Heartland

Has anybody had any problems trading with people in Belgium.
A while ago there were stories circulating that Belgium customs
were behaving like rottweilers on heat when they opened packages
containing cdrs and suchlike - basic idea was they threatened the
receipiant with legal action unless he revealed the senders details.
This seemed a bit OTT to me and not very 'EU' as it doesn't appear to
be a problem anywhere else, anyway I took to not trading with
anybody out in that neck of the woods - has anybody here had any problems ?

Wayne

Send a few things there and had no problems whatsoever. Maybe out fellow Belgians can shed some light on this?

K.

I've sent stuff to dave-kompas and Hojyuu-obi on this board, both of whom are in Belgium, and neither of them have reported back to me with problems receiving stuff.

BTW I always put From: (My name and address) Contents: CD-Rs on the outside of parcels, wherever I'm sending them, UK or internationally. Maybe that helps with Customs?

Never had any bad experience and I've never heard that story before. I've traded a few times with Karst and a lot of people from the UK, Portugal, Germany, Holland,... No problems at all!!

Dave (from Belgium)

This is one of the stories I've seen quoted from a list I'm on (the "I" is not me), there were a few similar but this was the only one I can lay my hands on

"
I just got a kind of scary message from a taper friend in Belgium. It seems
that Belgian customs confiscated 3 packages(one being mine), about 20 cds
from this guy. They showed up at his house, claiming he's illegaly copying
cds, fined him 450 Euro. Now they're trying to take all his cd burning
equipment, and his collection. They've been monitoring his computer, website
& email, so all his contacts are now in the hands of the Belgian government.
The kick is this guy does soundboard only, and always gets permission. But
Customs isn't buying it. He wrote me for the last time saying not to write
him anymore and that my package now is in the hands of Belgian customs. Just
thought people should know.
"

markfiend wrote:I've sent stuff to dave-kompas and Hojyuu-obi on this board, both of whom are in Belgium, and neither of them have reported back to me with problems receiving stuff.

BTW I always put From: (My name and address) Contents: CD-Rs on the outside of parcels, wherever I'm sending them, UK or internationally. Maybe that helps with Customs?

I've received weeds in past 2 months from Wales, Scotland, Spain, Greece, England, Finland: no problems whatsoever

actually, dave- has that sisters on cake weed arrived yet?

then again, it could be the shoody australian post :X

ryan_w_0000 wrote:actually, dave- has that sisters on cake weed arrived yet?

then again, it could be the shoody australian post :X

No, it hasn't. But I think it could take a few days/weeks (?) considering the distance!

I have received a package from Belgium today with no problems.

It HAS to be said that the IFPI (I-FBI should be more appropriate) is doing a serious witchhunt on all those luverly little sixteen-years-old roaming Kazaa in search for free music.
But there are really stand-alone cases, AFAIK. Like making examples for the others to be very afraid.
Which I'm not

IZ.

markfiend wrote:BTW I always put From: (My name and address) Contents: CD-Rs on the outside of parcels, wherever I'm sending them, UK or internationally. Maybe that helps with Customs?

I started to copy MF after receiving a package from him. If sending abroad I also add 'Value: GBP 0.01p'.

I post everything from work so don't go to the post office and get the green customs declaration to go on the package. CDrs are usually in paper sleeves with just the city and date written on the sleeve. If customs want to open the package and then try and work out what they've got that's upto them.

Most major European countries (including Belguim), USA and South Africa and no problems so far.

I don't trade but I have weeded to Tom and Dave, I always include a cover but never put my address on the package.
Everything I've fired off has hit the target.

Isn't this -probably- one of those stories about a kid/man who sends out/receives 100 cd-r's a week which then naturally arouses some suspicion at customs (probably asks/receives money and so on ...) ?

Hojyuu-obi wrote:Isn't this -probably- one of those stories about a kid/man who sends out/receives 100 cd-r's a week which then naturally arouses some suspicion at customs (probably asks/receives money and so on ...) ?

Probably. Good call.

Red Sunsets wrote:I don't trade but I have weeded to Tom and Dave, I always include a cover but never put my address on the package.
Everything I've fired off has hit the target.

