Item being held

I have at present an item being held at Global Shipping Centrein UK as it is a prohibited substance((anti-bacterial powder). Will they send it back to seller possibly and am I entitled to refund in this instance?
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Item being held

Hi Michelle,  

Who said the item is prohibited? If it was Australian Customs and Quarantine then you have made the error and unfortunately have lost on this sale. As others have said it is the buyer's responsibility to know about their local laws.

 

If it was the GSP arbitrarily putting it on their banned list contrary to Quarantine information then something else might come into play. Alas I have no experience with the GSP. I suggest looking on the Australian Quarantine website to try to find information about your product. If you are unsure then email Customs and Quarantine to ask them if you are eligible to import the item. They will tell you yes or no. They may also give advice on how to apply for eligility (often a lengthy and costly procedure. )

 

Parting advice: always, always, every time and without fail research your product for import restrictions BEFORE YOU BID OR BUY no matter who you are buying from or what delivery method they offer AND even if you have purchased before. Rules can and do change frequently.  You will save yourself a lot of time, money and anxiety doing the research first.

 

Best wishes!

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Item being held

lyndal1838
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No and No.

If the GSP refuses to send a prohibited item then it is usually destroyed.....just like it would be destroyed by Customs if it did get here.

You could try asking for a refund but from what I have heard you will have a very hard job getting one.

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No chance in the world of getting a refund. Did you know that Australia is a first world country, therefore you have access to countless amounts of antibacterial powders, lotions, medicines? It's not the sellers fault you didn't check the laws before you bought. It's not up to the seller to know each countries laws. Therefore, it's not up to the seller to give you a refund. Why should they be punished because you didn't check the laws on prohibited substances?

 

If you are having an issue with infections in your rats, go to the vet or local produce store and get some Terramycin powder. It's a broad spectrum antibiotic powder that treats pretty much everything (on the outside of the body). The best part about it is, you can also use it on yourself if you have an infection in a wound. That's all I've ever used on both humans and animals since I was a kid.

 

Sorry, but you've done your dough. I can imaging the postage was pretty steep too. Let it be a lesson to you to check the laws before you make your next overseas purchase. If you're not sure, come here and ask before buying.

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just doing a quick ebay search antibacterial powder, not seeing any aussie sellers offering it.

 

points me in the direction of a product that has restrictions on how its sold in australia.

 

trying to circumvent aussie laws will get you into trouble if you continue.

 

prolly ask at you local chemist about this product.

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Item being held

Oh, but David, it's probably 40c cheaper to get it from overseas. Given that it's cheaper may mean the fine and jail time for trying to import restricted items is less too.

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To be fair.....the GSP in the USA is notorious for getting it wrong and refusing to ship items which are not banned here.  Take knives for example....Pitney Bowes refuses to ship any knives to Australia.

 

To me the test would be whether the powder is available for sale in Australia...if it is then it should be OK to buy from overseas.  If it is not on sale here then it is probably because it is not considered safe.

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If it's for an animal - the local vet would be the person to talk to.

 

Marina.

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

To be fair.....the GSP in the USA is notorious for getting it wrong and refusing to ship items which are not banned here.  Take knives for example....Pitney Bowes refuses to ship any knives to Australia.

 

To me the test would be whether the powder is available for sale in Australia...if it is then it should be OK to buy from overseas.  If it is not on sale here then it is probably because it is not considered safe.


Not always. Depending on the active ingredients, you may still need a permit to import them. You may need to be a registered pharmacist, doctor or vet. Antibacterial hand rub is widely available, yet I don't think you can import it from overseas without a permit.

 

I would also be concerned about buying any sort of medicinal products from overseas, for both myself and my animals. We have some of the tightest regulations in the world. You wouldn't know if the overseas bought stuff is what it actually is. What are the standards like where it was manufactured? How do you know that if it says it's 1% ABCD that it is actually 1% and not 0.1% or even 10%.

 

I know that whatever I buy here complies with Australian standards and if it says it's 1%, then it is. If it turns out not to be, then a lot of people get into a lot of strife and could even find themselves in jail.

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yep, for animals best for some items to buy from aussie sellers even if they are veternarians although i'd try the chemist first might be a lot cheaper.

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Why on earth would you be entitled to a refund for attempting to have a prohibited item imported ????? Woman Frustrated

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