VCR Bill

Hmmmm, HB is spot on - here is Z1's spiel (my bold)

Important Notes to Read First

1. By law, it is illegal to sell airsoft products to anyone under the age of 18. It is also illegal for people under the age of 18 to attempt to buy them. By proceeding to order from us, you are acknowledging this law and are certifying that you are over 18 years of age. We will not supply anything to anyone under 18 years of age.

2. Effective from 1st October 2007, new laws in the United Kingdom impose specific regulations on the sale of airsoft guns and related accessories.
You must meet the following criteria to complete your checkout purchase:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Hold a Membership Number with a Skirmish Site participating in the UKARA Scheme (e.g. GZA12345)
- Be Registered on the UKARA Player Database (We can help you with this step!)
- Any guns in your basket must be under 1 Joule in Power (328fps), marked "Mail Order Sales Permitted". We clearly mark anything that is above this figure as these items must be purchased from us in person.

3. In order for us to supply these items to you, the law requires that we carry out checks to establish that you are a genuine airsoft player. The criteria for a "genuine airsoft player" is being a member of an official skirmish site and holding a membership there. When you hold a membership, you will also have your own membership number, e.g. GZA12345.
We carry out these checks through UKARA, the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association, to establish that the person we are supplying too is a registered member of a skirmish site, and that your billing address also matches the registered details for your membership. Your order will fail this process if the details you supply do not match accurately.

Take you custom elsewhere, as others have said, plenty of other retailers!

Well Zero one has just sent me an email saying there is no problem "The main bit you might be referring to, clearly states it only applies to items that are able to launch/fire a projectile. Mags and goggles are off course not affected by the current bill and hence you are free to buy them as you please."

so i think il buy them from zero one annyway because they had good service for me before.

I wouldn't - clearly they don't want your business. Loads of excellent retailers to choose from...

At the risk of re-opening something that's been done to death, and apologies if this has been answered elsewhere but I did look -

Does F&O subscribe to the UKARA scheme?

We can show we've been there twice before (16 December 2006 and 19 August 2007) and are going back on 16 December 2007. Hence if F&O can rubber stamp our form we could be sorted by Christmas.

Yes the are part of the scheme - as far as I know you would need to sign up as a member but I'm not sure if they are 'grandfathering' (stupid word, where the hell did that come from?).

Drop Jamie (jimjogg) a PM on ASCUK to confirm...

I just bought some aps2 upgrades from F&O without problem... They're the only place in the UK with them in the catalogue, so I had no choice.

Arrived next day so I'm happy.

Did anyone notice in the news last week the video clip of some Muslim lads playing paint ball in Wales was used in a court of law as proof of terrorist activity.

Maybe we should delete all our videos of U-tube some of you may end up in court on a Neo-nazi trial.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1734752007

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/paint ... 1948092033

had a chat to customs today.... my mp44 has been siezed until i can prove that i am eligible for the defence, no probs for me...... but she was saying that they are floor to ceiling with RIFs! she said that thats about all they have to deal with at the moment! they are not too impressed with the vcr bill i gather!. so expect guns ordered from overseas to take Very long time

Interesting stuff Neill! Please keep us posted on how long this takes and how easy it is...

Hmmm actually in a way it is rather worrying... If it starts causing HMC&E problems (eg... illegal goods getting through) then they could complain to the Home Office and god knows what would happen as a result!

all they have asked me for is evidence that i am a member of a registered site with a copy of my membership card. They did say that they were hoping to have access to the database to be able to verify if the importer is eligible to import or not to expedite delivery. I got the distinct impression that they were really trying to help me and that they were pretty fed up with what they thought of as uneccessary paperwork.... we'll see what happens
In actual fact this may work to our advantage as long as we can make it easy for them to verify our status

So how did you verify your status? Fax them a copy of your membership card (or whatever it is you've got)?

it has to be sent in a letter... i am basically just going to give them as much information as i can

It will certainly be interesting to find out how it all goes for you. I was thinking only the other day of asking if anyone had actually tried importing anything yet - obviously people have been -

So far I'm not on the database so haven't tried to order anything myself - not yet a member of a site but am in the process of getting that sorted. I wonder how much uniformity there is between sites with regard to membership criteria etc?

Just got a reply from the Home Office regarding that email I sent them back in Oct :

I understand from your e-mail that you participate in historical re-enactment and wish to buy realistic imitation firearms – in this case airsoft guns - for this purpose.

The VCR Act made it an offence to manufacture import or sell a realistic imitation firearm subject to a few defences such as historical re-enactment for which third party liability insurance is held.

Regulations made under the Act specify the persons who can claim the defence for historical re-enactment. This is restricted to those organizing or taking part in re-enactment activities for which third party liability insurance is held.

In terms of proving membership when buying a realistic imitation firearm, a retailer will wish to see any membership card and to check that either the buyer or the re-enactment society holds the required insurance.

Those who are members of historical re-enactment groups which meet the requirements of the defence will not need to register with the Association of British Airsoft in order to buy realistic imitation firearms which happen to be airsoft guns.

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So according to them we'd be reenactment rather than airsofters (if Im reading legalese correctly).

If we had the required insurance as a re-enactment group we would. But we dont. So the defence doesnt work.

Yes but as discussed earlier in this thread its an option for either small groups (such as PBI, Doughboys or us Ruskies) or an overall group to cover the gap occupied by those of us that dont skirmish regularly enough at any one site to warrant site membership.

So the defence is plausable as was the point of the initial enquiry.

Certainly seems plausible enough - but just how practical would it be? I don't have the answers but I guess setting up a recognised reenactment group is possibly harder than it sounds. In addition to the obvious insurance issues there may well be a whole load of other hoops you would be required to jump through. Besides, as airsofters first and foremost, we don't organise historical reenactments or living history displays designed to be enjoyed by members of the general public.

Yes but thats not what the home office is after apparently. No ones going to come round your house and say "you're not a proper reenactor! You've not put on a show !"

I guess its only got to separate you from Joe Public so therefore a card and PLI and some vague sense of organisation is all it takes. Buying from established airsoft stores as a reenactor... now thats a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

But doing that does rather put the whole defence into question.

For the sake of airsoft and re-enacting, please don't pretend to be one or the other just as a way of getting round the VCRA even if it looks like the Home Office don't care. They may change their mind in the future and will use such "loop holes" against us.

Fair point but I would ask how can you defend as both when the law itself is ambigious about the very same thing? (Im playing devils advocate here btw but its providing some interesting discussion)

Also if this is true is there any other option for "wandering players"?