I would suggest that it's a good idea to put a return address on the outside of the envelope. The only problem I've ever had with weeding was a package from Big Si; the Post Office returned it to him saying they couldn't find my home address It worked out in the end as Si very kindly posted it to my work address instead.

My brother once had a summer job at the Returned Mail Bureau at Royal Mail; back then they used to open returned letters to see where they came from, (and send them back) but now anything without a return address on the outside that is undeliverable just goes in the bin.

The list I got it from aren't into selling so Idoubt it - also as the bloke only records from the sbd its likely that they're trading jam type bands so unlikely that any 'for profit' would be tolerated.

As for addressing - I've stopped for the above reason, I just put 'Wayne UK' on it if it gets lost resend, the discs are cheap enough -when I have had parcels lost they've never been returned when I did put my address on.

In the EU you don't need customs slips this is only needed to the US and such and apparently (according to my fave post office bird) when you are claiming small packet rate - no correspondance included.

markfiend wrote:

Hojyuu-obi wrote:Isn't this -probably- one of those stories about a kid/man who sends out/receives 100 cd-r's a week which then naturally arouses some suspicion at customs (probably asks/receives money and so on ...) ?

Probably. Good call.

Red Sunsets wrote:I don't trade but I have weeded to Tom and Dave, I always include a cover but never put my address on the package.
Everything I've fired off has hit the target.

I would suggest that it's a good idea to put a return address on the outside of the envelope. The only problem I've ever had with weeding was a package from Big Si; the Post Office returned it to him saying they couldn't find my home address ??? It worked out in the end as Si very kindly posted it to my work address instead.

My brother once had a summer job at the Returned Mail Bureau at Royal Mail; back then they used to open returned letters to see where they came from, (and send them back) but now anything without a return address on the outside that is undeliverable just goes in the bin.

Always put a return address on. Just before Easter I got a package returned from the Netherlands that had an incomplete address. I sent it before Xmas. PO might be sluggish on some instances but I was thoroughly impressed. Also got a package from the US with a bunch of CD's and ten tapes to transfer and that arrived within 2 1/2 weeks. Sent BP a package though and that took a little longer then expected. Might have just been US customs.

my adivce is ALWAYS put a return addy, else (especally in the US) they mght gest suspicious about bobms / drugs etc.

as for customs, if you vanue it at 1p there gonna get suspicious, you can send up to 10 worts of stuff into a non EC country, CDRs are cheap so if you label it as PROMO CD-Rs then value them on a ratio of say 25p a disc, then your not lying (as blacks can be bought for that) and the value will be well under a tenner.

Ive done bucket loads of trades all around the world, never had a cunstoms problem

best

matt

In US everthing has to have a customs label. Nothing goes without one. They specifically ask if there is anything hazordous in the package as well. The value on the customs form is for tax purposes I think. When I shipped stuff from New Zealand I had to declare it's value and pay a tax when it arrived. I value everything I send at $5. Maybe $10 for a big package (10 or mor discs).

I have only had one package lost. It did have my return addy, and it hasn't returned to me. Perhaps some postal worker fancied a Sisters collection, some Mish, and Damned????

Longest wait for a package came from Switzerland, took over a month. The one from Karst did take longer than expected, but arrived in good condition. Nice bit of Mish there too.

Black Planet wrote:In US everthing has to have a customs label. Nothing goes without one. They specifically ask if there is anything hazordous in the package as well. The value on the customs form is for tax purposes I think. When I shipped stuff from New Zealand I had to declare it's value and pay a tax when it arrived. I value everything I send at $5. Maybe $10 for a big package (10 or mor discs).

It also depends on the post office or post office clerk where you send the package. I once mailed out five overseas packages of CDs and spent a few minutes filling out the forms. With a cramped hand, I gave the clerk the padded envenlopes, but he said that they did not need customs forms because they were light enough. I rarely (if ever) need to fill out the forms there. At another post office, though, they consistantly require the forms.

I checked with someone (a HLer in fact) who works at a post office what the deal was. He said that such padded envelopes should have the customs forms.

As for mail to Belgium: no problems yet. Even have dealt with cash transactions and not had a problem. As far as I know, all CDs or tapes send from or to Belgium have arrived fine.

Martin