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I sincerely doubt that. IF something would ever go wrong, I will fix this with the seller himself, not bitch about it on a forum.
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
International shipping woes!
- Thread starter tundratrader
- Start date
I sincerely doubt that. IF something would ever go wrong, I will fix this with the seller himself, not bitch about it on a forum.
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
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No doubt when one of your purchases goes wrong you will be here complaining about it.
Exactly. Accidents happen. The item in lost in transit. The buyer wants another knife or his money back. How does the seller recoup his loss? By turning to the insurance he bought ... but he bought too little insurance because he undervalued the knife so you could save money.
Will you accept money back in the amount of the undervalued declaration? Someone who cheats in one aspect of his life may feel equally entitled to cheat in others. I feel we avoid problems by dealing only with demonstrably reliable people.
So true, as a student I've seen so many kids try to find ways to cheat the system and in all levels of education I've seen that people who cheat, doesn't matter the method or their intention, it all ends up backfiring in a negative manner. You can get away with a for a long time but one day there will be something that will just snowball and escalate and you'll just end up looking like a fool.
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I completely agree with this. If I would be living in a country where items tend to get hold up in customs quite often (such as in Italy), I definately would not mind to pay the full import duties with insurance to ensure a safe arrival of the knife at my door. Right now, I'm not aware of any of such problems at customs in my country, so I don't see the need for ensured shipping. If something does go wrong, it's my responsability. I always state that in e-mails with sellers as well. I do put myself in a weak position when I do this, sellers might abuse this situation and claim lost in transit when they did not even ship the item but I believe in the truthfulness of my fellow human beings. I might be naïve in this aspect though.
Anyway, if I'd buy a sebbie (for which I definately don't have the money atm
), I wouldn't mind paying extra to get that expensive knife safe at my door. Just to be that little bit extra sure. For cheaper knives (-100usd) -which I always tend to buy-, I don't have the need for the extra security-feeling. Now I'm out, take care guys. I'm gonna play with my new Enlan el-02 that just arrived. Oh, it costed me 15 usd shipped, so there was no need for undervalueing ;-). Totally legal!
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
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As a Postal Service manager, I worked with Inspectors on several cases of theft from the mails. in every case, they pointed out the same thing: if the thief stole, and then went straight, we would never have caught him. But thieve can't stop. Each successful theft encourages the next, and the Inspectors are right there collecting evidence.
Character is destiny.
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- Jan 29, 2010
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- 9,851
Zach,
I am sorry to hear of your troubles and I hope they get resolved. International shipping can be a curse that is clear but for those of us outside the US it is a fact of life that has to be navigated. Some of it can really come down to economy (as risk v reward) by way of example $40US shipping on a $110US knife does not make great economical sense. I always negotiate the shipping arrangements individually with the person I am buying from so each party knows what the expectations are. This of course relies upon the good character of each party and therein lays the issue in most cases. I can only be 100% honest and rely upon the same from the other party. Just recently I was shocked when a $400 blade was dropped in the post to me from the US solely based upon our agreement as to price and shipping arrangements, I had not even 100% established how payment was to be made as the seller did not have paypal, we were not known to each other prior to this either. Needless to say that not only did I receive a great blade safe and sound the seller had payment arriving about the same time as I had the blade. If only everyone were so honest I guess.
A couple of point on shipping knives to Australia...
1) There are basically NO restrictions on fixed blade knives. Daggers/knives with TWO sharpened edges are a little grey (enough so that I just would not have one shipped) and any knife with a "knuckle duster" type grip is a no no. In the past six months I have had in excess of 30 fixed blade knives shipped here and NONE have been so much as opened by Customs far less held up. EVERY package entering Australia is X-Rayed/scanned so it is not like they don't know the contents.
2) Some of mine have been marked "camping tool" not at my request but as a matter of practise by those shipping, if asked (or when I remember) I always state that the package should be labelled "fixed blade knife" as this is 100% accurate and is not actually news to Customs.
3) Folding knives are creating many problems out here right now, so much so that I DO NOT have any shipped to me here direct. If I am to purchase a folder from outside of Australia (I try NOT to) I have it shipped to a friend in the US and arrange the international shipping via him as if I strike the dreaded "flick knife" ruling from Customs I have an option for it to be returned to the person who shipped it (ergo my friend so as not to put the original seller in a position). I am now in possession of a video of exactly how Customs test a knife prior to classifying it (this came direct to me from Aus Customs so it is 100%) so I also ask my friend to check a knife against this prior to shipping.
4) In relation to declared value, I ALWAYS say that this should be the full/real cost of the knife. Here in Australia I am not liable for any additional taxes/charges/costs of ANY description until such time that the value of the goods (including shipping) exceeds $1000Aus. No point in NOT being 100% truthful about this either.
Sorry for the ramble but that is just my 2 cents worth on the subject.
