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Shipping Knives to Germany (Deutschland)

If you are sending it to a german address (not an APO) it will go through customs and get caught just like any purchase from outside the EU. I lived in Germany for 4 years and still frequent there. Every knife I bought new from the states got stopped at customs, they don't care that it is a knife but you WILL pay VAT tax on it. So not a huge deal just plan on paying 20% of the total on VAT tax and a trip to the local customs office and make sure you have a receipt.
 
It's more than 20%! Sales tax VAT alone is 19%, but first comes duty which will be around 6%, depending on what Customs decides, then you pay VAT on the total price including the shipping charges!

Forgot to say: IF the knife is legal to own here in Germany, all butterfly knives, many autos (all out the front), push daggers and quite a few other knives are totally banned and will be confiscated.
 
Shipping to Germany is low risk.

BUT

The problem is in it getting lost in transit when Not in US custody or confiscated.

What will the buyer do??

A unscrupulous buyer may open a claim on PP and end up getting your money back.
Or they may do it because they can.


Awhile ago I sent a package to Romania and the package arrived.
EMPTY... Customs confiscation... Mail man helped himself... Don't know

Your choice OP
 
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What type of knives were they? Are you sure it was Customs? Did anybody get an official notice of seizure or did the shipments just go missing?
 
I live in Germany and i highly doubt that stuff is just lost to customs.
I order knives from the states all the time because of price differences and exclusives.

As always it pays to know your laws. Bali songs for example are illegal to own and will be confiscated.

You will always have to add 19% vat of the combined item an shipping value if customs gets a hold of your package.
In addition if the combined value exceeds 150€ you will have to pay an additional 9% of custom tax.
It might seem ransom or random however you look at it but it is not random.
Also any taxes is to be paid by the recipient.

You might be able to not get caught if You label it present with 0 value but I would not recommend it.

Also you get what you pay for in shipping. USPS flat rate international shipping often stops at the departure airport in the states and can take up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Take an upgrade to for example FedEx international priority shipping and you receive the package within a week with continuous tracking.
 
I live in Germany and i highly doubt that stuff is just lost to customs.
I order knives from the states all the time because of price differences and exclusives.

As always it pays to know your laws. Bali songs for example are illegal to own and will be confiscated.

You will always have to add 19% vat of the combined item an shipping value if customs gets a hold of your package.
In addition if the combined value exceeds 150€ you will have to pay an additional 9% of custom tax.
It might seem ransom or random however you look at it but it is not random.
Also any taxes is to be paid by the recipient.

You might be able to not get caught if You label it present with 0 value but I would not recommend it.

Also you get what you pay for in shipping. USPS flat rate international shipping often stops at the departure airport in the states and can take up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Take an upgrade to for example FedEx international priority shipping and you receive the package within a week with continuous tracking.

Good tip! :thumbsup:
 
Both were marked as "offensive weapons"

One package(Priority Int'l Post) had a 4.5" drop point hunter along with a leather pouch with a traditional flint and steel kit. - Offensive weapon (fire kit too?) I even marked it to be returned at my cost.

Another package(FedEx) was a mini parang(12" machete) that was also seized.

I fought for both, to no avail. Not eligible for an insurance claim either. This was not a case of mysterious disappearance... they were both confirmed as confiscated.

Germany has not been good to me. This was in 2009... I have not shipped since. Both items were in the $500 to $800 range. I can only go by what I experienced. It's a shame.

EDIT TO ADD***
I will say that the first shipment went to a US Military address in Germany. If that makes any difference.
 
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Rick Marchand Rick Marchand for clarification, did you mark them "offensive weapon" when you shipped or were they confiscated because they were deemed by customs to be offensive weapons?
 
Ha!... no I didn't do that... lol.

The descriptions read...

- Fixed Blade Camp Knife
- Traditional Flint and Steel in Leather Pouch

- Fixed Blade Camp Machete

The packages were about a year apart from eachother.
 
Ha!... no I didn't do that... lol.

The descriptions read...

- Fixed Blade Camp Knife
- Traditional Flint and Steel in Leather Pouch

- Fixed Blade Camp Machete

The packages were about a year apart from eachother.

Wow, in almost 30 years in Germany you're the only person I know of who ever had anything seized by German Customs. A hunting knife, particularly a drop point style hunting knife in a sheath is not in any way a prohibited knife. Neither is a machete. I've sent and received hundreds of similar knives with zero problems. There has to be more to this story, perhaps it had to do with whoever was receiving the knives? Normally there would be no problems.
 
Both were marked as "offensive weapons"

One package(Priority Int'l Post) had a 4.5" drop point hunter along with a leather pouch with a traditional flint and steel kit. - Offensive weapon (fire kit too?) I even marked it to be returned at my cost.

Another package(FedEx) was a mini parang(12" machete) that was also seized.

I fought for both, to no avail. Not eligible for an insurance claim either. This was not a case of mysterious disappearance... they were both confirmed as confiscated.

Germany has not been good to me. This was in 2009... I have not shipped since. Both items were in the $500 to $800 range. I can only go by what I experienced. It's a shame.

EDIT TO ADD***
I will say that the first shipment went to a US Military address in Germany. If that makes any difference.
Military addresses in Germany don't go through the normal customs process, heck as soon as they.get to Chicago they fly military air.
 
I'm trying to ship a Microtech Stitch to Germany. Part of a trade so I'd mark the item as low value and I'd take out the spring. Any chance of this working?
 
Shipping to Germany is low risk. BUT The problem is in it getting lost in transit when Not in US custody or confiscated.

What will the buyer do?? A unscrupulous buyer may open a claim on PP and end up getting your money back.
...

A buyer who elects not to pay for goods not delivered would have the right to do so under the law of all fifty states of the United States plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, unless the buyer had expressly agreed in advance to assume the risk of loss in transit. Of course, "scruples" may have nothing to do with law. However, the custom here follows U.S. law. International law is otherwise and complex.
 
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I shipped one to Poland uninsured through eBay shipping listed it as a camp tool value $10.00 it made it no problem but was kind of sketchy.
 
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