Buying a Knife from Ebay

kinkstr

Hey, just found this forum and i got a question.

Im planning on buying a knife and i just read on an item description that "It is up to the bidder to comply with there local laws. We will NOT mark packages as a gift, or lower the value when shipping out side of the US. If something was to happen ie. Lost package you would still want the full value back. And we do not send gifts."

Whats the legal stance on getting a knife sent through the post and, if its not marked as a gift what is it marked as.

o1s1n

The marking it as a gift is a way of dodging import tax. If something is marked down like that, and it goes missing, then it's not insured to its full value. So that would be why they have a problem with it.

kinkstr

So if i go ahead and buy it, am i gonna get a letter in a week or so saying i need to pay import tax to get hold of the knife?

Our man in Havana

Depends purely on the declared value and on who delivers it. If it is an post then you will have no worries. A courrier like DHL etc you are screwed.

Saruman

Can you not find a similar one from an EU country so you do not need to worry about this?

bigjohn382003

Hi , You havent stated what kind of a knife this is but just make sure they are legal before purchasing.The law in the U.S.A. is a lot different than uk and Ireland.As for import duty i get parcels from the u.s.a. all the time and i pay duty on about 90% of them.Iam not sure of the Ireland laws as im from the North but anything can be sent without paying duty up to a value of £18.If it is over the £18 they will hold it in customs and send you a bill for the amount owed.You will be charged 17.5% on the value of the sale.

kinkstr

Saruman wrote:

Can you not find a similar one from an EU country so you do not need to worry about this?

Havent found one similar in an EU country yet but i havent looked very hard. I just wanted to know how an item like a knife is delivered, or not delivered as the case may be.
As i said im asking this question because of a particular sellers comments about how he marked packages. This knife would work out under £18 and as far as i know its not illegal here(dont quote me on that)

bigjohn382003

Hi , Check this guy out on ebay and you might get what youre looking for without having to wait for it to come from the states.Hes called housethatjack and his postage is only a couple of quid plus hes in the uk.I dont know how to do a link but if you go to site map then find a member then enter his name you should find him ok.

kinkstr

Thanks Bigjohn, just seen that guys ebay shop before i checked here and he seems to have pretty much the same knife, slightly more expensive but better than buying it from America and having it stuck in a customs warehouse but on the other hand the knife would be under the £18 so it shouldnt get stopped at customs.

Our man in Havana

€22 is the limit here, £18 in the UK.

Snake Plisken

You run the risk of it being classed as a deadly weapon and siezed by customs, you'll get a letter something along the lines that illegal item was sent in the post to you and could you contact customs, thus you could run the risk of being prosecuted. I read that on a different forum.

Snake

kinkstr

You got a link to that incident Snake?
Just got this list from The Irish Revenue site under the "Ordering Goods over the Internet or from Mail Order Catalogues" section -

OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
The importation of Offensive Weapons listed in S.I. No.66 1991 is totally prohibited. [Firearms and
Offensive Weapons Act, 1990 (No. 12 of 1990) and the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990
(Offensive Weapons) Order, 1991 (S.I. No. 66 of 1991)]. For the purposes of this prohibition the term
“offensive weapons” means:
(a) a flick knife, that is to say -
(i) a knife which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in
or attached to the handle, or
(ii) a knife which has a blade which is released from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity
or the application of centrifugal force and when released is locked in an open position by
means of a button, spring, lever or other device;
(b) a knuckleduster, that is to say -
(i) a band of metal or other hard material worn on one or more fingers, and designed to cause
injury, or
(ii) any weapon incorporating a knuckleduster;
(c) a swordstick or dagger cane, that is, a hollow walking-stick or cane containing a blade which
may be used as a sword or dagger;
(d) a sword umbrella, that is an umbrella containing a blade which may be used as a sword;
(e) any weapon from which one or more sharp spikes protrude which is worn attached to the
foot, ankle, hand or wrist (sometimes known when intended to be attached to the foot, as a
footclaw and, when intended to be attached to the hand, as a handclaw);
(f) the weapon sometimes known as a belt buckle knife, being a buckle which incorporates or
conceals a knife;
(g) the weapon sometimes known as a push dagger, being a knife the handle of which fits within a
clenched fist and the blade of which protrudes from between two fingers;
(h) the weapon sometimes known as a hollow kubotan, being a cylindrical container containing a
number of sharp spikes;
(i) the weapon sometimes known as a shuriken, shaken or death star, being a hard non-flexible
plate having three or more sharp radiating points, and designed to be thrown;
(j) the weapon sometimes known as a balisong or butterfly knife, being a blade enclosed by its
handle, which is designed to split down the middle, without the operation of a spring or other
mechanical means, to reveal the blade;
(k) the weapon sometimes known as a telescopic truncheon or telescopic billy, being a truncheon
which extends automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or
attached to its handle;
(l) the weapon sometimes known as a blowpipe or blow gun, being a hollow tube out of which hard
pellets or darts are shot by the use of human breath;
(m) the weapon sometimes known as a kusari gama, being a length of rope, cord wire or chain
fastened at one end to a sickle;
(n) the weapon sometimes known as a kyoketsu shoge, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain
fastened at one end to a hooked knife;
(o) the weapon sometimes known as a manrikigusari or kusari being a length or rope, cord, wire or
chain fastened at each end to a hard weight or hand grip;
(p) the weapon sometimes known as a sap glove, being a glove into which metal or some other hard
material has been inserted or to which metal or such material has been attached;
(q) the broad knife known as a machete or matchet.