Importing USB-C Power Bank from Overseas?

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kinginvercargill

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#208443 12-Feb-2017 16:45

I'm thinking of buying this Power Bank on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anker-PowerCore-20100-USB-C-Type-C-Ultra-High-Capacity-Premium-Portable-Charger-/222208108720#shpCntId . I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with importing Power Banks from Overseas (as I have heard that Customs can be apain with Batteries), and also if anyone has had any experience with the Anker Power Core, or would recommend any other USB-C Power Bank?

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By USB-C Power Bank i mean one that has a USB C port on it, not one that only has USB A Ports.

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#1718946 12-Feb-2017 17:10

You more than likely won't find any shipping service that will carry it.

richms

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#1719046 12-Feb-2017 18:38

There are 3 classes of lithium batteries for shipping. A powerbank should be an appliance with an inbuilt battery but it seems that many shippers are now starting to call them a loose cell for some reason (they are clearly not) which is the most difficult one to ship.

All up too much effort now to get them sent, also there are limits on number and capacity of them for carryon baggage that are actually enforced now, which makes bringing back in person too much of a risk.

Read this here to get some idea of what you can and cannot send. But with places so often confusing a powerbank with a cell its just a pain.

Richard rich.ms

nzkiwiman

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#1719265 13-Feb-2017 10:40

It's been a year since I got my PowerBank shipped, but as long as AnkerDirect is the seller, and they have decided they will ship an item to New Zealand then there should not be any issues.

Mine had all these warning stickers on the box and was inside a plastic bag with even more warning stickers.

kinginvercargill

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#1719631 13-Feb-2017 20:29

nzkiwiman:

It's been a year since I got my PowerBank shipped, but as long as AnkerDirect is the seller, and they have decided they will ship an item to New Zealand then there should not be any issues.

Mine had all these warning stickers on the box and was inside a plastic bag with even more warning stickers.

I have just brought mine online through AnkerDirect on eBay so should be interesting to see what happens. Was just wondering whether there would be any issues since the tighten up after the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Battery drama...

kinginvercargill

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#1722089 17-Feb-2017 23:19

Just a follow-up, received my Anker PowerCore+ 21100 Power Bank today from AnkerDirect on Ebay (So much for the expected delivery 23 February - 31 March ). Went nice and smoothly, came via USPS & NZ Post, didn't get held up in Customs in either country. Interesting note was that there was nothing on the packaging stating that there was a battery/batteries in this parcel. Didn't have fragile/Dangerous Warnings or anything, just declared on the Customs declaration that there was "Mobile Phone Parts" located in the parcel...

Thought it was strange considering the whole debacle with the Note 7 Batteries, and with how there were apparently tightening up transportation of batteries....

sbiddle

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#1722097 18-Feb-2017 02:45

kinginvercargill:

Thought it was strange considering the whole debacle with the Note 7 Batteries, and with how there were apparently tightening up transportation of batteries....

The Note7 issue hasn;'t resulted in any changes to the carriage of batteries. All the changes for freight carriers and airlines came into effect in early 2017 primararily as a result of 2 x 747 freighters crashing due to probable lithium battery fires.

It's also worth noting customs has nothing to do with blocking goods - they simply collect revenue for GST on goods. They can't care less if you have a battery.

sonyxperiageek

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#1722099 18-Feb-2017 02:50

kinginvercargill:

Just a follow-up, received my Anker PowerCore+ 21100 Power Bank today from AnkerDirect on Ebay (So much for the expected delivery 23 February - 31 March ). Went nice and smoothly, came via USPS & NZ Post, didn't get held up in Customs in either country. Interesting note was that there was nothing on the packaging stating that there was a battery/batteries in this parcel. Didn't have fragile/Dangerous Warnings or anything, just declared on the Customs declaration that there was "Mobile Phone Parts" located in the parcel...

Thought it was strange considering the whole debacle with the Note 7 Batteries, and with how there were apparently tightening up transportation of batteries....

You must've gotten lucky.

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richms

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#1722133 18-Feb-2017 09:27

Thats pretty much how everything with a lithium I order from china arrives labeled as.

Do you know if it shipped from the US or Asia?

Richard rich.ms

billgates

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#1722144 18-Feb-2017 10:11

Thanks for trying the shipping and linking the product. Just bought one from ebay! Hopefully it will make it without being rejected.

Do whatever you want to do man.

kinginvercargill

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#1722599 19-Feb-2017 11:42

richms:

Do you know if it shipped from the US or Asia?

It shipped from USA, which is why I was a bit surprised that there wasn't any labels on it saying that its got a battery inside etc. With batteries I'm surprised that there wasn't a label saying something along those lines, with how batteries are fragile.

It also was declared as $10 USD on the Customs declaration sticker, which you could say is a bit less then what I paid

nzkiwiman

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#1722947 20-Feb-2017 10:56

kinginvercargill:

Just a follow-up, received my Anker PowerCore+ 21100 Power Bank today from AnkerDirect on Ebay (So much for the expected delivery 23 February - 31 March ). Went nice and smoothly, came via USPS & NZ Post, didn't get held up in Customs in either country. Interesting note was that there was nothing on the packaging stating that there was a battery/batteries in this parcel. Didn't have fragile/Dangerous Warnings or anything, just declared on the Customs declaration that there was "Mobile Phone Parts" located in the parcel...

Thought it was strange considering the whole debacle with the Note 7 Batteries, and with how there were apparently tightening up transportation of batteries....

Ankers "cheap" postage is very very quick.

Interesting it had no information on the outside of the packaging, maybe that is in response to the tightening of battery shipments.

1101

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#1722961 20-Feb-2017 11:11

sbiddle:es.

It's also worth noting customs has nothing to do with blocking goods - they simply collect revenue for GST on goods. They can't care less if you have a battery.

There have been instances of batts being stopped at the border, by NZ customs, and the whole delivery destroyed (including the non batt items)
It happens
http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/prohibited/imports/Pages/default.aspx

The last 5 batts I ordered didnt even make it out of Asia. I took a chance, rolled the dice & lost :-)

hio77

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#1722980 20-Feb-2017 12:05

maybe @NikT could inflence a certain NZ based store here to stock ankner prouducts.

Certainly would be a good market space to capture, Would be good to see proper usb 3 cables (with the resister) in NZ too rather than all the cheap ones avaiable that don't have them!

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#1722983 20-Feb-2017 12:26

hio77:

maybe @NikT could inflence a certain NZ based store here to stock ankner prouducts.

Certainly would be a good market space to capture, Would be good to see proper usb 3 cables (with the resister) in NZ too rather than all the cheap ones avaiable that don't have them!

I've raised the question in the past. PB ranges (and distributes) products from Anker's OEM partner. Not at liberty to disclose who that is, but it's not terribly hard to find out.

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sbiddle

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#1722984 20-Feb-2017 12:28

hio77:

maybe @NikT could inflence a certain NZ based store here to stock ankner prouducts.

Certainly would be a good market space to capture, Would be good to see proper usb 3 cables (with the resister) in NZ too rather than all the cheap ones avaiable that don't have them!

Anker don't have an official presence in AU/NZ so there is no way for them to carry them without becoming an official distributor/supplier. You couldn't go via non official sources as you really want products with the correct plugs.

When I met the Anker guys in Sydney at CeBIT last May they indicated they were only a few months away from having product available in "big name stores" in Aussie and NZ. I really don't know what's taken so much time.

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