I don't trade that often and when I have it's only been domestically in the US. Does anyone have experience trading internationally? Any Tips?

Here's the deal -> a friend of a friend wants a number of the titles in my collection. I said "sure I can do that". The problem is I live in the US and they don't.

How will customs react to me sending 30-50 DVD-Rs, with titles written in black marker?

websurfer wrote:

I don't trade that often and when I have it's only been domestically in the US. Does anyone have experience trading internationally? Any Tips? Here's the deal -> a friend of a friend wants a number of the titles in my collection. I said "sure I can do that". The problem is I live in the US and they don't. How will customs react to me sending 30-50 DVD-Rs, with titles written in black marker?

I've sent stuff internationally before and customs never actually looked in the packages.
_________________

Trade with me!!! Marspeach's Drama Trades!!!

marspeach wrote:

I've sent stuff internationally before and customs never actually looked in the packages.

Yeah, if you declare what the items are and the value, they usually don't open up the packages...

Though that package containing Nodame that I sent to Keps in the UK never made it to her... So there is a little risk.

hmm... what should I declare it as? something generic like DVDs??

I always write "CD's" or "DVD's", they've always got through.

websurfer wrote:

hmm... what should I declare it as? something generic like DVDs??

Yeah... I just write down the number of DVDs I'm sending... Nothing more specific than that.

It might be slightly different in other countries, though... I'm in the U.S.

bmwracer wrote:

Yeah... I just write down the number of DVDs I'm sending... Nothing more specific than that. It might be slightly different in other countries, though... I'm in the U.S.

That's what I do too. Or just mark them as CD's.
_________________

Trade with me!!! Marspeach's Drama Trades!!!

I label them as "blank DVDs." Maybe that's what beem should've done to prevent the post office people from stealing the dramas. At least, I'm assuming that's what happened.
_________________

sadacori wrote:

I label them as "blank DVDs." Maybe that's what beem should've done to prevent the post office people from stealing the dramas. At least, I'm assuming that's what happened.

I think blanks would be more tempting, depending on the dramas you're mailing.

bmwracer wrote:

Though that package containing Nodame that I sent to Keps in the UK never made it to her... So there is a little risk.

The english postal service are notorious for stealing things, it's been in the news in the past quite a lot actually

I've never had anything go missing, either coming to me or going to someone else, sofar

noisia wrote:

The english postal service are notorious for stealing things, it's been in the news in the past quite a lot actually

That's true. I once saw a programme about crooked postal workers (I think it was a depot in London), and it was terrible to see the stuff some of the workers got up to.

Keps wrote:

That's true. I once saw a programme about crooked postal workers (I think it was a depot in London), and it was terrible to see the stuff some of the workers got up to.

I'll bet one of those chumps has your Nodame discs, K-chan.

I have been importing/sending items internationally for years without any real problems, and some of my experiences:

- It is against privacy policy/laws for customs to check the actual contents of CD's, Harddrives, USB memory sticks etc.. Unless they have an obvious reason to do so, like for example you write "plans for nuclear bomb" on a CD (it is best to just label them as something generic).

- Customs want to know the value, needs to be clearly stated and fairly realistic. If there is no value stated, they may open the package and look for receipts etc.. Also especially when sending brand new/sealed/unused items, if the value stated appears completely unrealistic they can contact the sender or receiver and ask for some-kind of proof.

- If the customs find obvious factory printed/made bootlegs inside a package (for example Malaysian DVD's). They don't care as long as it looks like it is for personal use. In most countries it is legal to own such bootlegs. They will only stop the parcels if it is a large shipment that looks like it is going to be for re-sale.

^ Good to know.

I've only traded a few times overseas and the only time I had a problem was the one package I sent to England (mentioned above).

Oddly, packages I've sent to Australia get to their destination quicker than ones I've sent to Canada... And I'm in the U.S.

bmwracer wrote:

^ Good to know. I've only traded a few times overseas and the only time I had a problem was the one package I sent to England (mentioned above). Oddly, packages I've sent to Australia get to their destination quicker than ones I've sent to Canada... And I'm in the U.S.

That has usually do with how fast the local customs/postal service at the destination country is at processing parcels. The actual physical transport of the parcel with air between countries is just a few days (no matter where in the world you send it). But the customs processing is of variable length.

For example sending something from Hong Kong to Sweden in the best of times takes only 3 days. But during Christmas season the customs here are bogged down with work, and I have had parcels take up to 3 months (no kidding I thought they had actually lost the items by then )

sadacori wrote:

I label them as "blank DVDs." Maybe that's what beem should've done to prevent the post office people from stealing the dramas. At least, I'm assuming that's what happened.

Wow, Ive been trading Internationally for years and have never had a single trade go astray.
Not once.
Not Dpmestically either.
I give a big to the varying Postal Services.

_________________

Trade or Distro
It's all good!

Check out my drama trade list: http://www.freewebs.com/evendrama/

Eve wrote:

Wow, Ive been trading Internationally for years and have never had a single trade go astray. Not once. Not Dpmestically either.

Lucky.

Somewhere in England, someone's got my copy of Nodame that I sent to Keps...

I received something (not discs) from Wyn-chan in Canada recently that took like 3 months to get to Australia. I'm sure she thought it had arrived a long time before and I never said anything But usually stuff from Canada arrives really quickly, same for USA (including Hawaii!)

bmwracer wrote:

Lucky. Somewhere in England, someone's got my copy of Nodame that I sent to Keps...

Delivered to the wrong address.........

Maybe they actually watched it.
_________________

Trade or Distro
It's all good!

Check out my drama trade list: http://www.freewebs.com/evendrama/