2 since Friday and still not heard back from them.

amazing in my own experience, they helped me out tremendously while i was tracking down my s-j1a and e-j1a s/o to both michaela and errolson.

[readytoignite]

it's not ups it's the gov

Yeah it's my bad, I checked into it and duty rates are based on both garment type and fabric, with 100% synthetics dutied at 27%. I was confused bc my j21 cost 3x with comparable charges, but etaproof is cotton and hence duty is closer to 10%.

So basically I should just buy at haven

[drgitlin]

I've been wondering about that. 27% on GT is going hurt.

[misanthropod]

Dude. If we're not paying $6500 US landed for our Gore-Tex shells, we're doing it wrong.

[danii]

anyway haven has the best range from all online stores (brand wise). import taxes are bitch but if you order from acrnm you get 20% discount for all non-eu customers.

if mi order a acrnm piece from haven i will have to pay the very same 27% on top of it for product made in my country.

[TEKsevenZERO]

What is the chance of a new iteration of this classic:

Sorry about the last pic - that's what my head does when I try to find one for sale !

[badlydrawn]

Was so bummed out when I found out that Otomo exhibition was finished by the time I visited : (

More relevantly, got my DS-LA3 & DS-KA3, was lighter than expected, but probably not suitable for +25-30C.

[greencarman]

Does anyone own a SS - J25

How do you rate this for price?

[badlydrawn]

Regarding LA3 & KA3 fabric related to temperature, today was 26C, and throughout the day I was OK (a t-shirt underneath) but by the afternoon, it started to bother me. So definitely not a light summer shirt. Treat it more as a windbreaker for a cooler night 15-22Cish. Your temp tolerance may very of course...

[SuE]

Regarding LA3 & KA3 fabric related to temperature, today was 26C, and throughout the day I was OK (a t-shirt underneath) but by the afternoon, it started to bother me. So definitely not a light summer shirt. Treat it more as a windbreaker for a cooler night 15-22Cish. Your temp tolerance may very of course...

Were you in a position to unbutton the shirt when it got a bit warm?

[drgitlin]

Dude. If we're not paying $6500 US landed for our Gore-Tex shells, we're doing it wrong.

Hoping the info I got from Fedex was wrong, because if it wasn't then that's close to what they think I should be paying them for one jacket. And if they're right then fuck em, delivery will be refused.

[shadows]

Sooooo...you are going to refuse delivery by FedEx because the Government wants you to pay import taxes.....?

Fedex doesn't think you need to pay that, the customs officer thinks you need to pay that. Hell FedEx and UPS even take the burden upon them many times to 'pre-pay' import taxes for people so they can do the delivery and send a bill afterwards instead of paying at the door.

Edited April 18, 2013 by shadows

[cmdR]

Anybody get the ch-j3b? Or the ch-j31? I'm on the fence about getting one of those or a shadow project gore tex coat. How do you the the ch series holds up? Worth the price of admission?

The new, thinner CH fabric (Schoeller WB400) is incredibly comfortable, warm and cozy, amazing for such a thin fabric. I'd pick that over any GT fabric, unless you need that full waterproof protection. It is definitely more of a cool spring type material than summer though. The fabric insulates heat and Energear-tech supposedly reflects far infrared rays back to the body. Although I'm a little skeptical, it does feel like there is some form of heat (like that from a hot stone) radiating back to the skin. Should be absolutely brilliant and super cozy in colder weather. Too bad I live in the tropics! The jacket itself (J31) exceeded all expectations for me, it's a very interesting mix of a biker jacket and japanese-inspired (Kimono Gusset Block) period wear. The silhouette is simultaneously clean and complex (zipped up vs open); modern and traditional; East meets West; a rebel ninja martial arts bike jacket cut from the best softshell fabric yet. It's the kind of protective garment you won't find anywhere else. Instant classic.

Edited April 18, 2013 by cmdR

[Appleseed]

Sooooo...

Govt./Broker/Shipper/whothefuckever; if any entity thinks you should be paying 3-4x the retail value of the product to import, then something is significantly wrong.

[drgitlin]

Govt./Broker/Shipper/whothefuckever; if any entity thinks you should be paying 3-4x the retail value of the product to import, then something is significantly wrong.

Exactly. If import duty on synthetic textiles is 27%, you can bet I'll refuse delivery on a bill that wants >100% duty. I mean seriously, I could fly to Berlin and buy it in person for less.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Dr Jonboy

[shadows]

@ Dr. Jonboy, Totally understandable but your post carries somewhat of an accusing tone towards the transporter (FedEx/UPS/TNT) while they are not to blame.

@Appleseed, not any entity. Just one! the gov.

Shippers are only executing what the gov. has laid upon them. If they don't then it's simple: they can't import the package.

There is just one to blame and that is the gov. That they charge insane amounts is another discussion.

