[PART 1] Official BLF GT Group Buy thread. Group buy officially closed! Lights shipping.

Thanks for information. However, I would like to know more about payment and the current development phase. We are waiting now for new prototypes to arrive to the team right? (I need to prepare my wallet before buying thats why I am asking this).

And for payment,
Maybe its because my English is bad but I want to confirm the reason behind two steps payment that I understand:

  1. Payment of $14 to confirm our intention to buy.
  2. Payment of $97 when the actual product will be available. And it will be shipped right after the payment.
    So what happens;
    a) If we pay $14 but not pay $97?
    b) Will $14 be for battery holder part? How will be the invoice?
    c) What is the current plan about Europe VAT or generally taxes?
    d) If the package 1 stucks at customs and package 2 arrives, will you re-ship package 1 without charging?
    e) If both packages get stuck at customs and invoice and credit card history will be needed, we will need a fake invoice to avoid tax (for the ones who want to avoid tax).
    e-1) Since both packages will be processed separately at customs, 1 invoice will be enough with two listings for package. HOWEVER, we will need at least 3 separate payment to avoid tax. And separate invoices for both packages will be better to deal with customs.

Here is a diagram:

I'm sure glad liv'n in the USA is sooo simple....

And, customs officer will probably not believe this price and will inspect the product. Is there any mark on the product like GT or BLF? Because if they see any mark, they write that mark to google and they enter to the first shopping site related to that mark and they will note down the price seen on the website and they will charge tax on that price. (%20)

What a stupid system but it is being done in Turkey. So if possible (if there is any mark on the product) I would like one without any marks. Or we just need to remove the cost information from this website and any other which is listed in google when the mark on the flashlight typed.

===

Also I want to ask that if nothing can be done about taxing except re-shipment (sometimes packages go back if tax does not get paid. And sometimes it just passes without any hassle. I would like to improve my chance by making multiple shipments arranged progressively), will you re-ship without recharging for shipping? Will we be able to demand re-shipment if you allow recharging for shipment?

If anyone was wondering. PayPalCash have authorized stores like CVS where you can put cash into your PayPal account, But there is a 3.95 fee.

Using a visa gift card or the like I get like 50/50 mixed reviews. Some say by registering the card to you on the gift cards website works, some says it doesn’t. Some say they work without doing that, others says it doesn’t.

My play money comes from my already budgeted play fund that I keep in cash. Just like to keep those transactions separate.

Oh man you know what we have free healthcare system and we are stupid enough to feed and take care of desperate people with our taxes.
Do you have free healthcare, free education, … :slight_smile:

They are so free that we need to pay ~18% tax for almost everything we purchase. More than %100 tax for cars, %50-60 tax for phones because they are luxury items in 2017 :laughing:

In Europe (or at least in my country), you even need to pay tax of a tax… :slight_smile::slight_smile: :partying_face: :person_facepalming: :rage:

Fuzun;

Being taxed to make money to pay taxes to spend your money. Shenanigans I tell you.

A if one pays $14 but not the rest, refund with deduction of PayPal fees
B no specific part, come on you have written proof of paying $14 (below tax in like almost all countries) for A part and receive a box stating part, do your own thing, this is as far as we can go and it is pretty decent I think.
C see B
D alternative shipping is with tracking for sender at least, so yes if missed new is send.
E this is it, see B
E1 see E and B, still not enough, sorry just pass on the GT :wink:

Please refrain from politics or start a new topic about it :wink:

Waiting for payment instructions. Good idea to see who is really interested in…

Yes fuzun, all those freebies have a very high cost to the individual. :smiley:

Regarding this , would it be clearer to state it like this :question:

“GT part payment”
BLF name
Country PostalCode, FullAddress, StateOrProvinceIfNeeded, PhoneNumber
Number on the core list

I am located in Singapore so the state and province part is not needed but when ordering stuff online we usually just put Singapore anyway, small country lol.

