Laser Shipping and Customs

[SacredTanakh]

Re: Laser is in Customs

I'm sure it will be fine... Stuff coming from the US to Canada takes at minimum 7-10 days no matter from or to where by the Postal Service (and customs) It may be a little better to the US but usually when stuff is stuck at customs it says "At Customs" not at sort facility. I am sure Alaska probably has a much smaller volume of mail than most places they may send packages to a central location to process and hold until they have enough to justify the costs of planing it over... I wouldn't worry about it.

hmmm, actually quite a lot of mail and cargo comes through anchorage and the surrounding area. We have a fairly large sea and airport. Anchorage is sort of a midway stop for cargo/mail going up north and farther west towards Russia. So in a sense I don't think you give this area enough credit.
Really though the above doesn't apply too much to this situation, so you could be right.
Also pretty sure ISC New York has a customs unit, and it would be its first stop in the US. Which means it has to stop there to get checked.

Apparently the laser I sent out cleared German Customs:wave:

Label/Receipt Number: *************************
Class: Express Mail International®
Status: Customs clearance processing complete

Your item cleared customs in GERMANY at 7:49 pm on October 18, 2011

Detailed Results:

Customs clearance processing complete, October 18, 2011, 7:49 pm, GERMANY

Customs Clearance, October 18, 2011, 7:49 pm, GERMANY

Customs Clearance, October 16, 2011, 1:37 pm, GERMANY

Processed Through Sort Facility, October 16, 2011, 1:36 pm, GERMANY

Processed Through Sort Facility, October 14, 2011, 4:47 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)

Arrived at Sort Facility, October 14, 2011, 4:46 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)

Processed through USPS Sort Facility, October 13, 2011, 8:41 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07032

Nice..

 

[SacredTanakh]

Re: Laser is in Customs

Laser came today. kinda confused though, as it doesn't look like the fire dragons from the GB.. -sighh- at least it got here.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Re: Laser is in Customs

Laser came today. kinda confused though, as it doesn't look like the fire dragons from the GB.. -sighh- at least it got here.

:thinking: Weird. Do you have the original sales thread.

IIRC rhd was exploring another laser for a gb too, and that one wasn't like the firedragons but actually had a much tighter beam... is that the one you picked up maybe?

 

[Flaminpyro]

Re: Laser is in Customs

I have been receiving packages from over seas for 3+ years and I got one yesterday and
this is the first time I have ever gotten a package with tape like this on it



The package came from DX and did NOT contain any lasers or porno materials :crackup:

 

[mark-in-dallas]

Re: Laser is in Customs

They wanted to let you know that they are watching you Jeff.

 

[SacredTanakh]

Re: Laser is in Customs

:thinking: Weird. Do you have the original sales thread.

IIRC rhd was exploring another laser for a gb too, and that one wasn't like the firedragons but actually had a much tighter beam... is that the one you picked up maybe?

No I don't, because it was all over PM.
Its a firedragon, its just not the version I thought I was buying.
Its version II, the GB was for version III I guess.
version III looks way better, and has a clicky on/off. This version is momentary which is disappointing.
Anyways It doesn't make a huge difference I suppose. I'm still happy to have it. :beer:
the batteries and key haven't showed up yet, which is kind of annoying wonder when USPS is gonna decide to drop that off.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Re: Laser is in Customs

No I don't, because it was all over PM.
Its a firedragon, its just not the version I thought I was buying.
Its version II, the GB was for version III I guess.
version III looks way better, and has a clicky on/off. This version is momentary which is disappointing.
Anyways It doesn't make a huge difference I suppose. I'm still happy to have it. :beer:
the batteries and key haven't showed up yet, which is kind of annoying wonder when USPS is gonna decide to drop that off.

Well, as long as you're happy

I know rhd was seelling a different laser at one point... so fi that's the one you got, i think you actually scored a super deal.....

