My Batch 2 Avalon was rejected by german customs and returned back to China

[gr0bi42]

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

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.

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[koob]

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

[elasticband]

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

[madsusies]

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

[Enigma81]

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

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

[gr0bi42]

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.

[gr0bi42]

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

Thank you. I will give it a try.

[madsusies]

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

[gr0bi42]

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

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

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!

[koob]

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.

[gr0bi42]

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.

[madsusies]

they use CE as china export it's something different 

[HeRetiK]

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.

Jaja, die deutsche Gründlichkeit!

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

[pixl8tr]

they use CE as china export it's something different 

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

[Loredo]

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.   

[HeRetiK]

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.

[minternj]

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.

[BitSyncom]

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.

[rammy2k2]

 now this sucks big time man ...

[Loredo]

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

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.