I read many posts on SuFu (and coincidently 9 out of 10 from usa residents) that blame the shipper (or even more sad, the store they bought the item) while they can't do a damn thing about it. I just can't understand why there is still this urban myth flowing around that shippers are randomly charging packages with import duties. The customs officer makes up the bill, FedEx pays it for you so they can import your package, they deliver your package and kindly ask you to pay them back the amount which they paid to customs/gov.

But having said that. This is the acronym topic so let's get back to ninja clothes!

Edited April 18, 2013 by shadows

[ordo]

@Appleseed, not any entity. Just one! the gov.

Shippers are only executing what the gov. has laid upon them. If they don't then it's simple: they can't import the package.

There is just one to blame and that is the gov. That they charge insane amounts is another discussion.

I read many posts on SuFu (and coincidently 9 out of 10 from usa residents) that blame the shipper (or even more sad, the store they bought the item) while they can't do a damn thing about it. I just can't understand why there is still this urban myth flowing around that shippers are randomly charging packages with import duties. The customs officer makes up the bill, FedEx pays it for you so they can import your package, they deliver your package and kindly ask you to pay them back the amount which they paid to customs/gov.

I have found this not to be entirely true. I have to be very careful which carrier I use to ship to Canada. When I use UPS or Fedex I have been hit with the regular duties and taxes but also huge brokerage fees. If I ship with domestic postal services such as USPS or Royal Mail I have never once been charged any additional fees of any kind.

[Appleseed]

^ Exactly. In many cases the Carrier (when acting as Broker) asses their own fee for carrying out Customs related services - which can turn exorbitant all too often. I'd love to be disproved otherwise, but this has been my anecdotal experience for years and years.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Appleseed

[greencarman]

Only way round this is to send with low value on customs label or mark as return goods

They can't charge for something that already belong to you

Not much help when buying from a store

Best option don't buy from overseas

Saves all the hassle

Edited April 18, 2013 by greencarman

[drgitlin]

Until I get a proper invoice from Fedex I'm going to continue assuming this was the woman on the phone being mistaken and giving me the actual garment price, not the bill.

[zeusneckone]

While we're on the topic about shipping, does anyone have any suggestions about shipping items to people that have to pay the import taxes? I'm a novice at international sales as a seller.

Greencarmen mentioned stating "low value or marked as return goods", but does this protect the seller if say the item gets lost? The seller can only claim what the declared value is correct? What does it really mean when you state "return goods"? If the seller lists the real value he or she can claim the full value if lost and the buyer doesn't get taxed as high?

Any info's appreciated.

[swooc]

if you want to protect yourself then always ship with the full value via a trackable and insured method. duties, taxes and fees are different for every country and it should be the buyer's responsibility.

for us australians, we get taxed on items valued over $1000AU via the postal system and over $500AU via couriers (eg fedex, dhl etc). when possible, i always ask sellers to ship via USPS or whatever postal system the country uses and value the goods with any amount below $1000AU. of course, i am always responsible for whatever happens to the package as it was i who chose a method to dodge fees. via the postal system, EMS is usually the prefered method because it's trackable, insured (to a certain degree i think) quick, and affordable. but i usually prefer USPS priority if its from the US because it's a little cheaper.

[badlydrawn]

Were you in a position to unbutton the shirt when it got a bit warm?

Not during office hours : )

Edited April 19, 2013 by badlydrawn

[dutchblack]

Anyone out there looking to sell a WS-J25 in a M let me know! I will pay top dollar for one in good condition.

[shoreman]

…two minutes after my mini-rant, I got my shipping confirmation. So weird. (But GREATLY appreciated.)

Edited April 19, 2013 by TresUnCool

[readytoignite]

While we're on the topic about shipping, does anyone have any suggestions about shipping items to people that have to pay the import taxes? I'm a novice at international sales as a seller.

Greencarmen mentioned stating "low value or marked as return goods", but does this protect the seller if say the item gets lost? The seller can only claim what the declared value is correct? What does it really mean when you state "return goods"? If the seller lists the real value he or she can claim the full value if lost and the buyer doesn't get taxed as high?

Any info's appreciated.

If you're not a business or a high volume seller then buying insurance on everything you ship isn't really worth it unless you routinely sell high value goods. Declaring everything at full value as a private seller isnt common so you should disclose in advance and expect to take a hit on intl interest

Btw here's the link to the US customs doc prescribing duty rates for apparel import. Note that the placket orientation dictates whether outerwear is considered men's v women's so I may have answered the question I posed in the SE thread

http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1300c62.pdf

[zeusneckone]

Thanks for the info gents. Definitely helpful.

[HiFredo]

I just made my first purchase from the acrnm website to the US and wasn't aware that there were import taxes until reading page 66. How do I calculate how much I should expect to pay in these taxes? I purchased the j29a