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It was, but the follow-up action designed to minimize risk of loss when caught by customs rather than avoiding import of fraudulent goods blurred image of your

It was, but the follow-up action designed to minimize risk of loss when caught by customs rather than avoiding import of fraudulent goods blurred image of your intentions. If you can get the shipments split, I'm sure you could also get them to not send the power adapters at all. If, however, you needed power adapters, you need to import proper ones - not just for legal reasons, but for the safety of the end-users.

tyingq 6y ago
As a smaller player, it is very difficult to get the Chinese suppliers to guarantee they won't ship the wrong thing. Separating the shipment is a relatively low cost way to protect the main item. Edit: Another example that happened to a friend. He ordered some single board computers that came with some software on a CD...he wasn't even aware of the CD. The CD had a fake "Compact Disc" marking, which is a trademark. Whole shipment seized.
- jkelleyrtp 6y ago
  This whole thing seems crazy to me (I don't do a lot of importing). Customs has the ability to determine if the UL logo on a charger is fake or if a phrase breaks trademark law, and then confiscates an _entire_ shipment? Why is it CBP/custom's job to enforce trademark law? I could just as easily print a fake logo in the US, but border control won't come after me - the people responsible for enforcing those laws will. It seems you have absolutely no legal recourse here too, and it hurts American businesses. I know the US is far from libertarian, but this seems like overreach in the strangest way possible.
  - jschwartzi 6y ago
    It’s CBPs job because consumers have no idea if the UL or Intertek logo is legit or not. Because those adapters aren’t listed they don’t have to follow the electrical and fire safety standards. So a purchaser may be tricked into buying something that is much more likely to burn their house down. Having CBP intercept it makes perfect sense.
    - cptskippy 6y ago
      > Intertek I don't think anyone cares about Intertek logos. /s
    - tyingq 6y ago
      On safety, note that the same adapters could have shipped with no UL mark. CPB was enforcing trademarks, not safety. Edit: Regarding below, sure. But there are tons of unlisted adapters that come with electronics you might buy. I'd hazard a guess that most people have at least one in their house. Not that it's okay, just noting that it's common.
      - solarkraft 6y ago
        However safety expectations are tied to that trademark.
  - tyingq 6y ago
    Also, they auctioned it all off later, sans the adapters. So they get the concept :)
    - sjg007 6y ago
      Could you buy them at auction?
      - tyingq 6y ago
        The winning bid was higher than what I paid :)
        concerned_user 6y ago
        Wait so they effectively imported items into the country themselves, punished you and made a buck on it? Wasn't the purpose to prevent counterfeits? Or did they trash the adapters and auctioned the main item only?
        tyingq 6y ago
        Yes, they trashed the adapters and auctioned the main item. The winning bid was well below retail pricing, but much higher than wholesale cost.
        sjg007 6y ago
        Huh.. it seems like you’d have a claim.. I am surprised.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
hoorayimhelping 6y ago
>It was, but the follow-up action designed to minimize risk of loss when caught by customs rather than avoiding import of fraudulent goods blurred image of your intentions. It seems pretty clear to me, I think you're missing the point of the post. It's that this person is protecting his business in a way that's effective because the government isn't, and this is what he's forced to do when dealing with agencies that claim they're looking out for his best interests.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- brendoelfrendo 6y ago
  CBP in this case isn't looking out for his best interest, they're looking out for the consumer's best interest. Counterfeit goods? Well, now the whole thing is suspect. It makes sense to me.
  - tyingq 6y ago
    Counterfeit probably isn't the best word for this. It was whatever brand adapter it said it was. The UL mark was fake. After this happened I found that's pretty common. Not that it's okay, but there's tons of generic electronics on Amazon that come with adapters with a fake UL mark.
    - srtjstjsj 6y ago
      They are absolutely counterfeit. They don't need UL brand standards but are represented as such.

tyingq 6y ago

As a smaller player, it is very difficult to get the Chinese suppliers to guarantee they won't ship the wrong thing. Separating the shipment is a relatively low cost way to protect the main item. Edit: Another example that happened to a friend. He ordered some single board computers that came with some software on a CD...he wasn't even aware of the CD. The CD had a fake "Compact Disc" marking, which is a trademark. Whole shipment seized.

jkelleyrtp 6y ago
This whole thing seems crazy to me (I don't do a lot of importing). Customs has the ability to determine if the UL logo on a charger is fake or if a phrase breaks trademark law, and then confiscates an _entire_ shipment? Why is it CBP/custom's job to enforce trademark law? I could just as easily print a fake logo in the US, but border control won't come after me - the people responsible for enforcing those laws will. It seems you have absolutely no legal recourse here too, and it hurts American businesses. I know the US is far from libertarian, but this seems like overreach in the strangest way possible.
- jschwartzi 6y ago
  It’s CBPs job because consumers have no idea if the UL or Intertek logo is legit or not. Because those adapters aren’t listed they don’t have to follow the electrical and fire safety standards. So a purchaser may be tricked into buying something that is much more likely to burn their house down. Having CBP intercept it makes perfect sense.
  - cptskippy 6y ago
    > Intertek I don't think anyone cares about Intertek logos. /s
  - tyingq 6y ago
    On safety, note that the same adapters could have shipped with no UL mark. CPB was enforcing trademarks, not safety. Edit: Regarding below, sure. But there are tons of unlisted adapters that come with electronics you might buy. I'd hazard a guess that most people have at least one in their house. Not that it's okay, just noting that it's common.
    - solarkraft 6y ago
      However safety expectations are tied to that trademark.
- tyingq 6y ago
  Also, they auctioned it all off later, sans the adapters. So they get the concept :)
  - sjg007 6y ago
    Could you buy them at auction?
    - tyingq 6y ago
      The winning bid was higher than what I paid :)
      - concerned_user 6y ago
        Wait so they effectively imported items into the country themselves, punished you and made a buck on it? Wasn't the purpose to prevent counterfeits? Or did they trash the adapters and auctioned the main item only?
        tyingq 6y ago
        Yes, they trashed the adapters and auctioned the main item. The winning bid was well below retail pricing, but much higher than wholesale cost.
        sjg007 6y ago
        Huh.. it seems like you’d have a claim.. I am surprised.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]

hoorayimhelping 6y ago

>It was, but the follow-up action designed to minimize risk of loss when caught by customs rather than avoiding import of fraudulent goods blurred image of your intentions. It seems pretty clear to me, I think you're missing the point of the post. It's that this person is protecting his business in a way that's effective because the government isn't, and this is what he's forced to do when dealing with agencies that claim they're looking out for his best interests.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
brendoelfrendo 6y ago
CBP in this case isn't looking out for his best interest, they're looking out for the consumer's best interest. Counterfeit goods? Well, now the whole thing is suspect. It makes sense to me.
- tyingq 6y ago
  Counterfeit probably isn't the best word for this. It was whatever brand adapter it said it was. The UL mark was fake. After this happened I found that's pretty common. Not that it's okay, but there's tons of generic electronics on Amazon that come with adapters with a fake UL mark.
  - srtjstjsj 6y ago
    They are absolutely counterfeit. They don't need UL brand standards but are represented as such.