Overseas Collectors Beware

[Alex Rice]

Hi All
I have just had some very annoying information. I am based in South Africa and use a forwarding service in the UK for sending purchases on to me, so usually I wait until I have a few items to make it worthwhile. I have a few packages of badges now but the agency cannot send them because they have been labeled 'Military badges' and that is now against the new Brexit rules and regulations .
I now have to have them returned to the senders at extra cost, and then hopefully they will repack and send them back, with a new description, such as 'Obsolete collectables'! ...at extra cost.
Please take note that if you buy anything, ask the seller to list the badges without the word 'Military' in the title, and probably best to avoid things like 'Army', 'Navy' and 'Air-Force' as well.
Good luck, cheers,
Alex

[grenadierguardsman]

Thanks Alex.
Andy

[Sonofacqms]

Many thanks Alex for pointing this out, some 76+ years ago many EU residents welcomed military badges along with the wearers, how times have changed . . !

Rob

[Wmr-RHB]

Sorry, but I do not see the connection here. These are send from the UK to South Africa. Neither are member of the EU. How can EU rules be applicable?

And indeed, 76+ years ago we (well, I was only a few months old, but in hindsight I joined those) welcomed the allied forces, but there was no EU then for many years to come.

[Nozzer]

Originally Posted by Alex Rice

Hi All
I have just had some very annoying information. I am based in South Africa and use a forwarding service in the UK for sending purchases on to me, so usually I wait until I have a few items to make it worthwhile. I have a few packages of badges now but the agency cannot send them because they have been labeled 'Military badges' and that is now against the new Brexit rules and regulations .
I now have to have them returned to the senders at extra cost, and then hopefully they will repack and send them back, with a new description, such as 'Obsolete collectables'! ...at extra cost.
Please take note that if you buy anything, ask the seller to list the badges without the word 'Military' in the title, and probably best to avoid things like 'Army', 'Navy' and 'Air-Force' as well.
Good luck, cheers,
Alex

Can you show us a copy of these new "Brexit rules and regulations"?

[Alex Rice]

Hi All
I don't know the exact law / rules but whatever they are, they forwarding agency will not send them. It seems that for military items now, they require a special export license which they don't have.

"Some of the items in your packages military items and are classed as dual use. This does apply to all military items regardless of the age and there intended use. To ship items like this we require a special export licence and I'm afraid we do not have this licence and we cannot ship these."

Cheers,
Alex

[Alan O]

I suspect combining the words 'Africa' and 'military' may be the problem just in case the package also includes some electric cattle prods, truncheons or water cannon.......

[CAM]

Originally Posted by Alan O

I suspect combining the words 'Africa' and 'military' may be the problem just in case the package also includes some electric cattle prods, truncheons or water cannon.......

[dumdum]

Example of another "jobsworth" looking to justify his salary...

I should know, I endured three years in the (un)civil service. Even with my Covid job loss, the Govt would be possibly the last place I would sign up for.

I once asked a Malaysian friend to look for medals or badge when he was last on a trip home.

You would have a better chance of getting any other illegal substance than these I was told.