Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

[obious]

Hi All,

So I plan to import a GBBR from a Hong Kong retailer but I am not UKARA registered. However, I am a member of a licensed airsoft site, UCAP.

My question is this, will I have problems when it gets to the UK or will it get through customs without a problem as technically I have a legitimate defense.

Before anyone mentions it, I won't be able to fill out a UKARA form and have my site fill it out for a while due to work and family commitments.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[ForceGhost]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Why not just wait until you have time to sort out your UKARA registration and then import the GBBR?

[Pasty]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

you might have a few days added on but as you have a valid defence they can't legally stop it just make sure to have you site phone number on outside and your membership number

Forceghost not all sites are ukara registered and as such not always easy to get on the ukara list and some ppl don't want to go to more than 1 site just to get on the list

[BAMF]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Site registration should be fine (It has been for me anyway) as UKARA is exactly that, a database for UK retailers, not HK.

Even though we all know there are no other retailers than the mighty Z1.

"All hail Z1!"

[dave38x]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Do customs recognise site membership, or only Ukara?

[BAMF]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Do customs recognise site membership, or only Ukara?

As stated above by Pasty, which is what I and many others have done. Ensure the shop you order from put site reg number and contact details and there shouldn't be many (If any) problems.

[loki7491]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Customs are ignorant to the law on the most part and believe UKARA to be the law!

Head them off at the pass.

Explain to the HK retailer what details you want putting on the outside of the package... I would suggest:

Your contact number
Site contact number
Your site registration number
Screen shot of VCRA section 37 and the addition of airsoft in itself being a suitable defence

If that isn't belt and braces i dunno what is.

[cracking day]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

As the chairman of UKARA himself said, there is no such thing as a UKARA Number, just a Site Player membership number, the fact that this is done to a system ukara has chosen to enable our players to put their SPMN on the database has nothing to do with law. If you can avail yourself of the specific defence (read permitted activities) then you can import a RIF. Coventry Customs hub will call us and ask to confirm you are a member.

Also there is no such thing as a licensed site, for a site to be recognised as a genuine site and not your mates back garden, you have to be a member of an INSURED site. Even though Insurance isn't a LEGAL requirement, it protects site owners from the costs of being sued by a player.

Get them to call me and I will confirm you are able to avail yourself of the defence. Ukara is a tool, nothing more nothing less, a way for retailers (and customs) to check if you are a site member, its OUR data not theirs.

[Jamalen]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

I recently did this very thing..

I ordered a RIF from Taiwan, I gave the company in Taiwan my UKARA and told them to put it clearly on the front of the parcel, they didn't bother...
It was posted EMS Speedpost and seized by the UK Border Force.

It took 14 days for the UK Border Force to send me the forms and documentation to fill out... but they do know what they are doing.

If you are interested I will dig up the forms and letters they sent me to explain what needed to be done.
I had to :-

Write a covering letter explaining why their was no UKARA/Defence info on the Parcel
Take screenshots of the PAYPAL payments and emails that I had with the company and print them off as proof of what I paid for the RIF.
Fill out the value of the RIF for customs charging in the form provident and sign that I have a Defence

Posted all this back to the Border Force, after 8 days more they cleared the RIF through customs and then Parcel force took another 4 days to charge the VAT on it...

Long way for a RIF...

--Alec

[RedHawk]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Do customs recognise site membership, or only Ukara?

They have done for me on more than 10 occasions...

[Jamalen]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Poop, forgot to mention that in the covering letter you are expected to give the details of your VCRB defence...

[psirus101]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Why not just wait until you have time to sort out your UKARA registration and then import the GBBR?

Oh Yay ^.^ UKARA am bestest, UKARA am bestest...........
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*Sigh!*

[RedHawk]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Oh Yay ^.^ UKARA am bestest, UKARA am bestest...........

What's the first rule about UKARA?

It's the only valid defence

What's the second rule about UKARA?

UKARA IS LAW

/sarcasm

[dave38x]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Loki - How on earth do you get a retailer to put a screenshot of section 37 on a package??

[MarkPulling]

Re: Ordering from Hong Kong with Site Membership Only

Dont forget customs charges aswell.I got stung with this one ,my gun with shipping came to something like £180,I had to pay another £35 ,I think you only get hit if its over something like £150 so remember to build this into your budget ...sometimes that cheap bargain from china turns out not so cheap !!