Customs seized my guitar

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SeilerBird

SeilerBird

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Posts
18,113
Location
St Cloud Florida USA
I ordered a guitar on eBay for $188. It is a Les Paul clone from China. I ordered it in March and it was not shipped until last month. Yesterday I got a bunch of paperwork from the government telling me my guitar was being held at customs since it was violating Gibson's ideas of a headstock. I can pay $61 and fight it or just give it up and lose the guitar and money. I can't find out anything about government seizures by searching.
 
SeilerBird said:
I ordered a guitar on eBay for $188. It is a Les Paul clone from China. I ordered it in March and it was not shipped until last month. Yesterday I got a bunch of paperwork from the government telling me my guitar was being held at customs since it was violating Gibson's ideas of a headstock. I can pay $61 and fight it or just give it up and lose the guitar and money. I can't find out anything about government seizures by searching.
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Wow.  Bummer.

I had a friend once who sent some tennis shoes from Korea as Christmas Gifts.

Customs had opened, determined they were knock off, look a likes, and took a Knife, cut the sole the entire way thru and  sent them to final destination.

This was early 90s though.

You got caught up in that 10% check it sounds like. Check the price on SW air as they are running some Deals Right Now.  Maybe worth it. 

If not request them doing a Paul Stanley / (KISS) Walk Off at the end of the concert Smash and have them send it to you on video.

JD
 
SeilerBird said:
I ordered a guitar on eBay for $188. It is a Les Paul clone from China. I ordered it in March and it was not shipped until last month. Yesterday I got a bunch of paperwork from the government telling me my guitar was being held at customs since it was violating Gibson's ideas of a headstock. I can pay $61 and fight it or just give it up and lose the guitar and money. I can't find out anything about government seizures by searching.
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Dude you would like my sisters.  Twins.  Both music teachers.  Long since retired.  Artists.  You seem like you are in that same set. Just wanting to Crank on that Les Paul Knock off and don't bother no one.

My sisters are talented singers.  Sang at my Father's funeral.  Had the whole bunch of people wailing.

My sisters were born in 49.  I was born in early 60s so I have alot of their high school "The Beatles" memories too.

JD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixr-xZmZodk
 
I would contact Ebay and explain what happened. The least they can do is remove the product from their site. But there might be some way they can reimburse you. If you paid with CC I would contact your CC company also. Same if you paid through PayPal.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDE4eRrZRAI

Derek St Holmes.  Loved it when he fronted Ted Nugent.

I should have reported those crappy Scheechers shoes I just got on the Big River!

Too good of price, watch out.

JD
 
Oldgator73 said:
I would contact Ebay and explain what happened. The least they can do is remove the product from their site. But there might be some way they can reimburse you. If you paid with CC I would contact your CC company also. Same if you paid through PayPal.
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I already have a fraud complaint with my CC. I put it in about a month ago. The product I ordered did not have the bird inlays shown. None of their guitars do. Personally I don't care if they remove the product, not my problem.
 
X-Roughneck said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDE4eRrZRAI

Derek St Holmes.  Loved it when he fronted Ted Nugent.

I should have reported those crappy Scheechers shoes I just got on the Big River!

Too good of price, watch out.

JD
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It is a normal price for a Chinese knockoff.
 
I received a letter from lawyers in Atlanta telling me that if I kept on trying to import illegal guitars they would charge me and have me arrested.
 
SeilerBird said:
I received a letter from lawyers in Atlanta telling me that if I kept on trying to import illegal guitars they would charge me and have me arrested.
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Who are they representing?
 
Rene T said:
Who are they representing?
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Gibson. The funny thing is that if I search for the lawyers online I don't get a bunch of hits for other people being threatened with a lawsuit. Why are they picking on me?
 
They are not picking on you. Gibson has been aggressive about knock offs for years. Customs has been attempting to stop knock offs of all sorts like hand bags and other stuff for years.

Face it, you want a Gibson but don?t want to pay for it. So, you buy a knock off. You got caught.
 
Lynx0849 said:
They are not picking on you. Gibson has been aggressive about knock offs for years. Customs has been attempting to stop knock offs of all sorts like hand bags and other stuff for years.

Face it, you want a Gibson but don?t want to pay for it. So, you buy a knock off. You got caught.
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No I didn't want a Gibson. I don't like American guitars, I prefer Oriental made guitars. I understand Gibson has been very aggressive protecting their patents. But I have only heard about them going after companies, not individuals. If they were attacking individuals why isn't anyone talking about it on the Internet? 
 
SeilerBird said:
Why are they picking on me?
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I would guess because they know you buy products continuously from a Communist country. Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery.  You will see, the Gov't monitors every piece of mail and package you receive, every day.  When you really want to know what is going on, watch the documentary 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix.
 
SpencerPJ said:
I would guess because they know you buy products continuously from a Communist country. Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery.  You will see, the Gov't monitors every piece of mail and package you receive, every day.  When you really want to know what is going on, watch the documentary 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix.
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I have not bought products continuously from a Communist Country. I have bought maybe three in the past twenty years.
 
SpencerPJ said:
I would guess because they know you buy products continuously from a Communist country. Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery.  You will see, the Gov't monitors every piece of mail and package you receive, every day.  When you really want to know what is going on, watch the documentary 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix.
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Many of us have products around our house that say made in China on them. I usually don?t look at where something is made, if I want it I buy it. You can order a cabin from Russia on ebay. If a product is illegal to be shipped to the US it shouldn?t be listed.
 
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