Customs police came to my home

[Tackle]

I think we as a community need clarification on how EXACTLY does the system work (or how its supposed to work but doesnt😏), what inter-agency communication there is, including how involved the carriers can be, & what we, or the offshore retailers can do to ensure the process is as smooth & trouble free as possible.

Who here is a member of, or ideally involved in the hierarchy of any of the airsoft associations such as ukasa (might have got that acronym wrong ?) ect, maybe they can be convinced to open dialogue with ukba/hmrc/carriers to ascertain the precise process, & look at addressing what's going wrong ?.

My take is it's likely lack of knowledge along the chain, retailers not labelling goods properly, & carriers/ukba/hmrc not knowing enough about airsoft & it's limitations,  being blinded by the fact our kit resemble a gun, so therefore must be a gun😱

[EvilMonkee]

10 hours ago, Pseudotectonic said:

First, you gotta stop that condescending tone of yours.

 

 

 

Helps if you actually listen in the first place when someone tells you something then I won't need to spell it out for you

[Pseudotectonic]

Some preliminary research. Perhaps not precisely down to every detail, but should be the outline of how it goes.

1. Skimming through some gov.uk pages it seems carriers use something called a Customs Declaration Service (CDS) electronic system to do declarations. This is what UPS uses (https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/supplychain/media/UK-Importer's-Guide-Preparing-for-the-CDS-System.pdf).

  • CDS is pretty boring stuff and mostly entering codes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLnf76xyVCg). Gov.uk has some guidance on how to complete a declaration on CDS (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-trade-tariff-volume-3-for-cds--2#imports:-guidance-on-completing-an-import-declaration-for-the-customs-declaration-service).

  • Carriers like UPS handle this because they are "Third-party representatives applying for authorisation" "Using someone to make declarations for you" (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-simplified-declarations-for-imports).

  • The precise codes do not really matter, at this point it appears to be a bunch of codes for some basic sorting, and codes can change. Let UPS handle this, we cannot streamline this for them externally.

2. After the carrier submits a declaration in the CDS, HMRC will send a response, and may ask for "supporting documents for a customs check to clear your goods" (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-an-import-supplementary-declaration).

  • "Border Force monitors and controls imports of firearms (including their component parts), ammunition and offensive weapons into the UK across all modes of transport and international mail." (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-controls-on-offensive-weapons) So naturally it would be Border Force who looks at this declaration.

  • UPS (or any carrier) are not firearms expert. Judging by the formatting of the UPS version of RIF declaration form, I am guessing UPS sends the PDF directly in CDS as part of the declaration process. (Papers/certificates can be scanned as PDF.) I don't think CDS software would have fields for UPS to enter the colour of an IF etc., I think the RIF declaration.pdf is for Border Force to read, by a human.

  • It is then up to Border Force to determine whether it is firearms or RIF and act accordingly. (Firearms Act or VCRA)

    ◦ Border Force may or may not want an inspection. How inspections are done is unknown but I am guessing a firearms expert from Border Force is gonna ask for some pictures from UPS to identify if it is airsoft (or as stated in the declaration). I don't think the firearm experts are running between warehouses checking stuff in person, they don't need to do that unless necessary, I mean, a firearms expert can probably tell apart airsoft from real firearms just from photos, and they probably do that first. And they probably don't check every single import, but by random sample or anything suspicious or if the firearms expert has nothing else to do.

    ◦ If it is an RIF (VCRA), they want to see defence.

    ◦ If it is firearms (Firearms Act), they want to see certificates and whatnot.

    ◦ If it is an RIF and you have no defence, it will probably be seized and you might get a visit. (Because suspected VCRA offence.)

    ◦ In a way, the RIF declaration for a VCRA import should be functionally equivalent to a "certificate" for a firearm.

3. There is a time limit for making declarations. After which perhaps it increases the chances of inspection, and again, if they found an RIF and no defence, you might get a visit. (Because suspected VCRA offence.)

