US Customs' lousy service

Buzzbait

Buzzbait

Gold Member
Feedback: +3 / =0 / -0
Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Messages
6,729
I had a knife custom made from a maker in Europe. The maker was fantsatic to deal with, and even took the care to mail the knife via DHL. DHL did a great job and had the knife to New York (my home state)in less than a day. Talk about fast!!!! The knife arrived within a 2 hour drive in less than a day.

4 dayslater, and it's a Friday.... the knife is still held back by US Customs!!!! With a little luck, they will release the knife so it can maybe be shipped on Monday. That'll be almost a full week held back by US Customs. This just plain sucks. The maker goes to the trouble of getting the knife to me as soon as possible, only to sit waiting for some mangy dog to sniff it.

Okay. Venting finished!!! :barf: :grumpy: :(
 
We have a member who works for US Customs (although he doesn't inspect packages). When he sees this thread he'll probably mention Customs is overworked these days, and suggest it's better to have packages delayed than to be blown up.

Of course it would be even better if we could both get our packages quickly and not be blown up....
 
P.S. I think they usually manage to inspect packages in less than a week. I don't know, maybe there's a temporary local shortage of mangy dogs?
 
DHL was very nice on the phone, and said that international packages usually clear in 24 to 48 hours. She couldn't figure out why this particular one was being held for so incredibly long.

Maybe the dog caught a cold, and is having sniffing issues. :yawn:
 
I think it must be your evil past, Buzz. Well that and the fact that you've posted on the net about having all your brain cells fried from certain prior activity. Food for thought, huh? Be careful what you say on the net. ;)
 
Strange days....I sent the knife :)...Same day I sent a similar box with similar markings ("knife")...it went straight trough the NY customs 2-3 hours earlier (checked with DHL)....but is still undelivered since the guy in the other end is not at home..... go figure...:eek:

anyways..I hope you get the knife SOON Buzz!
 
Hi Jens, and thanks for all the help you've given me. But it sounds like your first knife was too much for the mangy dog. It didn't live long enough to check a second knife. That first knife must have been sharp!!!!
 
I just made a few calls and got some info. It appears that Fish and Wildlife is refusing to let the package through customs because of Jen's beautiful half-tanned leather sheath with lizard skin covering. They haven't been able to contact anybody because they didn't know anybody's phone number. So the box has just been sitting there collecting dust. Uggghhhhh!!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Let me know when you're ready to rename the thread. :footinmou :D

:cool:
 
They haven't been able to contact anybody because they didn't know anybody's phone number. So the box has just been sitting there collecting dust. Uggghhhhh!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Buzz;

Did you ask them if they knew what a phone book was?

:rolleyes:
 
That sux....both my number and Buzz`s number is on the documents following the knife...! I am working on it..
 
Sorry to see all the problems you are going through trying to get this knife, Buzz. It has however provided me with an education. I will make sure that I get any knives that I import shipped with regular leather sheaths only. It seems that getting an exotic leather isn't worth the hassle that might ensue.
 
When I get to the bottom of this I will make sure to ship a copy of any documentation needed to ship items like this.

Has anyone ever had problems with mammoth ivory or similar?

edit: I figured out why this knife probably got stopped. I had the word lizzard appear on the slip.....never thought THAT would create a problem...and since I have shipped dozens of lizzardsheaths without a prob...and they did not have the word lizzard on them...it has to be because of that....:mad: :( :mad:
 
Yep. I bet the word "lizard" was what did it. It was probably a big red flag for the customs people.

But still...... They couldn't call either of us? That's pathetic. It sounds like they were hoping that nobody would claim it, so they could have the knife. Inexcusable, IMHO.
 
Buzz,

I'm sorry that you are experiencing a delay on your knife, but I take exception with your offhand and baseless remark implying that Customs (or Fish & Wildlife) is trying to steal your knife.

You might be shocked to learn that they probably have more than just your little box to take care of...but I digress.

First off, it's not a Customs issue. If it's an exotic skin, shell or the like it's within the purview of Fish & Wildlife. They have no choice but to follow the laws which they enforce. Don't like the laws? Blame Congress or try to have them changed. Don't blame those whose job it is to enforce those laws.

As for the fact that your particular package may have been delayed and you haven't yet been notifed, well there are several issues to be aware of there.

Firstly, the amount of cargo and freight coming across the borders is immense. Beyond your ability to comprehend unless you work at a port of entry and see just what comes off ships, trucks and planes daily.

