Customs police came to my home

[EvilMonkee]

Believe me, none of that will work with UPS who are simply the biggest bunch of idiots I have ever dealt with.  Plus the OP was talking about Parcelforce not UPS

[Pseudotectonic]

The method is carrier-agnostic because it doesn't matter who is the courier, the parcel has to go through customs at some point.

 

Having the seller print it out is the best way to make sure it stays declared all the way. At no point in time customs can get spooked by an undeclared gun shaped object.

[EvilMonkee]

2 hours ago, Pseudotectonic said:

The method is carrier-agnostic because it doesn't matter who is the courier, the parcel has to go through customs at some point.

 

Having the seller print it out is the best way to make sure it stays declared all the way. At no point in time customs can get spooked by an undeclared gun shaped object.

Incorrect, you are assuming that the carrier doesn't also act as the customs agent - which UPS and others often do.  PF go via Border Force and Customs the others frequently don't.  Believe me UPS are an issue and avoid using them

[Anonymoose]

7 hours ago, Mini airsoft said:

Good news! They have release the parcels 

 

That's the same guy i dealt with. 😂

[Enid_Puceflange]

3 hours ago, Anonymoose said:

 

That's the same guy i dealt with. 😂

You must’ve rattled his cage and he took it out on the OP 😂

[Anonymoose]

2 minutes ago, Enid_Puceflange said:

You must’ve rattled his cage and he took it out on the OP 😂

 

🤫

[Pseudotectonic]

5 hours ago, EvilMonkee said:

Incorrect, you are assuming that the carrier doesn't also act as the customs agent - which UPS and others often do.  PF go via Border Force and Customs the others frequently don't.  Believe me UPS are an issue and avoid using them

Customs agents are not customs. And if UPS has a habit of fucking up, all the more reason to tell the seller to attach the declaration from the get go.

[BigAl]

Not impoIted for a few years but I always used to e mail border force with details of what was coming and my defence as soon as I received tracking details. As well as this I used to e mail sellers a letter addressed to Border Force to attach to package,  Never had any issues.  Though as I said this was several years ago, should still work though.

[EvilMonkee]

14 hours ago, Pseudotectonic said:

Customs agents are not customs. And if UPS has a habit of fucking up, all the more reason to tell the seller to attach the declaration from the get go.

You understand what a Customs agent is? Someone who acts on behalf of customs?  Its not hard.

[Pseudotectonic]

2 hours ago, EvilMonkee said:

You understand what a Customs agent is? Someone who acts on behalf of customs?  Its not hard.

What even are you on about? Someone acting on behalf of another person doesn't mean they are the same person. Customs agents are not the one seizing your parcel.

I get you are mad about UPS. Which is fine. I am not saying UPS is good either.

[EDcase]

When I buy from abroad I always include my UKARA with label in the address to make sure it appears clearly on the box.

Not had a problem with customs but had to pay taxes a couple of times.

 

 

Edited April 12 by EDcase

[r1flyguy]

On 12/04/2025 at 14:34, EDcase said:

When I buy from abroad I always include my UKARA with label in the address to make sure it appears clearly on the box.

Do you by any chance have an example you could share please 🙏🏻 obviously remove your info and insert goofy details, I’d just like to see a ‘pro-forma’ to follow. It would be very much appreciated. TIA

 

 

 

 

On 09/04/2025 at 07:27, Pseudotectonic said:

We should be able to come up with a set of best practice to streamline the process. To ease the process

 

1. We can make or fill in a declaration form ourselves, and tell the overseas sender to attach it to the parcel. 

  - Since there is no official format of such a declaration, essentially it just needs to says what the parcel is and what it isn't.

  - To make it extra clear what the relevant rules are, the declaration form can contain small paragraphs to explain this is a VCRA controlled import,

 

2. The parcel should have clear markings of "VCRA IMPORT SEE DECLARATION" and "UKARA NUMBER", to eliminate any excuse for customs officers (or police) to not look at the declaration attached.

Hi @pseudotectonic

 

Did you by any chance create a pro-forma for your above post???

if so would you be kind enough to share it or PM me a copy, obviously with just the blank areas to fill in.