 

[Dylan445]

Re: Laser is in Customs

When a parcel gets sent and it says that, then thats exactly what it means, that its at a sorting facility. Customs dont check parcel comming out of their country, its the customs in your country that will check or hold your parcel. With UPS most time it says cleared customs etc etc, but only because they did the paper work before the actual parcel arrives into their facility in the destinated country. Thats why somtimes you track and it looks like its hoping back and forth from 1 country to another. Then finally you track again and it says held at customs for further inspection. Thats when you know its been held. Ive had alot of laser shipped and if done right, never had a problem. Only 1 time when i ordered my first laser from ebay that it got taken by customs.

The best way to send it is either have the wire snipped either pos or neg, and leave a note inside the parcel saying defective item. Because if its illegal to import laser higher then say 1mw, then this laser doesnt fall in that description because its 0mW and doesnt work.
If your going to have battery and saftey glasses and charger in the same parcel then highly likely will they check. Also mark it as somthing thats similar like Star wars replica prop, not mark it as a pen light when its massive rpl laser. It hasnt failed me so far! And Australia customs are tuff.

If all else fails go apply and pay for astronomer permit which allows you to import a laser. Cant remember the exact name they call it.


Just Abit of info if your trying to import a laser. Good to hear you got it in one piece.


Tommy

 

[SacredTanakh]

well my firedragon is already having issues. None of my 18650s are working, Ive tried like 8 of them. I think it might be the batteries because they are old samsung ICR18650-22b. Put them on the charger for about 6 hours. last night I tried one and it worked but was only about as bright as my 1.2w 445. I put a few in today and the LED turns on, but when I press the button the LED goes out. I'm thinking maybe the driver got damaged in shipping. It did work a about 20 sec at one point today. I did try to put one of them in my 550mw 808 and nothing happened, so that's why I think its maybe the batteries.

going to try to charge the batteries up for a bit, and try again. :/
If that fails, once the batteries that rhd is sending me get here I will know for sure if its the laser or just crappy batteries.

 

[Arayan]

The Laser made it

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story so far:
So first off I bought a 300mw firedragon laser from rhd 15 days ago for 210$ shipped.

Before anything else I'm not putting down rhd in any way,
he seems like a great guy and has been very helpful..
I think its an interesting experience for both of us so far.

I live in Alaska and rhd lives in Canada,
so I thought it just had a short trip across the border.
Obviously I was wrong.

Anyways He said he packaged it with a couple cheap flashlights and declared it as electronics. He also sent a separate package with the batteries and keys. seemed like a good way to avoid a customs taking it right? He then told me 1-2 weeks for shipping.
after about 10 days after he shipped, he told me he got the packages back from the post office. apparently when you ship internationally it has to have a name on it. So he put the name from my paypal and sent it off again except this time using Expedited Parcel. (5 business day shipping)

Since its Expedited Parcel, It can now be tracked which made me feel a bit better.
After two days of it being shipped I checked and saw that it arrived in customs.
as you can see:
--------------------------------------------
Label/Receipt Number: C*43 0*81 87*C *
Class: Priority Mail International Parcels
Service(s): International Parcels
Status: Processed Through Sort Facility

Your item has been processed through our sort facility in ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) at 7:03 pm on October 15, 2011.
--------------------------------------------
Uhh I don't know too much about customs, but that is not what I expected.
New york is no where near the direction of alaska I thought there might be a customs office on the border of alaska and canada,
I guess not.

I have been eagerly awaiting my beloved firedragon for 15 days so far.
I have been very worried about customs taking it, and now that's its at customs I feel worse about it then ever.

So that's my laser customs experience so far.
Ill update you guys as this progresses, If anybody cares to know.

Any thoughts, good luck, and encouragement is greatly appreciated.

Oh and thanks again rhd, you've been such a great help through the process even if the laser is taken by customs. I hope to buy again from you soon.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Laser made it

Identical situation, with Italy as final destination ... time 4 weeks and still nothing... I hope it will be resolved in the same way