Beware of buying engines from overseas

[Ron Duly]

Updated 11/15/2023

Here is a new one!  I bought a glow engine from England, as I have done previously, without any problem.  This time I got the following message from eBay:

"RESTRICTED ITEM
Dear Ronald,

We are writing to inform you that your recent purchase through the Global Shipping Program from [xxx] cannot be completed.

The item in question has been deemed restricted. This could be due to import/shipping restrictions or eligibility requirements within the Global Shipping Program. The item will not be shipped to you nor returned to your seller.

Don’t worry! Your full refund will be processed back to the original payment method within 72 hours. You may notice two separate refunds; a refund for the item and a refund for the shipping and import costs. No further action is needed."

My reply to eBay: Just how stupid are they?  It is a model airplane engine, not a gun, not a sword, not a hammer.  A toy engine!!!!  I have bought MANY toy airplane engines from overseas without ANY problems!  Please, somebody with brains help!  Ron Duly

So, I get a refund and the Seller gets NOTHING!!!  No explanation of what the problem is, NOTHING!    I have asked the Seller to find out what the problem was.  Stay tuned!

[GERALD WIMMER]

Hello Global shipping is the problem like some other shipping agents , they won't ship anything that has or can have oil in it like car engine parts. Lipo batteries are a bigger issue for those flying electric and try to ship overseas . A shipping forwarding company is usually able to help but it does cost more but I have little choice being from NZ .
Regards Gerald

[Dan McEntee]

   That is crazy!! I was selling off some of my excess Cox stuff and sent several items down under, and then a year or two ago the USPS dropped First Class mail to Australia and made it Priority only!! It became lots more simple and easier to get items from there. I hope this doesn't mess up Brian Gardner being able to ship and sell to us here!!
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[spare_parts]

Just wait. in a month or so you'll see this exact item listed again with the same photos even, by the agent who confiscates these items.

This has nothing to do with Australia. This is a an eBay "global shipping program" thing. And it been going on for a long time now, must be getting on 10 years? Most who sell engines often are aware and do not participate is this program electing to ship via standard carrier services.

Essentially the consolidation shipping service takes on the responsibility of meeting all regulations. So they make very sure there are no problems. There is no downside for them rejecting items it seems, though I don't know exactly what happens.

Why eBay continues to allow this nonsense? Must be the fees they get from the resale of the items? It's certainly not customer or seller feedback praising the service.

[Gerald Arana]

Just wait. in a month or so you'll see this exact item listed again with the same photos even, by the agent who confiscates these items.

This has nothing to do with Australia. This is a an eBay "global shipping program" thing. And it been going on for a long time now, must be getting on 10 years? Most who sell engines often are aware and do not participate is this program electing to ship via standard carrier services.

Essentially the consolidation shipping service takes on the responsibility of meeting all regulations. So they make very sure there are no problems. There is no downside for them rejecting items it seems, though I don't know exactly what happens.

Why eBay continues to allow this nonsense? Must be the fees they get from the resale of the items? It's certainly not customer or seller feedback praising the service.

Whoops! Double post...................................sorry.

Jerry

[Gerald Arana]

Just wait. in a month or so you'll see this exact item listed again with the same photos even, by the agent who confiscates these items.

This has nothing to do with Australia. This is a an eBay "global shipping program" thing. And it been going on for a long time now, must be getting on 10 years? Most who sell engines often are aware and do not participate is this program electing to ship via standard carrier services.

Essentially the consolidation shipping service takes on the responsibility of meeting all regulations. So they make very sure there are no problems. There is no downside for them rejecting items it seems, though I don't know exactly what happens.

Why eBay continues to allow this nonsense? Must be the fees they get from the resale of the items? It's certainly not customer or seller feedback praising the service.

Greg, (and others)
 This is exactly why I won't use their "STUPID" international shipping program. A couple years ago I lost two expensive engines due to their "exlpetive delitive" system.

I now use "Priority" with ins added. If customer does not want to use that service, I won't ship....period!

Good luck, Jerry

[Robert Whitley]

That sounds a lot like the crappy service and outrageous “service fees” UPS hits us in Canada on anything shipped from the U.S.

As a result I won’t buy anything from any vendor that uses UPS.

[john e. holliday]

If we only had politicians with any kind of common sense, this would be a better world.

[RC Storick]

If we only had politicians with any kind of common sense, this would be a better world.

Better yet if we had none it would be a better place. They are whining about a gov shutdown now and I say shut it down. When they shut down they are not taking our freedoms away. SS checks will still come don't let them fool you!

[Matt Colan]

Better yet if we had none it would be a better place. They are whining about a gov shutdown now and I say shut it down. When they shut down they are not taking our freedoms away. SS checks will still come don't let them fool you!

Yeah and I get to go to work as an essential employee with no pay

[Dan Berry]

Ship them as 'hobby supplies'.

[Craig Beswick]

I think you will find as the goods aren't being returned to the seller it is a scam of some sort.

This exact same thing happened to me except from the US to Australia. It did no good trying to dig for answers but the clue is in the fact the seller is getting nothing back!

It is true, certain postal countries, won't ship engine because of the oil content, I know Japan for one. But it never seemed a problem for Ken Enya and DHL!!

Good luck in the future.

Craig
Ps. What engine are you after?

[Dave Hull]

Sorry to hear about your shipping problems, Ron.

When Mark recently moved from Sweden to Los Angeles and was planning on bringing/shipping some of his equipment he went thru some issues. I reminded him about some of the airline restrictions we have here and he made some type of workable arrangements on his end with the EU-type restrictions. So all his stuff (engines, etc.) got here.

It seems that if you don't have the latest info and feedback from guys about what works, something can easily go wrong. I wish there was one simple answer for all the different shipping modes....

Dave

[spare_parts]

 

I think you will find as the goods aren't being returned to the seller it is a scam of some sort.

This exact same thing happened to me except from the US to Australia. It did no good trying to dig for answers but the clue is in the fact the seller is getting nothing back!

It is true, certain postal countries, won't ship engine because of the oil content, I know Japan for one. But it never seemed a problem for Ken Enya and DHL!!

Good luck in the future.

Craig
Ps. What engine are you after?

It's not a scam. It's the fine print in the agreement for Ebay's global shipping program that does this. Everyone clicks "I Agree" without reading it. Is the interpretation of the laws/rules over the top? I don't know. People attempt to ship all kinds of contraband.

[Ron Duly]

Update:  I just received an engine from Australia sent by EMS International.  No problem at all.  That means that a model airplane engine is NOT a restricted item.  It is Global that is the problem.  Next time you buy from overseas request shipment via EMS and you'll get what you bought.  Lesson learned.  Ron