One small mistake :/

[kasp]

So I started a business recently called Retro Zone which sells old school controllers adapted for PC, parts and other items.  The shop has been doing alright and sales are pretty steady.

I see that my supplier has top gun light guns and think hey they will be pretty cool in my shop as I have bought one of these before so I order 10 of them with about 100 other things.  Anyway I get a weird message from Fex Ex saying they have to get my business details and customs wouldn't release the package and they were so strange about it.  So I handed them over and then think hmmmm maybe customs flagged the package due to the top gun arcade guns and I figured the worst that would happen is they confiscate them.

So I decided to look it up and that's when I read something horrifying. My country has gone nuts with this. It is a serious crime trying to import "gun lookalikes"  the exception being if they are toys however the out on that is if they look realistic.  Great I think because this is obviously a toy and it has buttons all over it but then I read something else that playstations gun-con's were considered too realistic so they had to release them bright orange here.

The real kicker is the sentence you can be fined 275,000 and given a maximum sentence of 10 years. Now I am sure that isn't meant for little operations like me who inadvertently broke the law but that is insane.  

So now I have to wait and see how customs is going to proceed but it is kinda strange thinking that I may have broken a law which has a penalty of 10 years just by ordering a few toys online. My dad who is a lawyer said I had nothing to worry about but who knows with these things.

Anyway my girlfriend wasn't impressed when I said I am just going to destroy them if I got them as they aren't worth the trouble since I just see it as a headache now.

 

[moxie]

You live in a mad place.

 

[kasp]

You live in a mad place.

Australia I wouldn't consider that mad.  Just a few things we have are crazy

 

[Løra (Lolla)]

I think your dad is right, I wouldn't worry too much. You didn't realise, and to be honest, I doubt it's a well known law. Not only that, but I would imagine the law is about importing them on a large/major scale and not a few toys. Once it's sorted with customs, if they don't confiscate them, then I don't see why they would need to be destroyed.


Good luck with it all anyhow

 

[vcoleiro1]

Mate , I'm in Melbourne and have imported lots of stuff.  I think your flipping out a little to much. Have a look on ebay aus :- you will see a lot of stuff like:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BOSS-BATTLE-LIGHT-GUN-FOR-XBOX-NEW-AUS-EXPRESS-/111272895100?pt=AU_PC_Video_Games_Games&hash=item19e861a27c&_uhb=1

I'm part of the Aussiearcade forums, a lot of people (including myself) import loads of retro gear from OS. Never seen anyone have any issues.   They may be just checking the parcel because on the scan they looked like guns.  There's no point destroying them when you get them, if its an issue you'll know before that point, and you will only be throwing good stock away. Not saying theres no issue, but just wait and see what happens and don't stress to much. AS you said, if there is an issue , they probably just destroy them.

 

[Fzero]

Same here in the UK, in that all toy guns must be bright orange or blue and such... our Guncon was light grey originally, then the GunconII was the bright orange.

Spud guns which used to come in black in the 80's are now only sold in colour versions.

I got myself one of those lightguns recently as it goes, from China, and that is black, so have to be careful my neightbours don't see me and I end up with CO19 jumping through my window. I've considered spraying it just to make it completely obvious even from a distance.

I wouldn't worry though, I imagine that sentence is the maximum they can apply, and there just for the cases where someone is intentionally smuggling in replicas which are suspected for criminal use ... where they will meant to look like real guns, for robbing or something.

The fact you are a games retailer, and the guns in question are light guns for consoles, I would imagine you'll just lose the stock and they'll tell you not to order them ever again

 

[Løra (Lolla)]

@Fzero: Oooo I didn't know we had that law here in the UK too!

 

[levi]

As far as I know it's not a law here, but about the time of the PS1 the newspapers had a witch hunt with stories about kids holding up shops with a light gun, so the manufacuturers switched to crazy colours to avoid those stories.

 

[kasp]

Mate , I'm in Melbourne and have imported lots of stuff.  I think your flipping out a little to much. Have a look on ebay aus :- you will see a lot of stuff like:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BOSS-BATTLE-LIGHT-GUN-FOR-XBOX-NEW-AUS-EXPRESS-/111272895100?pt=AU_PC_Video_Games_Games&hash=item19e861a27c&_uhb=1

I'm part of the Aussiearcade forums, a lot of people (including myself) import loads of retro gear from OS. Never seen anyone have any issues.   They may be just checking the parcel because on the scan they looked like guns.  There's no point destroying them when you get them, if its an issue you'll know before that point, and you will only be throwing good stock away.

