HELP! Sold knife now held by Australian customs

Chounch McGavin

Chounch McGavin

Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
110
I sold my like-new Strider SMF Tanto last month to an awesome buyer on here whom resides in Australia. He was kind enough to accept full liability as soon as I shipped the folding knife via USPS Priority Mail International Parcel. He was even more generous to decline a refund! Here's the frustrating part: he informed me that the knife is now being held by customs.

I followed his shipping instructions to the letter: proclaiming that I was sending "1x HAND TOOL" and "1x ACCCESSORY POUCH" with the declared worth.

What happens now? What can I do to ensure one of us retrieves the knife back? :mad:
 
Lets get some Australians in on this for advice. We have had thread after thread on sending folders to Australia. They x-ray every package coming and going, they don't care what cover description you give it on the Customs form. They confiscate folders.

I edited the title. There is no international Customs.
 
australian customs are class a ***** - fill with worst word you can think of.

They should write to the intended recipient informing him that the item has been seized.

If they are feeling nice they may return it to you, providing you provided a return address. You should contact your shipping provider and plead ignorance. But they also may destroy it if they feel you were trying to pull one over on them.
 
Sorry, also you should also tell you buyer to attempt to contact them and ask for it to be returned. Again plead ignorance and apologise profusely etc. :barf:

The longer you leave it the more likely it is to be destroyed.
 
I'm not familiar with the specific model but my guess it is a one handed opener - thumb stud or flipper etc. These knives can be owned in most of Australia but can no longer be imported. This has been covered here in previous posts.

Not defending it - just stating it. Most fixed blades and many folders are not a problem to import.

The best the buyer can do is to try and have it sent back. Sometimes this is doable.
 
A couple years ago there was an Aussie Customs interpretation of import legislation that any folding knife which could be opened with one hand was an assisted opener and banned. I think only Customs can approve the exemption and I doubt that will happen.

I do know that Australian knife dealers sometimes get incoming stock confiscated and it does eventually end up back with the overseas supplier. Unfortunately I dont know how.

If he wants your buyer could call them, be nice to them (they dont get to choose what law to enforce - no matter how much it sucks - and theyre just doing their job) and see about getting it returned to the sender. Just a thought.
 
Any knives that can be opened with one hand are restricted imports into australia. You can get written permission to import them, well you can in theory, chances are you won't get it.

Your only option is to ask them nicely to return the knife to you and hope they don't charge you too much for the privilege, but this may be only something the buyer can do, and they may be charged to get it returned to you.

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4369.asp#e1066 - knives and daggers - restricted imports

more info here
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4372.asp
 
The buyer can contact customs and request for the knife to be sent back to you at his cost.
He's not that bright if he didn't know he can't import that kind of folder. Or he's a douche who tried his luck 'smuggling' the knife in knowing the risk.
The law that is basically making all frame and linerlocks, flippers and assisted openers a prohibited import is in effect from 14th December 2011.
Lockbacks usually will pass the customs test due to tension from the lockbar. Slipjoints are fine to get in.
 
No mate you'll lose your dough. You used to be able to return the seize item (s). But not any more. All you will get to keep is a seizure letter from Customs!
 
stefo123 said:
I'll say again for all you Aussie buyers - Next time send it opened, well wrapped and mark as "fixed blade" knife. The X-Ray only sees what an X-Ray sees!
Click to expand...
..... this may work some of the time, but the scanning is better than just a black and white image of a knife. A false declaration such as what you are suggesting immedately takes the importation from a uninformed act to a calculated act, historically when folks have tried this it has resulted in Aus Customs executing a search warrant (as you may have already been successful in breaching Commonwealth law) and pursuing a prosecution (Attempt to Import) as opposed to the letter of seizure and explaination of the law most often given at the moment. I would humbly suggest it is a breach of US law as the Customs Declaration is a binding statement the sender makes. Don't also believe that they don't from time to time open "fixed blade knives" for an inspection. In the past two months I have had two deliveries of Busse fixed blades opened by Customs, one in the US at the time of export and a separate package here in Australia. Neither could be remotely mistaken for any of the lades that are a no no here but that means little.
 
True mate true! I wouldn't suggest to hoodwink Customs!

But back to the point - what is old mate's chance of getting the seized Strider returned to sender?
 
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