Bitcoin Forum

Hi folks,

last week I got a shipment notification from Avalon for my Batch 2 Avalon unit. Finally!

BUT, the unit was rejected by german customs officers because of the missing CE-mark and a missing german manual (based on EU law: EC No. 765/2008) >:(

Proof: http://nolp.dhl.de/nextt-online-public/set_identcodes.do?lang=en&idc=8922042441&extendedSearch=true (http://nolp.dhl.de/nextt-online-public/set_identcodes.do?lang=en&idc=8922042441&extendedSearch=true)

As a result, DHL sent the package back to the sender (it's already in China).

What can I do???

I have sent a Email to info@avalon-asic.com. No answer so far.

The Webstore ticket system isn't available anymore. I can't find it.

Other contact addresses: unknown.

WTF  >:(

@BitSyncom, any comments?

PS. Forget about the "Shipment picked up in HANGZHOU" entry. Even DHL have no explanation how it made into my shipping record.

Try here:
http://support.avalon-asic.com/

German customs seem to love refusing ASIC's..... some BFL's were also refused

another guy in Portugal had this problem and then auctioned his unit.... i think he got just over 130btc

it looks  like another DHL scam, it's not acceptable when you get in EU parcel from a CH or US the company muts calling you Sir and ask about cost qnd what is in. Returm parcel via DHL,UPS  w/o phonecall is fraud.  I'm sry 4 your lost
edit: in this case the dhl guys open the parcel not customs officer but they must send you a letter or call you in both case

Corrected:

German customs seems to love refusing electronics that don't have the proper certifications and are therefore illegal to import.... Some unmarked BFL's were also refused.

Enigma

No, I'm sure it's not a fraud. I got 2 times a letter from DHL Express and from the customs office. I even called them both by phone. I even have the reference numbers from DHL and from the customs.

Thank you. I will give it a try.

then you can sen to my (my state SK)  i get a lot Chinese and Usa electronic w/o problem throughout  the customs office :) at the 1st it's too late you should go there and do what needed be done

Normally this law applies to the whole EU, but I don't know why the german customs is so piggy. It didn't help to try to explain, that these unit are prototypes, evalboards... nothing. For them it's a self containing device with a power connector, a lan connector and a antenna connector, WITHOUT a CE-mark. They refused also to dismount the PSU and the TP-Link, to send me only the modules and the FPGA-Controller. They are not allowed to dismount and send in parts!

So try to ask Bitsyncom to remove these components and send again.

Already done in my Email to info@avalon-asic.com. Now I'm going to open a support ticket and I will send him a PM here too.

But the main problem here is not the german customs, it's Avalon fault to provide a CE-mark, or to prepare and send it in a way, so it could legally pass EU customs.

they use CE as china export it's something different  ;D

Jaja, die deutsche Gründlichkeit! ;D

The Ouya had similar problems with German customs, seems like some eastern manufacturers are not aware of the international legal requirements. Customs make me generally wary of purchasing electronics outside of the EU, it's always a gamble whether it'll take a week or a month :X

No , this is a Urban Legend.  http://www.cemarking.net/chinese-export/

It's just another symptom of how far away from being "businesses" these hardware providers have been and still are.  Given the origins and orientations of the owners, it's no surprise, but it is a reality.

What's happening now is that bitcoin mining equipment - not BFL, not Avalon, but generically, has gotten on the radar of the FRG's customs.  Other governments, when they find out about it, will undoubtedly think "what a good idea." 

Governments are going to respond to bitcoin, both aggressively, like the USA government has done in a couple instances, or passive-aggressively, like these customs slowdowns over fairly trivial non-compliance. 

Why?  Because bitcoin advocates call those governments' sovereign currencies by the derogatory term "fiat," they implicitly or explicitly attempt to operate outside the scope of financial tracking of the authorities, and they implicitly or explicitly attempt to evade taxes.  That's just for starters.   

Modern states all control their financial systems very tightly.  Bitcoin seeks to avoid these controls.  States therefore will seek to extend their control to bitcoin, or, failing that, will seek to  destroy bitcoin.

Hardware vendors will have to be increasingly careful about compliance to avoid these things.

It also, BTW, shows why DIY, or at least localized hardware assembly, is the way to go in the short term.   

I think the theory that bitcoin miners get targeted specifically is rather far fetched ;)

exotic hardware tends to get stuck in customs, no matter what it is. at least from my experience, however that's probably vastly different from country to country.

but either way, DYI and more localized hardware assembly is definitely going to be the way to go.

Wow german customs have it in for these miners.

And fyi the BFL units were stopped in german customs because they didnt have a German language manual according to bfl forums.

give us a different address, we have sent units to Germany many times without problems, but of course there is always a chance where custom do not believe this is just a engineering sample.

I see your ticket, just reply with new address and we'll try again.

 now this sucks big time man ...

I hope that's the case.  I just don't trust governments' reactions to things they see have aspects they can't control.  Like bitcoin.  Like the internet. 

In any event, it looks like team Avalon is on the case, and this one-off is going to be resolved, knock wood.

These are not engineering samples, but self-contained, electronic products. It's a commercial product you are selling. Don't act stupid. This is no way to do business.

Ah, shit.  I missed that.   ::)  and I wish I had one of those facelpalm deals.

It sounds like shit luck to be fair, Germans are known for efficiency and strictness, it still a numbers game, but these are indeed commercial products...

