Update: Thanks to Timelock’s comment below, it looks like we’ve managed to shake the N5 free of customs although the timing was strange. It cleared customs before I sent a copy of my customs-number form. Maybe all the calls, faxes and emails helped in the end. The N5 should be with me for the live session tonight. Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and tips.
Update: I have the N5 and the Live review is finished. The recordings are available.
Can you believe this. I’ve been receiving goods from abroad for nearly 5 years; I’ve been paying the taxes when asked, filling in the forms when asked and generally being a good boy. Then a new FedEx office in Cologne opens and everything comes to a halt. The Viliv N5 has arrived there and I now have to register as an importer in order to release the device. It’s going to take weeks.
To be fair, FedEx are following the rules. If you, as a company, import more than three items per year (receiving zero-value goods for testing is also counted as importing) then you have to register for a customs number and EORI number. [If anyone has experience on the subject and knows a solution, please drop a comment below.]
The problem is that this is Germany and while processes work, there’s never a work-around, never an alternative and the process is often as slow as an old dog. Currently, the customs office in Dresden are taking 2-3 weeks to process new number requests. Meanwhile, FedEx holds on to devices for 4 days before sending them back.
The N5 is one of the most important ultra mobile PC products of 2010 and I have thousands of customers waiting to see the device, hear opinions on the device and have the unique chance to join in our live Q&A session on the device. There are others that will get the device too (Tip: Head on over to JKKMobile who is also getting the Viliv N5 and will start work with it on Monday. We’re still planning to run a live session on Monday evening) but if you know anything about running a blog as a business, being late with important product reviews is not the best strategy.
I’ll do my best to highlight the issue to Dresden but you know what, if England win against Germany on Sunday, you can probably kiss goodbye to the N5 for a while!!!!
What we know so far: Check out the Viliv N5 information page.
Update: I have the N5 and the Live review is finished. The recordings are available.
New article: German Customs / FedEx Holds Up Viliv N5 – For ‘2-3 weeks’ http://bit.ly/9rBAaP
German Customs / FedEx Holds Up Viliv N5 – For ‘2-3 weeks’: Can you believe this. I’ve been receiving goods from a… http://bit.ly/9WXruD
RT @umpcportal: New article: German Customs / FedEx Holds Up Viliv N5 – For ‘2-3 weeks’ http://bit.ly/9rBAaP
RT @umpcportal: New article: German Customs / FedEx Holds Up Viliv N5 – For ‘2-3 weeks’ http://bit.ly/9rBAaP
It’s not just Germany. I had a shipment from China held in Los Angeles by FedEx. After I provided additional customs data and paid extra duty, the shipment was forwarded, but arrived damaged. Oh well…
Chose USPS over UPS or FedEx for such shipments, almost never any issues! :)
Chippy I think you’re safe wrt Sundays match
Who are you supporting in your house given your wife is on the oppositions side?!
There will be about 15 neighbors around for the game on Sunday. I will be the only one supporting England. There are lots of jokes about pentaly shootouts coming my way buy i’m taking them in my stride with the knowledge that our last tournament game with Germany was a 5:1 win! 2001. I remember it well.
Steve.
Chippy, redirect it to someone you know just outside Germany’s borders, then pick it up there. Mate your borders are within spitting distance. Also Australia was robbed by Germany!!
I think the problem is that Fedex Cologne now need to attribute the import to someone on behalf of the customs office, regardless of where it’s delivered. I will be speaking with them on Monday to see what the options are. I’m thinking about driving up there and doing the unboxing in the FedEx place ;-)
Haha, I think you should do that, take some heavy fancy tech stuff and stay in touch live with JKK and over your chat channel. Let them see what you do and how important it is for every single one of us as well as to the Viliv.
Tell them you will arrange all the information and will do all the work later, tell them you not only test the device but also show how FedEx takes good care of very sensitive and advance products you get through them and making more clients for FedEx this way.
I hope it will work and wish you all the good luck, man.
In the beginning I was interested in the N5, but when I found out it comes without a port for an external monitor it’s a no-go for me.
Sorry Viliv…
Oh no! Hope you can get it sorted out quickly.
Mine is on the FedEx truck for delivery in a few hours. Hoping to do marathon sessions with it over the weekend so I can get the review up on Monday. With baby and my EVO & Streak sites that are now consuming my life, I need to do things as soon as possible so they don’t fall by the wayside like my new Vaio P, which may never get reviewed.
