Letter to Rob: Sorry for all circumstances

[Rhapsodies Fire]

What is really surprising is that this hasn't come up in other areas yet. The European Economic Area is huge!
•The Netherlands
•Bulgaria
•Romania
•Belgium
•Luxembourg
•France
•Germany
•Italy
•United Kingdom
•Ireland
•Denmark
•Greece
•Spain
•Portugal
•Austria
•Finland
•Sweden
•Cyprus
•Estonia
•Hungary
•Latvia
•Lithuania
•Malta
•Poland
•Slovenia
•Slovakia
•Czech Republic

 

[Duekster]

God save the Euro..... and create 2 more

 

[Fippes]

The question is: Is a Reo an electric device, when there is no possibility to put a battery in place?

 

[Rhapsodies Fire]

That's the point. You got it in seconds, you have my honest respect!

The conclusion could be simple. Just de-electrify the Reo with detaching the spring. But the customs officers will make a second joke: they declare the bottle and tubing to be illegal. But we can't laugh about that!

Thank you! There are many things that I am "inferring" from the information I have read, but I will not write them here.

 

[Rhapsodies Fire]

The question is: Is a Reo an electric device, when there is no possibility to put a battery in place?

Hard to say...it doesn't fall within the Low Voltage section...that is 50-1000volts. So it looks like there isn't an established set of standards as far as I can tell. Now we all know that most of the smaller, and more mass produced products like the eGo carry the CE mark because they are manufactured by the big guys overseas who are used to this type of import/wholesale thing. This New arrangement isn't that new...just new to small operations like our beloved mod builders.

 

[Fippes]

What is really surprising is that this hasn't come up in other areas yet. The European Economic Area is huge!
•The Netherlands
•Bulgaria
•Romania
•Belgium
•Luxembourg
•France
•Germany
•Italy
•United Kingdom
•Ireland
•Denmark
•Greece
•Spain
•Portugal
•Austria
•Finland
•Sweden
•Cyprus
•Estonia
•Hungary
•Latvia
•Lithuania
•Malta
•Poland
•Slovenia
•Slovakia
•Czech Republic

Nobody beats german bureaucracy!

But for example: Some friends of mine (Vapourtrails.tv) told me today from growing problems in the UK with devices from the USA.

 

[Fippes]

But there are also good news: In case of a missing ce-labeling the Customs have to to examine the safety of the device within three days. Within this period, they must demonstrate that the equipment is dangerous. Otherwise they must deliver it to the buyer

 

[Rhapsodies Fire]

ugh....my head hurts!

 

[Fippes]

Hard to say...it doesn't fall within the Low Voltage section...that is 50-1000volts. So it looks like there isn't an established set of standards as far as I can tell. Now we all know that most of the smaller, and more mass produced products like the eGo carry the CE mark because they are manufactured by the big guys overseas who are used to this type of import/wholesale thing. This New arrangement isn't that new...just new to small operations like our beloved mod builders.

But there is an exception for battery powered devices. They do not need a CE mark. I will post a link to this information later. Now I am going to bed. It is 2:38 am here in Germany. Have a great day mates!

 

[Rhapsodies Fire]

Sweet dreams, my friend

 

[redeyedancer]

Hello Fipps I feel bad for you folks over in Germany . I refunded a couple of people today from Germany they were afraid they wouldn't receive there mods . First it was the noalox so I made sure all the German orders had a material safety data sheet for the noalox .I hope someone finds away around the problem . I have sent mods all over the world for some time and never ran into custom problems . Keep me informed if you learn anything new I am happy to do what ever it takes to make this work

 

[Mudflap]

What if...?

Rob included a flashlight attachment similar to this:

This picture is from vapormoon.com

And camouflaged the bottles to look like this:

And included an instructions sheet demonstrating how you can carry your lens cleaner with you inside your custom flashlight? The buyer would have to connect the tubing himself and maybe Rob could put some kind of little rubber cap over the nipple where the tubing goes so that it won't stand out to a customs official taking a peek inside?

Seems like a lot of trouble to defeat the bureaucrats, but I despise bureaucrats that exist to infringe on personal liberty, so I gave the matter some thought.

 

[mlinky]

Would an enclosed statement that it is a "battery operated device, not requiring CE mark pursuant to _________" be sufficient?

 

[Big Hitter]

I'm liking your thinking mudflap
No effort is to great to foil bureaucratic bull.... !!!

Sorry to hear about the trouble for you and your fellow German REOnauts Fippes
All Governments are a double edge sword.

I know Rob will go to any reasonable lengths to get the greatest mod ever over to you and your friends.

 

[amarti]

Just to make it clear, what is going on here in Germany (and also in other parts of Europe and also United States) has NOTHING to do with law and written regulations. It has only something to do with daily loosing millions of tobacco tax. So these grey hair guys decided, to bring stupid things into newspapers about dangerous e-cigs. Now they start to reduce the product import and the shops.

For example, the next (international) step will be the under 18 laws. They want the same age verification like for buying wonderful xxx-porn videos. And a Reo Grand will be judged like a dildo.

Germany is just as usual ahead of the most stupid bureaucrazy. Netherland and Scandinavia is normally much much more down to earth.

Andreas

 

[amarti]

Suggestion:
Is it possible to add a $10, $20 "German package" to the shop? Removing the spring, bottle and tube; sending it in a separate CHEAP air mail; adding a REAL bill OUTSIDE the package? Adding the possibility to choose for Germany standard USPS tracking air mail instead of expensive first class email, which is automatically picked up by the customs, because it must be a high value.

Remember, german customs officers don't like it, to get declared as stupid guys. Even when they are. If you send a $18 box by $25 Express air mail, you can directly write outside the package "Stupid german customs officer". A qualified customs officer works in those offices who have to deal with ships, trucks and planes. The stupid guys are forced to work downstairs at the public open desk.

There every day a hundred guys are trying to tell them again and again, that an aunt from china has send them "a gift" of an $18 ORIGINAL LV handbag.

But this requires, that you have to be strong. You have to be strong to tell stupid german guys a "NO", if they ask you to send a boy as a "gift" or with an $18 bill.

(Hope you can get the point of my complicated, wrong written sentences.)
Andreas

 

[amarti]

One ending from today:
The custom office asked for excuse regarding the spring and tube. No problem at THIS custom office with THIS customer and his Reo. (Accidentally his Reo was already send back to USA.)

This happened, because the guy fired finally with a heavy lawyer text to the custom office and the guy from the customs collapsed like a soap bubble.

But at the next guy trying to import an e-cig from outside the EC, they will directly try it again.

Andreas

 

[newplague]

Wish I could use my APO address to help you all out. Would be hard to get that all organized though.

 

[amarti]

Second good ending today:
Finally I could pick up my Stabilized Burl 13 from the german customs today. It was not get lost during one week from dhl to custom office. Thanks god to my blue eyes, the custom lady beleaved every word of my fairy tale about that $18 bill.

(But it cost me a lot of sweat. I would prefer not having those experiences again.)

Andreas

 

[Rhapsodies Fire]

Thank goodness you got it.