Airsoft Canada - View Single Post

Drake · January 31st, 2008, 03:35

Usually one of two things happens to your package: it's either summarily checked, taxed and whatnot (if applicable) and released, usually all within a few hours according to tracking. Otherwise, it's held for inspection, in which case it's opened and scrutinized, and then it usually gets delayed in customs for a few days.

I buy all sorts of stuff on eBay (computer stuff/electronics, photo -related gear, collectibles/trinkets, etc) in addition to airsoft -related materials (internal and external parts, gear), and I've noticed since late last summer or last fall the frequency of inspections increased dramatically. I'd usually only get something held once in a blue moon (usually when stuff got sent via UPS), but now it happens maybe 75% of the time, even for dumb stuff like Deans plugs. And no, I've never had anything seized. (ironically, the airsoft "gun parts"/accessories make up the bulk of the 25% getting waved through).

Edit: I'm going to go on and rant about how I love how they charge a $5 for me having had the privilege of having someone keep my package on a shelf for 4 days and then opening it. The whole process of opening a package, looking at what's inside, shoving it back in the package haphazardly and putting a piece of yellow CBSA tape on the package and a red CBSA stamp... that can't take more than 5 minutes on average. So each inspector can go through say 10 packages an hour. That's about 70 a day, on average, if they work 9 to 5, get half an hour for lunch and a couple of 15 minute breaks. Assuming they get two weeks off per year and the facility is undermanned while someone is on vacation, that's $87,500 per inspector, per year. Even if there were only 100 inspectors (which would be nuts considering how many parcels come into the country), that'd be an extra $8.7M in funding for CBSA, paid directly out of our pockets.

I dunno. If it was just my tax money paying for it, okay. But if you're charging $5 a pop, then at least have the courtesy of processing my package expeditiously. And for fuck's sake, try to repack things a bit more carefully.

January 31st, 2008, 03:35	#11
Drake E-01 Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Montreal, QC	Usually one of two things happens to your package: it's either summarily checked, taxed and whatnot (if applicable) and released, usually all within a few hours according to tracking. Otherwise, it's held for inspection, in which case it's opened and scrutinized, and then it usually gets delayed in customs for a few days. I buy all sorts of stuff on eBay (computer stuff/electronics, photo -related gear, collectibles/trinkets, etc) in addition to airsoft -related materials (internal and external parts, gear), and I've noticed since late last summer or last fall the frequency of inspections increased dramatically. I'd usually only get something held once in a blue moon (usually when stuff got sent via UPS), but now it happens maybe 75% of the time, even for dumb stuff like Deans plugs. And no, I've never had anything seized. (ironically, the airsoft "gun parts"/accessories make up the bulk of the 25% getting waved through). Edit: I'm going to go on and rant about how I love how they charge a $5 for me having had the privilege of having someone keep my package on a shelf for 4 days and then opening it. The whole process of opening a package, looking at what's inside, shoving it back in the package haphazardly and putting a piece of yellow CBSA tape on the package and a red CBSA stamp... that can't take more than 5 minutes on average. So each inspector can go through say 10 packages an hour. That's about 70 a day, on average, if they work 9 to 5, get half an hour for lunch and a couple of 15 minute breaks. Assuming they get two weeks off per year and the facility is undermanned while someone is on vacation, that's $87,500 per inspector, per year. Even if there were only 100 inspectors (which would be nuts considering how many parcels come into the country), that'd be an extra $8.7M in funding for CBSA, paid directly out of our pockets. I dunno. If it was just my tax money paying for it, okay. But if you're charging $5 a pop, then at least have the courtesy of processing my package expeditiously. And for fuck's sake, try to repack things a bit more carefully. __________________ Last edited by Drake; January 31st, 2008 at 03:51..