 

I recently popped into a shop in Fort Myers, FL and they have a item I’d love to purchase and ship home to the UK, they have never shipped to the uk before but would be very happy to do so if I provided all the info to prevent what the OP has gone through recently 

cheers

Edited Thursday at 22:33 by r1flyguy

[Cannonfodder]

53 minutes ago, r1flyguy said:

Do you by any chance have an example you could share please 🙏🏻 obviously remove your info and insert goofy details, I’d just like to see a ‘pro-forma’ to follow. It would be very much appreciated. TIA

 

I think what he means is to put your ukara number as part of the address, eg

 

Joe Bloggs ukara no ABC1234,

69 High Street,

Anytownville,

Acounty.

AB1 C23

 

 

[r1flyguy]

8 minutes ago, Cannonfodder said:

I think what he means is to put your ukara number as part of the address, eg

 

Joe Bloggs ukara no ABC1234,

69 High Street,

Anytownville,

Acounty.

AB1 C23

 

 

ok cool, just need to understand the declaration form part and I’m good to go 👍🏻

[EDcase]

Yeah, usually there's an unused line in the address field.

 

Joe Blogs,

UKARA ABC1234

1 High St,

Sunnyville,

KT10 1KT

[Pseudotectonic]

I meant a big warning label, one similar to those "FRAGILE" or "THIS WAY UP" or other supposedly easy to see labels. Although the precise wording is still up for debate.

 

"Pro-forma" RIF declaration: There is a UPS version of RIF declaration form somewhere in this forum you can search for it. I tried to put together a better looking version but I have yet to finalise the format, but essentially it is the same form. Find the UPS version and use that one if you need to fill in a copy.

 

The UKARA# should go in the declaration form. But additionally putting it in the address cannot hurt.

[EvilMonkee]

On 10/04/2025 at 14:55, Pseudotectonic said:

What even are you on about? Someone acting on behalf of another person doesn't mean they are the same person. Customs agents are not the one seizing your parcel.

I get you are mad about UPS. Which is fine. I am not saying UPS is good either.

 

Let me spell this out for you in terms you will be able to understand.

 

1. UPS (or other parcel company) take receipt of your package as part of their business as a parcel company.

2. Another part of their business is acting as a customs agent on behalf of HM Customs.  

3. They go through the Customs processes on behalf of HM Customs, levy the appropriate charges etc. 

4. This all occurs simultaneous with their handling of your parcel and they have these magnificent things called bonded warehouses were they can store all these imported goods legally till the charges are paid.

5. If something comes to them in their capacity as a courier for which someone has no defence (ie a RIF without a UKARA) they act in their other capacity as a Customs agent (on behalf of HM Customs) and seize the article.

 

Now, all this doesn't occur with every courier.  Royal Mail/Parcelforce actually use HM Customs to do this but UPS do it all.

 

This happens because otherwise HM Customs would be inundated with parcels and everything would slow to a crawl.  Not too hard to understand is it?

Edited 20 hours ago by EvilMonkee

[Rogerborg]

55 minutes ago, EvilMonkee said:

bonded warehouses

 

Oh, I know those!  You're not supposed to be permitted to be allowed to film there because they're specially protected critical secure private government sites, mate, it's not allowed.

[Pseudotectonic]

12 hours ago, EvilMonkee said:

 

Let me spell this out for you in terms you will be able to understand.

 

1. UPS (or other parcel company) take receipt of your package as part of their business as a parcel company.

2. Another part of their business is acting as a customs agent on behalf of HM Customs.  

3. They go through the Customs processes on behalf of HM Customs, levy the appropriate charges etc. 

4. This all occurs simultaneous with their handling of your parcel and they have these magnificent things called bonded warehouses were they can store all these imported goods legally till the charges are paid.

5. If something comes to them in their capacity as a courier for which someone has no defence (ie a RIF without a UKARA) they act in their other capacity as a Customs agent (on behalf of HM Customs) and seize the article.

 

Now, all this doesn't occur with every courier.  Royal Mail/Parcelforce actually use HM Customs to do this but UPS do it all.

 

This happens because otherwise HM Customs would be inundated with parcels and everything would slow to a crawl.  Not too hard to understand is it?

First, you gotta stop that condescending tone of yours.

 

Second, I think you could have well made this up, do you work there? Do you have source?

 

Thirdly, that is besides the point, you still want to stick the declaration on the parcel, so it won't get missed, by anyone. Your entire argument started with this method won't work for UPS. If UPS is seizing the parcel as you said, then there is no problem. Anecdotally (from this forum) UPS seems to be always asking for it anyway, so pre-attaching it will surely smooth things out, as a matter of best practice.