Hey yeah I am on those forums as well, anyways need some retro gear and controllers in Australia(hopefully Pandora's and Pyra's in the future as well) you know where to go also I can set you up with a good deal/coupon for a fellow pandorian if you contact me prior to ordering. (No light guns though)

I am not really flipping out I know if something happened it would be minor.  I just thought it was crazy that importing a toy gun could technically get you 10 years, the only thing I am worried about I guess is that I am a business so it might be a bit more than a slap on the wrists. I am probably going to get pulled up for not declaring for tax as well since the order was technically over $1000 (wasn't in US but didn't think about the conversion) However thats no biggie I just need to pay them about 150 bucks and I am sure they will go away.

Oh and part of the reason for destroying them is because I read up on the laws and they are different in every state and I just don't want that risk, whats losing a few hundred dollars of stock compared with potentially breaking the law?  A real shame because they were pretty good sellers as well.

 

[Klumpen]

I used two EMS Topguns, they work very well with MAME and don't look like real guns in my opinion,

I just have no idea how to make them work on Linux but haven't really tried yet.

Point Blank is a real blast with these, don't destroy them.

 

[vcoleiro1]

@kasp, Lol, small world.  

Yeah I know, customs and the law here . It is getting a little crazy. I can only imagine what people must think when they come over from OS and the Qantas staff start spraying the whole aircraft cabin with insectiside like they used to/still do.

I get most of my retro stuff from japan these days, the retro craze has made everything here expensive.  But it's not huge amounts , just a little bit here and there which I'll flip on ebay.  But the retro craze has started to really hit in japan now, have noticed prices getting high there also.

 

[Wally]

The insectiside stuff is pretty important as we wouldn't want any of those terrible infected mozzies to come here and ruin everything.

Customs won't cease the guns as they're more or less a toy with a noise.. Don't worry about it

 

[vcoleiro1]

^ yeah I know, but I can't help but laugh when I see the expression on the faces of OS visitors.  It's a cross between amusement and horror (is this going to kill me)

 

[Klumpen]

Did you order the version with or without cable?

The wireless version does look a bit like a real gun, especcially since all TopGuns got a laser pointer for fine adjustment.

 

[kasp]

Did you order the version with or without cable?

The wireless version does look a bit like a real gun, especcially since all TopGuns got a laser pointer for fine adjustment.

Yeah the wireless one lol

@Vcoleiro   The stuff I deal with is more retro controllers adapted for pc like usb nintendo/sega/ gamecube controllers sort of thing. 

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

What about real gun that are painted in bright orange?  Those can slip by?

 

[comradekingu]

Sell guns on the black market. We run these streets.

 

[kasp]

What about real gun that are painted in bright orange?  Those can slip by?

I think that's frowned upon but at least it's not a fake gun kinda resembling a real one.

 

[vcoleiro1]

Now you have got me worried a bit.  As luck would have it , a console has popped up today OS which ive been after for a while.  Of course it's got a light gun attached. Although , luckily the barrel is bright orange, so I should be ok.

 

[kasp]

Now you have got me worried a bit.  As luck would have it , a console has popped up today OS which ive been after for a while.  Of course it's got a light gun attached. Although , luckily the barrel is bright orange, so I should be ok.

Yeah you should be fine.

The issue I have is that I am a business (sole trader so I am personally responsible for everything I can't pull a Craig) with the intent to resell, so who knows.  I think there is a good chance they will just let them through and maybe a 20% chance that they won't. Perhaps 0.5% chance that they will take it further than confiscating the toys.

I guess it really depends how they interpret the law with these things.  I see them as toys but you might get someone who says they are gun replicas even though they have buttons all over them.  The only thing that resembles the gun is the shape.

However if they do take it further I should be ok, I have free legal advice as well as some very influential journalists in the family who jut love writing nanny state pieces.

I think what gets me the most is I did something completely innocent and no reasonable person would consider a crime but I could have broken a law that holds a massive fine and penalty without even being aware of it.  That is just scary stuff.

EDIT:  ha just looked at the tracking must have been taken with China's customs not Australia's.