Customs grab mini griptillian

[Aliwren]

Following good reviews I ordered a benchmade mini griptillian knife from a uk web site. I have just received an email from the seller saying there may be a problem - customs have stopped the knife coming into the country (I didnt know it was being imported!) and may confiscate the knife - if not then it may take weeks of paperwork to sort.

The seller says this has happen once before and says it is due to some grip knives having a slightly loose bolt when supplied so they can be flicked open and customs 'may' therefore consider them illegal.

I am fuming about this as whilst my knowledge of uk knife law is limited I was certain the knife fell within the 'restrictions' and as it was to be for daily use on a farm I though it would be ideal.

Has anyone else heard of this issue, any advice?

 

[Quickbeam]

Have a look here

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4964&highlight=customs+griptilian+gravity

and here

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6542&highlight=customs+griptilian+gravity

Nick

 

[BorderReiver]

HMCE have no right to stop import or confiscate your knife.

The fact that it is loose and thus able to "flick" open is irrelevant.

There was a long thread on BB on just this topic,if someone can find the link it will be very useful to you.

EDIT Must learn to type faster.

 

[spamel]

I'd love to know where all of these so called confiscated knives go, I've got a fair idea though and it's making me mad just thinking about it

 

[Aliwren]

Thanks for the links guys - wish I knew before I ordered!!

 

[Lurch]

It certainly isn't a gravity knife, but this bother is why the Doug Ritter versions of these are shipped with the pivot tightened.
However since you have bought from a UK web site I would suggest that it is up to the vendor to sort out the problem for you.

 

[Lemoneyewash]

It certainly isn't a gravity knife, but this bother is why the Doug Ritter versions of these are shipped with the pivot tightened.
However since you have bought from a UK web site I would suggest that it is up to the vendor to sort out the problem for you.

Exactly.

Your contract of sale is with your UK supplier.

Whatever problems HE has with his overseas supplier are irrelevant.

 

[Stew]

Personally I would ask for my money back and go somewhere else with it.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

As stated you purchased the knife from a seller based/hosted in the UK.

The vendor knew the item was to be sent to a customer in the UK and accepted your money thus confirming the transaction - hopefully without contacting you or having stated in the small print of the website that there may be problems at UK Customs and UK legal ownership.

The vendor was totally aware there was an issue – he/she had previous experience of this happening BEFORE. Therefore it is his/her responsibility to resolve this issue.

Phil

 

[mojofilter]

I fail to see how a UK seller can offer something for sale, and then claim it was confiscated by customs.

Would you be so good as to share who the retailer is?

 

[Aliwren]

Sorry I didnt clarify I have no issue with the seller who has contacted me and taken full responsibility offering either a full refund or a re-order (though presumably the same could happen again?!) so hopefully I am not out of pocket.

I am annoyed that what appears to be a legal knife may be confiscated or severely delayed (it was for a birthday present!) - reading the British Blades threads it looks like anyone importing this knife risks the same problem, yet from all of the reviews I read before choosing this knife loads of you already own them so presumably they were imported! Anyone else ordering I would specifically check with the seller that they physically have the knife before ordering.

 

[Simon E]

This is what happens when the guy is using a sort of drop ship method.

1: He can't check to see if it should have passed QC, although Benchmade are usually fine in the QC department.
2: He cant tighten the pivot so that the post lobotomy cases in customs dont think its a WMD.

There is no such thing as a bargain, better to pay a few pounds more and get it from someone in the UK that already has it in stock.

 

[Brian]

Simon E,

I know there is rarely such a thing as a bargain, but I wanted the Benchmade/Ritter RSK and it is only avaliable from the USA (as far as I know), I had no problem with it getting through customs but I did get a rather large bill from them for Tax. I must agree though with Mojofitter, how can a seller offer you something that he doesn't actually have, but it is good that the seller is dealing with your problem Aliwren, are you going to order another or go for something else.

Brian

 

[Simon E]

how can a seller offer you something that he doesn't actually have

This is very common in the US

Example: Dealer pricing from a Distributor $50 MSRP $85.00 and the distributor drop ships. This means that they will send it from their warehouse not yours(So you dont have to physically stock anything) with an invoice from you. If you are willing to make less profit per item and you are not violating any agreements like advertising a product for less than MSRP (Leatherman comes to mind) then you can sell it for whatever you want. To the best of my knowledge/experience some of the sellers in the US are making about $10.00 on a folder that would have a MSRP of around $170.00. If you sell enought of them though you are bucks up.

 

[British Red]

VDS (Vendor Srop Ship) is very common in the UK too. Actually everyone from B&Q to Argos to Tesco do it on large, bulky and specialist items. So for example, a custom made granite worktop may be ordered as part of a B&Q kitchen but delivered direct to a customers home by a sub-contract manufacturer. Equally well many catalogue companies don't have room to store large furniture, so, when they take your order, they raise a purchase order on another company to ship directly to you. In any event however, the contract is formed by "offer" (the advert), "acceptance" (your order) and "consideration" (payment).

This contract is between the seller and the purchaser and any arrangement the seller makes for the vendor to supply you is their problem and not the purchasers. The only terms that apply to that contract are those explicitly made prior to or during the act of purchase - they cannot be subsequently imposed (e.g. you have to pay iport duty etc.). Boring, but useful to know

Red