Having just ordered a Blade Runner Blaster (and not being the only one on the board to do so), I'm bracing myself for the outrageous charges dreamed up by those hilarious fellows at UK Customs.
I wonder if anyone else would be interested in trading tales of horror and expense brough about by these people and our hobby. Come on, roll up your trouser leg and vent some spleen. Just don't let the wives & girlfriends in on what we're chatting about.

Guy rule: What's said on the forum stays on the forum.

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Quote by Mark Twain goes here.

£140 charges on my complete Starship Troopers costume, shipped all the way from California. That killed me for a month. x___x

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I spent around $400 for a pair of resins originally from Japan.

http://www.poseidon.co.jp/3F/E&I/ei1.html

Beautiful, beautiful resins

Whilst getting parts for my ESB Boba Fett and my USCM costumes my "friends" at customs have billed me hundreds of pounds

The thing that really annoys though is when they pluck a ridiculous sum out of the air for charges - I've had some absolute stinkers but here's some smaller ones that I just got stung with:

Airsoft accessories (magazines, goggles, mask etc) - value: $70 - customs charge: £38
Spat armour and helmet arrived today - value: $600 - customs charge: £46

WTF!?!?

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Paul "Dust" Massey
A05/TQ1.0.22148E1


Phoenix Rising | My Blog | Facebook | MySpace

XBox Live: "the DustRoom" | Wii: 7062 7508 0398 7441

Yep, random charges. Not prop or Aliens related, but an extra 8 pounds was added to the cost of two US DVDs earlier this year. I tried to work it out as a percentage or something, but it didn't make any mathematical sense. The Post Office are no wiser about how the charge is calculated, they told me that it's what Customs charged them and the PO just pass it on.

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Quote by Mark Twain goes here.

Holy good crap... not to threadjack, but what are those from and how did you get them?

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CPL Conley, D. A06/TQ2.0.72147E1



"To err is human; to forgive, divine... Neither of which is Marine Corps policy."
"In Onoraigh Ar Marbh" ~ We Honor Our Fallen

Those are from the game "Devil May Cry".
Dante, the protagonist, wields these initially.

[/threadjack]

Ripper

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Yeah, It's all pretty random. got a box from UPS last night from rsov no fee's at all. Spat armour fee's was £40-odd quid.

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STEVENSON F.
A11/TQ0.0.82148E1

"You are not your Drop Count."

I've had my run in with customs. Couple of years back I tried to have an airsoft Thompson springer sent through the mail from the US- and customs seized it. (I had managed to have a few airsofts sent through the mail labeled as "sporting goods" or "plastic toys" without any problems before this).

After a couple of weeks of the Thompson not arriving, I figured it had been pinched. Eventually I got a letter stating I had attempted to "import components for a replica firearm". Needless to say it freaked me out as I thought I was in a lot of trouble.

Few days later I received a second letter from the Prohibited Importations Unit. Basically saying the Thompson was a no-no and giving me 3 options:

1- Appeal the seizure (really no hope in that).

2- Abandon the gun and allow it to be destroyed.

3- Export the prohibited item back to its place of origin.

It further explained that exportation can only be allowed using a Canada Customs Bonded Carrier (money). But in order to do that, I would first need to apply for an export permit allowing me to export the prohibited item out of Canada (more money). Export permits are only given to people with business licenses- so I would need to obtain a business license to apply for an export permit (even more money).

Really no choice there. The cost of all the licenses outweighed the initial cost of the Thompson. I had to call this an expensive lesson learned.

The letter stated that the item would be destroyed after 90 days if no reply was given- that was over two years ago so I guess I didn't get into any real legal trouble (thank God)!

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

As stated above they're from Devil May Cry.


The company that makes them will not ship outside of Japan I lucked out and found a the kit on ebay but the dude had already paid up the wazzoo to get them from the land of the rising sun (don't ask me how) and was looking to make his money, plus some, back. The winning bid plus shipping from I don't even remeber where added up quick. Things we do to get things we love eh boys [/url]

I actually haven't dropped that much money on something. Not at one time.

A few years back and sold a bunch of my stuff on eBay to turn around and buy my TM AK47 aeg. But then only used it a few times. Finally sold it this year. The money is sitting in my armor fund right now.

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£34.14 to get my blaster delivered.
That's £20.64 VAT and £13.50 Parcelforce Clearance Fee.

I swear they just make it up as they go...

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Quote by Mark Twain goes here.

When I send stuff overseas I try to declare the value as $40 or less. When selling through feePay I always get requested to - just did this morning actually.

But I've never sold any really high dollar items luckily enough.
But man, some of those fees are ridiculous.

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