Airgun import experiences - via post/ courier route

[dev]

I got my air rifle in.
Fed Ex somehow thought it wise to send it as cargo, even though I paid for expedited shipping.
Rifle landed in Delhi in four days or so.
Then fed ex played the game of give me this document...go to sleep...wake up and ask for another document.
The sh%Theads kept this game on till 22 days went by. This was after I had hired their clearing and forwarding agents Jeena&CO.
Their co-ordination between each other was worse than a fish market. I had to keep calling and emailing them to keep things moving.
So at the end you incur a cost of another 8 thousand or so because of their ineptitude and just pure incompetence.
Now a days they ask for an NOC from the NRAI, who will issue you the same if you are a registered shooter.
By the documentation asked you will know that customs is just having fun and I think one should get the paper work in order and then use USPS.
These couriers are just children of bachelors and those who deal in exotic pharmaceuticals.

Regards,

Dev

[AnandNair]

These couriers are just children of bachelors and those who deal in exotic pharmaceuticals.Dev

So, is the shipping on?? I got this response a few days back from Pyramid air
"Hi Anand,
Unfortunately at the current time, India's Custom Regulations prevent us from shipping any product to you. We ship internationally with FedEx, and know that FedEx is working to resolve the issues.
Please feel free to check back with us about this issue.
​ Ruth​"

[ebenezer]

These couriers are just children of bachelors and those who deal in exotic pharmaceuticals.Dev

So, is the shipping on?? I got this response a few days back from Pyramid air
"Hi Anand,
Unfortunately at the current time, India's Custom Regulations prevent us from shipping any product to you. We ship internationally with FedEx, and know that FedEx is working to resolve the issues.
Please feel free to check back with us about this issue.
​ Ruth​"

Got a similar reply from PA, a few days ago

[dev]

PA isn't the end all and be all of ag sales.

[Lucky Luke]

Lucky Luke,
welcome back! Lol....still remember the anxiety you had to undergo till you got the call from the local GPO .
How's your toy? Should catch up some day.

BD

Thanks for the welcome Daddy O !
The 1st experience was just a sampler - the 2nd time was the Real Deal
Do let's synch and try out all the guns at our disposal .

Ps : I'd seen your post much earlier but couldn't comment as I had some issue logging in.

[Lucky Luke]

One more question, Anybody used DHL from Germany to import an airgun.

-Inder

@ Kanwar - Time to put up my hand again. My first import was through USPS, and the 2nd was DHL from Germany.
Though I had opted for the ' premium ' route my gun had to be routed through the FPO at Ballard.
The facts remain as posted earlier.
One can track the parcel till the time it reaches India. Once it gets to Customs there is no way of tracking / getting feedback until they contact you by sending a notice.
I'd landed up with a list of Tel nos of FPO Ballard which I used to keep track. Contrary to expectations, the people were surprisingly
Patient and helpful on the phone.

[TC]

I got my air rifle in.
Fed Ex somehow thought it wise to send it as cargo, even though I paid for expedited shipping.
Rifle landed in Delhi in four days or so.
Then fed ex played the game of give me this document...go to sleep...wake up and ask for another document.
The sh%Theads kept this game on till 22 days went by. This was after I had hired their clearing and forwarding agents Jeena&CO.
Their co-ordination between each other was worse than a fish market. I had to keep calling and emailing them to keep things moving.
So at the end you incur a cost of another 8 thousand or so because of their ineptitude and just pure incompetence.
Now a days they ask for an NOC from the NRAI, who will issue you the same if you are a registered shooter.
By the documentation asked you will know that customs is just having fun and I think one should get the paper work in order and then use USPS.
These couriers are just children of bachelors and those who deal in exotic pharmaceuticals.

Regards,

Dev

Hi Dev
Felt sorry to hear of the ordeal you went through my friend.
Your post should help many, especially those who are planning to import for the first time.
Though the costs seem to have shot through the roof, let me still congratulate you on having got a new AR.

Cheers

TC

[dev]

yes when one converts the whole thing back into Re then it seems really stupid to pay so much for what is actually a toy. No matter how sophisticated or cool looking.
I am tempted to go back to IHP or Precihole after all the pain.
Regards,

Dev

[AnandNair]

PA isn't the end all and be all of ag sales.

Hello Dev, Please do suggest me a website, that ships to India, and uses a shipping agent who will do the clearing on my behalf (once i give all documents). I am looking to buy a Browning Leverage .177.
thankyou.