Andy
I am sorry to hear of your troubles and I hope they get resolved. International shipping can be a curse that is clear but for those of us outside the US it is a fact of life that has to be navigated. Some of it can really come down to economy (as risk v reward) by way of example $40US shipping on a $110US knife does not make great economical sense. I always negotiate the shipping arrangements individually with the person I am buying from so each party knows what the expectations are. This of course relies upon the good character of each party and therein lays the issue in most cases. I can only be 100% honest and rely upon the same from the other party. Just recently I was shocked when a $400 blade was dropped in the post to me from the US solely based upon our agreement as to price and shipping arrangements, I had not even 100% established how payment was to be made as the seller did not have paypal, we were not known to each other prior to this either. Needless to say that not only did I receive a great blade safe and sound the seller had payment arriving about the same time as I had the blade. If only everyone were so honest I guess.
A couple of point on shipping knives to Australia...
1) There are basically NO restrictions on fixed blade knives. Daggers/knives with TWO sharpened edges are a little grey (enough so that I just would not have one shipped) and any knife with a "knuckle duster" type grip is a no no. In the past six months I have had in excess of 30 fixed blade knives shipped here and NONE have been so much as opened by Customs far less held up. EVERY package entering Australia is X-Rayed/scanned so it is not like they don't know the contents.
2) Some of mine have been marked "camping tool" not at my request but as a matter of practise by those shipping, if asked (or when I remember) I always state that the package should be labelled "fixed blade knife" as this is 100% accurate and is not actually news to Customs.
3) Folding knives are creating many problems out here right now, so much so that I DO NOT have any shipped to me here direct. If I am to purchase a folder from outside of Australia (I try NOT to) I have it shipped to a friend in the US and arrange the international shipping via him as if I strike the dreaded "flick knife" ruling from Customs I have an option for it to be returned to the person who shipped it (ergo my friend so as not to put the original seller in a position). I am now in possession of a video of exactly how Customs test a knife prior to classifying it (this came direct to me from Aus Customs so it is 100%) so I also ask my friend to check a knife against this prior to shipping.
4) In relation to declared value, I ALWAYS say that this should be the full/real cost of the knife. Here in Australia I am not liable for any additional taxes/charges/costs of ANY description until such time that the value of the goods (including shipping) exceeds $1000Aus. No point in NOT being 100% truthful about this either.
Sorry for the ramble but that is just my 2 cents worth on the subject.
Andy
I am one of the buyers who live in Thailand. I feel uneasy every time I ordered something from abroad. I do not mind to pay for tax and shipping fees. But what I afraid most is the item will be lost somewhere between airport and my address after arriving. This occurred to me once. Just last week I had to ask my maid who appears to have a friend in the post office to find and retrieve two knives which I ordered and found it arrived Thailand almost a week before that. Unless I know a person who can go into the post office and find my package, I do not know how long I will wait. (Or I will get my package at all).
Another point is that custom here does not charge the same rate every time for the same kind of product. I used to ordered military watches cost around 140USD each. One got no charges but other got 10% custom charge (apart from VAT). I think that's why some buyer prefer the seller to specify as lowest value as possible on the package.
To prevent thief and unreasonable charge.
Another point is that custom here does not charge the same rate every time for the same kind of product. I used to ordered military watches cost around 140USD each. One got no charges but other got 10% custom charge (apart from VAT). I think that's why some buyer prefer the seller to specify as lowest value as possible on the package.
To prevent thief and unreasonable charge.
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2011
- Messages
- 31
Hi guys, thought I'd chime in as I'm an international buyer. I've bought quite a lot from the USA and up until a few months ago I was at the mercy most often of USPS International (they're slow - but everything has turned up). I decided to try something new after clicking on a link at a very reputable online knife shop. The link sent me to a freight-forwarding company in the USA that will provide a private mailbox and storage space at their warehouse(s) for a fee and will accept all parcels addressed to that mailbox, send out straight away, hold and combine with other items etc.
They have very competitive rates for FedEx, DHL, TNT etc, which get my parcels to me in 5 days, and the rates are usually less or just a touch more than USPS! I've put quite a bit through them and have had no major issues so far - the seller in the USA can ship to the mailbox fully insured and it doesn't cost a lot. Once the item is signed for at the freight-forwarder, it's theirs' and my problem (I can also get them to take photos of the items inside to protect me).
Apart from damage to a humidor during shipping, which I've taken up with TNT through the freight-forwarder it's been a breeze. International buyers have a think about it - the consolidation really saves a butt-load. Just my experience, cheers.
PS. - just read Andy's post - the freight forwarder will also accept returns. I totally agree with full disclosure too Andy.
If anyone wants the details please email me - I didn't want my post to be an advertisement for them.
They have very competitive rates for FedEx, DHL, TNT etc, which get my parcels to me in 5 days, and the rates are usually less or just a touch more than USPS! I've put quite a bit through them and have had no major issues so far - the seller in the USA can ship to the mailbox fully insured and it doesn't cost a lot. Once the item is signed for at the freight-forwarder, it's theirs' and my problem (I can also get them to take photos of the items inside to protect me).
Apart from damage to a humidor during shipping, which I've taken up with TNT through the freight-forwarder it's been a breeze. International buyers have a think about it - the consolidation really saves a butt-load. Just my experience, cheers.
PS. - just read Andy's post - the freight forwarder will also accept returns. I totally agree with full disclosure too Andy.
