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Importing inert Mills No5 from Belgium

M

Missileman

Well-Known Member
Hello all

I'm looking for some advise.

I recently pulled the trigger on a Mills No5 being sold on a Militaria web site.

I didn't realise until after I had placed the order that the shop selling the item is based in Belgium.

The item immediately appeared as reserved on the web site and before I could pay I was sent an email confirming my details....email and address etc. I have not provided and payment details because I haven't been asked for them.

I did however send an email to the Militaria dealer stating I was in the UK and asked if shipping the item here would be a problem. I have not yet, despite two further emails received any response from the shop yet the grenade is still being shown as reserved on their web site.

My question is this;
What is the deal with having an inert grenade shipped to me here in the Uk? Is this something customs could jump up and down on or is it an item that can be posted without a problem? I have no idea.
The dealer concerned states on his website that he posts internationally but it is the responsibility of the buyer to check what their local laws and customs are.

As far as I see it, as long as the grenade is dismantled into all of its component parts when it is packed and shipped then surly it shouldn't be a problem.

Am I right or am I wrong?

Any guidance on this is appreciated.
 
There have been a number of well reported and documented instances of inert items being detected within the UK mail system with (occasionally disproportionate) ensuing follow up action by the authorities.

I can only advise that the article is fully disassembled. If you can get the vendor to provide some sort of verifiable Free From Explosive declaration ( English and French) to accompany the item it may be advantageous but be warned that FFE is not a recognised concept in the civilian world ( Please see BOCN threads on the matter). You might wish to reconsider the purchase but I am sure you will find that BOCN members can give you plenty of examples of hassle free transactions of this nature.
 
I have never had a problem in the past receiving from there, but I have had problems the other way round, selling over there. I haven't bought anyhing from overseas for a couple of years now though, and would imagine that security is getting tighter at the ports due to the olympics coming up.
If it's not too pricey, I think I would take the risk, and like exat808 states, ask the seller to strip it down prior to packing.
 
i wonder if theres a way of packaging that has a window that can show the stripped grenade from the bottom visually showing/proving empty and inert
 

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spotter said:
i wonder if theres a way of packaging that has a window that can show the stripped grenade from the bottom visually showing/proving empty and inert
Click to expand...

wouldnt that just draw attention to it? might be better to ship it in an inocuous (?sp) package. might be an idea to get the seller to strip it then pack the body in one container and the bits in another then put those two containers into a box or ship them seperately. might be morre expensive to ship but you might have a better chance of getting it. I dont know though, i have brought some vintage geiger counters with radioactive check sources from abroad before with no problem (apart from fricking parcel force)
 
It was farcical, they charge unneccessary admin fees on stuff from the US but they are the only company that handles parcels from the US so you have no choice. Also I live in a normal area, well know, greater london not in the middle of nowhere. I took the day off work the day they were delivering, nothing happened all day so i rang them, they said that the driver had attempted delivery but no one answered, i know that wasnt true as i was in the sitting room which is right near the main doot all day. they attempted to deliver next day but no one turned up, but a card was in my postbox fair enough i tried rescheduling delivery but was told it would be easier for me to collect it, which i arranged to do, 40 mile round trip and got there only to be told it was on a van somewhere on the way to my house. so i went home, sure enough they had tried again to deliver and had taken it back to the depot from where i collected it a day later. Its not the to'ing and fro'ing that bugged me it was the way their customer service centre treated me, i was made to feel totally like it was my fault and i was inconveniencing them, they were rude and dismissive. Has happened (or similar) to me more than once with them now and DPD parcels aswell, i now try and avoid them if a company uses them as their shippers, or pay extra to get a different carrier, or just use royal mail.

I have nothing but praise for UPS though that have delivered some weird things and paperwork and stuff for me over the years and have been exemplary.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses.

If I could get the dealer to respond to my repeated emails then I'd be persuading this grenade to get it imported based on what I've learnt here, but without a response I can't even pay for it!

I may try and call the dealer direct next week to try and get a feel for what's going on both with the grenade and my 'reserved' status on it, but after that I'll be giving up on this one.

I appreciate your replies all

Many thanks

Mike
 
Update....

Today I've received an email response from what appears to be the Vendors Wife.

The Vendor himself is suffering from ill health, hence the lack of responses to my emails and the grenade is still reserved to me if I send payment, although she states she has never sent a grenade to the UK before so cannot guarantee its safe delivery to my door.

I have suggested that the grenade be stripped of its base plug, lever, ring pull, firing pin and spring and be packed as separate items within the same shipment. To NOT put that the package contains a grenade or anything of the sort and to place a piece of paper inside explaining that the item is inert and has been sold as a curiosity, giving a phone number such as my own or hers.

I also suggested that the item be shipped to me via 24 hour courier to reduce its transit time in the postal system.

I wouldn't normally bother with this, but from the pics I have of this particular No5 it's a beauty and if I stand some chance of receiving it then I want to give it a go.

What do you guys think about my suggestions above?

Cheers

Mike


Update again.......money now sent after a request to send to the vendors Paypal address which ties up with their website.

I'm very excited about this one....I just hope it arrives safely!
 
Last edited:
I dont know.

We've agreed a price and I've PayPal'd the money, now we have to wait and see what happens next.

I've asked her to kindly pass on to me shipping details and a tracking number.

With any luck, might receive those details tomorrow.

Mike
 
Missileman said:
I dont know.

We've agreed a price and I've PayPal'd the money, now we have to wait and see what happens next.

I've asked her to kindly pass on to me shipping details and a tracking number.

With any luck, might receive those details tomorrow.

Mike
Click to expand...

I think you'll be fine mate. Just remember to post a picture of the Mills when you get it.
 
pointblank0 said:
I think you'll be fine mate. Just remember to post a picture of the Mills when you get it.
Click to expand...

I hope so. I've been informed it will be posted today, then tracking number to follow.

I'll be sure to upload some pics when it arrives. I'm particulalrly looking forward to getting this one.
 
Well the plot thickens with this one.
As I've already said, I paid for the grenade via PayPal as instructed.
just over a week ago, which was about a week after I'd already paid for it, I received an email stating the grenade couldn't be located, and should it not turn up then I would be refunded immediately.
A week after receiving this news I sent an email asking what the progress had been trying to locate what I had actually bought.
I get the impression from the emails I receive that the proprietors wife is trying to run the business whilst the owner is suffering from ill health.
It has been a few days now since I sent my reminder and I have heard nothing.
i think I'll give it a few more days and then I'll have no choice but to approach Paypal to reclaim my money, which is a shame because I really wanted the grenade I had bought.
Any thoughts?
 
Wha is this thread in the grenade section? Shouldn't it be in the small talk section?
 
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