Added a note with a different shipping address to the support ticket. Please send the unit dismounted without the PSU and the TP-Link. Or make absolutely clear it's and why it's a engineering sample. As I understood the customs officer there was no document at all, just the device.

Thank you

@Bitsyncom, I gave you another shipping address last week, waiting patiently waiting all the weekend, but NOTHING happend so far. No update, no reply to my support ticket regarding the new shippment, nothing. You got my paid Avalon unit back and now ... ???

As I know also in Serbia (was part of Ex Yugoslavia) there was a problem with asic blade (I think) I don't know how It was solved.

Another two days passed by and still NOTHING happend. This really sucks :-[ :-[ :-[

http://www.carina.rs/lat/Stranice/Vest.aspx?ListItemID=590
Problem was with declared value - $39!
More precisely, problem was someone through 'anonymous line' reported that DHL shipment to customs.

You are sure? I, as a custom employee, wouldnt believe that this thing costs 39$ only too. You see the packaging and all?
If it was really a snitch i would try to find him and see if he has a clean slate.

Another company is BFL that has problems with customs in germany. Because no german manual was there and a psu with connector to another country.

When dealing with the idiots (customs), sometimes it is the only viable route.  ::)

No, when dealing with Buerocrats (customs) it's a risky, but some times profitable way to take them for idiots. But Buerocrats hate to be taken for idiots and when the recognize the attempt they react how any human being would react, by retaliation. The best way is always to play by their rulebook, even if it is hard.

From the last paragraph of that news:

Yes, it was a snitch.
Declared value was $39, but the custom's ;D Did they look at the BFL site?

Serbia... i wonder if one could find out who the snitch is. I would be really angry. I mean what kind of person must such one be?

Their competition?

That wouldnt be effective to hurt a single miner. It has to be someone that read it in the forum(when the receiver posted it) or someone in his social environment. Most probably someone yellow from envy.
Since normal persons doesnt know that the bill is lower the amount of people should be limited. Except when he posted in forum that he will receive a unit.

... and another day passed...  no shipping, no communication, nothing. They have my unit back in hands and all I have is a false promise of Bitsyncom. WTF.

gr0bi42, did the german customs officers explicitely told you this was because of the missing CE-mark and missing manual? Or are you just guessing[1]?

[1] "Guessing" based on that other person (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=248406.0;all) who similarly got his Single (not Avalon) rejected by german customs due to a suspected falsified CE mark and missing manual.

Avalon recommend that you order the unit without the PSU and get one locally exactly for the customs reason.

As I recall, this was not an option for batch 2, but only for batch 3.

Doesn't matter if it was an option then, now it's his only option or a refund.

I'm sure, I got a letter from the customs about a networking device with a power connector, a lan connector and a antenna connector WITHOUT a CE-mark and without a manual. Not only a missing german manual, but a missing manual in general.


In the second letter from the customs, they are telling me, that the importation was rejected based on EU law No. 765/2008. And DHL told me, that the package was sent back to the sender.

The customs also refused to remove the PSU and the TP-LINK router, because they are not allowed to disassemble and sent in parts.

He is right, a unit without a PSU was not an option for batch 2. I guess the TP-Link router is problematic too, because of the antenna-connector.

... and another day passed by... no message, no email, no answer to the support ticket, no shipping, NOTHING!!!

I'm really pissed about the ignorance and the incompetence of these guys :-[

Its strange. I mean every pc or notebook nowadays comes without a manual. The manual is maybe on the harddisc but mostly no manual. Now sending it back because it has no manual is somewhat anachronistic.

I heard that some batch3 guys reveived their 3 module avalon and it had the old design!! So it might be yours :D:D

You really need to do something about that homosexual avatar you keep sporting.

OP, no one has heard shit from Avalon for at least a week now.

Though i can say Yifu is alive. He clicks my calls away occassionally. I had to start calling him again since he promised me on phone to tell chipbuyers the bill details before shipping and now i read zefir's 1. batch is on the way without he knowing the bill details. And he promised to change my billing address for my orders via ticket. Since he broke the first promise i dont know if i should simply wait and trust with the second. Ill try everything i can instead and call him all the time. I really hope he will change...

Zefir told me that bitfury had a great support before he ordered. Now, after he ordered, they dont react anymore at all.

I really hope bitcoin entrepreneurs get some balls over time. I cant see this anymore.

Do you really meant bitfury or Yifu?

I meant bitfury. Thats what is saddening me. I thought competitors will change this. Doesnt give much hope to me. Ill stay away from all non communicating companies in the future. The risk and stress involved isnt worth it.

Thats really disappointing.

I'm sorry to hear about the german troubbles you're facing. This is no surprise though. And banging the head in the bureaucratic wall is a real pain in the ass. There are probably some reasons for some of the rules and regulations, but if the customs would be more communicative with the customers, everybody would be better off. I'm sure many customers even would be happy to sort out the mess by paying a certain sum to grease the process. In some countries that's possible, while in other countries that's not. In general I think any individual should be able to import whatever as long as it's not something really bad like chemical weapons, atomic weapons and other really nefarious stuff. What anybody does with their private money is nobodies concern as far as you ask me.

One month passed and NOTHING happend!!!

They still sitting on my avalon or shipped the unit to anyone else.
They shipped nothing so far to the new address although promised they will do so.
They said nothing so far. Complete silence.
They are ignoring support tickets.

Refund? Forget it...

So for me this is a complete RIPOFF and SCAM.

F**k

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=269950.msg2891050#msg2891050