Real time update 12JAN23
Interesting day!
My partner was over today and we were discussing a few things that we need to figure out here to open (target date 27MAR23), and that is when I got an email from my shipper asking me to give him a call. Bear in mind, today is the day ALL the platforms ("weapons") were due to be delivered to them by Amazon, so I kinda already knew what was coming. I called him and he told me he simply can't ship these "weapons" for me. The reason is NOT what you are probably thinking however. He told me, yes, these ARE legal to ship to Honduras and then on to Utila, that was not the problem. The problem is that they are a large shipping company which ships multiple containers every week. These containers contain boxes and cargo from literally hundreds of customers. The problem is that under the customs x-ray, these platforms LOOK like real weapons. When the customs officers possibly see that, they will stop the entire container(s) and hold up EVERYONE'S boxes while they figure out that they are NOT real weapons. Not only that, but it costs roughly $5,000 to unload and reload the container so that they can find and inspect these items. Understandably, he told me it is not practical to take the risk of hundreds of customers orders being held up for my 12 boxes containing the platforms (he is still shipping everything else except the platforms). I told him I fully understood and thanked him. He is actually coming to our island on the 28th so we will sit down and have some drinks in person, which will be good.
Okay, so, entire process halted on a dime.
Absolutely everything for playing airsoft is on it's way EXCEPT an way to shoot the BB's. Times like this show what you are made of and neither my partner nor I have any part of the words "give up" in our vocabulary. We took it in and both devised a plan of action in two minutes tops. We know there are airsoft stores on mainland, scattered about the country. We know they are bringing in airsoft platforms regularly. We know our issue is caused by the large containers and order in those containers. We know these are NOT illegal to own, possess, or bring into the country. We both looked at each other and said "we need a smaller shipping company!" Bingo!
A short google search brought up a few names that we started calling. Second one only spoke spanish, so my partner who speaks it fluently, took over the conversation at that point. Turns out that this company is the one that at least some of the mainland stores use to ship THEIR stuff and they not only know what it is, they work with customs agents who do as well and can get these things into Honduras and on to Utila without a hitch. VOILA!
Only complications from our ends after that phone exchange, were needing to pick up the boxes containing the platforms at our normal shippers location in Louisiana, and get them to the new shippers address in Miami (or close to there). Another phone call to my Mother In Law who lives in Florida along with an offer to pay for a rental car, food, gas, and a few other niceties and perks for her and long story short, she is going to drive there (4 hours each way), pick up the boxes containing the platforms and ship them to the new address for shipping on Monday. It's good to have friends and family that can and will help!
It will cost us extra $$$ of course to get that process done, but at this point, what is a few hundred in the face of thousands invested already? The new shipper will be more expensive as well since they ship by cubic foot while the other shipper charges a flat $0.85 per pound. Since the boxes are fairly large, but also lightweight, this will end up costing more in overall shipping. No problem. The new shipper asked for and recieved almost immediately from us, photos of the platforms as shown on Amazon with the description. They say they simply show their customs agent these photos, they match them to the X-ray at customs, and turn it loose. Now we also know who to ship future platform purchases through without a hitch. It was a trying day there for a minute, but a little bit of that "Can do!" attitude on my wife, my and my partners part and it turned into a golden day with many future issues avoided and the overall problem solved in spades!
The boat from the new shipper will arrive very closely in time to the boat from the old shipper with everything from the order that isn't a shooting platform, so we aren't even losing any time. Yup today was a win/win!
All of this probably explains why US stores say it is illegal in Honduras, even though it is not. It is just a hassle to ship here, that's all. They don't want to mess with it, and who can blame them, they want to sell not figure out shipping issues.
We will see what tomorrow brings, but that is it for today!
Sarge out
) will work on the business license letter. 
