Overseas purchases - USA.

[rob streeper]

Paul,

What caused the problem with the file handle? Wasn't it declared or was it due to the wood?

Thanks,
Rob

[Bushmiller]

Rob

The problem was both.

I did not know the handle had been thrown in as a freebee. I probably had twenty or thirty parcel sitting in storage at Shipito. The "Preferred Carrier" option was by far the cheapest so I selected all the goods that did not have a timber component for shipping with the "Preferred Carrier" method. This is bearing in mind that the majority of my purchases were vintage hand saws with timber handles so it was the smaller proportion of the stored items.

It was knocked back on shipping by the "Preferred Carrier" when they saw the file handle: Part of my instructions were to remove surplus packaging back to the original packaging, which in the case of the files would have been the manufacturer's box. The file handle was just loose. I was then asked to chose another method of shipping which increased the cost by US$70!

This all took place at Shipito: Not further down the freight track.

Regards
Paul

[node105]

Drillit

another option MIGHT be to use a purchase and ship service like PriceUSA, a local Oz company. Your goods may not fall within their normal sphere, but worth an enquiry I would think. I have used them a couple/few times and found them to be extremely responsive and communicative. They have locals in the US that do the purchase, inspect and ship. Those locals forward photos on receipt of the local delivery, so one can confirm condition and correct goods; again all very communicative.

https://www.priceusa.com.au/about.html

[hiroller]

According to a message I got from Shipito today, they no longer send any wooden product to Australia.

This notification is to inform you that your mailout for package(s) EP has been cancelled by our admin for the following reason: We are not able to ship any wood or wooden items to Australia due to import regulations. All wooden items have additional documentation requirements and such items are subject to quarantine upon entry into Australia. Not only does the quarantine process delay shipments, substantial fees would be charged to Shipito for any shipment going through the quarantine and inspection process. Your mailout request has been cancelled. Therefore, you must decide between the following two options how you would like Shipito, LLC to dispose of the items in question: 1. Place a special request to have the specified items/parcel disposed. 2. Have the restricted item(s) returned to the merchant. To do this please submit a special request with a prepaid return shipping label and we will return the parcel on your behalf. The special request fee will be $5 USD and there will also be a processing fee of $2 USD applied. If you have any questions or concerns about shipping items in the future, please refer to our website for a listing of restricted and prohibited items or contact our team for additional assistance. If you have any questions about this cancellation, please contact customer support.

[Bushmiller]

Gavin

That's disturbing news. Do we know whether this is factual and if it is whether it has been recently introduced? I might have to undertake some sleuthing; Not that I stand a chance of competing with you.

I hope this also is not too much of a problem with your purchases via Shipito.

Regards
Paul

[hiroller]

Could be an issue for me. Will find out when they respond tonight.

[hiroller]

Still haven't heard from Shipito but it seem that the Australian Government has tightened the import requirements as of Nov 29.
https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/Bic...ue&IsAEP=False

[ian]

Given that, I'd contact the department and ask the question. Handles attached to a tool (plane, saw, chisel, hammer, etc) and wooden planes would appear to be an oversight given what else is covered. A wooden plane has had more processing than a wooden plate.

[Bushmiller]

This is a link to importation of restricted and banned goods.

Importing prohibited and restricted goods

Regards
Paul

[FenceFurniture]

Given that, I'd contact the department and ask the question. Handles attached to a tool (plane, saw, chisel, hammer, etc) and wooden planes would appear to be an oversight given what else is covered. A wooden plane has had more processing than a wooden plate.

As a result of the other thread that is running (concerning importing wooden planes), I actually rang the Dept of Ag yesterday on 1800 900 090 and spoke to "Paul".

The bottom line is that common sense prevails. If you don't try to pull a shoofty on them, then they will be fair to you and your parcel will be delivered. Things like fees for inspections, fumigation etc are largely to do with commercial quantities.

So, looking at the link from Gavin, and running down the list:
a. No permit is required from Dept Ag
b. No insects or other biosecurity risks (soil, seeds, bark etc)
c. Highly processed wooden articles are easy peasy to get through legally (more on that in a minute)
d. As above
e. your package might be inspected
f. for commercial quantities only
g. pertains to container importing

So "Paul" and I discussed wooden planes (both new and used), and dried Chilli Powder which might come from, say aaahh, San Antonio Tx, which as I understand things is the home to some mighty fine red and green chilli powders. Eh Rob?