If anyone wants the details please email me - I didn't want my post to be an advertisement for them.
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- Messages
- 718
It is not always the buyer who creates issues around value and description. Here is some dialog between myself and a seller re a recent purchase. I have removed the identifying references.
Dear xxxxx,Hello - I just purchased this knife from your ebay listings. I note that you label the package to help the buyer but could I ask that in this case you declare full value and label the package as an Ontario Knife. Aust customs does not charge duty and they generally x ray packages and know what is in them. Thanks, Pete
the response -
Hello,Thank you very much for your purchase, we will indicate '$20 Gift' on the customs form. This is standard notation for all International packages and due to the volume of orders we process everyday we will be unable to customize this on a per order basis.Kind Regards,xxxxxx
The knife arrived ok and there was no dispute but I do not like this arrangement as a buyer.
Dear xxxxx,Hello - I just purchased this knife from your ebay listings. I note that you label the package to help the buyer but could I ask that in this case you declare full value and label the package as an Ontario Knife. Aust customs does not charge duty and they generally x ray packages and know what is in them. Thanks, Pete
the response -
Hello,Thank you very much for your purchase, we will indicate '$20 Gift' on the customs form. This is standard notation for all International packages and due to the volume of orders we process everyday we will be unable to customize this on a per order basis.Kind Regards,xxxxxx
The knife arrived ok and there was no dispute but I do not like this arrangement as a buyer.
I have arrested people for outstanding warrants for things such as murder, rape an arson, i have arrested people for smuggling weapons and child pornography, and i have procecuted people for evading taxes.they all get to wear the same pair of handcuffs , i read them their rights from the same book and they get put in he same room until we finish dealing with them how else am I supposed to look at you.
Just so that I am clear, you are suggesting that someone who evades a $20 duty is the same as a child pornographer? I think you need to review your moral compass.
For the record, I don't condone lying on a customs form but its a pretty minor offense in my book. Sorry, if you believe it to be the same as child porn/rape/arson/murder then you're just a putz.
Not saying they are the same, that is why there are varying degrees of penalties for the different crimes. just that I don't treat them any different when I catch them. Although here in Canada we are so soft on crime they may as well be the same thing.
As for my personal moral compass, I believe in an eye for an eye, the death penalty, and corporal punishment for adults who commit petty crimes. I have little sympathy for anyone who breaks the rules. Any rules be they Federal State/Provincial/ Local or bladeforum rules.
PS Al Capone went to jail for tax evasion.
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- Nov 21, 2010
- Messages
- 109
Since knives are a "sensitive" item in most countries, the first thing to check is the country listing on usps.com:
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immctry.htm
Find the import country, and carefully read the prohibitions & restrictions. If "knives" or "weapons" are listed, it's highly likely it will be stopped, and almost certainly confiscated, by customs of the respective country.
If the import country has no such prohibitions & restrictions, proceed.
If receiving payment by PayPal, make sure that the transaction indicates you have seller protection.
Ship items of significant value via Registered Mail, and add insurance as appropriate - international RM sometimes includes some insurance in the cost; research this.
If you are not covered by PayPal seller protection policies, and/or you cannot insure an item of significant value, and your buyer, really, really wants the knife, and asks you nicely, tell him/her to send you cash ("Federal" Reserve Notes, Euro notes, or whatever paper currency you'll accept), and indicate loss for any reason in transit is not your responsibility. Cash in the mail is highly advised against by all postal systems, but I've never had trouble with doing it (but recognize it can be risky if not well-disguised in a faux "letter").
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immctry.htm
Find the import country, and carefully read the prohibitions & restrictions. If "knives" or "weapons" are listed, it's highly likely it will be stopped, and almost certainly confiscated, by customs of the respective country.
If the import country has no such prohibitions & restrictions, proceed.
If receiving payment by PayPal, make sure that the transaction indicates you have seller protection.
Ship items of significant value via Registered Mail, and add insurance as appropriate - international RM sometimes includes some insurance in the cost; research this.
If you are not covered by PayPal seller protection policies, and/or you cannot insure an item of significant value, and your buyer, really, really wants the knife, and asks you nicely, tell him/her to send you cash ("Federal" Reserve Notes, Euro notes, or whatever paper currency you'll accept), and indicate loss for any reason in transit is not your responsibility. Cash in the mail is highly advised against by all postal systems, but I've never had trouble with doing it (but recognize it can be risky if not well-disguised in a faux "letter").
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2010
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- 109
Is a "gift" fundable with a credit card? Because, if so, you could still face a charge back.
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2010
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- 109
some of these as***ls will "never stop" scamming people..
i my self live in Europe and when someone does agree to ship to me from the US I ask to ship it with USPS Express with tracking number and there was never ever something lost and I'm talking + 30 shipments to me from this forum and other forums
my 2 cents
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these threads are getting pretty tired........ shipping international is not a problem for anyone. just be smart about it and get insurance. ship as what it is and insure accordingly. 99% of failed internation shipments are the sellers fault, not the postal service.
if the guy at the other end wants you to lie. dont sell to him.
if the guy at the other end wants you to lie. dont sell to him.