I had a skimmer shipped from overseas, it's a brand new skimmer. It got into NZ 3 weeks ago, then customs got their hands on it. They farted around with it for a week before finally sending me my invoice. I rang them up and asked how much I had to pay, then they told me oh it's below 400 dollars so you don't have to pay anything since it's for personal use :evil: 3 times before I've brought in aquarium stuff, and this time they decide to have a look-see

The words "protein" "filter" and "aquarium" must have sent bells ringing through MAF. After getting it released I waited another week and still no sign of it. Rang up customs and they told me MAF has it and "are doing tests on it to make sure there are no biological agents remaining" There should be a smiley for slap myself on the forehead. I told them it was brand new, from the manufacturer and it's just some round pieces of acrylic stuck together with a pump, they would've been able to tell just by opening the packaging!

So apparently neither NZ Post nor customs has any access to MAF. There's no one I can contact in MAF for enquiries and both NZ Post and customs have advised me to just sit tight and they'll release it once they're done with it.

Has anyone else come across this? I can understand with NZ being a small country any unwanted biological substances would wreak havoc on our eco system but to test a brand new skimmer is just ridiculous! Does anyone know how long I can expect to wait? I don't know how things operate behind the doors of MAF, but if it's anything like immigration, I have many water changes ahead of me

Oh also apologies if this is in the wrong section, sorta off topic but still fish related hehe

MAF quarantine varies depending on how busy they are. I could tell you a couple horror stories about unnecessary destruction but will settle your mind with a rough average MAF Q-time I've had over the last year instead - 2 weeks.

MAF are tards. I understand the need for a government department to protect our environment, but they could at least employ competent people who can do the job properly! Its basically a mickey mouse outfit at the moment.

I had a shipment from overseas which was held for 5 weeks. I was on their case from the word go, and finally (after forking out $75 for an inspection fee) I received the goods. For them to do the check on what they thought was a "hazard" would've taken 2 minutes, IF THAT!

Hopeless!

what was the potential 'hazard'?

what was the potential 'hazard'?

As far as Maf is concerned - 'a container load of common sense'

Next they will be stopping yoghurt makers- lots of bugs in yoghurt.

I was on their case from the word go

Probably why it took 5 weeks. I've worked for the government, most employee's have little or no say in how things are done, just work there way through a great big boring pile of paper. But every once in a while some one tries to wind them up, so they take great pleasure in returning their paper work to the bottom of the pile.

It's not just the government. Most people will stop trying to help(If they can get away with it) the instant you turn into an %%%hole.

General rule of MAF and Customs.

If you are urgently needing the item.. they will take their time.

If you are in no hurry for the item.... it will not be stopped and checked.

It is quite amazing how they can work this out :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Heh, I thought for sure my keychain full of radioactive material would be stopped when I had it sent to me. Fortunately not.

careful Ira it might be kryptonite

Has anyone else come across this?

Normal part of Business when importing, Its good that personal shipments are being stopped as Business come across this all the time.

Gives you a good idea what crap commercial Business have to put up with and why it cost.

Its good that personal shipments are being stopped as Business come across this all the time

Think I'm missing the logic there somewhere.

the wheels of democracy grind slowly

when i ordered a fluidised bed filter including sand off e bay it took 2 wks longer than wat it was meant to, customs had opened it and tested the white sand for drugs, got the rest of the sand a few days later in an envelope. while this was not maf this time u would think that maf would have been interested in the sand too as there is no such thing as brand new sand(its got to have come from somewhere)

when i ordered a fluidised bed filter including sand off e bay it took 2 wks longer than wat it was meant to, customs had opened it and tested the white sand for drugs, got the rest of the sand a few days later in an envelope. while this was not maf this time u would think that maf would have been interested in the sand too as there is no such thing as brand new sand(its got to have come from somewhere)

Obviously they thought you were trying to sneak some methsandphetamines into the country.

very clever Ira

Little update! I rang MAF today and they do have a centre in the mail sorting place in Auckland, which was annoying because both customs and nz post told me there's no way to get in touch with them. The first person was not helpful at all and told me they released it back to customs 10 days ago. I asked nicely, so it goes from NZ post, to customs, to you, then back to customs? But he just grunted something and said I should ring customs.

So I rang customs and an equally helpful person said he had no idea where my skimmer is because according to them MAF still has it so he insisted I ring MAF again :roll: Rang MAF and thankfully (I mean thankfully) I got a nice lady who was extremely understanding and helpful and took all my tracking numbers, notice numbers, invoice numbers and ran around her office looking for my parcel but couldn't find it, so she rang up customs and asked them where it was and apparently it's been sitting somewhere for the past week or so waiting to be shipped out, imagine that! I wonder how many packages they have just sitting and waiting till someone bugs them enough to do something about it.

So after being subject to govt department ping pong my skimmer is going to sent tomorrow, hopefully! Here's hoping

awesome, btw what brand skimmer did you buy?

a reef octopus, went with a big one so it's one less thing I have to change if I ever decide to upgrade, well have decided but that's still a long way away hehe

but they are readily available in NZ, Cheap, with full warranties??????????????????????????????????

Hi,

I work for an international freight forwarding company so have to deal with MAF & Customs everyday so I can completely sympathize with your frustrations.

When it comes to getting something cleared through customs & MAF it is often worth the extra dollars to have a broker do this as they often know "the right people" and can speed up MAF clearance.

Or alternatively, just support your LFS.

Or alternatively, just support your LFS.

/agree