US Customs/Homeland Security

[RoyVegas]

So I am pretty new here but wanted to throw out a rant to all collectors.  Here we go!  So I got lucky and found 7 new/sealed Turbografx-16 games in South America and order them.  I am excited every day to check the mail and couldn't wait for them to get here and today they did.  The box was a bit beat up and but i couldn't wait to open it.  As I bring it into the house to check out my new games I notice something odd.  The boxed is resealed with US Homeland Security tape.  This is where I start getting worried.  So I open up the box and what do I find?  They opened one of the games!  No they didnt take their time to open it and even ripped the game box doing it.  Granted it could have been worse, they could have opened all of them.

Sure I know this is part of keeping us all safe but I have a few problems with this.  First off, cant you just take the extra second and open it carefully?  Second, after you remove the contents of my package cant you package everything back up safely so some of the other game boxes don't get crushed also?  Yes a couple of the other game boxes were crushed.

[nectarsis]

I think there's more of a security issue from a box coming from South America vs an illegal looking for work...

Sucks they roughed up your stuff though

[RoyVegas]

Response removed and my original post is edited.  I was trying to make a point lastly and to be honest it sounded bad.  Sorry if I gave anyone that impression, my apologies.

[Press_Run]

Was probably inspecting the package for drugs, guns, or any other illegal substances. Sorry to hear about your games. I hope the game they took apart wasn't a rare one.

[RoyVegas]

Was probably inspecting the package for drugs, guns, or any other illegal substances. Sorry to hear about your games. I hope the game they took apart wasn't a rare one.

Well, it wasn't anything to expensive.  I have seen your run at getting a full collection and you of anyone knows how hard it can be to get complete games.   I personally have a little bit of a different collection.  I have 1 set of games that are open that are case/manual/hu and sleeve and another set of games that I am trying to complete that are NEW/SEALED.  Just so frustrating to not only find th games but to agree on a price, get them on the way and have Homeland Security ruin them.

[NecroPhile]

Sorry to hear of your troubles.  Out of curiosity, how were they mailed (private shipper or regular mail)?  I'd file a claim for a damaged package and see if it goes anywhere, or at least file a complaint.  You probably won't get anything out of it, but maybe someone will listen and be a bit more careful next time.

[RoyVegas]

They were shipped regular mail.  All in all it was a learning experience and all attitude and temper aside, its my fault for not having them shipped insured.     Lets just hope the 22 other sealed games I have on the way in the mail arent destroyed also.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Dude, fuck that.

Ensuring our safety doesn't mean damaging our goods we order.  We pay for security, so the "GO TEAM AMERICA" idiots should have the decency to handle everything with the same care they would want their goods treated with.  I'm sure cletus and jeb down at DHS wouldn't like it if their titty magazines and NRA patches showed up all messed up.

start writing letters and all of that.

sure its probably over the top but screw it.  What do you have to lose? 

I had this happen to me once when I ordered a package from Brazil.  Only the DHS idiots didn't tape it up properly so the box opened up on the way to me and half the stuff ( Genesis games) were lost between DHS and my house.

I took that package straight to the post office and gave the throwdown.

want to know what the clerk said?

"You have to be shitting me.  They did it AGAIN?!".  They gave me all the insurance money back, free stamps, a candy bar (lol), and over the course of a month tracked all my missing games down in various states and shipped them to me free of charge.

So yeah. DHS is stupid.

[nectarsis]

Until something actually does get thru then the other side "open EVERYTHING, we have to be SAFE."

[RoyVegas]

Well Arkhan if I honestly thought it would do any good I would probably be all over it.   However, in my purchasing frenzy i didn't click that nice little box that says "insurance".  Yeah I know, stupid me but hey I learned my lesson the hard way.  Hopefully the people here will learn a lesson from my mistake and make sure they get insurance.  I know I sure wish I did!

[Arkhan Asylum]

eh.

its the DHS.

try and stick it to em! dooo it

[Dark Fact]

In situations like these, not only should you have insurance in any case your games or other goods get damaged by DHS, but you should also consider hiring a customs broker.  For a fee, these guys can help make sure that your goods get over the border without DHS or some other crackpots digging into your personal belongings and confiscating them in the name of "national security".  You won't get anywhere arguing with customs officials by yourself considering how sensitive their jobs are and the slightest slip-up on their part can get them fired in an instant.  It helps to have connections and they don't get none better than a customs broker.