Buying pipes overseas into US

[Pipercat]

Have a wierd situation. Bought a few pipes from across the pond, three in separate purchases from eBay, and apparently someone in my post office flagged them as PACT contraband.

I told them there was no cigarettes, smokeless, or ENDS (vape) in the packages, and to open them. I instructed them to dispose of anything they deemed to be contraband.

They eventually released two of them, but they still have one sitting there and they won't tell me why. Been sitting for over two weeks now.

They were all briar pipes, new.

I talked to eBay, and they consulted thier legal team, and came back and told me this is overreach, and there is no restriction on importing wood pipes for personal use.

This was thru eBay, so taxes were paid, so that could not be the issue.

The seller is alo very confused.

The customs declaration was "cigar/cigarette holder" on the two USPS released. (They all cleared customs) I can only guess that was the closest thing the mail service in the originating country had in their system, or was some kind of language issue.

Anyone know if there was new deeming regulations added to the PACT act that now includes wood pipes? Or was it possibly the declaration?

 

[WhiteCrown]

I have no idea, but at a glance it seems to me that eBay's legal team is correct. I will commiserate you by telling you that I trust USPS workers as much as I trust the crackhead on the corner to deliver something for me. My last experience with them was an $8k shipment of 56 knives that I received repackaged with one of those "we're sorry you package was damaged" slips. They cut the label off the original box and re-boxed them in a nitrile gloves box. The original label said 26lbs, which had a new label slapped over it in Chicago that said 18lbs. There were 15 knives missing, valued at over $2k.

I believe the postal workers did in fact damage the box, and that happens. However when the 56 knives wouldn't fit in the smaller box, they probably re-allocated 15 of them to themselves and their friends.

I find it hard to believe that a box of 56 knives exploded, launching 15 of the knives so far away they couldn't find them... aaand they just so happened to only find the exact amount that would fit in this second box they used. Insurance covered the loss, but I have little faith that the perpetrators will be caught. Those people are still there, handling YOUR mail too. That's the last time I trust USPS with more than a letter or magazine.

I hope someone didn't just happen to really like your third pipe and "lost" it accidentally on purpose.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

You’d need to specify the originating country and the carrier for anyone to have a fighting chance to understand but sure sounds like the issue lies with who shipped it and how.

Should be nothing to do with briar pipes on this end.

 

[kcghost]

You once again run afoul of some low-level drone at the post office that elected you to be the one who gets to feel his righteous indignation to request the package be delivered to you. The is just the way of bureaucrats who let the work be done at the lowest level as possible with the least possible supervision.

 

[Pipercat]

You’d need to specify the originating country and the carrier for anyone to have a fighting chance to understand but sure sounds like the issue lies with who shipped it and how.

Should be nothing to do with briar pipes on this end.

Thanks. It is from Armenia, and was cleared by customs. He has mailed hundreds of pipes to the US, never had this happen.

Seems I have run afoul of an employee that does not really understand the law, and now they have to follow through with it.

Kind of like getting pulled over by an officer that doesn't know the law. Just as bad.

They just have me questioning reality at the moment. Also the "cloak and dagger" treatment, not telling me anything, doesn't help.

 

[warren]

Sounds as though you need an attorney who specializes in such things. An initial consultation should be free or very low cost. Of course, if it is an inexpensive pipe you might consider the entire affair simply as a learning experience. But, all you'll really find asking here are opinions and conspiracy theories. Well, unless there is a legal eagle willing to dispense advice or, the company you purchased from wishes to trace and find the pipe or reimburse you.

As you never received the item you should be looking to the responsibility party, the vendor, for satisfaction. They are the party responsible for your predicament, not the postal services. The vendor reimburses you and deals with the postal services. There is no reason for you to need to deal with the government agency. That's the responsibility of the shipper.

 

[Pipercat]

Sounds as though you need an attorney who specializes in such things. An initial consultation should be free or very low cost. Of course, if it is an inexpensive pipe you might consider the entire affair simply as a learning experience. But, all you'll really find asking here are opinions and conspiracy theories. Well, unless there is a legal eagle willing to dispense advice or, the company you purchased from wishes to trace and find the pipe or reimburse you.

As you never received the item you should be looking to the responsibility party, the vendor, for satisfaction. They are the party responsible for your predicament, not the postal services. The vendor reimburses you and deals with the postal services.

I did consult with a lawyer. He said the worst that will happen, is they will seize it, lawful or not, even out of spite. It was thru eBay, and I talked with them, and they will refund me if that happens.

We have been making plans to move, I just see this as a sign, lol.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Thanks. It is from Armenia, and was cleared by customs. He has mailed hundreds of pipes to the US, never had this happen.

Seems I have run afoul of an employee that does not really understand the law, and now they have to follow through with it.

Kind of like getting pulled over by an officer that doesn't know the law. Just as bad.

They just have me questioning reality at the moment. Also the "cloak and dagger" treatment, not telling me anything, doesn't help.

If the description on the declaration runs afoul of some reg that’s really not on the employee - what is the exact issue?

