FEDEX shipping not so smooth (quit buying from japan)

Hello, last summer I had started buying again modelguns for my collection directly from Japan on Yahoo.jp by means of Rinkya (thanks Capuetz! ), but a pair of Fedex shipments didn't go so smoothly.
In the first case Customs quickly sent - through fedex - an official report of opening inspection, I had to send all the payment bills, description of items plus a detailed invoice from sender, spent a couple of days with fear of a possibile seizure of goods, then the package was cleared and released and I had to pay a good amount of import duties. .
In the second case, communication with Fedex customs office was a bit slow, to say the least: first they contacted me four days after arriving of package, asking for payments bills and detailed description of items for a "quick and correct customs clearance", then they let 13 days go by before contacting me again (in the meantime I contacted their customer service more than once to get news, to no avail) asking for a detailed invoice and babbling something about authorization from local authorities for metal toys replica(!)    . Of course I replied that "authorization" is not needed for "toys" - no matter if plastic or metal - that are already sold with no license required throughout the national territory, and send them quiclky a detailed invoice too. After another email in which I asked for news about the state of customs clearing procedure, the package was finally released - three weeks and five days after arriving to local port facilities and delivered. With great dismay I discovered that an inspection occured this time too, with no official report of it, and the original box containing one of the items(a MGC M16 early metal version with fake forward assist) had been cut with a paper cutter on the long side for a quick inspection . Probably it was the bulky size of packages in both cases that attracted customs attention - combined with the facts that they were both labeled as "gifts" - and Fedex has no fault for what happened, nevertheless, since I found myself for two times in what might be called a "customs nightmare", I have decided to quit buying replicas from abroad, at least for now, especially long modelguns.
I'm telling all this just 'cause I'd like to hear if anyone on this forum has encountered similar experiences with couriers such as FEDEX.
So long

Had the same problem in the Uk when i importesd the Robocop auto 9 airsoft from Japan, it was stopped by customs and it took me 3 months to get it. Difference over here is we have the VCR act (violent crime reduction) which covered many things but replicas took a real hit, its also an act that acheived nothing but thats another story.
Anyway it makes importing replicas difficult and its all down to customs, not really sure you can blame the courier as everything has to go through customs. unfortunatly terrorism in europe has made i think customs very wary of anything firearm related and you cant really blame them. lets not forget that many people think you can take any replica gun and instantly convert it to fire live ammo, this includes customs officials, the fact that they are legal to buy never seems to make any difference. Another hurdle we just have to jump over and deal with.

claymore wrote:

Anyway it makes importing replicas difficult and its all down to customs, not really sure you can blame the courier as everything has to go through customs. unfortunatly terrorism in europe has made i think customs very wary of anything firearm related and you cant really blame them.

Yeah, that's why I didn't issue a claim for customs behaviour, it would be useless, btw.

claymore wrote:

lets not forget that many people think you can take any replica gun and instantly convert it to fire live ammo, this includes customs officials, the fact that they are legal to buy never seems to make any difference.

That I believe being an urban legend. I heard in the past about toys replica converted to shoot bullets in south Italy (especially Naples), but if it were true, would be - I guess - italian made blank firers, certainly not made in japan replicas. Sad truth is that here the criminal underworld can get all the real weapons it wants  

claymore wrote:

Another hurdle we just have to jump over and deal with.

Yes, I think so

If it makes anyone feel better, it can be quite hassle importing these replicas into the US, as well! I've had shipments inspected and damaged, returned, or held for months upon months with no notification! A couple times it took a year!

ljerr2 wrote:

If it makes anyone feel better, it can be quite  hassle importing these replicas into the US, as well!  I've had shipments inspected and damaged, returned, or held for months upon months with no notification!  A couple times it took a year!

 I guess custom officials around the world all go to the same training school

What a lucky guy I have been up to now....