[Cyberia Knight]

For everyone currently hunting for tubes, avoid shipping through the eBay GSP program at all costs. I just had a pair of mullard 6080 and a gec 6as7g seized by customs; my purchase was refunded, but they won’t be giving the items back to the seller either. Rare tubes lost forever; I’ve heard a few other sellers suffer the same loss too. Never had a trouble with any other shipping option until this one. Really sad

I can only speak from my experiences I am in the UK and only buy from US sellers who have the "Global Shipping Option" sorting out UK customs charges and all the hold ups is a nightmare. With GSP you make the payment up front no hassle no bureaucracy. I have bought loads of tubes from the US and I have never had a shipment lost, confiscated, or damaged maybe I have just been lucky. As for price with, Import duties, shipping and VAT at 20% on the total I think the costs are ok.

But don't get me started on charging VAT on second hand items or items made before the VAT system even existed !!!

 

[Dogmatrix]

I had some tubes disappear down the GSP rabbit hole earlier this year , A quad of National Union 7n7 . They were pristine 1940s
I had used the GSP before for more common tubes without issue

Pitney Bowes gave the following explanation after I queried

"I have looked into your query, and can confirm that the item was restricted for delivery to the Australia. It was reviewed by the Dangerous Goods Approved representative and was deemed that we could not deliver this item due to “ Amp tube(s) possibly manufactured pre-70s. In that era most lamps & tubes had mercury reflectors. In absence of clear data ruling out the risk, item has been rated UN3506, Mercury contained in manufactured article. Class 8, Corrosive & Toxic. Restricted to all countries on our system. Each country has different restrictions, and unfortunately this was unable to be delivered."

Ebay again after query gave the following explanation

"I can see that your seller has attempted to send this through the Global Shipping Program. The vintage tubes cannot be sent through the Global Shipping Program because it is a restricted item for the program to ship. After looking into it, I found that our third party shipping partner restricts these due to the following reasons:


1. Lead: all soldering, risks and handling method is known by most

2. Selenium diodes/rectifiers:

3. Mercury: Inside some rectifier tubes (6508, 82, 83, 866A)

4. Cadmium: Chassis plating of Fisher tube amplifiers (kx-200,400,500c,...)

5. PCB's : not the stuff components are mounted on, but "Polychlorinated Biphenyls".

6. Asbestos: Was used as heat shield in some tweed guitar amplifiers and as insulation material on wiring.

 

[mordy]

I had some tubes disappear down the GSP rabbit hole earlier this year , A quad of National Union 7n7 . They were pristine 1940s
I had used the GSP before for more common tubes without issue

Pitney Bowes gave the following explanation after I queried

"I have looked into your query, and can confirm that the item was restricted for delivery to the Australia. It was reviewed by the Dangerous Goods Approved representative and was deemed that we could not deliver this item due to “ Amp tube(s) possibly manufactured pre-70s. In that era most lamps & tubes had mercury reflectors. In absence of clear data ruling out the risk, item has been rated UN3506, Mercury contained in manufactured article. Class 8, Corrosive & Toxic. Restricted to all countries on our system. Each country has different restrictions, and unfortunately this was unable to be delivered."

Ebay again after query gave the following explanation

"I can see that your seller has attempted to send this through the Global Shipping Program. The vintage tubes cannot be sent through the Global Shipping Program because it is a restricted item for the program to ship. After looking into it, I found that our third party shipping partner restricts these due to the following reasons:


1. Lead: all soldering, risks and handling method is known by most

2. Selenium diodes/rectifiers:

3. Mercury: Inside some rectifier tubes (6508, 82, 83, 866A)

4. Cadmium: Chassis plating of Fisher tube amplifiers (kx-200,400,500c,...)

5. PCB's : not the stuff components are mounted on, but "Polychlorinated Biphenyls".

6. Asbestos: Was used as heat shield in some tweed guitar amplifiers and as insulation material on wiring.

I had some tubes disappear down the GSP rabbit hole earlier this year , A quad of National Union 7n7 . They were pristine 1940s
I had used the GSP before for more common tubes without issue

Pitney Bowes gave the following explanation after I queried

"I have looked into your query, and can confirm that the item was restricted for delivery to the Australia. It was reviewed by the Dangerous Goods Approved representative and was deemed that we could not deliver this item due to “ Amp tube(s) possibly manufactured pre-70s. In that era most lamps & tubes had mercury reflectors. In absence of clear data ruling out the risk, item has been rated UN3506, Mercury contained in manufactured article. Class 8, Corrosive & Toxic. Restricted to all countries on our system. Each country has different restrictions, and unfortunately this was unable to be delivered."

