Well i am not entirely sure what is actually going on. The declared value was below the free limit. Moreover UPS was not at all allowed to pay the duty in my name - they would have needed my written permission. Moreover i did not get a voucher.
So formally i have the right to get my money back from UPS, but in practice this will probably be very difficult, although UPS acted against our laws.
If UPS took it I can make a stir on this end, believe me I will…
Not having much luck with laws are we ?
That be the case they should put it on my bill then. I’m going to shake their cage in the morning. I’ll make this right one way or another.
Great deal, right ? Free samples that cost you 50 euros…
To insure it we valued it at 200 US although the invoice read n/c balance $0.00
UPS is obliged to get written permission from me to do this. Otherwise they are not allowed to precharge the taxes. Even more they have to give me am invoice on this process. It is quite obvious from my address (company name!) that i am not a private receiver.
BTW: the package contained an invoice declaring a value of $25 sent at no charge - i could as well have prepaid including as usual in such cases a fee covering shipment and all the fees; the carrier cannot judge this. This value was clearly visible from outside. So the UPS guys probably declared it incorrectly - which unfortunately happens frequently.
All import taxes are always paid by the shipping company upon arrival then that amount is collected from either the recipient or shipper (along with a processing fee) at the time of delivery.
Which is part of the contract for the transportation between the sender and UPS The waybill clearly noted that the sender would pay that.
My current conclusion: UPS Germany did not handle this case correctly - value declared incorrectly, no written permission to precharge the taxes, no invoice on the additional cost, especially their fees, to me.
THAT is the problem, not the additional fee itself.
Thanks for clarification!
Beate
PS: recently i ordered a guitar pickup from Hongkong. Fully prepaid, price below the free limit (22 EUROs, for prive persons even 45 EUROs). Let’s see what will happen…
Impressive what transport and customs duty added to the price - it is more than doubled. Which makes it inevitable for me to rethink my calculation if i use them regularly.
I see you had a consumer friendly experience with our lovely customs.
My own pocket book was very empty once I picked up my loupes.
The company wanted to do me an (unasked) favor so they did not include an invoice on the outside of the package. They simply wrote the item was worth $35 on the declaration form. (Which is just below the maximum worth one can receive without paying customs.)
Those kind of packages are ALWAYS flagged.
So yes, definitely include an official-looking invoice on the outside of the package. Do not insure for more than that amount. Transportation costs count towards the total taxed amount.
Even then, they still may not believe you and demand to see proof of payment. If for some reason they are not satisfied, they will make their own estimate and it will not be in your favor.
That’s a big reason why I always try to buy within the European Union if I can, even if it means risking the kind of experience I had recently.
Interestingly enough, a German geophysicist had to pay heavy dues for the “reimport” the instruments he took from the university to iceland for measurements (AFAIK, 10000 DM). That has been a fairly large number of seismik stations previously bought and tested in Germany. Owner is the state the university is located in.
Why is life so complicated?
On another subject concerning the actual use of the probe -
I used the Laurier probe #6 on James yesterday. I like it. I sent you a private message about my thoughts, Mike.
Dee
Beate your story is amusing — but I have one that will top that. Some years ago I went to Peru to train three nurses and one doctor who would be opening an electrolysis clinic in Mira Flores. My old lifeguard buddy Josh Brown was working in Peru — still is — and decided to help open the clinic. I bought three Dutch-made machines and took them with me!
Josh instructed me to have business cards made showing me as a DOCTOR! He said customs will be a problem and I should learn to say: “Necissito uno sympatico,” and to say that when I arrived in Peru. When I arrived, there was military everywhere (the “Shinning Path” was in revolt). Anyway, my “necessito … “ didn’t work and my machines were confiscated. I also had FAKE papers showing a lower value of the machines. That didn’t work either. (Customs charges the FULL VALUE of the entire unit: if the thing cost $900, you pay customs $900!)
So, the next day, Josh and I went to customs to get the machines out of customs. The customs official wanted a $1,000 BRIBE and then charge us $600 (the stated value of the units). And then, Josh went into his CRAZY routine — I could have died.
What I didn’t know is that the President’s brother was very ill. Josh told them I was a famous doctor who came from America to treat the brother, to save his life. I handed them my “card.” The machines were to be used at the summer home and the government offices. Josh started screaming, “Get me the general! Call the President immediately — get me the President! You are all going to be held responsible for the death of Juan!” (What a great actor!)
The customs guys got scared and gave us the machines at no charge. They got real friendly and took us into a warehouse filled with every kind of item they had confiscated, and asked us if we wanted to buy some of their “stolen” goods. The warehouse was full of new items like bikes, cars, televisions, etc. It looked like a department store!
So you see: “Nicht so schlecht in Deutschland!” (Or is that “im” Deutschland?)
Absolutely correct. Both in grammar and in meaning 
Dee, did you use the insulated or non-insulated?
Well, a quick update on your probes Mike Roy:
Yesterday I did the first test in the face of one of my clients. Basically, I wanted to check the level of pain tolerance and skin response.
Well, 24 hours later, you can not find even a single point on the face of this woman. This is absolutely new to me, I have never seen anything like it.
I’ll write you privately how she describes the difference in the level of tolerance, I do not want my words to influence the other members of the group.
I asked my client if she wanted to return to the needle that I use regularly, and she said: “No, on my face I want the same needle that you used yesterday.”