“GT part payment”
Eggun
Singapore XXXXXX, Block XXX John Smith Road Unit#XX-XX, Singapore, XXXXXXXX
384

Thank you for reply.

Well, I want to try my luck. So the best you can do is marking both packages as $14 and giving a single invoice for that $14 right? Although it is more risky than the method I have tried to describe, I think as long as $14 payment will be separate there will be no problem considering both packages will be handled by different officer.

However if tax will be demanded, I will let the package which is stuck go back. But the problem is that if one (of two) package passes and the other not because of tax, what will happen? (You know customs work random) And can you write how much is the paypal deduction (for non EU country) and maybe shipping cost (if you deduct it as well) ?

I am sorry I have taken your time. But better prepared before.

After paying the first $14 how much in advance we get to know before having pay the rest?

I mean there are those who are on a tight budget but really want this and if the bigger payment comes very fast to be done within only 5 days time frame to be paid some may not be able get enough money to their Paypal accounts to pay.

And many times it really is not possible to keep this amount ready in Paypal.

I know it is ready when it is ready which is completely fine but LT must have some timeline when planning this.

They did a good job with this, appears to me. And I have to say I’m interested again. While I normally like small things made well that work like a bigger example, in this case it’s made such that a big thing, made well, looks smaller and still works comparative to it’s size. The sheer size alone makes me want to feel it in hand!

So, if it’s not too much trouble, please add me to the interest list and I will see if I can find a way to pay for it. :slight_smile:

Thank you.

I am still definitely interested in this light. Going to sell my horrible fiance’s soul to the devil for the same price to buy the light. (or two) :smiley:

Paypal Ready :email: :smiley:

Living in Canada, I simply don’t know which shipping option to pick for me with less risk of taxes.

But I got paypal ready.

please add me to the group buy list

I don’t know about Turkey(which I believe is very tricky), but generally speaking… A false customs declaration is potentially much worse than still being randomly taxed. It’s a criminal offense and (depending on country, more or less theoretically) could result in prosecution.

I’m a bit worried and disturbed by this whole discussion. Actually doing any of this is not exactly legal. A Chinese seller or MFG won’t face the consequences but a BLF user/LT customer might, and someone who looks like a EU business partner and co-conspirator very well might, severely. If I were involved in arranging this deal, situated in Europe and discussed this, I would feel at least a bit uneasy when this systematic customs fraud involving several countries eventually took place.

Not that I oppose avoiding unjust duties and taxes at all, I won’t comment on that one. No politics and stuff. :smiling_imp:

Well when it is shipped in two parcels, neither content is worth that much for not usable alone.
If taxes and administration fees are asked for I would pay them and I suggest others do the same for it should be clear what the total value of a GT is so there is no ground to fight being taxed in a truthful manner.

If one can’t or won’t want to pay the taxes and fees it is best to simply not order.
If one does not accept a parcel and wants to have it send again it seems fair shipping must be paid for it, and to avoid endless re-shipping at the cost of Lumintop the amount to be paid ought to be at least the actual cost of original shipping and re-shipping, a wild guess would be $50 minimum.

The GT is not mandatory :wink:
Even with taxes the price is nice and lower then the aftermarket price and taxes.
Nobody is forced to buy a GT, if one does it is as with all the $20+ things in the EU for example, one can get lucky or not.
If paying duties is unacceptable for somebody just don’t order something over $20 and leave it :wink:

What he said.

I am one of the ones who also can’t import the light without import tax but i totally agree with The miller and Keisari.

If you can’t afford to pay/don’t want to pay import tax don’t try stupid things, where i live and i guess every other country trying to import item with false invoice is illegal and might end up with hefty fine and seized item and for me the risk is not worth at all.

With that said i accepted my faith and will not try to do any stupid stuff while trying to import the light, i still haven’t decided on shipping method and will when The Miller gives me some additional info i wanted via PM.