I’ve noticed that a lot of people on this forum are limiting their sales to CONUS, or Continental United States, to the people who can’t guess. While this is fine and dandy, there are players in other countries, some where there aren’t any local airsoft shops, or where shipping from larger retailers is unavailable. So in the best interest of expanding our ever-growing community, I’ve decided to write this article on international shipping.
Contrary to popular belief, International Shipping is not that difficult, but it does require you to be smart about what you are doing. It requires one to know about Import and Export laws of each country, as well as following them to avoid popping up on security systems as an arms smuggler, or a hefty fine, but usually your shipped gun ends up being seized. This is the responsibility of BOTH parties involved in the transaction. I’m not going to list the laws here obviously, but you should be smart enough to look them up on your own.
You have to not only comply with domestic laws, but foreign as well. For instance, if you try shipping a 400FPS gun to Japan, it’s just not going to happen if by any chance it gets inspected by customs, which it most likely will.
Another thing you have to know about is Customs Declaration forms. These are the papers you have to fill out in order to ship internationally. These papers declare the contents of your package, as well as their weight and value. Always be sure to write it as a "Toy Airsoft Replica”, as this clearly states the content of your package. NEVER write it as “M16 Super Ultra-Fancy” or any crap like that; its just asking for trouble.
Due to it most likely being shipped by air; always be sure to have plenty of protection for your package. Packing peanuts alone it not sufficient protection. If I can, I secure my package using shipping foam and lots of bubble wrap. Air mail goes through terrible abuse, so make sure your package will survive.
Some more tips, although not absolutely necessary, is writing in large, bold letters “TOY” on various faces of your package. I also like to include a letter to customs stating the usual “this is not a real firearm” spout, on any openings of the box itself.
These are only a few, so you should look into some more shipping tips around the ‘net, as they can only help you.
Contrary to popular belief, International Shipping is not that difficult, but it does require you to be smart about what you are doing. It requires one to know about Import and Export laws of each country, as well as following them to avoid popping up on security systems as an arms smuggler, or a hefty fine, but usually your shipped gun ends up being seized. This is the responsibility of BOTH parties involved in the transaction. I’m not going to list the laws here obviously, but you should be smart enough to look them up on your own.
You have to not only comply with domestic laws, but foreign as well. For instance, if you try shipping a 400FPS gun to Japan, it’s just not going to happen if by any chance it gets inspected by customs, which it most likely will.
Another thing you have to know about is Customs Declaration forms. These are the papers you have to fill out in order to ship internationally. These papers declare the contents of your package, as well as their weight and value. Always be sure to write it as a "Toy Airsoft Replica”, as this clearly states the content of your package. NEVER write it as “M16 Super Ultra-Fancy” or any crap like that; its just asking for trouble.
Due to it most likely being shipped by air; always be sure to have plenty of protection for your package. Packing peanuts alone it not sufficient protection. If I can, I secure my package using shipping foam and lots of bubble wrap. Air mail goes through terrible abuse, so make sure your package will survive.
Some more tips, although not absolutely necessary, is writing in large, bold letters “TOY” on various faces of your package. I also like to include a letter to customs stating the usual “this is not a real firearm” spout, on any openings of the box itself.
These are only a few, so you should look into some more shipping tips around the ‘net, as they can only help you.