[Tackle]

14 minutes ago, Pseudotectonic said:

First, you gotta stop that condescending tone of yours.

 

Second, I think you could have well made this up, do you work there? Do you have source?

 

Thirdly, that is besides the point, you still want to stick the declaration on the parcel, so it won't get missed, by anyone. Your entire argument started with this method won't work for UPS. If UPS is seizing the parcel as you said, then there is no problem. Anecdotally (from this forum) UPS seems to be always asking for it anyway, so pre-attaching it will surely smooth things out, as a matter of best practice.

Everything that EvilMonkee wrote is correct, & couriers, such as ups, face large fines if they fail to adhere to the rules set by hmrc (& ukba).

[Pseudotectonic]

Ok, if UPS (or other couriers) are the ones checking for defence and seizing parcels  (can UPS connect to UKARA database?), surely all the more reason to pre-attach the declaration form. Because that declaration form has the defence.

And if, for any reason, the pre-attached declaration was missed by HMRC/UPS/other couriers, and it goes to the HMRC/border force/police, or firearms officer or whatever. They look at the parcel, they see the big words of "VCRA IMPORT SEE DECLARATION", they will look for the attached declaration again, and checks the RIF, checks the UKARA#, they see your defence, they releases the parcel.

And if, somehow, all these people have missed both the big label of "VCRA IMPORT SEE DECLARATION" and the pre-attached declaration form, you will have a better case if you decide to e.g. file a notice of claim or a complain to them or challenge the legality of the seizure.

I don't see the downsides of this. I think it is best practice. This can prevent customs police coming to your home.

[GiantKiwi]

1 minute ago, Pseudotectonic said:

Ok, if UPS (or other couriers) are the ones checking for defence and seizing parcels  (can UPS connect to UKARA database?), surely all the more reason to pre-attach the declaration form. Because that declaration form has the defence.

And if, for any reason, the pre-attached declaration was missed by HMRC/UPS/other couriers, and it goes to the HMRC/border force/police, or firearms officer or whatever. They look at the parcel, they see the big words of "VCRA IMPORT SEE DECLARATION", they will look for the attached declaration again, and checks the RIF, checks the UKARA#, they see your defence, they releases the parcel.

And if, somehow, all these people have missed both the big label of "VCRA IMPORT SEE DECLARATION" and the pre-attached declaration form, you will have a better case if you decide to e.g. file a notice of claim or a complain to them or challenge the legality of the seizure.

I don't see the downsides of this. I think it is best practice. This can prevent customs police coming to your home.

 

Best laid intentions.

 

All of this is dependent on the person dealing with it being well informed enough to know what to do. Most are not, no amount of extraneous paperwork is going to prevent it.

[Pseudotectonic]

The worst can always happen, which is why you want to minimise its chances.

 

If for any reason, in a near-impossible event where you get charged for the VRCA import, you can say, you provided a defence, and they didn't check it!

[Tommikka]

12 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Oh, I know those!  You're not supposed to be permitted to be allowed to film there because they're specially protected critical secure private government sites, mate, it's not allowed.

As a thread diversion - he was talked to by a couple of members of staff, and allowed to continue

 

Noting that he took ‘care’ to clarify which areas were public vs private, and then decided to entirely disregard that when the path came to an end

 

He also opted to film, highlight and publish the access controls which aids anti ‘audit’ claims of using auditing as an excuse to conduct hostile reconnaissance.

 

Like many if not most auditors he says he is filming for general interest because he has seen their lorries around.  Why not just be honest and open that it’s for YouTube monetisation ?

 

…. and near the end a little bit of ignorance / bigging up that a container tamper seal means that it contains ‘high value’ goods.

It just means that (provided you document the tag number) that the container hasn’t been opened since the last check

 

[ak2m4]

@Pseudotectonic all good intentions, I agree 100%. 

 

1 hour ago, GiantKiwi said:

(can UPS connect to UKARA database?

 

I highly doubt it UPS has access.   Guessing Border Force has some type of access? Asked my friend who works in IT for them and he's never heard of it before.   I remember someone here doing a FOI check and it gave back with nothing.  Given the fact UKARA is owned by a UK retailer doesn't make sense for them to make it easy to import.

Edited 5 hours ago by ak2m4