[dev]

Hi,
I had posted earlier but it didn't show for some reason. Okay my recent purchase was from airgun depot. I have also used mac1airgun for my match pistol earlier.
Please write to airgun depot that you don't want fedex or you will land in the same soup. The only C&H agent I have ever used is jeena&co...that is this time. Use them if you want to. They have a web site also.
Please invest in a better springer cause you will spend a lot in getting the rifle in. So it may as well be a diana, rws or hw. The brownings and all will normally be Chinese clones of Diana's that have a harsher firing cycle.

[AnandNair]

Hi,
....... Please write to airgun depot that you don't want fedex or you will land in the same soup.-........
Please invest in a better springer cause you will spend a lot in getting the rifle in. So it may as well be a diana, rws or hw. The brownings and all will normally be Chinese clones of Diana's that have a harsher firing cycle.

I had tried to get it from airgun depot.. but it did not have a option of different courier. will write to them before i place order.

http://www.airgundepot.com/browning-lev ... -2290.html
http://mewabo.de/media/catalog/product/ ... 4870_1.jpg
The Browning Leverage is same as Xisico XS46U of china which inturn is based on the Shanghai Airguns QB36-2. Just better Quality control by Browning. it also comes with a quality Browing scope for less than 200$ (my heart will not bleed if it goes kaput the next day and i prefer DIY than having to ship it to the US for warranty repairs )
The XS46U had earned its worth by being a hightly tunable, smooth shooting and accurate air rifle. I had seen only positive reveiws about it. Had earlier had a word with Mike Melick at Flying Dragon who super-tunes the Xisico. However he was apprehensive of shipping to India. so i dropped the idea.
Diana is slightly overpriced (Strictly my personal opinion) also i do not want magnum springers when all i am going to do is shoot at empty coke tins

[dev]

Hi,
....... Please write to airgun depot that you don't want fedex or you will land in the same soup.-........
Please invest in a better springer cause you will spend a lot in getting the rifle in. So it may as well be a diana, rws or hw. The brownings and all will normally be Chinese clones of Diana's that have a harsher firing cycle.

I had tried to get it from airgun depot.. but it did not have a option of different courier. will write to them before i place order.

http://www.airgundepot.com/browning-lev ... -2290.html
http://mewabo.de/media/catalog/product/ ... 4870_1.jpg
The Browning Leverage is same as Xisico XS46U of china which inturn is based on the Shanghai Airguns QB36-2. Just better Quality control by Browning. it also comes with a quality Browing scope for less than 200$ (my heart will not bleed if it goes kaput the next day and i prefer DIY than having to ship it to the US for warranty repairs )
The XS46U had earned its worth by being a hightly tunable, smooth shooting and accurate air rifle. I had seen only


positive reveiws about it. Had earlier had a word with Mike Melick at Flying Dragon who super-tunes the Xisico. However he was apprehensive of shipping to India. so i dropped the idea.
Diana is slightly overpriced (Strictly my personal opinion) also i do not want magnum springers when all i am going to do is shoot at empty coke tins

Yes even I enjoyed my Qb 78, I just thought that since one goes thru so many hoops buy a German and relax. Not that a well tuned Qb series is anything to sneeze at. Ummm...you might want to separate the scope as the customs guys may create more hassles and call it a sniper rifle. Before you know it your life may seem like an episode of homeland .

[AnandNair]

...you might want to separate the scope as the customs guys may create more hassles and call it a sniper rifle. Before you know it your life may seem like an episode of homeland .

I thought scope has to be mounted on the rifle for import??
may have to resort to using RelishSports or someone. will have to spend more.. but will get the rifle without trips to customs office.

[snIPer]

The whole ordeal of ordering an airgun from PA or any such source is a test of ones patience, hostage negotiation skills (thats what i call it) and your wits.
At the end of the day you really wonder if the whole effort was worth it, but when you finally do get your gun and start shooting you realize that YES it was worth it but will you go thru the whole ordeal of ordering one more??? now thats another story

3rd party vendors like Relish Sports seem to promise a smoother ride - I havent personally tried it yet but will give it a shot in the near future as i have no intention of going thru another nerve wrecking ordeal anytime soon.
/S

[AnandNair]

3rd party vendors like Relish Sports seem to promise a smoother ride - I havent personally tried it yet but will give it a shot in the near future as i have no intention of going thru another nerve wrecking ordeal anytime soon.
/S

Had ordered a daisy powerline thru relish sports earlier. received in 15 days, no customs hassles. paid around 5k extra than actual cost+shipping.