Will I get a criminal complaint?

[honeyx]

Just wanted to update you about lasers and german customs.

This week i had to go several times to the customs office due to several parcels I recived. In between also a laser from a member here.

It is true the customs can open them now. For most of them I was aked to open it, but in case of the laser they opened it in front of me.

The laser was labeled as a broken flashlight and being a gift. It was partially disassembled by the lens being removed.

I have been told that everything that is labeled as a gift is suspected to them, so this was obvious the will check the parcel with the laser. The customs are very anal if it comes to gifts. They want you to show them a bill about $0 or at least something from the sender where he declares it as a gift.

Well to make a long story short. I got the laser.

They simply could not prove I imported it, because they would have to prove I paid for it and brought it by ordering it into the country. They also could not prove it´s a laser nor I "would" use it in public places. But even if they could prove it´s a laser they couldn´t do anything because I didn´t import it and didn´t use it in public places (like for example the customs office).

To make it clear. A gift excludes the defenition of being imported, but something being declared as a gift will be automatically suspected to them.

The customs were really pissed and let me this also know, but finally had to let me go with the laser. They knew their insinuations are not enough to confiscate it.


Also, just in case the would want you to try a broken flashlight out. Would you try out a broken flashlight where a shortcut might make the batteries explode? Me for sure not.

Well they didn´t ask for trying it out, but if they would ask I would tell them that I will not risk to loose my hands. Fist I would have to check what´s wrong with it before risking a explosion.

 

[Machro]

My friend's experience with german laser laws :

Approx one year ago a friend of me shined his laser in a neighbours window.
This guy called the cops and he said that the beam had hit him directly in his eye, though the beam diameter was around 10cm at his house !
Such a liar !
At the police station my friend asked if it is legal have a powerful laser like this one, and the officer said that owning the laser is completly legal but pointing it at a person would be a crime.
Typical Germany:
good economy
fu***** laws

 

[honeyx]

Personally I find the german laws quite fair. See. You are allowed to own a powerful laser, just using in public places and importing them is not allowed. It´s to you what you are doing with them. Not being used in public places is quite logic as you might hit someone accidentally even without knowing it like for example in the darkness. By not allowing them to be imported they want to stop all the morons who are pointing on planes and people in getting them. So if someone is clever enough to trick out the german customs, he will be clever enough not to use them in public places, not point on planes or other people and treat a laser with care.

So my experiences I talked about are also not for all the morons out there but for people who are grown up and behaving like that.

Btw. Shining a laser into someones window you can expect such a reaction. So this was not a clever move your friend did. He also used it in a public place by shining it over the street into someones else window and even directed it into a place where people can be expected to be in. He risked it and had to pay for this.

 

[ShortyInCanada]

Good for you !
It seems that having an idea about what you are doing and knowing their limitations has worked for you.
Glad it worked out.
:gj:

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Just wanted to update you about lasers and german customs.

This week i had to go several times to the customs office due to several parcels I recived. In between also a laser from a member here.

It is true the customs can open them now. For most of them I was aked to open it, but in case of the laser they opened it in front of me.

The laser was labeled as a broken flashlight and being a gift. It was partially disassembled by the lens being removed.

I have been told that everything that is labeled as a gift is suspected to them, so this was obvious the will check the parcel with the laser. The customs are very anal if it comes to gifts. They want you to show them a bill about $0 or at least something from the sender where he declares it as a gift.

Well to make a long story short. I got the laser.

They simply could not prove I imported it, because they would have to prove I paid for it and brought it by ordering it into the country. They also could not prove it´s a laser nor I "would" use it in public places. But even if they could prove it´s a laser they couldn´t do anything because I didn´t import it and didn´t use it in public places (like for example the customs office).

To make it clear. A gift excludes the defenition of being imported, but something being declared as a gift will be automatically suspected to them.

The customs were really pissed and let me this also know, but finally had to let me go with the laser. They knew their insinuations are not enough to confiscate it.


Also, just in case the would want you to try a broken flashlight out. Would you try out a broken flashlight where a shortcut might make the batteries explode? Me for sure not.

Well they didn´t ask for trying it out, but if they would ask I would tell them that I will not risk to loose my hands. Fist I would have to check what´s wrong with it before risking a explosion.

Guys being the guy that sent the laser in this case......

There are a couple of precautions I would advice in the future;

1. NEVER ship with batteries.... makes testing a lot harder

2. Ship in more than one package.

3. Ship the laser disassembled.

4. NEVER, EVER mentiion the word LASER.

 

[Dawinzi]

I think you need to ask this on laserfreak.de where you will get a educated answer. You do need a lawyer.

There does not always have to be a law, most nations have a catch-all charge, and all it takes is a minister or secretary to declare a material as harmful.

Steve

Yesterday i signed in at laserfreak.de to be a member. As a warm welcome i got a message that everything over 1 mW is tabu at this Forum. They call all owner of a Laserpointer with more Power Dickless dumbasses and even worst. The Day after i signed off that Forum. My shortest membership ever.