I’ll be pushing traffic over to you, JKK and JK while I weep and wait ;-)
Looking forward to your thoughts Jenn.
I can feel your frustration knowing your N5 is just sitting there in quarantine a few miles away!
I’m also getting really frustrated that the N5 still isn’t available for purchase having decided months ago to pass on the Umid BZ because the N5 looked like a significantly better machine and was expected to be out around March.
I notice that you, JKK and other bloggers are referring to your units as “pre-production”. Is that the term Viliv are using when talking to you which would imply they still haven’t done the first real production run? Similarly, Dynamism still hasn’t unveiled its pre-launch event.
Do you have any idea why Viliv are bringing out the N5 so much later than expected and whether there are still plans for faster cpu versions?
Pre-production is the wrong word to use. Sorry if i’ve been referring to it that way. It’s a final production device with retail packaging afaik.
I know they are close to announcing the availability. So expect it to ship within a month now.
You think the N5 will appeal to you unlike the S5?
jkontherun has got his
Alternatively, you guys can take a quick look at the umpcfever.com site in Hong Kong. They already did a detail review on the Viliv N5, though in Chinese. Also, I think they organized a group order on the N5 and people in HK are expected to pick it up early next week!
Hi,
I am not living in Germany. But I think the problem is in the fact that the device is send to your company. Company should be registered.
If you do not need to put it in the company’s propertie let it be next time send to you as a private person.
By this way you should avoid such problems but I repeat again I not familier with German law.
The private propertie can be usualy included to the companies property afterwords but it can be more difficult.
Thats exactly what has happened. One would be right in saying that my company didn’t follow the right procedure although sometimes I feel that customs is a black art!
I’ve been waiting for the N5 for half a year. I hope the wait has been worth it. For some reason, the UMID BZ didnt appeal me much.
Hi Chippy,
had same thing with a solar battery from chinavision two weeks ago with DHL.
You have to fill out the “Vordruck 0870” from this page http://www.zoll.de/b0_zoll_und_steuern/a0_zoelle/a1_grundlage_zollrecht/e0_azr_zollnummer/49_antragsverfahren/index.html
and send it to the address at the PDF. At the same time sent a copy of the filled form with your parcelnumber on the top to FedEx. This works like a temporary permission and so Fedex can deliver you the stuff at once. Two or three weeks later you are a lucky owner of am offical taxnumber ;-)
Good luck and if you have trouble i can lend you the brand new tax number of my company.
Goo
p.s.
Maybe it is really an option that a different company with a tax number will be ok for FedEx. It is physically no big deal cause we are located in Cologne.
timelock.
Thanks for that. I will try it first thing tomorrow.
Steve
Timelock.
It looks like your process works. Although as I sent the copie of the forms, the packet cleared customs anyway. Like I said, this customs business is a black art!
N5 should be with me before the live session tonight.
Steve
Wow, good news. Congratulation.
Perfect. And I´m curious about the flash/HD video performance of the z520 in comparison to the z530 of the U820
Regards from Cologne
Martin
Hi Chippy,
Really sorry to learn that your Viliv N5 is held in quarantine by Fedex Germany while you now have to apply for your EORI number.
I imported some of the first (if not the very first) Viliv’s (S5, X70 & S7) into the UK for our innovative and exciting electronic speech communication product (speaks4me) and since I was ordering them through our company in larger quantities than the odd one or two we needed an EORI number.
My experience with the UK system was relatively straightforward and painless, once I had identified which UK Government departments dealt with the process(es) and after a series of initial calls and a more lengthy call with a helpful customer services agent, I received a confirmation within approximately 1 week advising that the number was now processed and allocated on Thursday (summer 2009) and activated the next day, on Friday.
Interestingly our EORI number is just a 3 digit number post-fixed to the end of our company VAT number, but do not know if this system or process operates differently in Germany.
Wish I could help further, but hope the above gives you more confidence…?
Good luck,
Steve.
http://www.cartft.com/catalog/il/1239 1-3 days?
Very tempted, thanks for the link. Although the price is a bit high!
good grief! what a nightmare! it’s a wonder that any global commerce takes place! get government out of the way, please!
Perhaps now the German Customs officials will look the other way and let you have the N5 now, just like the referee looked the other way on England’s second goal :-)
Best wishes.
Update: I have the N5 and the Live review is finished. The recordings are available.
http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/06/viliv-n5-open-review-videos/