New wooden planes - no problem. Used wooden planes - no problem.
"Paul, one of our guys (Ian) raised the question of residual dust and shavings in used planes"
"No problem"
"What about mites or summink in the dust"
"No problem" (beats me)

So, and as I summarised in the other thread, you can get the sender to declare that there are "highly processed timber products/parts/components" in the package, and it will be inspected upon arrival, re-sealed and put back on the conveyor for delivery to you

OR

you can have nothing mentioned about timber, and the package will be X-rayed as a matter of course, and it will probably be inspected upon arrival (because the timber will show up), re-sealed and put back on the conveyor for delivery to you. There are no fines/fees for this. They may drop a form into the package to say that it has been opened for inspection (I guess so that you don't wonder why the packaging has been interfered with). I have seen such a form once or twice.

If they contact you for clarification of anything it can usually be resolved by emailing invoices or maybe a filled form.

We did not discuss what constitutes a highly processed timber item, but just use common sense.


With regard to Shipito:
Those who are familiar with them will know that is is run by (deleted deleted) people who are not necessarily the shiniest spoon in the drawer. A year or two ago they said that Australia Post would not carry timber items. One wonders how Mapleman has been getting away with it all these years. As we know, this is complete tosh, but Shipito hide behind their "agreement" with AP - this is just to make live easier for Shipito.

Fedex have bought out TNT and Fedex now refuse to carry boxes that have been consolidated. They do not have a problem carrying timber items - this again is just Shipito trying to make their own lives easier, rather than any perceived compliance. In fact, all they would have to do is make provision on the Customs Dec to tick a box "may contain highly finished timber items" and the whole problem would be solved.

Liquids (not flammable) used to be able to be sent by the more expensive DHL. I doubt that any flammable liquids can be air freighted.

NOTE: I am somewhat out of touch with Shipito, and have only sent one package in the last year or so because they are virtually useless to me now, with consolidation and timber restrictions. Maybe things have changed from my descriptions, but I don't recall being alerted by them.

[FenceFurniture]

A wooden plane has had more processing than a wooden plate.

Yes, but both qualify as "highly finished timber items". I suspect that even the piece of She Oak that I sent you a while back would qualify because it was sanded and oiled ("It's an ornament mate"). What did I describe it as? A candlestick? Where the customer drills his own hole?

EDIT: To clarify, I am of the opinion that "highly finished" in the case of timber means, no bark, not rough sawn - probably sanded, preferably finished with something but not necessarily (because bugs can eat through finish anyway). To illustrate, I believe that even one of Pac Man's bodgered (not bodgy) spoons would qualify as highly finished. It would be easily inspected and easily seen that there are no borers etc, and I think this is probably the overriding point - they don't really care how much craft has gone into it - they want to be able to rule out bugs.

[Bushmiller]

Brett

You are right on the money with your assessment. Several times Shipito in the past said I could not ship timber goods and I would reply, yes I can and I have done. I would ask them to place a note on my file to this effect and they would agree, but then I would have to go through the same rigmarole the next time too. I contacted Australia post regarding prohibition of timber shipping. They told me it wasn't them. Speaking to Shipito they said it was the carrier their end. They did not tell me the name of the carrier.

On the current issue of total ban, I have phoned the dept of Ag this morning and they (Nicole this time) confirmed that "processed" timber, as in saw handles, is not a problem. I am currently waiting on customs (one hour so far) and posting on the Forums while I wait. I have gone from 10th caller in the queue to 2nd!

Regards
Paul

[FenceFurniture]

I suspect that Customs will refer you back to Nicole. The only problem that I can foresee is if the sender won't write "highly finished timber items" on the Customs Dec. Even then it would seem that DeptAg (Dag?) take a pragmatic view - open, check, close move on.

Now if you had a really large box full of handles, and it was not declared....that might be different because it will take them quite some time to inspect it all, and they charge by the hour. For a quick inspection that takes between 1-5 minutes open to close I doubt they could be fagged raising the paperwork to bill you. Pragmatic, common sense.

[Bushmiller]

Brett

I am confident three hand saws will not be an issue. The knife blanks may be an issue as the manufacturer's packaging was removed to save volume and weight. Notification by customs of a prohibited item can take up to thirty days apparently.

Regards
Paul

[rob streeper]

.

As far as I know SA isn't the home of any particularly auspicious chile's, more like New Mexico and the Hatch chile's.

South Texas is more of a salsa/ pico de gallo area. 3X bunches of chopped cilantro, 2 X diced red bell peppers, 3 or 4 nice jalapeno's, a large yellow onion, juice of 5 medium limes and 2 lemons, salt to taste, season overnight in the fridge and serve with Julio's tortilla chips and margarita's. - um um