Speedpost EMS no longer shipping to Ireland (as of april)

senordingdong

I'm sure the company you buy off would know, so just let them do it.

Stercus Accidit

"In order to solve the problem, we have double-checked with our colleagues concerned about our mail route to Ireland. As Ms Vivien MOK explained to you on 7 May, our mail items destined to Ireland have to route through London Heathrow Airport. According to the advice of UK's Airport Police and the British Airport Authority, it is an offence to import realistic (imitation) firearms into UK under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. Due to the prohibiton of the transit point, we cannot accept airsoft guns in our mail. Besides, the postal administration of Ireland also advised that airsoft gun is included in their prohibition list.

We regret that we cannot give you a more favourable reply. Should the restriction be removed, we definitely will be pleased to provide our service related to such postings. If you consider it necessary to seek clarification from the British Customs, please feel free to contact them directly. Thank you."

Ok, so now I have requested the correspondence EMS received from the two above mentioned groups and contact details, I will try to contact and receive a statement from the above groups.
I can then see if this is a violation of EU free trade, I have been advised by a former UN employee that this could fall under such laws, and that there is a set procedure for dealing with it.
I am going to prepare a case, including correspondence received and clarifications from each party involved, as I do not want to go into this half arsed.
If anyone has any relevant information, correspondences or e-mails, could you please pm me, I will provide my e-mail address, and if you could forward any relevant information.

Its been a bit of a slow process but now we have the source of the information that was forwarded to HK post to impose the restriction, it is just a matter of dealing with them now.

As above, if anyone can help, pm me for my e-mail address, I'll try to keep everyone informed in this thread.

Shiva

Coincidentally, and quite by accident, I also got some information about this today.

Awhile back, I had a customer in Italy order a VFC Scar from me, which was duly sent to him. The tracking stopped at Heathrow, and he never received the parcel. A call to An Post resulted in someone there suggesting the customer get onto his national postal authority and try track it from there, which he did. All they could tell him was that they werent involved in the process until it entered Italy, and it never did.

Anyway...after chasing An Post for a few weeks, I finally got to talk to someone today with some information.....

He told me that An Post route a lot of their European mail and parcels through Heathrow, and he asked me what was in the package. When I told him it was an airsoft rifle, he knew immediately what I was talking about, and told me that its now an offence to import a RIF to the UK (as noted in Sam's post above). When I said "You mean the VCRA?", he said yes.

Although going FROM Ireland, I think it confirms that the issue with EMS concerns the VCRA restrictions when the goods are transiting through the UK.

Oh....and just as a matter of interest, when I asked him off the record if that didn't breach some International trade rules, due to the fact that the items were only passing through the UK, and not entering the country in a legal sense, he said "Yes, but that's how the UK authorities are interpreting the law. Oh, and by the way, we (meaning An Post) shouldn't be accepting them in the mail either."

At this point I asked him if he'd be willing to forget we'd just had this conversation, and he said "What conversation?"

I'm not sure how accurate that last part about the restrictions on RIFs is, because I went looking for information on whether or not An Post would accept RIFs in the mail when I started Eirsoft and couldn't find anything prohibiting them, but I don't particularly want to find out. It does however add credence to Sam's source saying they were on the Irish restricted list too.

Stercus Accidit

Ah cobblers, this is going to be complicated isn't it.

TheDoc

well as i stated in pages befoehand on this, my dad told me theres no such restrictions on the items as far as he is concerned ( being a postie and all )

but im sure this is going to crop up at one of his meetings and im sure i can deliver some inside scoop.

Stercus Accidit

Yeah Tony can you clarify why an post think they are restricted here too?

The above e-mail is the first I heard of it TBH.


Edit: Just a reminder, pm me and I'll give you my email address if anyone has had an item stopped or have received any information on the restriction from a shipping company, it will help to have as much info as possible, thanks.

CrazyRabbit

From http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/parcelterms.htm

(I've hightlighted the bit that may be used by An Post to refuse handling of airsoft guns)

"Standard List of Prohibitions for all Services;
Dangerous, poisonous or infectious items, explosives, munitions of war, firearms, corrosives, acids, paint removers, oxidising substances, organic peroxides, compressed, liquidised or dissolved gases (especially butane gas lighters or aerosols), flammable solids or liquids or materials liable to spontaneous combustion, paints, varnishes, dyes, radioactive materials (except under licence), pornography or anything that would cause embarrassment in transit, living creatures, proscribed or dangerous drugs (except under statutory licence), mercury, materials deemed illegal or prohibited by any Government Authority, perishable goods, organic or biological materials likely to perish under normal transit conditions IATA restricted articles - such as liquids (see International Section of the Guide), items likely to cause injury to any other item or person, any other items that from time to time may have to be added to the foregoing list are prohibited, unless An Post has agreed in writing to carry such items subject to such conditions as determined by An Post."

And from : http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Customer+Service/cust-howwehelp.htm

Prohibited materials
Unfortunately we are unable to deliver everything you post. We cannot deliver:

[*]Flammable, toxic or poisonous liquids, including most paints.
[*]Items that could be harmful to employees or members of the public.
[*]Items that are prohibited by law.
[*]Check first before you send your next letter or parcel.

If you send prohibited items through the post we will:

[*]Return them to the sender
[*]Dispose of them ourselves
[*]Contact the relevant authorities.

Stercus Accidit

I imagine that's just to prevent things that are dangerous to transport being posted, an unloaded airsoft gun in box with no battery in it is pretty harmless.

I wouldn't say they really have a restriction on airsoft tbh, unless its an old policy still being mentioned by the higher ups.

