Probably a stupid question, but I'll ask anyway.

[jen.]

So a couple friends and I put together a large order for HIDs (purchased off of ebay via paypal) because we all needed them around the same time.

Today we got word that because they are coming from another country (we've ordered them from the same people before- no problems) apparently US customs got a hold of them, and are not having them shipped to us because they are illegal. (FML)

2 Questions:

A.) I guess US customs can kind of do what they want, but how do they know these lights are even being used for an on-road vehicle?

and

B.) Because I purchased via paypal, can I still get my money back?

Kind of odd, but just sort of wondering if anyone else has gone through anything similar.

[OMGz Turbo]

So a couple friends and I put together a large order for HIDs (purchased off of ebay via paypal) because we all needed them around the same time.

Today we got word that because they are coming from another country (we've ordered them from the same people before- no problems) apparently US customs got a hold of them, and are not having them shipped to us because they are illegal. (FML)

2 Questions:

A.) I guess US customs can kind of do what they want, but how do they know these lights are even being used for an on-road vehicle?

and

B.) Because I purchased via paypal, can I still get my money back?

Kind of odd, but just sort of wondering if anyone else has gone through anything similar.

First off, you guys got assraped. you can get HID's ANYWHERE IN THE US. but for some reason you guys ordered from a place that ships overseas...i paid 70$ for my 9007 8k's from cali, they are not necessarily illegal they are labeled "offroad use only" so they cant be deemed illegal

Your probably beat on your paypal too because technically they shipped your product and you guys probably didnt insure them

[jen.]

First off, you guys got assraped. you can get HID's ANYWHERE IN THE US. but for some reason you guys ordered from a place that ships overseas...i paid 70$ for my 9007 8k's from cali, they are not necessarily illegal they are labeled "offroad use only" so they cant be deemed illegal

Your probably beat on your paypal too because technically they shipped your product and you guys probably didnt insure them

I paid $49 including shipping so I considered that a good price. My friend did the ordering, and he's always got lights from the same company so I assumed he knew what he was doing :/ I'm not sure if they were labeled offroad use only or not.

[phillycivicsi]

Who told you us customs got a hold of it and if u want ur money back or a new kit just leave them a really bad feedback. Maybe their package was suspicious lookin but leave them bad feedback. I got a kit that flickered alot and i left them feedback sayin the kit sucks dont buy from them. 3 hours later i get a email frm them saying they are sorry and they will sens me a new one with 2 packs of leds.

[BoostedG]

Anit that the whole point of having paypal that you get your money back if something goes wrong?

[TROLL]

Paypal is far from secure, unfortunately too many people believe what they want you to and use it without any hesitation.

However, I've got to say the responses in this thread so far are uninformed and probably mostly wrong.

How did you find that US Customs has them? If they were seized or are being returned the the sender, then the sender should volunteer to refund your money. Have you tried contacting the seller regarding this? That would be the first step.
If the seller is uncooperative this is the point where you would contact Paypal, and tell them that you did NOT receive what you ordered. If you word it any other way they will automatically deny your claim and you will have no recourse.
If you paid via credit card with paypal then you can also go to your credit card company as a backup, and they are usually very helpful in protecting you.

However, first step is to explore all possibilities directly with the seller, and also find out wth is happening with the shipment.

And in the meantime, you can order HIDs for pretty damn cheap from a variety of shops within the US, even though they all originate from overseas at least you're dealing directly with a US company. Some TST vendors even sell HIDs for cheap so you can check with them.

[jen.]

Paypal is far from secure, unfortunately too many people believe what they want you to and use it without any hesitation.

However, I've got to say the responses in this thread so far are uninformed and probably mostly wrong.

How did you find that US Customs has them? If they were seized or are being returned the the sender, then the sender should volunteer to refund your money. Have you tried contacting the seller regarding this? That would be the first step.
If the seller is uncooperative this is the point where you would contact Paypal, and tell them that you did NOT receive what you ordered. If you word it any other way they will automatically deny your claim and you will have no recourse.
If you paid via credit card with paypal then you can also go to your credit card company as a backup, and they are usually very helpful in protecting you.

However, first step is to explore all possibilities directly with the seller, and also find out wth is happening with the shipment.

And in the meantime, you can order HIDs for pretty damn cheap from a variety of shops within the US, even though they all originate from overseas at least you're dealing directly with a US company. Some TST vendors even sell HIDs for cheap so you can check with them.

Thanks, this is the accurate step by step advice I was looking for. Since I didn't order the HIDs I have to advise my friend who did, and considering I'm unfamiliar with ebay/paypal, this is a huge help.

[TROLL]

Hopefully it helps.
I should also add something you might not want to hear... if an item is seized by US Customs then usually the recipient is responsible for paying the taxes and duties in order for them to be released. You'll really have to figure out whats going on with customs though to know the next step. This stuff does happen though, they snag packages coming into the country sometimes, especially if they appear to be of value, then its a mess to sort it out.

