Customs Search - Parcel into the country

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nzkiwiman

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#123260 1-Jul-2013 14:35

Just had an interesting phone call
I had a parcel arrive into the country on the 25th, and on the 28th learnt that it was with customs. Rang looking for the invoice number and was told that the parcel had not been checked out (or whatever their wording was). They suggested I try again on Monday.

I did.
After several attempts I finally spoke to someone at customs who advised that they were holding my parcel to check that the contents was what it was - in this case toys. Specifically, real toys over knock offs.
(For those of you about to ask, the order contains 13 officially licensed Hasbro Transformer toys that are not sold locally in New Zealand, sourced from Hong Kong - sold by Hasbro Hong Kong)
The inspection of my parcel will be done whenever it is done - just need to wait.

They have requested a copy of the invoice to help the claim that the toys are the toys I think they are ...

The person I spoke to rattled off some act numbers as evidence they could do this.
Which is fine - I have no issue that my parcel was 'randomly' stopped to be looked at, I will just have a concern if the boxes of the toys are opened and the time it has taken for them to not do anything so far.

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Vocus

#847722 1-Jul-2013 14:41

They have to search a lot of things, and I don't think they're held to any particular timeframes. So unfortunately if your parcel's stopped you just have to wait.

Sometimes checking in on a parcel is enough to get it "fast tracked" or at least it seems that way sometimes. But I wouldn't count on it.

Bummer if they open the boxes and you were counting on them being unopened. I wouldn't think it necessary to confirm if they are the genuine article or not though.

wellygary

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#847725 1-Jul-2013 14:52

According to this

http://www.customs.govt.nz/news/resources/iprnotices/Documents/hasbroincorporated-tm.pdf

Hasbro has given instructions under the copyright act for NZ customs to detain any counterfeit items of their merchandise

"Transformers" as well and the marks for "autobots" and "decepticons"were added to the list of things customs are looking for in May 2013...

vexxxboy

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#847726 1-Jul-2013 14:55

unfortunately for you ,things that can be filled with drugs , like toys , mailed from Asia are on the customs must search list. You just have to wait.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

mattwnz

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#847727 1-Jul-2013 14:57

If you watch how they do it on tv, they xray stuff, and often open those that look a bit suspect.
Interesting about manufacturers confiscating counterfeit goods at the border, I wonder if manufacturers have to pay for that. I suspect a huge amount still gets through.

nzkiwiman

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#847728 1-Jul-2013 15:03

wellygary: According to this

http://www.customs.govt.nz/news/resources/iprnotices/Documents/hasbroincorporated-tm.pdf

Hasbro has given instructions under the copyright act for NZ customs to detain any counterfeit items of their merchandise

"Transformers" as well and the marks for "autobots" and "decepticons"were added to the list of things customs are looking for in May 2013...

Interesting, thanks for the PDF
As these items ARE official items I am not too worried.

Had things stopped before but never this long..

CYaBro

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#847761 1-Jul-2013 15:59

I waited over two months for a parcel to clear customers that came from Australia and it was just LED light fittings!

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

kiwigeek1

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#847772 1-Jul-2013 16:29

I ordered a ball shaped radio mp3 player unit

it also got held at customs for 3-4 days.. not sure why it was opened.. no drugs and wouldnt of thought
was organics in it

but in the process they seemed to have lost my manual for it. nice one dudes

so if you get it.. it may take a while and be lucky nothing is missing

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Disrespective

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#847834 1-Jul-2013 18:06

Yeah, I had a rather expensive camera lens for a rangefinder camera opened and fiddled with. The repackaging caused the lens to rub on the inside and was permanently damaged :( They also gave up trying to properly re-package the manual and warranty card and just folded them in half and stuffed them in the box. I was not happy.

I'm not saying this will happen to you at all, I would just keep it in mind that if they do open the boxes you should check everything is present.

LennonNZ

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#847858 1-Jul-2013 19:08

I've not had problems with customs opening the products but I've been delayed in the sending party not declaring what was in the box properly. I said to customs.. why didn't customs open the box to see what was inside it and they said it costs them too much to do that. So they spend time on 3 calls and a couple of emails with me sending them a copy of the invoices saying that was in the box.

Also.. My last parcel I had into NZ had $61.50 of GST so I had to pay around $100 GST/DUTY etc. The problem was when I ordered the stuff the around was less that $60 but changed due to the exchange rate changing between being sent/getting to NZ :-( Oh well.

But I've had stuff which is over the $60 GST value which wasn't asked to pay.. I wish they where consistent so I would actually know when/if I had to pay.

dickytim

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#848025 2-Jul-2013 07:10

LennonNZ: I've not had problems with customs opening the products but I've been delayed in the sending party not declaring what was in the box properly. I said to customs.. why didn't customs open the box to see what was inside it and they said it costs them too much to do that. So they spend time on 3 calls and a couple of emails with me sending them a copy of the invoices saying that was in the box.

Also.. My last parcel I had into NZ had $61.50 of GST so I had to pay around $100 GST/DUTY etc. The problem was when I ordered the stuff the around was less that $60 but changed due to the exchange rate changing between being sent/getting to NZ :-( Oh well.

But I've had stuff which is over the $60 GST value which wasn't asked to pay.. I wish they where consistent so I would actually know when/if I had to pay.

If you order from overseas you have to pay duty/tax when it arrives, if you don't bonus, it would be safer to assume you will have to pay!

ilovemusic

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#848181 2-Jul-2013 12:18

customs can be right pricks at times.

last year i had a gift held up because they claimed it had a declared value of $0.00

upon receipt there was an overseas customs sticker with legible declared value.

idiots.

nzkiwiman

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#848601 3-Jul-2013 10:21

Just had another parcel from the same company as the first stopped (although tracking only says Arrived at Mail Centre). More legit Transformers this time from the Japanese version of Hasbro (Takara)

I knew this parcel would be stopped however.

Now it is just a waiting game.

Kopkiwi

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#848628 3-Jul-2013 10:59

Customs take the piss some times. Their inconsistencies drive me mental.

I don't mind paying whats owed if it exceeds the amount, I don't mind it being checked or stopped, just make it level across the board.

It's like a game of Rugby where the ref doesn't understand the rules and blows one thing for one team and another thing for the other team. Then at Half time changes is mind and blows the opposite.

khull

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#848648 3-Jul-2013 11:14

Perhaps is their new system that went live recently:

http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/bordersector/jbms/Pages/default.aspx

nzkiwiman

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#848655 3-Jul-2013 11:28

Kopkiwi: Customs take the piss some times. Their inconsistencies drive me mental.

I don't mind paying whats owed if it exceeds the amount, I don't mind it being checked or stopped, just make it level across the board.

It's like a game of Rugby where the ref doesn't understand the rules and blows one thing for one team and another thing for the other team. Then at Half time changes is mind and blows the opposite.

^ This

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