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

And pics of the pipes at issue? Normal briar pipes or something else?

 

[anotherbob]

I said it before but the rules on what tobacco paraphernalia can be shipped is really poorly written. And leaves it up to unqualified people to determine if the product is safe or even what constitutes safe.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I said it before but the rules on what tobacco paraphernalia can be shipped is really poorly written. And leaves it up to unqualified people to determine if the product is safe or even what constitutes safe.

Briar pipes aren’t cigarette holders so not sure why this even popped up here.

 

[anotherbob]

Briar pipes aren’t cigarette holders so not sure why this even popped up here.

Yeah like I said not a bad law but a poorly worded law. It really leaves the people who have to abide by it very confused. Just think of that boss that asks you to do something but won't clarify anything and you just have to try and please them even though they didn't clearly state how to do the thing that you have to do..... Yeah it's about that bad.

 

[bullet08]

Current USPS employees in certain areas suck. Ours are relatively functional. I give them 10 more years before the USPS employees can't read handwritten addresses. OK, maybe 5.

 

[Pipercat]

And pics of the pipes at issue? Normal briar pipes or something else?

Briar and bamboo, poker style, hard rubber (Vulcanite) bit, nothing exotic, no ivory ect... It is custom/collectable, otherwise I wouldn't be too worried about it.

I talked to a coworker tonight, that used to work for USPS, and he said that it was probably just someone who didn't know any better, or had a rub against me, alerted the inspector, and once that is put in place it has to be treated as contraband until it is opened and inspected. He told me they only have 1 inspector for each county, so that may explain why it is taking forever.

Thing that sucks is I am at the mercy of my local inspectors' imagination. If the inspector thinks it is, it is, even if it isn't. Makes for poor sleep for me until this is over.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Briar and bamboo, poker style, hard rubber (Vulcanite) bit, nothing exotic, no ivory ect... It is custom/collectable, otherwise I wouldn't be too worried about it.

I talked to a coworker tonight, that used to work for USPS, and he said that it was probably just someone who didn't know any better, or had a rub against me, alerted the inspector, and once that is put in place it has to be treated as contraband until it is opened and inspected. He told me they only have 1 inspector for each county, so that may explain why it is taking forever.

Thing that sucks is I am at the mercy of my local inspectors' imagination. If the inspector thinks it is, it is, even if it isn't. Makes for poor sleep for me until this is over.

Maybe, maybe not. The package doesn’t declare accurately what is in it. That’s all you’ve shared that’s not speculation other than it came from Armenia.

 

[captpat]

I've found customs to be increasingly arbitrary and capricious in their decision making, particularly with anything related to smoking. I no longer consider purchasing from overseas to avoid this nonsense. Best of luck in sorting this out.

 

[AJL67]

I do enjoy “consulted the legal team” which actually and literally means they looked at a shipping pdf in their knowledge base.

I had a woman that i deal with all the time at my local PO tell me i couldn’t ship tobacco through the mail so i asked to see where it says that because online it said i could, she didn’t bother she just scanned it in and gave me my receipt.

 

[BriarBrook]

I have no idea, but at a glance it seems to me that eBay's legal team is correct. I will commiserate you by telling you that I trust USPS workers as much as I trust the crackhead on the corner to deliver something for me. My last experience with them was an $8k shipment of 56 knives that I received repackaged with one of those "we're sorry you package was damaged" slips. They cut the label off the original box and re-boxed them in a nitrile gloves box. The original label said 26lbs, which had a new label slapped over it in Chicago that said 18lbs. There were 15 knives missing, valued at over $2k.

I believe the postal workers did in fact damage the box, and that happens. However when the 56 knives wouldn't fit in the smaller box, they probably re-allocated 15 of them to themselves and their friends.

I find it hard to believe that a box of 56 knives exploded, launching 15 of the knives so far away they couldn't find them... aaand they just so happened to only find the exact amount that would fit in this second box they used. Insurance covered the loss, but I have little faith that the perpetrators will be caught. Those people are still there, handling YOUR mail too. That's the last time I trust USPS with more than a letter or magazine.

I hope someone didn't just happen to really like your third pipe and "lost" it accidentally on purpose.

The same people who are screwing up your taco bell order are the same people who can't get your items shipped to you are the same people who want $200k+ to screw up your medical care. Idiots abound, no matter how high up or how well paid.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I've found customs to be increasingly arbitrary and capricious in their decision making, particularly with anything related to smoking. I no longer consider purchasing from overseas to avoid this nonsense. Best of luck in sorting this out.

OP should have tracking that shows where this package went to clear customs if it made its way to the local post office. He may very well have a legit gripe with the local office but seems more about joining the forum to gripe so far - there’s a 50 post minimum for that!

 

[pappymac]

You once again run afoul of some low-level drone at the post office that elected you to be the one who gets to feel his righteous indignation to request the package be delivered to you. The is just the way of bureaucrats who let the work be done at the lowest level as possible with the least possible supervision.

Either that or it was some low-level drone at the post office who saw what it was and decided to keep it.