Siezed by Customs

[VH SLE]

I ordered a PS2 game "Getting Up" off ebay and after waiting for almost three weeks for it to come I get a letter from customs saying that its an offence to import prohibited items. Now I know the game is banned so I know im in the wrong but is there anyway I could get my money back from the guy I bought the game from? Will they send it back to him?

[DJ Majah]

What? They cant stop you importing a game regardless of whether or not it can be sold here. Chase it up.

[ClairBear]

What? They cant stop you importing a game regardless of whether or not it can be sold here. Chase it up.

Based on your ridiculous statement, everyone start importing drugs - they are banned too, but based on this logic, they can't stop you.

Think about what you said, it's illegal to import a banned product or substance.

I doubt you will get your money back, the item has been seized by customs therefore they dispose of them. Under the customs act you could find yourself in legal trouble for importing a banned item. You may find the police at your door next.

C.

[1vngal]

I agree with Sashyre, thats why we have customs. To stop items banned in Australia entering the country. Regardless of wether its a hamless game, or illicit drugs. Rules are rules....

Sorry to hear bout that though, I'd be pissed, but I highly doubt that there is much you can do about it.

[DJ Majah]

Drugs are not banned, drugs are illegal. The game was banned by the OFLC, illicit drugs are illegal in every respect by the federal and state governments.

[ClairBear]

Drugs are not banned, drugs are illegal. The game was banned by the OFLC, illicit drugs are illegal in every respect by the federal and state governments.

Oh dear god boy... drugs are banned from importation because they are illegal.

Same as other items deemed illegal in this country, they are banned from being imported into the country.

This film is banned in this country, therefore it is illegal to import it. Fines can be up to $10,000 under the Act.

C.

[Pretender]

Sashyre and 1vngal are absolutely correct.
Because it is banned it is then illegal to own or import the item in or into Australia.
Customs will destroy it and you will have no chance of recovering your money.
If you chase it up, as suggested, and give any indication you knew it was a banned item you "will" have the Federal Police at your door.

[DJ Majah]

Oh dear god woman, the game is not banned from being imported, it is banned from being sold as it has been refused classification (RC).

That being said, RC games may be confiscated by customs as objectionable goods. Like I said - chase it up and file a request for permission to import ‘objectionable goods’.

Read it before you speak again

[ClairBear]

Have it your way, here is an actual quote from the newstory about it:

Getting Up banned Down Under
Aussie Classification Review Board refuses game's classification two days before planned release, making it illegal to display, sell, or import.
While the long wait for the oft-delayed Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure has ended for North American gamers, it's only just begun for their Australian counterparts. With the game set to release in Australian stores on Friday, the country's Classification Review Board today denied the game a rating, banning it throughout the country.

Note it states quite clearly 'making it illegal to display, sell, or import'

Still want to argue the laws of the land?

*edit* thought I should add the link before I am accused of making it up: http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/m...ml?sid=6144375

C.

[DJ Majah]

Your quote came from...a nasty tabloid I assume? Whereas I linked to a government website.

Also, if he was going to be in any trouble, they have his address now.

[giannetto]

dude i ordered all these asian dvds off the net. Heaps of boxsets and they got seized by customs and i got the letters.

A couple of days later they sent them back.lol

I was cheering hard

[1vngal]

Don't ya hate it when things have to get technical??

[ClairBear]

To quote from your government site:

Any film, computer game or publication that has been classified in Australia (except product refused classification) can be imported to Australia.

See - it says there in black and white 'except product refused classification' which in this case, it was refused a classification. Therefore it is illegal to import it

C.

[Wombat]

I saw this thread and wondered what the game "Getting Up" was all about..."Wow,", I thought..."It must be pornographic or overly violent or something. So I did a quick Google search and found out what it's about.
I quickly found dozens of sites with cheats and codes for it, and reviews of what it is about, and that is...erm...Graffitti.
Oh...I see...how evil...

I would think on that reasoning, all games that even look like breaking the law in the "real world" should be banned...the entire Gran Turismo series for encouraging street racing and modifications to vehicles which render them unroadworthy, the whole Grand Theft Auto series (for obvious reasons), etc.

I mean, I am pissed of by illegal grafitti as much as the next guy, and would personally find such a game boring as buggery, I still cannot agree with the idea to ban a game completely because it contains guys doing it? Come on!

[ClairBear]

Don't ya hate it when things have to get technical??

Men often need the finer details pointed out and explained in full to them before the penny drops.

*walks off giggling whilst donning flame suit*

C.

[Wombat]

Sashyre my dear, I would hope that they don't bite....

I've been married for that long that I know that you can't win an arguement with a woman...and they never forget...there is some place in your female brains that files everything, and I do mean everything away for later use...sometimes years later...

Let them flame you at thier peril...

[ClairBear]

Sashyre my dear, I would hope that they don't bite....

I've been married for that long that I know that you can't win an arguement with a woman...and they never forget...there is some place in your female brains that files everything, and I do mean everything away for later use...sometimes years later...

Let them flame you at thier peril...

Sometimes we let you win

Don't you love it when you come home, open the door and she is in a bad mood, and you think 'what have I done?' and you madly wrack your brain wondering?

C.

[DJ Majah]

"Any film, computer game or publication that has been classified in Australia (except product refused classification) can be imported to Australia."

That is no invitation to assume that it cannot be imported, it is merely an exception to the rule in print. Although you could wonder if the know their own rules. If you read this page it says: :The Classification Board is required to apply the law and classification guidelines in order to make its decisions. This occasionally results in material being refused a classification, which means that it cannot legally be shown, sold or hired in Australia."

But youre right, it may be seized by customs, but you can follow it through. It would have just been easier to download it VH.

[1vngal]

Men often need the finer details pointed out and explained in full to them before the penny drops.

*walks off giggling whilst donning flame suit*

C.

They can get a bit snappy sometimes hey!! Anyway, wombat, this is not about the content of the game, yes it does seem stupid to ban this one, considering some of the other games that are out there, but it has been banned, and it's unable to be imported in to Australia in any way. As it has just been proven. If "banned" was ok to import, sell distribute etc., customs wouldn't have taken it would they??

And i guess getting it 'chased up' would have costs involved? If so, why bother?

[DJ Majah]

Its a matter of law 1vngal.

HOT TOPIC!

[ClairBear]

It would have just been easier to download it VH.

To be pedantic, that's also illegal

C.

[1vngal]

What part do you mean by a matter of law?

[DJ Majah]

Matter of law = dispute of the law's interpretation.

Yeah, he might have a harder time getting it than I originally thought. And I dont condone piracy, but when it comes to fascist censorship...

[ClairBear]

but when it comes to fascist censorship...

I agree with you there. In the privacy of your own home you should be allowed to watch/play what you want.

C.

[DJ Majah]

I love the quote from the site you linked to:
"Essentially they banned the game, which in our opinion is rather ironic considering that the game takes place in a city with a tyrannical government that tries to suppress the freedom of expression," Barr said.