[russiankid]

This is actually a scam. I remember reading about this somewhere and its actually a scam.

[jen.]

Hopefully it helps.
I should also add something you might not want to hear... if an item is seized by US Customs then usually the recipient is responsible for paying the taxes and duties in order for them to be released. You'll really have to figure out whats going on with customs though to know the next step. This stuff does happen though, they snag packages coming into the country sometimes, especially if they appear to be of value, then its a mess to sort it out.


Yeah, definitely helpful, thanks! And I hope it's not too much of a mess to sort out, ugh! I'm still waiting to hear more back from said friend. He's at work so I'm only getting minor details until he can call after he's done.


This is actually a scam. I remember reading about this somewhere and its actually a scam.


Crazy! I take it you don't still have the article?

[OMGz Turbo]

Id ask to see the letter from customs. And want proof that they just didnt run off with your money, and forge a letter from customs.

Then once i seen a copy of the letter, id contact customs.

[Supraru]

Yeah this sounds fishy as hell. I really don't see why they would hold hid bulbs. How are they certain that these things aren't going in a car that comes stock with hid's? Like other people have said they have no clue if these things are even being used in a street car.

[TROLL]

It could be a scam, but if its not then they dont just hold illegal items, they hold valuable items and can charge duties on them for importing them into the country. They hold them until these fees are paid.
We're working off very little info right now though so its hard to say.

[FocusDude]

This is the reason I do not have euro bumpers, I have heard nightmares about customs and shipping crap across the pond. Good luck, you may get them by the time it's dark at 4pm!

[CANNIBALOFDOOM]

sounds like bull****

[jen.]

Update:

Apparently it was the shipping company that called my friends cell phone, apologizing, saying they were not legally allowed to deliver his package because US customs got involved. They also said the lights were being shipped back to where they came from.

Last night we tried to call the company. Apparently it's in China. Apparently they also don't speak English. My friend said it sounded like he was speaking to a nine year old, and he could hear cartoons going on in the background. She said to call back at 3am (our time). Instead, we're sending an email.

This whole thing seems shadyyyyy.

[keff108]

Lucky its only $70. I say just be smarter next time and order from a vendor on this site or within the states. When customs got involved it means something wasnt right with the shipment. My family owns a trucking company and let me tell you we have dealt with customs numerous times and we never win.

[jpalamar]

I never order stuff on Ebay from overseas. Too many senarios that can happen and its a PITA to fix them. I can't see how customs would hold lights. Def dispute the charges in PayPal and hope for the best.

[twastheglow]

In for the results. Good luck.

[PAFirefighter11]

First off, good luck in getting this cleared up. It definitely sounds like a scam IMO. I deal with international shipments on a daily basis. Anytime a shipment is held by customs, typically the recipient contacts customs to get things straightened out, unless customs needs more info from the shipper. If something isn't accepted by customs and is returned, the recipient still has to pay shipping fees and is not reimbursed for it.

Secondly... HID's in reflector housings = illegal, and incredibly dangerous. I really hope that whatever housing you're putting them in does not create a lot of glare. At the very least, if you won't listen to that, put them in a projector housing, preferably one designed for HID's and not halogen's........... It's funny when I see wall shots of people's HID/Reflector housing setups. They say "Ooh look, no glare, blah blah, no one has flashed me yet, blah blah" ... yet I always see glare, hot spots, and the complete lack of uniform light projected to the roadway. 'cause of posts like the "No one has flashed me" crap, I flash everyone who has an HID kit in a reflector housing that's blinding me, where as before I just ignored it and almost crashed.

/rant

[Nick Merrone]

I paid $49 including shipping so I considered that a good price. My friend did the ordering, and he's always got lights from the same company so I assumed he knew what he was doing :/ I'm not sure if they were labeled offroad use only or not.

I had the EXACT same problem with my strut bars. Didnt know where i bought them from at first, but call paypal tell them whats going on they'll pull the money outta the guys account and itll instantly be in yours. I was surprised.

[jen.]

The result of this entire fiasco is almost too unbelievable to be true.

Apparently the company had a fake warehouse in Delaware. My friend somehow got this information, and to make an INCREDIBLY long story short, when they laughed in his face over the phone and blocked incoming calls from all sources with the exception of their suppliers, my friend got pissed, called both the US and Hong Kong embassies, and apparently the company is being shut down and employees are in trouble for illegal overseas shipping (or something along those lines). He didn't take kindly to their rudeness. He said they are refunding our money when the business gets shut down and finances are sorted out.

At this point, I don't really care. I don't have to pay any additional fees, my name is not attached to anything, and the extended story is so funny, it was worth the fifty bucks.

[PAFirefighter11]

Jen I am sending you a PM related to this...

