Customs have siezed everything!

----puts down paper bag and tries to breath normally---

I am so angry I could sob, Customs have decided to seize my parcel from a well loved vendor.  (No fault of the vendor, so even if you know please do not mention their name)

I paid duties and VAT on it yesterday and nobody will tell me anything. 

That parcel contains:

My beautiful   1ct D VS1 which was sent back to the vendor for a re set.
1 Eternity band.
1 Scattered band.
1 Wedding band.
Set of earring jackets.
Set of earring backs (spare)

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"It is also important for the State to inculcate in its subjects an aversion to any 'conspiracy theory of history' for a search for 'conspiracies' means a search for motives and an attribution of responsibility for historical misdeeds."

-Murray N. Rothbard, in The Anatomy of the State



John Swinton [1829-1901] Chief Editorial Writer of the New York Times (Considered "the Dean of his Profession" by his peers), when asked to toast an 'Independent Press' in a gathering at the National Press Club, circa 1880

"There is no such thing in America as an independent press unless it is in the country towns. You know it, and I know it. There is not one of you who dare express an honest opinion. If you express it you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid... for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for doing similar things....

The business of the New York journalist is to distort the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of Mammon, and sell his country and race for his daily bread, or for what is about the same thing, his salary. You know this, and I know it and what foolery to be toasting an 'independent press.' We are tools, and the vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are jumping-jacks. They pull the strings and we dance. Our time, our talents, our lives, our possibilities, all are the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."

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I am a leaf on the wind....watch how I soar.

**************
My favorite color is shiny

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Travel quote of the week: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

I'm back.

I mean that in more than one way, having had a meltdown today.  Tears and all.

I am not a person to take things lying down and DH is no shrinking violet either so being told by FEDEX that the box was seized when everything is above board made us see red.

Here is my story:

This am I checked my tracking no to see that it had arrived in the local depot.  Having cleared Dublin and Shannon.
I rang Customer services to see if I could collect it as we are renting at the moment and are not easy to find if you do not know the area.
Fedex were lovely and said ok, we will find out and ring you back.
Lady called back quickly and was very apologetic; Sorry your box has been seized by customs officer at your local depot.
(Very strange as our local depot doesn’t really exist it is so small, customs would usually seize at Dublin or Shannon never locally)
Mr Steel and I go crazy ringing every number for Fedex and Customs to get some info.
After lots of calls a lovely guy at the airport found the name of the customs officer who had my parcel.  He advised she would call in the pm. 
No call.
DH lost it as I lapsed into tears.  Rang customs again to complain as we have all the info and had paid all duties and had no info as to why it was seized.
Very soon after that call, the Customs officer who had my box rang VERY APOLOGETIC that the box had been seized.  Said she hadn't done it and didn't know why it had been held.  She did all the research on the stone and agreed that the duties and VAT had been paid. 
As she had opened the box they wanted us to pick it up.
DH and I leap into the car and retrieve our box.

She was very sorry we had been upset and gave us her card with mobile and direct dial etc if we ever had a problem again.  She mentioned that we should have called her earlier to say that I was shipping my stone out.    We said we would have but that their number and location was up to then a 'state secret'.  When we asked Dublin customs or Fedex we were told "no that info is private" and here she is saying we should have called them....  BTW I did call Dublin customs to confirm if I needed anything to send the stone out or to to mark when it came back in and I was told NO.

Long story short, we had a bad day.  I have my parcel now and all looks wonderful.  I will post pics soon, possibly not today as we are still shaking.

(I wonder, if I had not asked to pick it up would they have just sent a letter in the post to say it had been seized?  Why was it stopped if she said she didn't know why it was stopped?  -- I will try to let it go.)

__________________________________________________________

I am a leaf on the wind....watch how I soar.

_______________________

Travel quote of the week: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

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Piece of cake and a candle.
**ng gift**

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Blu

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin, 1759

Thank you all for your words of encouragement. 
DH and I decided to not look at the goodies 'till tonight as yesterday was so traumatic. 

Delster- I suspect you are correct.  Don't get me started on the bureaucratic incompetencies of this government .  (Ps Are you here or in the UK?)

Date: 11/23/2007 3:23:25 PM
Author: Delster
I'm here Steel (or as 'here' as I ever am, I can be a right ditz at times! )

Enjoy having your pretties back, and when you've had sufficient time to bond, we'd love a photoshoot over in SMTR

(Thread hijack)

Delster, I don't suppose you know anybody who has a vacancy for an apprenticeship?  I am in the process of interviews and desperately searching for a kind Solicitor to take me on.  I would love to stay down South but at this stage....

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"Life is what happens to you, while you are busy making other plans". John Lennon

Delster - It is a nightmare, I have applied to every firm in the directory (for the second time).  Some are coming back now with interviews but even then it is soul destroying.  I interviewed for 2 major commercial law players down here 6 & 4 weeks ago but have heard nothing (sob).   I am starting walk in's next week.  Thank you for responding!

Linda W- Thanks for your sympathies!