OMG they got my Venezuelan too! :(( - Update page 6!

[shelti]

Unfortunately only $50 was declared on the slip so even if I spent the time and international phone cost to pursue american customs (the tape said Homeland Security?) I would never get back what I spent...

Then it was not because a high value was on the form, Homeland Security is not Customs.  I wonder what is going on, they must have some sort of warning to be watching for.  It's a shame the pony was caught up in it.

[Avea2006]

What the tape says exactly is "Opened for U.S. Customs and Border Protection" and beside that is the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security symbol. I don't know if that clarifies anything though...

[Chi]

Was it shipped from Venezuela and then passed through the US into Canada..? Or was it shipped from the US to Canada..? Either way that's still awful that all these gorgeous MIB ponies are being forced to no longer be MIB because they can't simply use a drug dog or a scanner....

[Ponyland]

Oh nooo!! I'm so sorry for you!!

And really scared now ...

[Saoirse]

Oh that is just horrible...not obviously as something that affects me directly but as a collector its upsetting to see them destroyed You should get some sort of compensation..

[Pangel]

UK customs touch-wood haven't done anything of this nature so far - being part of the EU, parcels from other EU countries don't really get checked.

They have however just started charging ridiculous fees now for packages arriving outside the EU. A seller put the amount that I'd paid for the mail order Mummy and Baby set on the outside of the box ($300) and I had to pay £40 import fees, plus an £8 'handling fee'. Made me feel sick!

[Lilith1981]

I must have sent over 100 packages to the US and Canada from Spain (mostly Mediterranean sea glass) and it was only opened once by customs, so they're obviously less preoccupied with things coming from the EU.

[willa]

This is so sad and i'm so sorry to hear this Avea : (  I am awaiting a pony too and I am very very nervous right now.  x

[hathorcat]

UK customs touch-wood haven't done anything of this nature so far - being part of the EU, parcels from other EU countries don't really get checked.

They have however just started charging ridiculous fees now for packages arriving outside the EU. A seller put the amount that I'd paid for the mail order Mummy and Baby set on the outside of the box ($300) and I had to pay £40 import fees, plus an £8 'handling fee'. Made me feel sick!

Trust me this isnt a new thing unfortunately! UK customs import customs, clearance and admin fees are terrifying and have been for years! They are hot on everything over a declared value of about £20

Personally I think UK customs are more about making money now than actually stopping anything being imported!

[Lyra]

Oh crap I'm so sorry they did that , that sucks 'gouged her leg' hopefully only on the inside?? xx

[tinrobo]

UK customs touch-wood haven't done anything of this nature so far - being part of the EU, parcels from other EU countries don't really get checked.

They have however just started charging ridiculous fees now for packages arriving outside the EU. A seller put the amount that I'd paid for the mail order Mummy and Baby set on the outside of the box ($300) and I had to pay £40 import fees, plus an £8 'handling fee'. Made me feel sick!

Trust me this isnt a new thing unfortunately! UK customs import customs, clearance and admin fees are terrifying and have been for years! They are hot on everything over a declared value of about £20

Personally I think UK customs are more about making money now than actually stopping anything being imported!

I agree, it's ridiculous. As if we're not ripped off enough in this country already.

So sorry to see this has happened to another pony, can you get any kind of compensation? Makes me so angry to see how customs can treat them so badly, it's like they assume there's drugs before they even check so they go out of their way to destroy it. >(

[LadyGuinevere]

Oh no, not another one! And not even by the same agency either This is not boding well.

UK customs touch-wood haven't done anything of this nature so far - being part of the EU, parcels from other EU countries don't really get checked.

They have however just started charging ridiculous fees now for packages arriving outside the EU. A seller put the amount that I'd paid for the mail order Mummy and Baby set on the outside of the box ($300) and I had to pay £40 import fees, plus an £8 'handling fee'. Made me feel sick!

Trust me this isnt a new thing unfortunately! UK customs import customs, clearance and admin fees are terrifying and have been for years! They are hot on everything over a declared value of about £20

Personally I think UK customs are more about making money now than actually stopping anything being imported!

Yeah, it can be pretty harsh, especially if you're only *just* over the limit. Yet I've had things with a high declared value come through without customs fees, so they do sometimes slip through!

Just in case, I've already investigated what to do if there's a problem with the one coming to me, but only if it's UK Customs. If it's someone else I'd have no idea!

[Pangel]

Oh no, not another one! And not even by the same agency either This is not boding well.

UK customs touch-wood haven't done anything of this nature so far - being part of the EU, parcels from other EU countries don't really get checked.

They have however just started charging ridiculous fees now for packages arriving outside the EU. A seller put the amount that I'd paid for the mail order Mummy and Baby set on the outside of the box ($300) and I had to pay £40 import fees, plus an £8 'handling fee'. Made me feel sick!

Trust me this isnt a new thing unfortunately! UK customs import customs, clearance and admin fees are terrifying and have been for years! They are hot on everything over a declared value of about £20

Personally I think UK customs are more about making money now than actually stopping anything being imported!

Yeah, it can be pretty harsh, especially if you're only *just* over the limit. Yet I've had things with a high declared value come through without customs fees, so they do sometimes slip through!

Just in case, I've already investigated what to do if there's a problem with the one coming to me, but only if it's UK Customs. If it's someone else I'd have no idea!

It was the first time I'd ever been charged customs on a package - I'm so sad to hear that others have been stung by such a silly money-making system. I've had higher priced goods come before with no fee to pay, but I know Royal Mail are being stricter at enforcing rules.

They're having a real crack-down on making sure packages are the correct size. Our postman (we have a daily collection) had to return 10 bags of post to someone because they were slightly larger than parcel size - he'd been sending them out that way for years, Royal Mail just decided now that it was wrong. That poor person then had to re-pack everything, and re-pay for Royal Mail to deliver.

Oh and postage rates are going up again. YAY. International post is going up by an average of 5% ;__; I feel sorry for people buying abroad.

[Lady.Arachnia]

This is just horrible and indeed very unneccesary! What happened to the Xray and dogs...
Mayby put a paper around the pony box with a warning on it that it is a collectors item and that every thing done to the pony devalue the pony? And then put it in a larger box zo they will she the paper when they openup the package?

[tulagirl]

 I am so sorry this has happened to another person.  I understand why its happening, but I don't understand why they have to be so rough that they ruin things.  I don't think I will be spending money on a Nirvana to face it being ruined or devalued..what a huge loss.  What has the world come to? Geez