4. How Border Force decides how to proceed after receiving the RIF declaration should follow this chart https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/983345/Notice_to_importers_2944_-_firearms_and_ammunition.pdf

  • To help guide them to the correct procedures, the declaration should make clear it is not firearms but an RIF under VCRA. And has defence i.e. UKARA#.

  • Again judging by the UPS version of RIF declaration form, it does exactly that.

  • Border Force should be the one checking UKARA#.

5. Normally, UPS emails you to ask for the RIF declaration. You fill it in, send it back, they file it, job done.

6. There are several ways this process can be disrupted, and how it can be solved.

  • At any point, it is only a problem when the parcel is without declaration and defence.

  • UPS losing your parcel: nothing you can do, but a missing parcel with declaration and defence on it can possibly save you time and visit from police if UPS finds it, alerting Border Force about firearms, and having no firearms certificate / no RIF declaration and defence.

  • UPS forgetting to ask you for declaration / defence, leading to seizure by Border Force who can't find a declaration or defence: Attaching the RIF declaration solves the problem.

 

  • UPS being late: having it attached saves them time and yours.

  • UPS totally missed your RIF declaration attached, leading to Border Force inspecting parcel: Border Force finds the paperwork, problem solved.

  • UPS lost your RIF declaration but not your parcel: Include your phone and email on the address so UPS can contact you for it.

  • UPS or Border Force seizing your parcel despite having the RIF declaration: unlikely unless your RIF is overpowered or otherwise illegal, nothing you can do other than telling the seller to check the joules. And don't fill in a wrong answer (over legal limit).

  • UPS and Border Force somehow all missed your RIF declaration, despite you clearly displayed your email and phone, and clearly attached the declaration: very unlikely, perhaps tell the seller to include an extra copy INSIDE the parcel, so there is no way it can get lost and end up not having a declaration/defence during inspection.

  • All the anecdotes seem to suggest they don't seize your stuff unless there is a reason, i.e. it is not by chance. If you have the declaration and a defence, and they seize your stuff, you can challenge them.

 

 

7. I suspect UPS's internal procedures are poorly documented. They probably have a post-it somewhere that says "airsoft -> get RIF declaration form -> put in CDS." This could be verified if somebody can get in touch with them.

8. I would not expect UPS (or any carrier) to be firearm experts. But they are the ones talking to Border Force, who deals with firearms.

----

Therefore:

1. The general strategy would remain.

  • Pre-attach the RIF declaration form (which includes your defence).

  • Include your email and phone somewhere obvious.

  • Put an extra copy inside the box.

2. We can even refine the method:

  • The UPS version of RIF declaration form is the baseline, and should be universal across carriers, because it is Border Force who actually reads it.

  • A paper version of the RIF declaration.pdf should therefore be:

    ◦ Obvious to see when attached to the parcel.

    ◦ "UPS compatible" so it doesn't confuse UPS's post-it notes. It needs to be as foolproof as possible for UPS to fill in their tracking number before uploading.

    ◦ Easy to read, be very clear about it being RIF/IF/etc. and not firearms. Helps Border Force follow the correct procedures.

    ◦ Contains the VCRA defence. Contains UKARA# and address etc. for Border Force to check on the UKARA database.

    ◦ Probably helps if the declaration form has formatting with less chance of accidentally putting in "wrong answers" like too high a joule output. Perhaps in the form of hint boxes of UK power limits.

    ◦ Easy to be scanned into PDF. Helps UPS submitting their stuff. Bonus point for accurate OCR to save the poor guy at Border Force some typing.

    ◦ Includes your contact details, so UPS or Border Force can contact you for any reason.

    ◦ Includes extra copies inside the box alongside the actual RIF, for helping with inspection.

----

Quick link: the current (?) UPS RIF declaration "RIF DEC Aug22.doc":
https://airsoft-forums.uk/topic/53821-ups-rif-declaration-for-parts/?do=findComment&comment=511495

----

Looking forward to more information in either direction to push this along. But so far, the UPS form seems to be solid.