Why Purchasing an Engagement Ring Locally is the Better Idea

“I should’ve bought my engagement ring here instead of shipping it from abroad.” This is one of the statements that one of our customers told us upon receiving his wedding ring and bridal earrings for his wife.

This statement was very memorable because it shed light to one of the problems that every person face when shipping from another country. Sure, with the advent of ecommerce, shipping “not so valuable” things to the Philippines should not make anyone sweat. But imagine something as valuable as an engagement ring, would you really take the risk? Would you not opt for the safer path?

In this blog we share the major things to consider when shipping engagement rings and fine jewelry from another country:

1. Customs Duties and Taxes

One of the things that love struck customers forget to account for when purchasing engagement rings abroad is the customs duties and taxes for fine jewelry - which is billed to the recipient here in the Philippines. Usually, the prices published in websites do not include any of the duties and taxes that one can expect upon delivery of their ring.

The sad thing is, most of the time, customers end up shocked with the value of the duties and taxes imposed on their engagement rings (take into account duties and tariffs, value added taxes and excise taxes for jewelry). All these combined could amount to a fortune already! Given the situation, they do not have a choice but to pay the hefty amount (amounting to almost 40% of the purchased price) or else they won’t have a ring on their proposal!

2. Shipping Risk 

There is always a risk when shipping products from another country. We have heard hundreds of horror stories telling us that the product did not arrive, the product was lost, the product arrived but was broken, the product was different than what was ordered, on and on and on. Worse is the fact that since the seller is from another country, troubleshooting is most of the time worrisome to the point that it may not be resolved at all.

This risk maybe minimized by using trustworthy shippers, but to what extent? Are you really willing to take that risk (even if it is tiny) of not having an engagement ring a.k.a. symbol of your love on your scheduled proposal day?

3. Support, Cleaning and Resizing

Local support is another area where customers fail to account for when purchasing an engagement ring abroad. What if the ring needs resizing? What if the prongs need to be tightened up? What if ring cleaning is already necessary? You can’t just fly to the country where you bought your ring. Local support is very important and only local jewelers with whom you have a great relationship with can really help you.

This is why after thinking about it, a lot of men choose to purchase their engagement rings locally. This way they can save a lot of money and not worry about the safety of their purchase. :)