Secondly, the box containing your knife is just one little piece of freight and I doubt that it warranted shutting down all other activity over.

I can't speak for Fish & Wildlife, but generally when an item is detained, within a few days a letter is sent to the shipper and consignee if there is a matter which remains to be resolved. (Such as whether the importation is legal, contains hazardous biological or chemical characteristics etc.) There are stringent requirements (and paperwork up the yin-yang) in the chain of custody of all items which are seized or detained. They don't just get thrown in a drawer.

As a knife collector I sympathize with your frustration at the delay. As a "fed" with 25 years in gov't, I resent the offhand way you feel free to accuse others of impropriety. I've lost some respect for you.

(And yes, there are criminals in law enforcement positions. I've had the unfortunate task of arresting some at points in my career. Thankfully they are a very small minority.)

I hope you get your package soon, as any knife by Jens is something worth being desired.
 
Easy there Blues!!! This is the place where I'm supposed to be able to vent!!!! Maybe this should be moved to Whine and Cheese if people are going to get ruffled so easily.

I talked to the import division of DHL, along with somebody there from Customs. They said that Customs or Fish and Wildlife (I forget) had been trying all week to get ahold of somebody. Now if they had phone numbers for both Jens and I, did the ringers on our phones simultaneously stop working, and magically start working after business hours? I never recieved a call of any kind, and as far as I know, neither did Jens. That's called lying, and does not speak well at all of those involved. I guess I won't even touch what motives there might be for the lies.

I was also promised a call from Fish and Wildlife before the end of business day yesterday. The ringer on my phone must have stopped working again.

Oh yah. I'm a government worker also, so cut me a little slack here. I know how things work, but I expect a little honesty. I'm sorry about the theft implication, truly. I did not mean to say anything to reflect badly upon yourself. My imagination just get's the best of me when I'm lied to.
 
Yeah, you're right, Buzz, I see the light now. They're crooks.

Carry on.
 
Okay, the implication was out of line. I'll admit it. I'm a big boy. I'm sorry. I'm trying to apologize here. I surely did not intend to say anything that would imply something bad about you personally. You know me better than that. I take it you're the one that Cougar said works for Customs? I just realized that, and ammended my last post slightly before you repied, though it makes no difference really. I surely have not been trying to bust your balls!!!!

For whatever reason, the lies from somebody in the chain have not been well received by me. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but that's the way it is. If the process is slow and departments are understaffed, I can live with that. All they have to do is say so. Nobody NEEDS to lie to me.

But again, there's no need to take this personally. Government departments are big. There are good guys in government, and there are a-holes. It looks like I got the lucky a-hole.
 
When two government bureaus are involved there's a lot more than twice the potential for delays and screw-ups. Does anybody know exactly what paperwork is required to prove exotic leathers aren't from an endangered species? If somebody can post that information that could be helpful to a lot of us in the future.
 
Buzz, nobody lied to you. You just misunderstood what they said -- you don't speak Bureaucratic. :) When a bureaucrat says something is, was, or will be done, he means that's what The Book mandates. If you want to know what actually is, was, or will be done, you have to specify that you know what the rules provide, and you now need to know if a real person is available to apply them. (He won't know. Bureaucrats rarely deal with workfloor employees.)

In a career with the US Postal Service, I met many a fine bureaucrat. They want to help, they really do. They just can't tell the difference between what should have been done and what really happened.

But Blues is also right. You can blame Congress for a lot of the laws we have to enforce. They don't always legislate with the convenience of the average citizen in mind (knife laws ... groan ...) but vote for whatever their favorite lobbyist has drafted for them to sign. Sometimes that's not a bad thing. At least the lobbyist in this case was theoretically trying to prevent the extinction of a valuable sheath-bearing species.

Take it easy on the bureaucrat, even though he isn't an endangered species. Nobody does his best work while being threatened, insulted, or ... confused. :confused:

* ****** **** ****** * * ****** **** ****** * * ****** **** ****** *

Cougar, I bet C.I.T.E.S. covers it: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In that case, anyone shipping natural materials would have to know what it is they're shipping, and specify, not "lizard" but "legitimatesheathbearing lizard" and leave it to customs to contest the definition if they need to. At least they'll have someplace to start. Not specifying at all could get the package sent right through, or if they caught a suspicious 'what is this, lizard skin?' item, they would hold it for the longest time. It's better to check the C.I.T.E.S. list and if the item is legit, state that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top