#717484
Tue Oct 02 2018 11:16 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,933 Likes: 91
Veteran Member
|
OP
Veteran Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,933 Likes: 91 |
On Sept.1st. I shipped this B/A thermometer to Canada.Sept. 31st. the buyer contacted me to see if I had shipped--(actually contacted him on the 1st.and told him I had shipped)
Oct.1st the package came back to me with a letter stating "content determined to be dangerous goods"
Conclusion--I guess the small amount of mercury in a thermometer is not acceptable even though the thermometer was triple wrapped in plastic.
End result--I contacted the buyer and refunded his paypal payment.
Comments?
Frank Jordan
|
|
|
Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category
Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
|
|
|
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,871 Likes: 48
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,871 Likes: 48 |
So the customs people open boxes and determine this to be hazardous? Picky, picky, wonder if they washed their hands after touching it?
Have gas all the time
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,727 Likes: 19
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,727 Likes: 19 |
FYI. That's alcohol (usually ethanol) with red coloring and not mercury. I agree it's picky but it is flammable. Ron
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,805 Likes: 46
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,805 Likes: 46 |
Just a suggestion...It might have gone through Customs without being opened, if you had used a description like "antique plastic advertising item" or "Vintage service station advertising item". I.E. no reference to "thermometer" or even "gas" or "oil". John
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,348 Likes: 1
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,348 Likes: 1 |
...what Ron said - only thermometers with silver fluid contain mercury...but it's ridiculous that such an item was deemed dangerous in the first place...
Looking for better Gulf items: signs, globes, cans and paper - especially porcelain Gulf flanges, and Gulf A-38 & A-62 ad glass...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,933 Likes: 91
Veteran Member
|
OP
Veteran Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,933 Likes: 91 |
Just a suggestion...It might have gone through Customs without being opened, if you had used a description like "antique plastic advertising item" or "Vintage service station advertising item". I.E. no reference to "thermometer" or even "gas" or "oil". John Agree,probably would have gone through customs that way.The other side of the coin is that I try to be honest in my declaration,had I not and it was inspected I would have been liable for a false statement. I guess the lesson here is that I will not ship thermometers to Canada. Thanks for the input!
Frank Jordan
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,195 Likes: 74
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,195 Likes: 74 |
Looks like it never cleared usa customs, so you can transport it all the way to the customs. they deem it as hazardous, then put the thing back in the mail system....LOL not to hazardous to ship around the country I guess...seriously, is this is all you have to do, must have been a slow day??? I guess on the bright side they could have destroyed it and you don't even get it back....but that's only if it actually is hazardous I guess....LOL
Wanted early tin litho signage. petro, farm, auto, etc.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,639 Likes: 42
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,639 Likes: 42 |
Look on the bright side,at least it made it back to you in one piece. If it arrived broken,10-1 odds they would've never admitted to it.
Collecting Vintage Sunoco
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 235 Likes: 4
Petro Enthusiast
|
Petro Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 235 Likes: 4 |
I would have just put collectible as description. . I was bidding on that one as well. Looks like it better that I didn't win this.
Collecting Supertest and Canadian oil cans
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 480 Likes: 16
Petro Enthusiast
|
Petro Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 480 Likes: 16 |
You are lucky that USPS caught it and sent it back to you. A few years back I bought a wax tin on eBay from the US. A number of days later I received a note from Canada Customs in Calgary letting me know that they destroyed it since it contained petroleum products. It was probably a slow day in Calgary like today coping with the foot of snow that they got yesterday.
Last edited by coopersplace; Wed Oct 03 2018 08:23 AM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 2,159 Likes: 33
Veteran Member
|
Veteran Member
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 2,159 Likes: 33 |
If you think that’s bad, I used eBay’s GSP recently and the bastards at their shipping center stole about $50+ of extras I included in the box for the guy. Real nice. I never claimed them because they were tiny smalls so I have no leg to stand on in an argument with eBay
Looking for Michelin items + NJ oil company related items (Mohawk, Guardian, Whiz, etc) + animal-related petroliana + Gargoyle/Shell/Sinclair items
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 71
Active Member
|
Active Member
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 71 |
I had the same problem with a newer Soda thermometer I bought on Ebay from a US seller. When It got to the Ebay Global shipping center I was notified by Ebay that it was a restricted item and would be returned to the seller and I would get a refund, which I did. Awhile later I bought a replacement 20" thermometer tube for my Prestone thermometer from the US shipped via USPS and it made it across the boarder with no issues. Not sure why one got through and the other didn't? I can't remember what was marked for contents on the customs forms however, perhaps that made the difference? I also recently bought a small vintage Delco battery transistor radio from a US seller and that was held up at the Global shipping centre as a possible "hazardous item" It was eventually released and made it across the boarder. Guess they thought it was a real car battery
Paul
|
|
|
|
|