This morning I did another test on another of my clients. This time it was the leg. The session lasted 2 hours and my client has offered herself to videotape the final minutes of the session. You have to to see the state of the needle after more than 2500 insertions . Amazing!!. I’ll upload the video to YouTube. By the way this woman is an anesthetist at a major hospital in my city. She has seen how I extracted the needle from the box and she has had no trouble in being my 2nd voluntarily in this experiment. Actually, I have exceptional clients.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMUWcCdGk2A&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMTprOQxL14&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
My third test was this afternoon in the face of another woman. Tomorrow she will phone me to tell me how is the skin.
I have never liked needles with insulation, I had good reason. However, I’m glad I gave another chance insulation needles. And so far, my customers are happy too.
I can speak words all day for free Josefa, the real truth is when you use them with your own hands, eyes, and skill. ( I bet this will get your synchro project moving )
I would like to let everyone know, when it comes to the packaging, I know, I get it. I can understand the AEA’s intent, and it is admirable. I would be unafraid to have any of the operators here use one on me straight out of the box…I know they’re sterile and safe. However I would not reccomend any of you do. Sterilize them before use, you have to do your forceps anyway…as to presentation to your patient, the Patterson pouch I spoke of is identical to the package your doctor takes a scalpel out of to use on you. Texas Electrolysis Supply, among others, carries a huge line of sterile packaging, from peel packs to re-usable, sterilizeable needle containers and cases. Individual pouches also come with sterility indicators built in, so each individual probe can verify it’s sterility as a backup for your equipment’s timers. To re-use on the same patient or not is none of my buisness, we just give you the durability to do so if you wish.
The price has remained unchanged for forty years, we have absorbed increased costs at least into the forseeable future. Unfortunatly there is no way to lessen costs without sacrificing the performance of the Probe. That is something I will never do, period.
From my point of view, to add the packaging machine, feed it material, and employ an operator, will cost the best part of $100,000 the first year and about $50,000 every year thereafter. All to provide a guarantee that evaporates the instant you open the package. Legal protection is an illusion, before the needle reaches your control, the chain of custody becomes very foggy and blame is hard to place. After a trip through the autoclave you remove any chance of a problem. I submit that for your own legal protection, and personal peace of mind, ANY needle or probe should pass through a sterilization cycle before you use it on a patient.
I used a Laurier insulated probe, Arlene. For the the first part, I used a gold #6 for comparison purposes. James has the toughest hair that I have ever worked on, but we were down to 3 hours worth of work this time and 1,300 insertions. Very slow for me, but challenging situations calls for more time per follicle, as you know.
I liked the flexibility of these probes. When I dropped the probe in with a light touch and then live probed, it worked for the full, moist bulbs that were shaped liked Cheerio’s and bananas. They popped out nicely, all while GONE WITH THE WIND played in the background. James, I forgot to ask your lovely wife what was more exciting - seeing Gone with the Wind for the first time or seeing how great the Laurier probe worked on your big, fat whiskers!
Anyway, this is a nice product, but I need to use them more for other hair structures. I found out quickly that the energy level needs to come down or melted debris will stick to the probe.
Jossie, were you using Pico, Synchro or MultiPlex?? Also, were you in autopilot mode on these latest YouTube’s?
You need less because its focused Dee, also try dropping down a size. It will follow a little more easily, and deliver just as much.
Laurier - you noted autoclave sterilization and I was wondering if its okay soaking in the enzymes and bacteriostatics prior to ultrasonic baths and then dry heat oven for your INSULATED probes?
My history with Laurier non-insulated was good. We used Laurier and also Gentronics when we did multiple needle as you both provided probes that were the most durable. Back then, clients purchased their own sets and we sterilized prior to their appointments.
Dee - I will soon begin to work on the heavy beards with the Laurier Insulated. I would love to get an easy release with an insulated on heavy deeply rooted curly male beards. I would probably begin with Synchro.
In the situation you are in with James, what thermolysis technique did you prefer?
James - What was the difference in sensation of the non-insulated tapered #6 vs. the #6 insulated bulbous? After finding the working range, how would you compare your experience? Did you get any red dots?
Dee - How are you testing? Left cheek #6 gold non-insulated tapered, Right cheek #6 insulated bulbous, for example?
In the past, I just tested on my own but comparing the experiences with other professionals is exciting. I know that there too are many variables, like climate and the clients’ specific conditions, but I think we might find some universal commonalities, maybe, in making some generalizations that would help us in making the best choices when planning our treatments.
HairTell is really the place to be. I have no idea why so few electrologists and laser techs participate.
Ultrasonic and enzymes will cause no damage Arlene, nor will dry heat.
The treatment they recieve from me is much more harsh.
An observation I must make, not from experience, but from customer feedback.
Many of my customers tell me they have generally dropped down a size. In other words, if you’ve been using an .005" for a given case, they find an .004" gives them the same result with an even better insertion.
I never paid much attention to that, but with the increasing popularity of synchro, I can see how it would make a considerable difference.
Laurier:
Yes, I made a note of that which is why I am interested in testing with a number 5 in a situation where I would ordinarily grab for a 6. I sent you an email and am awaiting your response.
I also intend to start with Synchro. The thing is, Synchro is popular with the electrologists who post here but out in the real world, hardly anyone uses Synchro and most have no idea what it is. Even if an electrologist wanted to use Synchro, chances are she wouldn’t have the equipment that can do it. The electrologists who are at HairTell tend to purchase high end tools and equipment.
Regarding the expense of packaging: keep in mind that once you repackage to satisfy the AEA and the schools, you will be able to lecture and present at seminars and promote your product at schools and I suspect your investment pay off.
Your packaging explanations would work fine in Europe but in the USA, it might not.
Regarding price increases, although you noted you were not raising your prices, one of my vendors told me that they were raising the price of your probes. (They are in Wisconsin.)