Thanks for sharing this manu. I had a similar experience when I recieved Ubuntu CD's. They just couldn't figure out that I wanted to CD's to give away free - no commercial value! However, I wasn't as persistant as you - they slapped me with duty of AED 10 which i just paid and got out of there as soon as I could.
A --------- Original Message -------- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [dubailug] OSS developments and UAE post Date: 02/07/06 11:20 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi guys, > > Recently i came across a very funny/strange incident, i thought it would > be nice to share with you. > As you all know, i develop GPL'd drivers for the Linux kernel. In this > regards, vendors do send me their free samples of their hardware, to get > the drivers under Linux going. These devices can be sometimes be beta > hardware etc, or sometimes hardware that which doesn't even work etc, > depending upon the hardware development stage with the vendor. These > devices are clearly marked as development only as they are not packaged > the same way etc and there are no Software CD's etc along with them etc. > Basically it looks packaged entirely different. Well, it looks fine > since it is not for any commercial purposes. > > Recently, one of the vendors send me a few cards through the UAE post > office. Normally they send via DHL or UPS. > > This time somehow they sent it via EMS and hence the Post Office. There > was an Invoice attached to the parcel, which said card type each at 0.65 > USD totally 4 PCI cards altogether, which tallied to USD 2.60. Well i > thought i would get an intimation in my Post Box or get a call on my > mobile or at least they would deliver at the office or so. After a week > i thought why the parcel had not yet reached me, though the vendor said > they sent me a package. I wondered maybe they lied to me on the same. > The very next day i received a mail from the vendor on the tracking > number asking whether i received the same (It has been over a week now). > So after a google search, i finally landed up at the EMS packaging > tracking website. > > Lo, it had been in UAE for more than a week, it took just one day and a > half to come down to UAE. Indeed that was fast. Now i thought then > better go enquire at the Post Office. Reaching the Post Office, i gave > them the tracking number, one guy asked me whether it were some "books". > I replied back *not* books, electronic items, computer cards. the guy > went inside searched for a while and asked me in Arabic, what i did > understand was that he meant whether it is a parcel, i said, *yes* > parcel. So he directed me to another table. > > So i went to that table and showed the guy the tracking number. The guy > went round in a circle and went to the very first guy and got the > package from him. He also asked me the same what it is, gave him the > very same reply. He took a look at the package turning it around and > took out the invoice and tried to read it out. Then he thought maybe > better open it up and see. He openend the same and took all the cards > and was looking at it. He then took all of them to some other guys who > were sitting next to him, before he got up to pick the package. they > discused for around some 10 - 15 minutes on the same, didn't understand > head or tail of what they were discussing though. > > This guy then took up the calculator and typed 50 into the calculator > and said, "Fi customs duty". Then i thought *WTF*, All these years i > never had to pay any customs duty for development stuff as it always > said "Sample for evaluation. No commercial value, Value only for customs > purpose only". So i took the invoice from that guy to check whether the > vendor forgot to put that, since i did not want to pay for the Customs > duty at all, since it was not going to do me any good. But looking at > the Invoice the very same remarks were there. On asking the guy *WTF*, > he took all of this to another guy who discussed along with him earlier. > He told me that i have a commercial reason for the same and these were > for sales in the market. > > I was a bit perplexed on the same as to what to tell this guy, I told > him it is for OSS driver development etc. He looked at me in a strange > way and asked me Software ???? , there was another guy who was looking > quite quizzically. So i took the invoice and showed it to the guy about > the remarks. The guy then shouted at the other two guys on what the > nonsense is all about. the other guy went on as to state that i was > doing commercial activities with the goods. A terrible argument ensued. > > In the end, the the last guy who came into the argument told me, "take > it" and showed me the thumbs up gesture. The other two guys didn't like > this at all and retorted back, "only this time". I proceeded to the > hallway to walk out of the Post Office with the parcel quite cheerfully, > even though got tired of arguing with them. Well one more of those > numerous strange incidents while being here, i added to my collection. > > Manu > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ Message sent using Acme Automation Webmail Service ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> See what's inside the new Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/2pRQfA/bOaOAA/yQLSAA/0XFolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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