Buyincoins tablet ~€40

hochnie

I ordered this in the new year and for anyone who is interested I received a letter from customs the the other day to say that this tablet has been detained, after phoning them it looks likely it will be destroyed. It seems Apple are not happy as it appears that there are counterfeit issues or so I am told. More likely Apple are flexing their muscles as I seem to remember them challenging samsung over their tablet last year. I have contacted buyincoins about a refund and I am awaiting their reply(probably be waiting a while I think).Probably best to avoid buying any tablets from this site in the meantime.

eamonnq

hochnie wrote: »

I ordered this in the new year and for anyone who is interested I received a letter from customs the the other day to say that this tablet has been detained, after phoning them it looks likely it will be destroyed. It seems Apple are not happy as it appears that there are counterfeit issues or so I am told. More likely Apple are flexing their muscles as I seem to remember them challenging samsung over their tablet last year. I have contacted buyincoins about a refund and I am awaiting their reply(probably be waiting a while I think).Probably best to avoid buying any tablets from this site in the meantime.

This would seem very odd to say the least, there are tons of tablets available and I somehow doubt Apple are anyway involved in yours being stopped at customs.

hochnie

I rang customs twice and thats the spiel both people gave me. I grilled the second guy about it today and he said that a button used on the epad was in violation and that apple are inspecting them(multiples). I queried that surely it would require an independent inspection but he said apple are the ones with the expertise to verify if they are counterfeit. I suggested to him that it may be in apples interest to say that they are in contravention and he laughed saying something about "hundreds of them have been stopped". I assume he was exaggerating but maybe he meant across europe or maybe somebody on boards wants to be the next bill cullen

psicic

hochnie wrote: »

I rang customs twice and thats the spiel both people gave me.

Wow. I was about to come on and say if that's the real reason that's amazing. Then I went and googled 'epad' and found yer man in Cork selling these tablets as 'epads' at hugely inflated prices.... and calling them an alternative to the ipad.... hmmmmm.... Apple's European operations are based in Cork (nominally, at least) - so I could see why they'd want to stamp that out.

It'd be a shocking turn if customs starts seizing all budget tablets coming into the country - especially ones not being marketed as an Apple tablet, not hugely similar to the iPad and running Android OS.

You've my sympathies, hochnie.

eamonnq

hochnie wrote: »

I grilled the second guy about it today and he said that a button used on the epad was in violation and that apple are inspecting them(multiples).

Yep, that button does look very Apple-like. Don't think they would be stopping all budget tablets, but if they have that sort of button they probably will get confiscated.

Nforce

If you REALLY want one you can get one from Amazon for £60.63 delivered. Yep, it's dearer than DX...but no Customs to worry about.

Oracle

Isn't there a procedure where you can claim the item back? My understanding of the customs protocol is this ....

1) They are claiming the item you have imported is fraud/counterfeit/illegal/ etc .... so they seize the item.
2) They send you a notice stating that they have seized it and the reasons why.
3) You have a right to claim the item back from Customs saying it is not illegal/prohibited or counterfeit etc .... So you state the goods are legitimately imported, legal and your property.
4) If you don't claim back the item within a specified period, then its destroyed. (or in this case taken home to the wife and kids)

So you have to fight for your goods back from the government, who have confiscated your property illegally. They can't act as judge and court and simply take your stuff without any redress. Go and fight for your property. Don't let them get away with it.

eamonnq

Nforce wrote: »

If you REALLY want one you can get one from Amazon for £60.63 delivered. Yep, it's dearer than DX...but no Customs to worry about.

Or get a decent one from China that does not have an Apple-like button ?

Nforce

eamonnq wrote: »

Or get a decent one from China that does not have an Apple-like button ?

In which case you end up with the item being stopped by Customs...again!:D

eamonnq

Nforce wrote: »

In which case you end up with the item being stopped by Customs...again!:D

Being inspected by customs and paying the VAT due on them would be fine, but once it does not have the 'Apple-like' button they would not be confiscating them.

Eleganza

My tablet was returned to the vendor by German Customs as it didn't have a CE mark. If they don't get you for some sort of IPR infringement they'll get you on non-conformance issues.

hochnie

I got the impression resistance was futile all right, I asked customs was there anything else I could do and yer man said I could challenge apple through the courts if they have deemed it counterfeit. He was kinda unsympathetic to my plight, considering I did not realise the item was infringing on copyrights when I bought it. oh well looks like I will have to take my medicine(though this feels more like a suppository than a tablet,I'll get my coat)

snubbleste

A bargain for some a not-so-bargain for others ?

Amalgam

Good ol' Apple, building up brand allegiance, by choice.. or..

I presume this isn't a, 'that tablet is rectangular like our tablet', because the shape issue has recently been thrown out of court in one or two European countries where the judges are finally waking up.

Do An Post have to clarify, on paper, why they have confiscated an item?

Pity that this situation, like so many consumer issues in Ireland, is mainained through ignorance and lack of clarity, towards the customer, and on the public's part too.

eamonnq

Amalgam wrote: »

Good ol' Apple, building up brand allegiance, by choice.. or..

I presume this isn't a, 'that tablet is rectangular like our tablet', because the shape issue has recently been thrown out of court in one or two European countries where the judges are finally waking up.

Do An Post have to clarify, on paper, why they have confiscated an item?

Pity that this situation, like so many consumer issues in Ireland, is mainained through ignorance and lack of clarity, towards the customer, and on the public's part too.

I think it is more like 'that button has a square on it like the button on ours' in this case at least.

Gulliver

eamonnq wrote: »

This would seem very odd to say the least, there are tons of tablets available and I somehow doubt Apple are anyway involved in yours being stopped at customs.

Oh crap. Better hide my PS3 controller or the ApfelSquarenButtonStad will go final solution on my ass.

Hank_Jones

Crazy that Apple have so much power in terms of this sort of thing.

Guess being the biggest company in the world gives you all sorts of power.

RJunior

B1977 wrote: »

I dont have wi fi but I have the 02 Huawei Mobile broadband,will this work on it ? and how

I couldn't find any easy way around this so I upgraded my stick to a hotspot and increased my GB allowance at the same time. Monthly charge is only slightly more expensive. I also got the Hotspot free cos they kept me waiting in the store. You should look into this.

Vurnon San Benito

heard there's been new firmware released since?

Inside of new batch of M009F's seemingly indicate M010f ?