Please take note that if you are returning something to a pipemaker etc for repair, it is vitally important to state that this is the case on the customs declaration. I’ve just had some leaky bellows back (not made by myself, or Laurence, or Jim btw) and I’ve had to cough up £80 to receive them.
I’ll get most of this back it seems but it is a proper pain in t’neck and stuff can be destroyed by customs in a worst case scenario. It’s the second time that this has happened and I thought I should warn everyone even though it’s probably been discussed already and you mostly know all about it.
Luckily they didn’t notice that the bellows are stuffed with cocaine*
Why on Earth, people are sending bellows to you?
Especially bellows that had not been made by you
Cos I sold them as part of a set. They were unused at the time. Though they weren’t made by me I know there’s no point in sending them back to (insert name here) . . . . so I feel (well I am) responsible.
I bought a carving of a rhino made of 25kg of solid mahogany from South Africa off ebay for £30. The postage cost was £140 cos of the weight. Customs had a look at it…charged me £40, AND DRILLED 2 HALF INCH HOLES THROUGH THE STOMACH AND THE NECK. Then they repackaged it so badly that when it reached me, the horn , ear and back leg were broken off, and the royal mail put a note in saying they had removed the splinters so the postman wouldnt be injured. I had to reconstruct the beastie with 2 tubs of woodfiller. Royal mail refused compensation as they said custome caused the damage. Customs not interested, and said they drilled holes to see if it was stuffed with drugs. Havnt they heard of xray???
Heavans demergatroid,would you not be worried that it would come alive one night and inject you with paralysing venom so it could lay its young inside your body,where they would slowly eat you alive from the inside
That’s got some kind of John Carpenter’s The Thing thing going on there!!! I’d keep your dog away from that because we know what happened to the poor Huskies in the movie!!!
just a quick update - when I received the parcel I noticed that it was plainly stated on the original declaration that the bellows were being returned for repair - perhaps the problems have come because the sender ticked “other” instead of “returned goods”. Pretty hacked off though, especially cos even if you ring them 50 times in one day the line is always engaged.
Out to get our money by whatever means possible it seems!
I’ve sent stuff marked “for repair” and still got hit with taxes when it was returned. I’ve had to provide a letter from the pipemaker proving that it was work under guarantee.
Fortunately, in Canada I’m able to make refund claims online. It takes about 4 weeks for refunds to come through.
It takes about 4 weeks for refunds to come through.
OK, it’s Pot Noodle time then. Mmmm I quite like the Bombay Bad Boy one though. . . .
But PJ was it marked “Returned after being sent for repair” or some such thing from your pipemaker? Just wondering if there’s anything I can do to make sure that Dan doesn’t get hit when it’s on the way back!
