Customs - freaking me out on Trainer Deck A & B sealed...

So here’s the situation.

I bought a Trainer Deck A and B sealed. It’s coming from the UK. It’s being held in customs, and I should receive shortly.

I’m very concerned that they opened one or both of the decks. Am I being neurotic?

I can tell you that I’ve had packs opened before. I’ve had boxes opened. And, even today, I had 6 cards come in from Germany, and 3 of them were opened. 3 sealed in their individual envelopes.

Ugh. I figure worst case, the Trainer Deck A is busted open… and then maybe there is an insurance claim.

Just not sure.

Thoughts?

4 Likes

Sorry to hear man.

Trying to get sealed product through customs just sounds like a terrible idea IMO. Seems like you have had many issues previously with customs opening stuff.

Is there a proper way to ship extremely valuable sealed product, such as boxes and decks, which ensures that customs won’t open? It would be good information for everyone to know.

1 Like

I’ve never had shit looted like that in customs and I buy from out of the country quite a bit. Don’t worry about problems before they exist. It’s out of your hands regardless.

5 Likes

I’ve had enough issues to know better. LOL. I don’t know what stops them. I bought a Netrunner box (not expensive around $300) last month. It came in with the box unsealed and one pack open. A $10 pack is one thing.

This is excellent advice under almost any circumstances!

1 Like

Buying and selling sealed overseas has always been risky. That being said if your not using FedEx or DHL next time I would suggest using them. Their packages make it out of customs much faster and I have had/heard about less issues with customs opening boxes when using them.

2 Likes

For some reason it never occurred to me before that customs could and would open sealed product. And like Chris B said no sense in worrying over something you have 0 control over. I hope that it makes its way to you safe and sound!

If I’m buying from eBay I usually make sure it’s via the Global Shipping Programme - which includes the exact import taxes you’ll be charged, as compared to a great deal of other methods ~

Oh no…it would be a shame if EITHER of those decks were opened. Praying for you that it comes intact and untouched.

Unfortunately there isn’t. They can open everything.
However, in my experience they usually let pass low value packages but this is true here in Italy, I don’t know in the US. I know that is scaring but I think that the best way to get a sealed box trought the custom clearance without be opened is put a low value on the custom declaration, but it’s fraud and there is the paypal claim problem and lots of problems…it’s risky.

Fly out there yourself and put it in your carry on.

I´m in Germany and I´ve had the exact opposite experience - customs likely won´t touch the high (correctly) declared stuff, but they will rip into the cheap ones.

indeed!!!
sometimes i even ask sellers on ebay. nvm the cost, but pls ship with dhl or fedex…

Interesting. But in the end, regardless of the declared value, I think they will always have more and more suspicions on sealed products and therefore are at greater risk of opening.

1 Like

@rainbow honestly if I was a customs worker and I saw that weird shit come through my scanner in 2020 I’d probably think it was an IED too

1 Like