Thread: Customs forms suck

ARGH!!! Customs seized one of my ebay purchases and now I have to fill out forms that make no sense whatsoever! Wildlife? It's bloody dead!!!

I've had more problems with the customs agents than I have with the forms. Here's one recent chain of exchanges. I get to the head of a line where two agents are standing. One of them opens my passport.

1st agent (scowling at me): Where have you traveled?
Me: The Philippines
1st agent: What were you doing there?
Me: Just a vacation.
2nd agent (says loudly): HE'S A PIMP!!!!
1st agent: You're going over there (he points to the area where some travelers' luggage is thoroughly checked).

I head to the luggage-check area. The official there has a much more polite demeanor. He also asks where I've been and what I was doing there. Then he says:

Agent: Do you know why you had to come here for a luggage check?
Me: No.
Agent: It's because you only declared one item for entry into the country -- just one box of tea bags.
Me: I see. Well, that's all I bought in the Philippines to bring back. I guess next time I'll buy more and declare more.
Agent: (smiles)

This agent gives everything in my suitcase a thorough search and sends me on my way. Now here's the kicker -- that package of tea I had declared wasn't even in my luggage! I had neglected to pack it at my hotel in Manila. And the customs agent never noticed it wasn't there!

I guess I should add that usually I am treated okay by customs when I come back to the USA. But those first two agents were exceptionally discourteous.

Not that I would know anything about getting stuff into the USA but, The more you delare the less they want to look. Or do like I do with my cigars take the labels off the cigar and dont keep the box. Has worked for me everytime I cant go to long without a nice Cuban

I usually declare a bit more than a half of the maximum values for the time periods. Usually I don't do much shopping when I travel but I like to bring in a couple of extra bottles of hard stuff so I've learned my lessons.

Well speaking as a retired Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent I can tell you with authority the inspectors attend a special course on how to give people a hard time and make simple thing difficult. If they only paid them a commission on everything seized by value you'd never get through. Actually you would not believe what and how some people try and smuggle into the country.

I think Brenden issue was with mailed goods and the attached customs form rather than items carried in upon entry to the country.

The law requires the vendor accurately fill out the forms and declare a value and if a commercial product the country of origin. There is also a list of what can and cannot be imported into each country and some of it would surprise you. O ftan get asked to claim a false value or declare a purchase as a gift. I have also lost a few international sales because I refused to lie . Can't please them all I guess!

Tony

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well speaking as a retired Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent I can tell you with authority the inspectors attend a special course on how to give people a hard time and make simple thing difficult.

This is a joke....right?....PLEASE tell me this is a joke!

(....cause it's W-A-A-A-Y too close to real life!...)

-whatever

-Lou

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I think Brenden issue was with mailed goods and the attached customs form rather than items carried in upon entry to the country.

The law requires the vendor accurately fill out the forms and declare a value and if a commercial product the country of origin. There is also a list of what can and cannot be imported into each country and some of it would surprise you. O ftan get asked to claim a false value or declare a purchase as a gift. I have also lost a few international sales because I refused to lie . Can't please them all I guess!

Tony

Tony hit the nail on the head. It was an ebay buy and the seller tried to pass it off as a gift (unbeknownst to me). But apperently, there are forms that he had to fill out b/c the scales are Ivory...soo...here we are, I need to fill out this form that has spaces for origin of the scales, my importing liciense along with a fifty other questions, some of which there are no answers for and about 1000 codes to fill in... quite a bother, but I am glad that the agents are searching everything. It makes me feel safer (and that they are earning their keep).