[Import/Business] Questions!

[Davis-C]

I've lurked around ASC and AAS for a few years and I recently had gotten to thinking about stuff i'de like to do for the Community.

I would like to know specifics about these topics if you'd kindly help;

1) Shipping, both international and intercountry shipping.

You place orders for what ever and they get shipped to the country of the address and then to the address, but if i was to get said parcel, what would be the quickest means of getting it to the inter-continental target? Would it just go through the mail or would I need to contact a third party shipping company like FedEx or Brown Union or is there a faster way then previously listed? (I checked into FedEx and it sounds like it could fill the Niche but there's probably a more efficient way) (Also reading some FAQs on Shipping and Handling + Do's and Don'ts, but if there's anything you can add or i missed please post so.)

2) Licensing, I know that the price will be about 1200$ and I've been searching up on the appropriate forms in which to do so. Just to double check though;

CAFC 679 - Application for an Authorization to Transport Restricted Firearms and Prohibited Firearms

* PDF Fillable PDF Format
* You can also apply by phone, please call 1 800 731-4000.
Sounds like the right thing to me :)

3) Fund Transferring, i've looked around and i've noticed a variety of way to ship money internationally. What would be the most preferred and Easiest to check constantly? I'm thinking PayPal would be easy to check constantly but it may have tech issues and what not and I wouldn't want to risk it for Customer's Sake.

I will attempt to re-edit and update this post if all goes well and this thread isn't flamed to death but i'de rather make sure I have ALL of my possible information about the business down pat before I go "Counting my Chickens before they hatch".

Alot of this thread was questions I, over the past while have narrowed down, did independent googling and "resolved" to my knowledge some questions. As of now, as mentioned, i'de like to get my information correct before anything else. Thanks for reading my huge ass thread and i'll be checking it per 10 minutes for replies and what not.


Sorry to take time from your hands but the help would be appreciated and I look forward to replies.

Edit: Or ASAP with this god damned OCD :/

[Jaco]

Well, you might be hard-pressed to get any answers out of the airsoft community (especially locally, where we've been burned a number of times). You have to understand that every other week, we get asked almost the exact same questions by someone who wants to "help the community".

I'm not trying to be snarky here, just letting you know. :)

Firstly, asking about the fastest shipping method... that's a really hard question to answer. It probably depends on a number of things; how many packages, how large they are, what's actually IN them (restricted items could be held up at the border, for instance). Also, where they're coming from and going to.

For a specific example: Canada Post could take FOREVER to get something "gun sized" from here to Halifax. Not to mention it could be stupidly expensive, as well as slow. I shipped a gun from Fredericton, NB to Halifax, NS, and it got there the same day, for less than $20. BUT, I sent it via SMT (bus) and the receiver had to pick it up. Chances are, a gun wouldn't fit in your mailbox anyway, so you'd still have to pick the parcel up at the Post Office. I paid almost that amount to ship something a 1/4 of the size and about 1/10th of the weight from BC to NB, and it took 5 days.

So asking the fastest method to ship something, really, ...it's like asking "How long is a piece of string?"

:D

As far as the licensing, I'm going to assume that nobody here would really have an answer for you, otherwise we'd all have the license ourselves. ;) But it sounds to me like you're talking about a license to actually POSSESS the replicas, not to SELL them. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe it's actually illegal to sell replicas to individuals who don't already have the license to possess them. So you might be spending $1200, only to have a visit from your Firearms Marshall, who's going to shut you down before you sell enough to recoup your losses. Replica firearms/airsoft guns are a very gray area in terms of the law. (I know there was a recent addition to the terminology of "replica" guns, which specifically included "airsoft" guns, to be considered restricted items.)

Paypal, EMT (email money transfer) and DD (direct deposit) seem to be the 3 main payment options on most sites and personal transactions. Of course, cash is always best when face to face, really. :)

Anyway, I hope you don't think I'm trying to be a know-it-all or anything, just wanted to maybe save you some trouble. Possibly some money. :)

[Davis-C]

No hard feelings at all and I know your only trying to Help and i expected that first bit of the response but, hey, without trying then it won't ever happen.

As for selling to people who only have them, i doubt everyone here who bought one has a licence to own a prohibited weapon in the first place. The License up there is for importation into Canada. Upon further inspection i might have to inquire about fire arm licenses too

I'de rather try then not do anything and thanks for the response, and on my part i should have specified a bit more into the situation. Mayhaps different scenarios would be good?

i.e:

Rifle Case Sized
Handgun Case size
Several Rifles on top
Etc.

Again, really appreciate the input and i'll start looking around some more.

[Jaco]

As for selling to people who only have them, i doubt everyone here who bought one has a licence to own a prohibited weapon in the first place.

Yeah, that's the gray area I was talking about... generally speaking, the "sale" of restricted items is what I think is prohibited. There have been a number of local businesses, WITH the proper import licenses, that have been shut down because the sale of airsoft items isn't actually legal to the general public.

I know you're trying to help, I'd just hate to see you get your hopes up and money spent, only to lose it all when some cranky Firearms Marshall comes to your door and shuts you down.

Hell, if you can do it, I'd be the first one at your door, don't get me wrong... but don't expect it to be easy. That's all I'm saying. :)

In any case, good luck. :)

[Davis-C]

Thanks and I'm curious as to how the larger companies and retailers pull it off, not to mention the Army/Navy and what not. :S

I'll look into these laws later on and ask about and thanks again. First step is to get all the legalities out of the way and THEN worry about the other stuff later.

I won't be able to own a vehicle so I think the license compensate for that slightly, and I hope to be getting a job. Hopefully there will be no legalities in the way and some cash put up for the shop by the end of this year but i'm hoping it just happens eventually. And the concern about hopes up, money spent is well appreciated. I'de definably look into stuff before i spent the money first though :3.

Edit: Hopefully these'll be my slowest response times if this does happen :3

[Tank]

Selling airsoft is a no no in NS. Call the NS CFO.

[Davis-C]

orly?