Gilded Tarot Royale

gregory said:

I have NEVER been hit with a fine; what happens is I will get a postcard in with the mail telling me I need to pay up before whatever can be delivered. Then I phone and pay with a credit card and the parcel shows up.

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That's what I get. Ordering from the USA or anywhere out of Europe there is always that risk. I just have to keep my fingers crossed. There is no right way for the sender to declare it. Customs just pounce. What I have noticed is that it comes in phases; 6 months without surcharges, then 6 months with surcharges on everything. As I got charged for the Gilded Royale, now I just need to keep my fingers crossed for another trade coming in from the USA and also the Dust Bunny Lenormand. It's so annoying as it ups the price of the deck and you find yourself thinking "I'm not sure I'd have bought it if I'd thought it was going to be $25 more expensive..."

Gregory, I think you misunderstand my point. I indicate on the paperwork that the item is only $10. The customs guy has no reference to question that, so you uncertainly wouldn't go with a print out from my web site. Therefore in the unlikely chance that they open the package, which occasionally has happened, and decide they they also wanted to charge a duty of some kind, (which hasn't happened in my cases, at least that I'm aware of), but if it did, what value would they base those duties on if not the value I indicated??? In your case Le Fanu, what value was your trade indicated at???

Does it say that on the outside of the package ? If not, they do as they please, I regret to say. Even if you DO, they have a nasty habit of looking things up online when they are bored. No I'm not kidding. I think they are getting wise to the number of things that come in with - shall we say LENIENT - descriptions.

I would guess that they open things, decide that that is not just "cards" and wing it. I recall a wonderful scenario with Canada customs in the 70s, where I had ordered a set of replica chessmen from the British museum. They opened it up and decided to charge me duty. Some VAST amount to which I objected. They said it was a game. I said no it wasn't, you can't play chess without a board. Oh. They then said well, it was precious materials. I said no it wasn't. They asked me what it was made of. I said fibreglass resin.

Several days of silence followed and then they charged me about $2 - which if that happened in the UK today would have incurred a ten pound charge on top payable to Royal Mail for collecting it - that MIGHT actually be the "fine" referred to above, now that I come to think of it. I had to pay that on 89 pence duty recently. I was not pleased.

Basically they want your money, and when they are bored resort to extreme measures to get it.

Now that's really nice, I like the Gold edges Ciro must have been hearing me say, "The darkness on the cards scare me, it needs more light.." I have had to set my decks aside and they are sealed unopened. I was unable to send them back to the bookstore online as, they only accept damaged items. Bad customer service, yet their items are good which is a real shame they don't allow you to return items for such a large company --insert name here --coughs-
yes liking the update!

Gregory, re-customs.
I get your point, but as I say I've shipped thousands of items without incident, so wether by price, description or plain luck... fingers crossed that it continues.

Gracie2K, I'm confused by your reference to unopened decks and customer service?????

cirom said:

In your case Le Fanu, what value was your trade indicated at???

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Good point but I'm afraid I threw away the packaging! I was just so excited to have the deck.

I have to say (massively off topic I know, I know) I have had someone from Customs on the phone blatantly disbelieving a claim on a package for me that my Dusserre Dodal ("pack of cards") was worth $10. They just wouldn't believe it... I agree with gregory, I believe they research these things in idle moments. Does that make me sound paranoid?

Le Fanu said:

Good point but I'm afraid I threw away the packaging! I was just so excited to have the deck.

I have to say (massively off topic I know, I know) I have had someone from Customs on the phone blatantly disbelieving a claim on a package for me that my Dusserre Dodal ("pack of cards") was worth $10. They just wouldn't believe it... I agree with gregory, I believe they research these things in idle moments. Does that make me sound paranoid?

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Yes, but just because you (and I) are paranoid doesn't mean it isn't EXACTLY LIKE THAT !

Ciro - I hear you and I do know what you are saying. It is totally random; I have received several decks directly from you and only once had to pay duty - the original Dreams made it through - I was expecting to be hit for that, but I was actually caught on the mass market one. Go figure !

I try to look on it as I do parking tickets - I rarely get caught overstaying; when I do, it is a whopping fine, but I average out and try to convince myself it's OK as a fair cop considering how often I didn't get one... Now the ten pound fee to the Post Office for collecting the duty I object to VERY DEEPLY. I would rather drive to the customs office - it would cost me less ! Not to mention that all the post office do is send me a card - they DON'T actually collect the money - I phone the customs office and do it. And for my doing that, they get a tenner. Daylight robbery - ten quid to send me a postcard .

This is why I get my stuff sent to my US address. I take it across myself and the border guys have yet to charge me a dime for my tarot stuff. They usually give me a strange look and ask if I read cards. I remember I bought a $300 sports bag on sale for $60 clearance price. UPS shows up at my door asking for a $45 Customs brokerage fee. I was livid, but given the price I paid for the bag I was still ahead $200.

I was going to ship a small computer board that would fit inside a pistol grip, to the US from Canada until i heard the price.....$36 !!!!!
$36 to ship a padded envelope and would take 5-7 business days. I drove across the border after work the next day and mailed it from the US. Under $3, with a tracking number and delivered in two days. *smack my head in disbelief*

Moderator Note

Please stick to discussion of the deck instead of customs charges/fees/penalties.

Just wanted to give people a bit of an update with this deck. This was my first thoughts which I posted in this thread previously....

inanna_tarot said:

My copy came last week....
Its stunning. My first purchase of Ciro's decks and it will not be my last! Amazing, enough of the deep esoteric symbolism to get you going, yet not too 'heavy' so your eyes can delight in the cards and the intuition can flow...

Beautiful! So much expression and life in digital artwork - that only Ciro can do!
Awesome

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A wonderful gushy post as I looked at the images of the deck - then put in its box and tidied away and forgotten about.
Then in starting a IDS style project and picking my deck for it, I came upon this deck on my shelf and thought 'hmm nah, its pretty but its just that, its all style and no substance, its all glamour and nothing between the ears'. As a rule I really dont like CGI or digital artwork of any kind, I love the oils and deep colours of Emily Carding and Marie White, Lady Frieda Harris and the like - bold daring art, the stuff I wish I could paint.

But, having done some daily draws, larger readings and some 1to1's this Gilded hits the mark. It expressed both the esoteric and the mundane, the spiritual and the everyday in one card in the same reading. There are so many dimensions to this deck and when I compare the Royale to the previous Gilded I can see so much more wisdom and experience has gone into this deck in the tweaking and redesigning process.
This deck is not just pretty... it's clarity really can hit you between the eyes and then some. It's got a real touch of medieval magic to it that makes it special.

I can't wait to see what more the GR has to offer. I did think perhaps to get the previous Gilded to compare, but I don't think I want to. I'm too happy to think about seeing it in its previous incarnations. Its perfect just the way it is now

Of course, this has made me re-look at all of Ciro's other stuff, including the new and upcoming Lenormand and I will do my hardest to snag a copy when that appears. I'm completely Lenormand illiterate, but its Ciro, he's an alchemist of pixels