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Asomodai

Asomodai

AF-UK patch owner
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Hey gents. 

Taken a turn for the worse. Despite providing my Ukara to PF who passed it on to BF, I have been advised that the rifle has been seized by UK Border Force and a legal notice has been sent to my address. I have no idea what is in the letter. 

Apparently it has been seized under section 36 and 39 of the VCRA. 

It's not looking good ?

 
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not good, possible the shop didn't downgrade it and it's been seized for being too hot?

 
Adolf Hamster said:
not good, possible the shop didn't downgrade it and it's been seized for being too hot?
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That would make it a Firearms Act 1968 Section 5 offence, not a VCRA S36.

Very sorry to hear this.  It sounds like you haven't done anything wrong, but either the seller hasn't put your UKARA number on it, or it's been damaged, or Border Farce don't know or didn't follow their own procedures, or (gulp) they've decided to change them.

Remember, we enjoy a defence to the offence of importing a RIF, and nothing more.  A defence is not a licence, and nothing requires Border Farce to continue to treat it as such, or to let RIFs in to the country.

Good job you got that S75 started.  I just hope that you didn't over-complicate it.  Ordered it, hasn't arrived, not your problem what the story is, monies back.

 
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Rogerborg said:
That would make it a Firearms Act 1968 Section 5 offence, not a VCRA S36.
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PF said section 36 and 39. VCRA Section 39 specifies that the specification of the gun may not match UK specs. So wouldn't that apply?

I am more worried about the legal ramifications of S39 rather then the money at this point!

 
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I had the same problem when I order an AEG which was 400fps from ehobby Asia. 

You will get a Notice of Detention letter, explaining why it has been sized and they will ask you to provide evidence of a valid defence/reason for you to own the item and a defence to support your claim. 

You will also get a  C160  form  that you have to fill out and send with a copy of your defence to support your application to get your stuff back

 I was going to uses my UKARA defence form.

However, in my case, they did not send the C160 to me so I phone them up a number of times on the number  provided  on the letter but received  no answer in the end I emailed: [email protected]  

Told them my situation and provided my UKARA number took them 3 days to respond but they confirmed my UKARA status and release it back to me   I have attached the response I received 

View attachment 50438

 
Sniper780 said:
I had the same problem when I order an AEG which was 400fps from ehobby Asia. 

You will get a Notice of Detention letter, explaining why it has been sized and they will ask you to provide evidence of a valid defence/reason for you to own the item and a defence to support your claim. 

You will also get a  C160  form  that you have to fill out and send with a copy of your defence to support your application to get your stuff back

 I was going to uses my UKARA defence form.

However, in my case, they did not send the C160 to me so I phone them up a number of times on the number  provided  on the letter but received  no answer in the end I emailed: [email protected]  

Told them my situation and provided my UKARA number took them 3 days to respond but they confirmed my UKARA status and release it back to me   I have attached the response I received 

View attachment 50438
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This sounds a little promising. Did they quote Section 39 to you? Why did they release it being 400fps? Did you ask the shop to downgrade it and had proof? Did they know it was above the UK legal limit or did you get lucky and they didn't know or wasn't written in any of the paperwork with the rifle? Sorry for all the questions!

Anyone know if Real Sword stuff comes with FPS test readings on the paperwork?

 
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In the letter, I believe they mentioned VCAR but it was a copy and paste response, If I can find the letter I will confirm. 

They just X-rayed the box and saw the AGE and just doing their job. 

Not sure if they knew the FPS it was an RS type 56-2 and yes all RS products come with an FPS test readings sheet but it in meters a second, not FPS. 

I was not asked if I will downgrade it nor was it a condition that I had to have it downgraded before being released back to me.     

 
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Sniper780 said:
In the letter, I believe they mentioned VCAR but it was a copy and paste response, If I can find the letter I will confirm. 

They just X-rayed the box and saw the AGE and just doing their job. 

Not sure if they knew the FPS it was an RS type 56-2 and yes all RS products come with an FPS test readings sheet but it in meters a second, not FPS. 

I was not asked if I will downgrade it nor was it a condition to it being released back to me.     
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So they ignored the UKARA number on the package? 

 
Phew, sounds like there's still hope then.

On the fps/energy, I'd be surprised if Border Farce agents know about the power limit, or if they do, that they care enough to open the package and find out whether it contains an airsoft gun, or a S5 firearm.

 
I think my UKARA number was damaged in transit,  so they did not see it but they did open it up and check the AEG. 

Then re-wrapped it and put my UKARA number on it.

 
Sniper780 said:
I think my UKARA number was damaged in transit,  so they did not see it but they did open it up and check the AEG. 

Then re-wrapped it and put my UKARA number on it.
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See I have already provided my UKARA number to PF who had passed it on to Border Force. Yet they decided it was still be seized. 

Rogerborg said:
Phew, sounds like there's still hope then.

On the fps/energy, I'd be surprised if Border Farce agents know about the power limit, or if they do, that they care enough to open the package and find out whether it contains an airsoft gun, or a S5 firearm.
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The worry is that the PF person told me it was sized under S39. RS stuff gets sent with a card that shows the FPS rating. 

 
Asomodai said:
See I have already provided my UKARA number to PF who had passed it on to Border Force. Yet they decided it was still be seized.
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When I was dealing with  PF they were very nice said the same thing, but whether they did pass on the info, I had no way of checking, and as soon I mentioned it was an airsoft replica they got very nervous.

Also, my type 56-2 was held in customs for over a month before they even told me it was sized by border force and that was because I phoned them every day.     

 
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Asomodai said:
See I have already provided my UKARA number to PF who had passed it on to Border Force. Yet they decided it was still be seized. 

The worry is that the PF person told me it was sized under S39. RS stuff gets sent with a card that shows the FPS rating. 
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I really don't think you should be going through PF at this stage - speak to BF directly. Otherwise you'll never be sure of the exact situation.

 
DrAlexanderTobacco said:
I really don't think you should be going through PF at this stage - speak to BF directly. Otherwise you'll never be sure of the exact situation.
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I haven't seen the letter yet. PF told me the gist of why it was seized but couldn't give me any details such as a case number etc. I would need to wait for the letter before I talk to Border Force. 

 
Asomodai said:
I haven't seen the letter yet. PF told me the gist of why it was seized but couldn't give me any details such as a case number etc. I would need to wait for the letter before I talk to Border Force. 
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I disagree - You lose nothing by contacting them, and you lose valuable time whilst you wait for the letter.

You don't have a case number, but you do have valuable info that can help them identify your case - Your full name, your address, the package seized, the rough date of when it was seized, and so on. Normally if you're getting a case ref number then your case is in a CRM system of sorts, meaning they can hopefully filter for the info I posted above

 
DrAlexanderTobacco said:
I disagree - You lose nothing by contacting them, and you lose valuable time whilst you wait for the letter.

You don't have a case number, but you do have valuable info that can help them identify your case - Your full name, your address, the package seized, the rough date of when it was seized, and so on. Normally if you're getting a case ref number then your case is in a CRM system of sorts, meaning they can hopefully filter for the info I posted above
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Agree, gotta be proactive on this, be shit if through some element of miscommunication it gets put a crusher, & then hmg say "oh well, not our problem" ?

 
I am on my way home from work early to see if the letter has arrived. Either way I will be ringing them. 

 
I dont think s39 is worth too much concern in of itself - though thats easy for me to say!  In this context s36 and s39 are two sides of same coin. 

 
If parcel force knows you got the Notice of Detention letter they will not talk to you about it until you dealt with Border force. That what happened to me.  

 
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