[twastheglow]

The result of this entire fiasco is almost too unbelievable to be true.

Apparently the company had a fake warehouse in Delaware. My friend somehow got this information, and to make an INCREDIBLY long story short, when they laughed in his face over the phone and blocked incoming calls from all sources with the exception of their suppliers, my friend got pissed, called both the US and Hong Kong embassies, and apparently the company is being shut down and employees are in trouble for illegal overseas shipping (or something along those lines). He didn't take kindly to their rudeness. He said they are refunding our money when the business gets shut down and finances are sorted out.

At this point, I don't really care. I don't have to pay any additional fees, my name is not attached to anything, and the extended story is so funny, it was worth the fifty bucks.


Dude...what?!?!?! You have a story as ****ing sweet as that and you don't get the WHOLE story?! I want to hear all the details to this. Come on now!

[Supraru]

First off, good luck in getting this cleared up. It definitely sounds like a scam IMO. I deal with international shipments on a daily basis. Anytime a shipment is held by customs, typically the recipient contacts customs to get things straightened out, unless customs needs more info from the shipper. If something isn't accepted by customs and is returned, the recipient still has to pay shipping fees and is not reimbursed for it.

Secondly... HID's in reflector housings = illegal, and incredibly dangerous. I really hope that whatever housing you're putting them in does not create a lot of glare. At the very least, if you won't listen to that, put them in a projector housing, preferably one designed for HID's and not halogen's........... It's funny when I see wall shots of people's HID/Reflector housing setups. They say "Ooh look, no glare, blah blah, no one has flashed me yet, blah blah" ... yet I always see glare, hot spots, and the complete lack of uniform light projected to the roadway. 'cause of posts like the "No one has flashed me" crap, I flash everyone who has an HID kit in a reflector housing that's blinding me, where as before I just ignored it and almost crashed.

/rant

Lol at almost crashing. If you almost crash from hid glare then you probably shouldn't be on the road.

[PAFirefighter11]

Lol at almost crashing. If you almost crash from hid glare then you probably shouldn't be on the road.

You're kidding, right? I'm not talking about HID glare. I'm talking about HID glare from a halogen reflector housing. HID's in their correct housings, whether reflector or projector, obviously don't cause enough glare to bother anyone, unless it's coming over the crest of a hill.

[Supraru]

You're kidding, right? I'm not talking about HID glare. I'm talking about HID glare from a halogen reflector housing. HID's in their correct housings, whether reflector or projector, obviously don't cause enough glare to bother anyone, unless it's coming over the crest of a hill.

Even in the wrong housing I don't see how anyone could possibly crash their car. If you do that's pretty bad. You don't get blinded by them then your car magically looses control and hits a tree then your car blows up like in the movies.

[PAFirefighter11]

Even in the wrong housing I don't see how anyone could possibly crash their car. If you do that's pretty bad. You don't get blinded by them then your car magically looses control and hits a tree then your car blows up like in the movies.

People do get blinded by them and they do crash. I've been to several accident scenes over my 10 years as a fire fighter where police were told that "blinding blue headlights" 'caused them to not see the roadway ahead. Whether that's the truth or not from the driver, it does happen. I'm blinded on a nightly basis from idiot ricers with their HID kits dropped into their POS plastic reflector housings.

Within the last two years, NHTSA has received numerous complaints about nighttime glare from three types of headlights mounted on the front of motor vehicles: high intensity discharge (HID) lights that appear blue, auxiliary lights such as fog lamps, and headlights mounted high on various light trucks (sport utility vehicles, pickups and vans).

[DPancoast]

this story makes no sense what so ever.... but that's pretty funny....

[Supraru]

People do get blinded by them and they do crash. I've been to several accident scenes over my 10 years as a fire fighter where police were told that "blinding blue headlights" 'caused them to not see the roadway ahead. Whether that's the truth or not from the driver, it does happen. I'm blinded on a nightly basis from idiot ricers with their HID kits dropped into their POS plastic reflector housings.

Never seen anyone loose control and crash from my ricer lights. Hell I get blinded from sun glare every day on the way to work. I slow down to a reasonable speed where if something happens I'm fine. It's called defensive driving. Maybe these people shouldn't be on the road to begin with.

[twastheglow]

People do get blinded by them and they do crash. I've been to several accident scenes over my 10 years as a fire fighter where police were told that "blinding blue headlights" 'caused them to not see the roadway ahead. Whether that's the truth or not from the driver, it does happen. I'm blinded on a nightly basis from idiot ricers with their HID kits dropped into their POS plastic reflector housings.

Uhhhhh...dude...UFO's man...UFO's.

But yeah, I agree. If improper HID glare is causing accidents due to "blindness", those people probably shouldn't be driving @ night. My car sits quite low to the ground and I've encountered plenty of ****ty kits AND improper installation and never thought I was going to lose control of my car as a result.