Customs Delay

Munsterlad102

I bought a number of magazines for my 15-22 from England and they've been stuck in customs since the 20th of September. I've tried ringing An Post and Customs, but I got contradicting answers and the run around each time. Has this happened to any of ye before? I've bought magazines from these lads before and have imported parts from the US before and have had no trouble with delays or customs at all. I'm sort of out of options at the moment, looking for suggestions on what to do. Thanks.

Richard308

are they more than 10 Round capacity by any chance?

tonysopprano

Contact the supplier to see if they have been sent back.

Post-Brexit, An Post seem to have taken over the job of customs, refusing and sending back items that

1. were not recorded electronically
2. if the item did not have a 10digit TARIC code

They do not bother to update the tracking system with this information and your item looks to be in limbo with customs, when in fact An Post have refused it and have/will send it back before it gets to customs

Wadi14

I have recently received a trigger from Canada, it was held for 6 days in that time they sent me out the customs fees once I paid them online it was released and I received it the next day.

Munsterlad102

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122692359#Comment_122692359

Nope, I bought 2 short body 10 rounders and 3 long body 10 rounders. Although this shouldn't matter, I bought 16 round magazines for my pistol before and had no bother with customs.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122693772#Comment_122693772

I haven't even gotten a text or a letter from customs asking to pay the fees.

MickS12

Was it sent by Royal Mail? Ive had similar trouble before and their tracker updated to say the item was being returned to sender quicker than the An Post tracker did.

BSA International

I had a trigger from US returned to supplier a few months ago. They refunded cost price but I lost shipping fees 🤬

An Post or Customs never contacted me.

What option do we have here?

Munsterlad102

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122695215#Comment_122695215

Any chance you can remember how long it took customs to examine it?

BSA International

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122695839#Comment_122695839

Not sure who returned it. Supplier told me it was marked "not allowed" & returned to them. Total time from leaving US to me being notified by supplier that they had received it back was approx 2 x weeks

Wadi14

Mine was an OEM part that isn't manufactured anymore, the only place I could get one was Canada.

I contacted the shop in Canada and they said no problem sending to Ireland, no paper work required their end. I then contacted Dept. of Justice to see if I needed an import license or anything this end, I was told nothing required.

I tracked the trigger to Customs Dublin and waited a few days to see what was going to happen next.

Anpost customs fees letter came in I paid it and the trigger was released same day.

tonysopprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122695945#Comment_122695945

I think you will find that An Post took it upon themselves to return it as not allowed before it even gets to customs.

An Post are getting too big for their pants and now have jobsworths who think they are law enforcers.

Maybe FOI application regarding this to get to the bottom of it and maybe start a case.

BSA International

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122698842#Comment_122698842

Thanks for that.

Where would FOI be sent? An Post?

freddieot

An Post will drag that out, wear you down and confuse any answer so much that they are not to blame.

Comreg are the Regulator. The way to get any traction on these type of complaints is to go directly to them. They will investigate on your behalf and get a fast response.

Make sure you have all your details, especially the tracking numbers for each shipment.

It's considerably more effective if a couple of people coordinate their approach as that shows a deliberate policy rather than an isolated incident etc.

BSA International

THanks freddie

Grizzly 45

An Post and Irish customs are the most unapproachable and Kafkaesque operations I've ever had to deal with. There is IMHO a deliberate wall put up between them and their "customers" by fobbing off everyone with email and unanswered dead end phone numbers.

I've recently imported a "Unique" Model L .22 rifle from France. Or better said I paid for one to be imported and to be delivered to an Irish gun dealer pending the issuance of an Irish license and it is now stuck in Customs in Athlone and under a legal wrangle because of a paperwork error on the French side. This could have been sorted by a call from C&E to either me or the gun dealer to confirm the wrong address for delivery.

Oh NO,the C&E have decided that it is also the wrong import cert, because the trigger group looks like a pistol minus the barrel,so they are trying to make out it's utterly wrong paperwork.

Despite there being beside it a rifle stock and barrel in the second package,as per mandatory EU rules on firearms shipping, where it is fitted into. They have held onto it for the last 6 weeks and declared it contraband, despite it having a legal import cert from DoJ, for a 22 rifle and a French export cert for a rifle.

AGS contacted me about this and being satisfied it is a clerical issue and nothing sinister. It took me an afternoon of "ring around the Customs numbers" to get a contact email from ROSSLARE for the Athlone office.

Get this!!!. There is NO dedicated 24/7/365 manned number for Irish customs& excise,its a case of whoever picks up the phone in whatever branch will deal with you.So if your problem is Athlone,the call might be to Shannon or Rosslare or whomever else picks up the phone.The next call you make might then end up in Foynes Port or Dublin airport! Even when you manage to pin down the agent who is dealing with this matter and their email address. You don't even get the courtesy of a returned call or email.

So I've dumped this all into my solicitor's hands now and we'll probably have a day in court to sort this all out.

Definately an operation with too much power and too little responsibility to those it is supposed to serve.

Munsterlad102

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122701317#Comment_122701317

I thought there was a court case overturning Revenue and Customs ban on importing unlicensed pistols.

otmmyboy2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702003#Comment_122702003

There isn't an issue with dealers importing pistols without end user licences anymore.
The issue above is it was imported as a rifle, while customs deem it to be a pistol so the import doc doesn't apply to it(wrong classification).

chris20

Hey,

Sent you a PM there, I work for AnPost

BSA International

SImilar to OP.

Ordered trigger from US.

I emailed DOJ to see if import permit required. Advised no.

Forwarded same & copy of my licence to supplier. They attached same to package.

Package with An Post since Oct 6th ( as far as I can tell from tracking).

Contacted An Post last week they told me it had cleared Customs and was with Revenue.

Contacted them today and was told it's held up at customs due to problem with USPS customs declaration

This Is a joke !

Munsterlad102

Update: got a letter from custons stating they've seized my magazines. I emailed the customs officers asking for the specific reason. Still waiting for that response, but I reckon it's never coming. I also emailed the DOJ and they confirmed that no import license was required. I will be filing a notice of claim shortly if I don't get any response from customs.

Grizzly 45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122763425#Comment_122763425

Dont forget to remind them of the High court Rochford case that found that C&E was at fault for holding onto magazines claiming they need an import cert.

Grizzly 45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122701317#Comment_122701317

UPDATE.

Finally got this issue cleared with customs. Received a pompous letter from customs via my solr informing us that after consultations and studying the evidence, they are releasing the gun to my dealer.It took them only 8 weeks to figure out that this was a clerical error in putting down the wrong delivery address, and they needed to involve AGS, the DOJ firearms expert and two personal interviews, despite having the evidence of both import and export certs with the correct address to send it to.

FURTHER UPDATE

Rang the most high Poobah in charge of this delay,this afternoon, as there has been a week's delay already. He assured me that he or one of his minions will be delivering the gun in person to the dealer on Thursday.

This concludes Phase One of this lengthy project

otmmyboy2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122857322#Comment_122857322

🤣 2 customs wins in the one day, what are the odds @Gumbo 🤣

Nice one Grizz, delighted that sense(eventually) prevailed!

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122857527#Comment_122857527

😂

That’s it, I think we will run for office now !!!

Grizzly 45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122857555#Comment_122857555

On pro-gun people running in the general election. The owner of Ardee Sports up in Louth, David Brennan is running as an independent I belive. So he might be worth a vote.