Sending a tactical knife from UK to USA, is this illegal?

Robertson74

Hello. I bought a sci-fi model from ebay from a seller in the US which I received. A few days later I received another parcel from the same seller. This contained an expensive gerber tactical knife which he sent to my address by mistake. I am very worried.
I want to return this to him, but I am not sure I can. The post office says they cant sent bladed knifes, nor do any other courier. I asked the seller to buy postage and send me the labels so I can post it it back to him.
Is this legal? Could I get into trouble sending him it back if the customs opened it. Some people say I should just tell the seller I can't and hand it into a police station.
I hate thinking of the sellers predicament and losing £200, but I am also very worried that I am breaking the law sending a knife through Royal Mail

Hoenir

Not your problem. Hand the knife in. Be foolish to land yourself in trouble. 

Robertson74

Hoenir, thanks, I was tempted to return it, but I really don't want to get into trouble with the post office office, customs etc. I don't like his knife being £200 and feel really bad for him. It also means he will have to refund his customer now and possibly get bad feedback.
I don't like the whole situation and wish I could do something.

molerat

Firstly you need to check if the knife is legal in the UK.  I doubt you will be able to send it back, most definitely not internationally with RM or PF,  but with a label and courier collection arranged by the seller there should be no problems as it would be a business shipment.

Robertson74

Hello Molerat. I will check the knife. The seller is a just a guy at home selling a few of his own things, would that still count? I asked him to buy shipping from Royal Mail click and drop and send me the labels, but I am now not certain about this working with RM. He is sending this through ebay which I am not comfortable with. I don't know what couriers he could use.

lr1277

Could the seller not use the same service to get the knife back that he used to send to you? It obviously got through one-way or do you think that was just lucky?

Or do you think customs etc at this end will stop the shipment unlike customs in the US?

RFW

Hoenir said:

Not your problem. Hand the knife in. Be foolish to land yourself in trouble. 

I agree. Take it to a police station, if you can find one, and explain.

eddddy

RFW said:

Hoenir said:

Not your problem. Hand the knife in. Be foolish to land yourself in trouble. 

I agree. Take it to a police station, if you can find one, and explain.

Or call 101 and explain.



Or if you like conspiracy theories...

Maybe you're being used as a 'mule' or 'dead letter drop' for getting stuff through UK customs!

i.e. If customs intercept the knife, it'll be you that gets the visit. (Or maybe UK customs have knowingly let it through, and the police are now watching you to find out what you're up to!)

But if it gets through customs without being intercepted, the sender will ask you to forward it somewhere else, or someone will turn up to collect it!


Or maybe I've been watching too much daytime TV, and/or reading too many crime stories in the Daily Mirror!

FlorayG

That's a hard one if it's a genuine seller and genuine mistake, but after all it's his fault and he should know about knives in the UK. Take it to a police station and ask if you can video handing it over, so you can prove to the seller you aren't keeping it for yourself

soolin

Robertson74 said:

Hello Molerat. I will check the knife. The seller is a just a guy at home selling a few of his own things, would that still count? I asked him to buy shipping from Royal Mail click and drop and send me the labels, but I am now not certain about this working with RM. He is sending this through ebay which I am not comfortable with. I don't know what couriers he could use.

Then he is unlikely to have any special arrangements with a courier which means that unless you or him can find a courier that can legally send this, and I suspect that won't be cheap, then it can't be returned.

Also you would still be responsible for posting it which means you would be the one to land in trouble and penalties around knife crime and defrauding both HMRC and the US customs is likely to be high (unless you did that mystical courier you won't be able to declare this as a knife so would need to make a fraudulent statement)


There is also the difficulty with duty and tax to be paid as either you would need to pay this in advance (assuming you can find a legal way to send this) or seller pays on arrival.

I really wouldn't volunteer much help here at all, this could seriously backfire on you . I would explain to the seller the UK rules about knives, explain you can do nothing with it apart from report it to the police and turn it in, should it be illegal (and you would need to check that as the rules are complicated and this may well be legal to own but just not to carry or post) under amnesty. Retract your offer of posting it if they supply the labels immediately - how would you fill out the customs forms for a start?

This is not your problem , don't make it your problem and stress about it. Stay calm, the knife is probably legal to own (but as above do check) but do not get yourself into a potentially difficult legal position by trying to help if you can't.

prowla

Gerber tend to sell UK-legal kit.

Of course, you can't carry them around the street.

Other couriers may allow bladed tools.