Quote from: asinghatiya on October 26, 2010, 12:27:55 PM
But this didnt solve the problem.  Now as Anwar suggested I have to be practical now and have to visit them. What my friends like to suggest ?

Just call them and ask what is the problem? Tell them u cant come to Delhi and they shud give u a reason for detention. when they do, if u have the solution then fax the relevant documents to them otherwise PM me.

Quote from: mail4ajo on October 26, 2010, 06:24:58 PM
Its not HS codes, but IE code issued by DFT. Issued for people engaged in EXIM. Its not required for personal EXIM. But customs ask for it thinking we are importing commercial. We have to convince them that its personal and charge lower duty rate of 14.712%.

Duty rate depends on the item type not on personal or commercial.

Quote from: CrazyPilot on October 26, 2010, 07:15:45 PM
Duty rate depends on the item type not on personal or commercial.

Since we are taking about RC stuff, I am not referring to importing cars, electronics etc. All Hobby items coming under personal stuff, I believe is charged at 14.712%

Quote from: mail4ajo on October 26, 2010, 07:42:36 PM

Quote from: CrazyPilot on October 26, 2010, 07:15:45 PM
Duty rate depends on the item type not on personal or commercial.

Since we are taking about RC stuff, I am not referring to importing cars, electronics etc. All Hobby items coming under personal stuff, I believe is charged at 14.712%

No sir, it depends on custom wallah's mood. They might put ur item in diff categories and charge diff duties. ex. if they put ur item in toy category it will go free upto Rs 10000. if fun-fare category it will attract 26.849% (which is most common for RC products). there are many more.

Now the status runs thus:

I went to Customs Delhi office. Postoffice people were very cooperative and without me asking anything, they took my USPS tracking number and guide me about my internal tracking number and guided me to customs dept. toruble starts here.
every day from 2 o clock to 4 oclock they resolve the pending/ detained items with them. And to my surprise, after having heard so much about their haressment, I didnt found any thing like that there. With me there were 5 other people who had different items detaind due to different and valid reasons.

When it was my turn they took out my packet and open it infront of me.... and said, that this kind of item is not allowed to import. I said sir, market is flooded with airplanes and why this is not allowed?

He was adament without any logic, then he told me that go to DGFT website and you will find this product didnt comply certain criteria hence not alllowed. I told him its a toy, he said 'can you prove' this is a toy? After that wot is said was surprising, He said its not you but we have many such toys detained in our wearhouse and people without inquiring buy online and create a trouble here in office.

I aksed him a simple question humbly that if law didnt permit this toy then why so many hobby centers in the country are allowed to import so many toys. If there is a law and if this didnt comply with DGFT norms then why so many RC planes and Helis available in market? and he had no answer but he asked me to leave his office.  OK, as anwar said now I have to adopt the twisted and practical way.

As such there is no haressment by them but, as far as RC stuff specially helis and aircrafts are concerned they have a problem and I dont konw why?

Why a hobby shop owner is able to get his loads of stuff cleared and an individual's stuff is detained.
I know this is called 'clearing charges', if they are there then they could have charged me too and I am sure even after they charg me (or take under table) I will be able to buy RC stuff much cheaper.

Beleive me I am not against any Hobby shop but I just want a fair deal here.

You can try taking the letter posted by Santhosh.  It says that "models" (not just "toys") are allowed.

You can also try going the RTI route, requesting information on how many RC models were inspected in the past 3 months, how many were detained under which provisions of the law, and how many were released under which provisions of the law and so on.

OR...

You work on the lowest rung, and use "butter to soothe the wringles"

  Thanks Anwar, I have already found a butter for them. I have already got it cleared. But the question I have raised here is quite disturbing, why an individual face the trouble?

hello arvind ji how r u

i talk to mr anam my parcel will release on monday or tuesday.

Great, congratu;ations, even i got a connect today morning, and as i said...i am convinced tht it will be cleard by tuesday...so ...mine too is cleared..... but as we have discussed, why we individuals are in trouble ?

how u release your parcel

Actually its about clearence from Customs, so as I said a connect person will help getting its clearence done at customs..once cleard it will be delivered at our doorstep. Last evening we had a talk, I was driving down to Chd from delhi and today morning, I had a word with a person of my acquitance, he told me that it not always easy but this time he will get it done, so probably I will get my stuff this time, but I think I will now either purchase from Tower Hobby.com where they send it from UPS which have no such hassesl (as they charge "clearing charges").

Quote from: asinghatiya on October 31, 2010, 07:34:47 PM
so probably I will get my stuff this time, but I think I will now either purchase from Tower Hobby.com where they send it from UPS which have no such hassesl (as they charge "clearing charges").

Try Fedex if available. Ur parcel wont even go to FPO. Fedex gets it cleared from Airport. only problem is not many sites offer fedex.

We have so many challenges, first not many online stores shipp to india, those few who ship use USPS for it, very few uses UPS or other high quality shipping.

I hope that in near future, these online stores may take this in consideration and start using UPS or Fedexs of the world.

Quote from: asinghatiya on October 31, 2010, 07:49:04 PM
We have so many challenges, first not many online stores shipp to india, those few who ship use USPS for it, very few uses UPS or other high quality shipping.

I hope that in near future, these online stores may take this in consideration and start using UPS or Fedexs of the world.

i have many permanent sellers on ebay who use fedex or can use it on request. if ebay suits u then buy planes and radios (tx rx) on ebay.

hello sir how r u

have u got ur parcel

Yeah Finally and today only, just an hour back. Havent yet open it, coz  I am in office. But it proves that Delhi Customes are not easy to handle. 

No custom officer is easy to handle, I had couple of experiences with them and you need to tweak around a bit to get it out of their hands :p

Also, this is the official site and a good one to track any international order received via Post

http://ipsweb.ptcmysore.gov.in/ipswebtracking/

Actually I read so many experiences here but none prove that customs denied bluntly to release the pack. In my case they denied blunty that its impossible to get this pack released.

They have even told me about any documents needed or any other non compliance but an outright NO.

So I twisted the fingure to get some Gee..... you know.  But a learning for me. Will now not going to imporat a RTF.

Let me read through the thread again before asking why they denied...

It was a RTF 6 Channel Heli ... like any other RTF. I am an individual imported for personal use. I dont find any reason for this denial .

See what they said
a) Prove this a toy! if it is a toy then you need to have xyz certificates from manufacturer and DGFT.
b) You have get a clearence from DGFT (NOC) (he himself then told me that till date no has come to me with that NOC)
c) This is non compliant with DGFT norms.

Ah.. the radio. I would never argue them if the pack had any radio, its practically hard to prove to non-tech. people that radio falls under permitted range. It totally depends upon person to person who is dealing your case, maybe he had a fight with his wife

Ok, so about using FedEx., true they are the only courier that deliver on door step even if you import a scale model RC Jet with 12C radio as they become the Importer for you, they pay all the taxes applicable and ask you to pay that on delivery.

I had ordered some spare parts for my laptop from US, as that time Alienware was only US based. The parts cost me roughly 6K but the fedex people paid the duties worth 2.5K at Delhi airport. Within 5 working days I had the packet at my doorstep from US but I had to pay the duties to accept from Fedex.

When you have a radio, its better to talk to clerks than the officer to get it cleared.