Ebay again after query gave the following explanation

"I can see that your seller has attempted to send this through the Global Shipping Program. The vintage tubes cannot be sent through the Global Shipping Program because it is a restricted item for the program to ship. After looking into it, I found that our third party shipping partner restricts these due to the following reasons:


1. Lead: all soldering, risks and handling method is known by most

2. Selenium diodes/rectifiers:

3. Mercury: Inside some rectifier tubes (6508, 82, 83, 866A)

4. Cadmium: Chassis plating of Fisher tube amplifiers (kx-200,400,500c,...)

5. PCB's : not the stuff components are mounted on, but "Polychlorinated Biphenyls".

6. Asbestos: Was used as heat shield in some tweed guitar amplifiers and as insulation material on wiring.

Hi D,
Thanks for this instructive post. I think that the mercury reflector they reference is the getter flash. It is barium and not mercury, although it looks silvery in a proper tube. A vacuum leak turns it into white.
There are antique mercury vapor tubes, but I don't think they see much use today.

 

[dlen]

For everyone currently hunting for tubes, avoid shipping through the eBay GSP program at all costs. I just had a pair of mullard 6080 and a gec 6as7g seized by customs; my purchase was refunded, but they won’t be giving the items back to the seller either. Rare tubes lost forever; I’ve heard a few other sellers suffer the same loss too. Never had a trouble with any other shipping option until this one. Really sad

The same thing occurred with me.

Mine's a similar story, bought nice pair of TS 7236, posted under GSP and never got past US customs. What I don't understand is why does so much get stopped at customs under GSP?.

Same for me too, also on TS 7236 tubes posted via GSP.

 

[koven]

Anyone have advice where to pickup a matched pair of TS 5998? Woo is charging $500 for them.. but I don't see much alternative options..

 

[mordy]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-TUNG-...859739?hash=item239e21a25b:g:daQAAOSwBahVZK7z

 

[mordy]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-TUNG-...859739?hash=item239e21a25b:g:daQAAOSwBahVZK7z

And if you are patient, I am sure that you will find something like this - this pair went for $170 a couple of days ago:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matched-Pa...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[koven]

Thanks, I guess I'll keep an eye out on eBay.

 

[attmci]

Agreed. I refuse to purchase from any vendor using GSP. Bureaucratic bumbling at its worst.

GSP is available outside US? Interesting.

https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/private/global-shipping-programme#prohibited

I don't understand why they refused to return the items to the seller.

 

[Skylab]

I want to also echo this - you cannot ship tubes via the Global Shipping Program. I have sold 2 pair that were confiscated by customs. eBay refunded the seller AND I kept my money, so the only bummer is the tubes were undoubtedly destroyed, which sucks.

 

[myphone]

Thanks guys for alerting the GSP issues.

I received GEC 6AS7 last week (in USA) via GSP from England. Guess custom service screening is not water tight.

 

[Reddart67]

Makes me wonder if there is a “tube head” in customs...and the tubes that come across his desk are the ones that get confiscated and “destroyed”. The nanny state has to protect its citizens.

 

[mordy]

Makes me wonder if there is a “tube head” in customs...and the tubes that come across his desk are the ones that get confiscated and “destroyed”. The nanny state has to protect its citizens.

Only the ones that contain mercury.....

 

[Dogmatrix]

Just to clarify the GSP situation . It is not customs seizing the tubes it is Pitney Bowes the agent used by Ebay for the GSP . From my correspondence it seems it is one "inspector" who applies a strict interpretation of the code . When I pointed out that the tubes in question did not fall into any of the restricted categories they replied .
The inspector has no evidence the tubes comply and must err on the side of caution .
I suppose they are trying to protect people as if customs did seize the tubes a refund would be more problematic . Unfortunately because of the added expense of using the GSP it is the rarest and most valuable tubes that are lost .

 

[Scutey]

Well at the second time of trying I managed to successfully get a pair of Tung Sol 7236 from a US eBay seller, so it can be done if you have a bit of luck!.