Any issues with buying military helmets through GSP?

[letscleanupmycupboards]

Can't see anything on their page about them not being allowed but they're rather grey when it comes to things these days......

[padi*0409]

I don't know for sure cupboards, I've only bought them from within Oz, but with them confiscating butter knives, guitars and drums etc I'd be betting they would.

[letscleanupmycupboards]

I know they have issues with "weapons" but I'm certain I've bought a couple from the states before with GSP only because it's about $30 cheaper postage than usps.

I take it PayPal still protects the buyer in this instance?

[padi*0409]

---

@letscleanupmycupboardswrote:


I take it PayPal still protects the buyer in this instance?

---

To be honest cupboards, I've never had a problem with an INR through the GSP - but then I avoid it like the plague. I feel you'd have a fight on your hands if it is confiscated, you can't hit the seller because they're covered by delivery to Pitney Bowes so any dispute would be against the GSP, so It is likely to be a very long drawn-out process with no guarantee you'd get your money back from them. At best you'll get the postage back, but even that will be a battle.

[letscleanupmycupboards]

Makes it very hard if PB cannot do a concise list of items they do/don't allow.

[lyndal1838]

It actually does not matter....even if there was such a list there is no guarantee that Pitney Bowes will stick to it.   They seem to make it up as they go.

It is supposedly based on the Customs rules of the country the item is being sent to.  Australia has a few categories of knives that are not allowed but the vast majority can be imported with no restrictions.  However, PB will not ship any knives to Australia whatsoever....not even a humble butter knife.

And there seems to be no reasoning with them.

[countessalmirena]

I'm actually in the market for butter knives...

But the ones I want are on the costly side (Arthur Price of England, Sovereign, Old English pattern - £32.00 !!! Wince.). Many sellers in the UK seem to say that one must affirm being over 18 before the aforesaid butter knife can be bought. Butter knives and alcohol - too dangerous for teenagers. The mind boggles.

I haven't weighed in on the GSP issue. I remember when it was first introduced, and how all of a sudden some items from the US had postage prices so grossly inflated (to my eyes) that it was like examining a pregnant hippopotamus where previously I'd been looking at a whippet.

What I do, if the seller is opted in to GSP and there are clearly less costly postage methods for the particular item, is to contact the seller to ask if they would be prepared to revise their listing with a more cost-effective postage method. I usually also mention that if they do not wish to or can't do so, then I'd be happy to purchase anyway (assuming I have made the decision to buy that item from them) but I would set my delivery address to my US forwarding address or my UK forwarding address. (This is to let the seller know that I'm not trying to circumvent their seller requirements, so that I won't be blocked simply for asking if another postage method could be used; I understand that some sellers have had bad experiences with buyers making those sorts of requests and subsequently being a hassle. While I don't like GSP at all, I wouldn't dream of haranguing a seller for using it.)

[serendipityricho]

Re butter knives-there are items of Trench Art-items made with a bullet casing as a handle.

Have seen these described as -letter openers or butter knives-maybe letter openers

would be a better description if coming from overseas.

[lyndal1838]

The customs forms can only describe the items as they are described in the ebay listing.

There would be no sales of butter knives if the sellers described them as letter openers....no buyer would be looking for letter openers to match a specific cutlery pattern.

[serendipityricho]

Good call Lyndal.

Not familiar how the system works these days.