CrazyRabbit

Motosam wrote: »

I imagine that's just to prevent things that are dangerous to transport being posted, an unloaded airsoft gun in box with no battery in it is pretty harmless.

I wouldn't say they really have a restriction on airsoft tbh, unless its an old policy still being mentioned by the higher ups.

I didn't say it made sense, just that this is probably the bit they are using to say it's not allowed in Ireland.

An Post doesn't appear to have a definitive list of what they won't handle. It appears to be a case by case decision.

Stercus Accidit

I don't doubt that they may do, but in my mind, I don't see an post being a major obstacle in this yet.

Got a reply also from HM Revenue & Customs, apparently they are looking into the situation.

motherfunker

As Asia seem to be out of the question for now, what is the story about buying from the U.S.? I dont care about the orange tip, a spray of paint can fix that.

Puding

why would asia be out of the question only ems and dhl are effected, fedex ups tnt all ship as normal

just be aware with importing from the us that trademarks will be destroyed and the muzzel will be replaced by an orange on or the original muzzel/or front of the gun about and inch will be painted orange

H.O.T.A.S.

Puding wrote:

Got an email myself from wgc today stating that they can not ship via tnt, trying to get a bit more info from them, they must have been inform by tnt somehow so maybe an email we can get hold of.

Hi Pudding. I work for TNT and can say that they will infact ship RIF's. I myself get them sent over via TNT and have not heard anything to say that they will stop shipping them.

Puding

only reporting what i got in an email as i said in that and other emails, it did seem strange as i had received aeg thought tnt that very week with no issues

senordingdong

Well it seems to me that the fact is, it is all down to whoever inspects the package.

Puding

pretty much same as if you ring esb or bord gais depending on who you get thought to can have dramatic in the service outcome you get

senordingdong

Using a personal experience as an analogy Pudding?

Puding

i work for bord gais and western union call centers, i know from experience how shockingly different results you can get depending on the person you talk to, but the horror story's are for another time

senordingdong

Indeed.

Shiva

To be honest, there's so much conflicting information about this, there's no way right now to say what the problem is or how this all started.

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the UK customs people officially applying the VCRA - I get all my shipments in via Heathrow and Manchester, and none of them have been stopped. And we're not talking about the odd gun here - we're talking pallet loads. There might be the occasional hiccup where an over-zealous customs offical sees an airsoft gun in a package, and puts a hold on it in the mistaken belief he has the right to apply the VCRA, but its not official UK customs policy.

I was talking to my customs clearance agent today about a G&G delivery I'm expecting, and this EMS thing came up in conversation. She reckons its one of two things -

a) Because of the Beijing Olympics, shipments of RIF's in mainland China and HK are subject to a vastly increased level of inspection, for obvious reasons, and a lot of carriers have decided its not worth the hassle to carry them. They aren't going to admit the reason, and will just blame a request from the authorities in a destination country, or claim its a new policy for RIFs

b) If the original announcement from EMS is to be believed, and they were requested not to deliver them by Irish customs, its because it was a request (and not a legal requirement, just a goodwill request) because the vast majority of EMS shipped RIF's were getting through without a VAT and duty tariff being paid. The courier companies make it their business to get your package inspected, because then they get to throw a nice little addition onto the price - EMS dont, or at least dont charge enough to make it worthwhile for them to slow down deliveries by getting everything checked.

These are just her opinions, not backed up by fact, but they're worth some thought, considering she's in the customs and transport business. And she also confirmed what's been said before on this thread - if the article is legal in the country of origin, and legal in the destination country, the UK customs people can't seize it, as they are just a transit point.

I think if its because the items are being stopped in the UK, then Sam is following the right track by talking to the UK officials, and perhaps as a result of his efforts, they'll issue a memo or educate their people.

Puding

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the UK customs people officially applying the VCRA - I get all my shipments in via Heathrow and Manchester, and none of them have been stopped. And we're not talking about the odd gun here - we're talking pallet loads. There might be the occasional hiccup where an over-zealous customs offical sees an airsoft gun in a package, and puts a hold on it in the mistaken belief he has the right to apply the VCRA, but its not official UK customs policy.

what service have you been useing?

The Master

Good to know Shiva

I see you got the right thread this time;)

Shiva

The Master wrote: »

Good to know Shiva

I see you got the right thread this time;)

LOL...fekkoff I have an 11 month old hanging out of me

Shiva

Puding wrote: »

what service have you been useing?

The big ones are by Aerly Bird, and the smaller ones are Fedex, TNT and UPS.

Puding

well i did not catch he had posted in the wrong one i reply then clicked he had moved the post had to move my reply :P

Puding

well the ones going via heathrow are held in bond (don;t think thats the right word, or what ever you call it its how they can deliver the parcels fast they handle the customs enforcement and charges and pass it onto customs) by the companys they do not enter the normal customs as a normal post parcel via ems would, well thats my understanding anyway

Stercus Accidit

The replies I got point to heathrow airport police and customs being the origin of this, who I would well believe may have made a misinterpretation of when the vcra should be enforced, and as mentioned above once that mistake is made it can spread to others who mistake it for policy.

UK customs are looking into it at the moment, I'll ask them again of any change, HK post said they would resume shipping to Ireland if they hear from Heathrow that this restriction is no longer in place.

CrazyRabbit

Shiva wrote: »

LOL...fekkoff I have an 11 month old hanging out of me

Ah vtec is a bit older than 11 months.

On-topic: Is it just aeg's being stopped or is it accessories as well?

Puding

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Ah vtec is a bit older than 11 months.

On-topic: Is it just aeg's being stopped or is it accessories as well?

aegs and gbb, anything that would be effected by the rif laws in england

Lordinquisitor

Any new news on what is happening with this. Is the Idiotic restriction still in place??