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Sending lasers across borders

Grix

Grix

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Just how hard is it to send lasers to other countries and not have them busted by customs? If you mark the package as a flashlight and it kinda looks like a flashlight on the x-rays (c6 host), and it's not sent from china/hong kong but Europe, is there really a chance that customs will open it up and check? If I don't include batteries (Cr123s), will they even be able to test it and determine the power?

And the most important question: If customs DO bust the package, do they destroy/confiscate it, or do they return it to the sender?

I'm primarily talking about USA here, as they seem to have one of the strictest customs. Australia too.
 





Benm

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Chances of getting caught would probably not be very high if you ship it from an address that's not know to be a vender of lasers, imitation goods and such.

I recently saw a documentry on costums confiscations here in the netherlands: on average only a few dozen packages are seized on a typical day, in the airport that serves the vast majority of airmail to all 16 million inhabitants.
 
AnthoT

AnthoT

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Ship the laser and tail cap in two different packages and mark it as DIY Parts, that way it'll get anywhere :D
 
InfinitusEquitas

InfinitusEquitas

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The screening process for packages coming into the US is based entirely on chance.

Most packages are not screened at all.

Some are screened via x-ray machines.

Of these, very few are actually opened, and inspected by hand.

If you're worried, do as Antho suggests and ship in several 1-2 packages.

If the package is determined to be illegal, the illegal portion of the contents will be destroyed.

It's kind of sad really... for all the "security" measures put in place by Big Brother, you still have a fair shot shipping in whatever you want, whenever you want. Just don't ship the package from the middle east:shhh:
 
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mend0k

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Not meaning to revive an old thread but, is it true that packages coming from the west coast say San Francisco, are more likely to be confiscated than say coming from the east coast?

And will shipments from Europe arrive at the east coast?
 
InfinitusEquitas

InfinitusEquitas

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In general, a shipment from Europe, to US, will go through east coast, but not always.

Packages are routed automatically based on the internal shipping rules of the shipping company.

Few shipments are confiscated, and whether they are, or not, is entirely random, but it has happened.
 
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hakzaw1

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FYI*
from my experience..
Never include any batts that will make 'testing' easier.
Never scrimp on the shipping- EXPRESS means more than FAST.
It also means less time to inspect- so saving afew $$ and NOT getting delivery is one of those penny wise/pound foolish things.

AND if insured for a large amount while declaring a low value may cause a red flag IMO. Sending the tailcaps/batts in a second box can be also a good bit of advice.

Odds are also in your favor if shipping happens at a time when volume of packages is high- better odds- yours may not fall into the 'random' inspections.


I enter 'LED light' for description of item- accurate without the dreaded word-"laser"

GL

hope I have helped


Hak
 
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mend0k

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hakzaw1 said:
Never include any batts that will make 'testing' easier.
Never scrimp on the shipping- EXPRESS means more than FAST.
It also means less time to inspect- so saving afew $$ and NOT getting delivery is one of those penny wise/pound foolish things.
Click to expand...


Oh ok well I don't really understand what you meant about the shipping, are you saying that it's better for Express shipping, because it means they have to rush the items out?

And gladly I didn't purchase any batts with the laser.

But yeah thanks guys for the info :thanks:, makes me feel just a tad bit better, hopefully I can stop worrying about it now xD.
 
hakzaw1

hakzaw1

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exactly^^
when the item needs to be delivered fast they have less time to open and get nosey.
from China my boxes always arrive with yellow tape on the inside box that sez-- 'dhl inspected' so that is apparently good enough for any along the way who may want to do another inspection..my shipper takes the box to DHL not sealed- so they inspect then the box is sealed and the yellow tape is added before the inner box gets re-boxed.

oddly enough we return ship(to China) with USPS & EMS- apparently the going and coming is different-it could be based upon how the boxes are (rough) handled or NOT...GL
 
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mend0k

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Well my laser's last update was at USJFKA at 7/20... hopefully it's been on its way here to cali by ground instead of air, and that it just takes a while to update instead of being inspected by customs :cryyy:
 
InfinitusEquitas

InfinitusEquitas

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20th was a friday. Decent chance you may not see an update until tomorrow, or even longer. Longest I had a laser sit in customs was 8 days.
 
hakzaw1

hakzaw1

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and a Loooong 8 days..

I had 30 green pointers get held up 3 months- finally sent 17. and kept he rest for being over 5mW(customs in SF cal.) ouch.!!
 
InfinitusEquitas

InfinitusEquitas

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3 months?!?!?! I would have given up hope by then.

I was decidedly anxious after day 4... was checking status probably once an hour:p
 
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mend0k

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25/07/2012 03:06 Item information registered abroad INTERNATIONAL POST
20/07/2012 18:02 Arrival office of exchange USJFKA
19/07/2012 23:39 Departure office of exchange BEBRUA
19/07/2012 14:19 Item accepted in network KERMT

Do you guys know what that last one means? INTERNATIONAL POST?

Kinda confusing...
 
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