A friend sent me some tobacco from Switzerland, has anyone encountered the same situation?
A Letter from Customs
- Thread starter Woo
- Start date
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Sorry to hear of your problem with the US Customs.
All too familiar, I'm afraid.
I've had several packages impounded by Oz Customs over the years.
A lot of tobacconists in the UK and EU have stopped supplying overseas customers because of this.
I wanted to send some cigars to a buddy living in Malaysia pre-Xmas
I was told at the postal service that the parcel would likely be impounded by Oz Customs
Thankfully I got a friend to courier it over in his hand luggage.
The (anti-)Fun Police is ever present these days
We're entering into a Sad New World of Neo-Prohibition
All too familiar, I'm afraid.
I've had several packages impounded by Oz Customs over the years.
A lot of tobacconists in the UK and EU have stopped supplying overseas customers because of this.
I wanted to send some cigars to a buddy living in Malaysia pre-Xmas
I was told at the postal service that the parcel would likely be impounded by Oz Customs
Thankfully I got a friend to courier it over in his hand luggage.
The (anti-)Fun Police is ever present these days
We're entering into a Sad New World of Neo-Prohibition
Europe has always had some good tobacco, and the high-tech equipment is too sensitive to always find these packages.Sorry to hear of your problem with the US Customs.
All too familiar, I'm afraid.
I've had several packages impounded by Oz Customs over the years.
A lot of tobacconists in the UK and EU have stopped supplying overseas customers because of this.
I wanted to send some cigars to a buddy living in Malaysia pre-Xmas
I was told at the postal service that the parcel would likely be impounded by Oz Customs
Thankfully I got a friend to courier it over in his hand luggage.
The (anti-)Fun Police is ever present these days
We're entering into a Sad New World of Neo-Prohibition
A buddy has been getting 1-2 tins in from an online retailer in the USA quite regularly
He is careful to buy in small quantities and changes up his address, and using other family names, so the Oz Customs don't cotton on
AND the shipments are usually labelled "hobby supplies"
It's legal to mail limited quantities of pipe tobacco but a single cigarette in the package or improper labeling can cause problems.
You might try printing the USPS postal code that says and sending/presenting it to help get your package. Some .gov employees won't believe you otherwise and they are very ignorant of the law.
Get with it, people.
Tobacco is EVIL and must be eventually banned. The end.
HOWEVER...
Marjuana is GOOD and getting more legal every day, and
Hard drugs are GOOD and they're trying like hell to make 'em socially acceptable:
I'm sure that monetary profit for those in charge of making the rules, and self-indulgence after decades of easy living for those who consume the stuff have nothing to do with the shift. [cough cough]
Tobacco is EVIL and must be eventually banned. The end.
HOWEVER...
Marjuana is GOOD and getting more legal every day, and
Hard drugs are GOOD and they're trying like hell to make 'em socially acceptable:
I'm sure that monetary profit for those in charge of making the rules, and self-indulgence after decades of easy living for those who consume the stuff have nothing to do with the shift. [cough cough]
Here in Oregon they have already decriminalized heroin and offer free needles to addicts. Fentanyl is also everywhere now and we let it flow into our country through open borders. Fentanyl is a killer too, with even minute quantities leading to overdose. There was a case in Florida recently where a family rented a vacation house and their toddler apparently died from ingesting a trace amount of Fentanyl that was left behind after a party at the house by a previous renter. The fatal amount was the equivalent of a few grains of salt.
I'm not entirely sure the issue is with US Customs, but with the USPS itself. In 2018 and 2019 an increasing number of shipments from Estervals were sent back to Germany by the USPS. In 2020, a shipment from Esterval's made it's way back and forth across the US over a period of nearly 6 months, came within 30 miles of where I live and suddenly wound up at LAX, being sent back to Germany.
When I finally got through to a customer service rep with the USPS she claimed that Customs ordered the shipment returned. I called Customs and their service rep was adamant that they had nothing to do with it, pointing out a lack of a customs entry on my tracking and the fact that US Customs NEVER, EVER, orders a shipment to be sent back as they have no budget for paying for that.
Rather, they seize the merchandise, send out a message to the recipient requesting information that would allow them to release the merchandise, and failing to get that, either put the merchandise up for auction or destroy it after 30 days in impound. This action was taken by the USPS on its own. Unfortunately, I believe that's the case here.
Since Esterval's changed its method of delivery, shipments have come through in a week or less, since the USPS never gets its claws on it, and only a few shipments have had any kinds of problems.
Last year I received a shipment of tobacco from a friend living in Switzerland and another from a friend in the UK. I had no expectations that either would get to me, given the USPS's behavior, but both arrived safe and sound. With tobacco shipments from outside the US, it's something of a coin toss as to whether you will ever see it.
I had it happen to me, and my father did too. We both got that letter and nothing more became of it. You can't control what some one mails you, and your friend isn't American so what are they gonna do.
Customs hell, I sent three boxes of tobacco and pipes domestically in the US over the past two years. Two were lost and I got a notification that one was destroyed in transit.
THe other thing that is so screwed up about this is that the letter cites regulations pertaining to "smokeless tobacco" and cigarettes, neither of which apply to pipe tobacco. Another case of an overzealous and completely ignorant USPS employee deciding to make up policy.
Why no pic of the actual specifics in the letter? Probably useful info if you want folks to explain someone else's letter.