Being based in France, I am noticing a huge variation on shipping policies to France. Some vendors have zero problems shipping to me, whilst others won’t ship anything with Swastikas, SS runes or even the deaths head insignia on it to France.
What is the craziest thing is that there is no need for it, as none of the Nazi symbols are illegal in France!
I think the problems started several years ago when the European Union started discussing whether to impose a Europe-wide ban on a selection of symbols. After several years discussion it came to nothing and in February this year it was officially dropped.
This BBC news article explains it best:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4294907.stm
Luckily for me, I have family in the UK and I work across the border in Switzerland, so I have two alternate countries where I can have things shipped, but I am finding it quite frustrating at times to see the huge variation in policies.
I have to say it is the American suppliers who are the worst. Ebay vendors are also terrible. One Ebay vendor would not ship me a bayonet recently! I had to have it sent to the UK instead, and my family in turn sends it on to me.
Its just an unnecessary difficulty.
German of course retains its ban of such symbols, and their ban is clear and widely understood. For the rest of Europe there are no such bans and frankly it’s a victory for freedom of speech.
I think its time vendors actually read up on the laws and have some clear policies for shipping to the rest of Europe as there is a freedom of speech here that people died for to uphold, and they are cutting off entire countries as customers.
Simon.
What is the craziest thing is that there is no need for it, as none of the Nazi symbols are illegal in France!
I think the problems started several years ago when the European Union started discussing whether to impose a Europe-wide ban on a selection of symbols. After several years discussion it came to nothing and in February this year it was officially dropped.
This BBC news article explains it best:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4294907.stm
Luckily for me, I have family in the UK and I work across the border in Switzerland, so I have two alternate countries where I can have things shipped, but I am finding it quite frustrating at times to see the huge variation in policies.
I have to say it is the American suppliers who are the worst. Ebay vendors are also terrible. One Ebay vendor would not ship me a bayonet recently! I had to have it sent to the UK instead, and my family in turn sends it on to me.
Its just an unnecessary difficulty.
German of course retains its ban of such symbols, and their ban is clear and widely understood. For the rest of Europe there are no such bans and frankly it’s a victory for freedom of speech.
I think its time vendors actually read up on the laws and have some clear policies for shipping to the rest of Europe as there is a freedom of speech here that people died for to uphold, and they are cutting off entire countries as customers.
Simon.