Shipping Scrapyard Dogfather to Italy? Need advice.

[SeattleDude]

Hi guys,

I am selling Scrapyard Dogfather (big fixed blade) and guy is asking me if I can ship it to Italy.

Any of you deal with international shipping or shipped any big fixed blades to Italy?

I just dont want to have any issues and I dont know if its even legal to do.

 

[NJBillK]

Generally speaking, as long as what you are shipping does not directly relate to the manufacturing of larger scale weapons, or hazmats, the legality rests upon the shoulders of those seeking, purchasing, and requesting you to ship the item to them. Usually, as long as it is legal for You to own, it is legal for You to ship.

Otoh, I have heard of shipping outside of the U.S. being spotty at best. That may not be the case with a Major country such as Italy, but people have been burned in the past by an object disappearing either to a customs agent, or the buyer only to have them still put in a claim of dispute and reclaim their funds.

Make sure you are familiar with the rules on Paypal and other locations, and if the buyer will allow it, don't ship until the funds have cleared. This may raise concerns on their side, but is that more of a concern of yours, or is being out a knife And funds?

 

[EChoil]

If you do it I'd email the buyer that a condition of sale is that your responsibility/liabilty ends upon acceptance of the package at YOUR post office.

Once the buyer accepts the terms via return e-mail, take a pic of the package---address, postage and your P.O. receipt and insurance clearly shown--- against a confirmable background of the post office interior (even if it's just sitting on the counter), digitally dated and timed if possible, and email the pic to the buyer after you ship it. If you can get a postal employee to pose with the package after taking it so much the better.

If the P.O. won't let you take a pic due to some whacked out security precaution, see if you can still shoot the package and your mailing receipt somehow. Main thing is that your responsibility ends upon P.O. acceptance.

 

[Sonnydaze]

I have shipped to Australia (no problem) and to Germany. Many posters have complained, however, about Australian shipments getting "lost."
In my sale to Germany, their customs officials had the Strider SMF in their hands for over a month before they released it to the new owner.
They have stiff import taxes in Europe...perhaps around 30%. Canada and Australia are high also.
If you get the guy's address, go down to your local P.O. and they will give you all of the info you need. You can do about the same thing on the web...
Make sure you get paid. Shipping will probably be pretty high. Make sure you protect your own interests FIRST.
Good luck.

 

[NJBillK]

The main point of contention with that is that there is no definitive proof of the contents of the box shown in the photo. Regardless of date, time stamp, sworn oath, notarization, or other form of swearing of accuracy regarding contents.

The Only thing I could think of would be to have someone go with you and have them take a continuous video of you packaging up the knife, after showing an identifiable mark on said knife, carrying it to the counter, paying, transferring possession then showing the receipt and the tracking info.

At least if there is any complaint filed on that tracking number, you will have documentation showing that it left your possession at a stated date and time, which is corroborated by the tracking number and USPS vs your video.
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Would this be considered overboard, perhaps. Would I do it? Likely not, but I personally choose to not ship overseas due to dilemmas like this.

 

[EChoil]

The main point of contention with that is that there is no definitive proof of the contents of the box shown in the photo. Regardless of date, time stamp, sworn oath, notarization, or other form of swearing of accuracy regarding contents.

The Only thing I could think of would be to have someone go with you and have them take a continuous video of you packaging up the knife, after showing an identifiable mark on said knife, carrying it to the counter, paying, transferring possession then showing the receipt and the tracking info.

At least if there is any complaint filed on that tracking number, you will have documentation showing that it left your possession at a stated date and time, which is corroborated by the tracking number and USPS vs your video.
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Would this be considered overboard, perhaps. Would I do it? Likely not, but I personally choose to not ship overseas due to dilemmas like this.

Yeah, it's overboard at that point.

With all due respect, once it ships, the onus is upon the PACKAGE in the photo arriving. If it arrives empty, i.e. sans knife, that's a whole new case and the recipient would then pursue the fact that the seller didn't send the knife within the package--Fraud. The package is the shipment, not just the knife. Failure to put the knife IN the package would be a separate, and new, case of fraud. After all, the fear in this situation is that NOTHING arrives, the whole thing being waylaid by customs, theft, etc.

No one is going to bring a video production crew, even of 1, to prove shipment of a knife somewhere..