Optics Planet and ITAR

[Conrad101st]

I ordered a timney Calvin elite two stage trigger for a Remington 700 to be shipped to Oklahoma and they delayed it and wanted an ITAR compliance form. I’m like WTF, this isn’t a set of high dollar night vision goggles? I did fill one out last year for a high end German scope, but a trigger?
Anybody else getting hit with this crap or is it just b/c my last name is obviously Greek. Maybe they think I’m stocking up to fight the Turks!

 

[TheGerman]

Fighting the Turks is always a good idea.

 

[M8541Reaper]

I ordered a timney Calvin elite two stage trigger for a Remington 700 to be shipped to Oklahoma and they delayed it and wanted an ITAR compliance form. I’m like WTF, this isn’t a set of high dollar night vision goggles? I did fill one out last year for a high end German scope, but a trigger?
Anybody else getting hit with this crap or is it just b/c my last name is obviously Greek. Maybe they think I’m stocking up to fight the Turks!

Are you using a VPN that shows you located out of the US, is your billing info listed abroad, are you currently deployed?

I ran into this issue when I ordered some stuff while overseas and they had me fill out an ITAR form even though my billing and shipping info was in the states.

ITAR is ITAR and doesn’t matter if it’s something as small as MB shim or a Spuhr wedge, a form is needed to cover themselves legally. (My form requirement was for an order that was only those two items lol)

 

[Conrad101st]

That must be it. As a matter of fact I am on vacation non CONUS.

How would they know that though? I ordered off my iPhone using my okie credit card and address.

This global tracking is unnerving.

 

[M8541Reaper]

That must be it. As a matter of fact I am on vacation non CONUS.

How would they know that though? I ordered off my iPhone using my okie credit card and address.

This global tracking is unnerving.

Your IP address.

I know man, just imagine how bad the current generation is going to have it when they are older... they grew up with social media and smartphones that track and log everything.

I think the ones who will be really screwed are the ones with the parents that upload everything their kids do online from the day they were born... all without the ability to choose their privacy levels. Those poor fucks.

Anyways, enjoy your vacation!

 

[Conrad101st]

I guess we are all just marked by the number of the beast now, LOL.

 

[tsu45]

They pulled this with me on a Minox zp5 order. Ordered from the house. Not filling all that out when it isn’t necessary. Plenty of other vendors out there wanting a $2800 optic sale.

 

[RonA]

Imagine how it feels to pay ITAR fees every year and not be able to ship products outside the US because State law prohibits it.

 

[Hippy_Steve]

They pulled this with me on a Minox zp5 order. Ordered from the house. Not filling all that out when it isn’t necessary. Plenty of other vendors out there wanting a $2800 optic sale.

Absolutely this. Optics planet is trash anyway. Shop from a company that supports shooters and this site.

 

[DirkDasterdly]

Absolutely this. Optics planet is trash anyway. Shop from a company that supports shooters and this site.

Yep. Shop local when you can. Many dealers will try to compete on price, and with the sales tax unfairness thing going away, most local dealers would love to earn your business. OP is fine I guess, but it's like buying at Walmart. I'd hope that people would want to be part of a community and help a LGS who is probably interested in the sport anyway. Support the LGS. Support the site sponsors. Remember, it's local businesses who get hit up to support the local school teams and buy the local girl scout cookies. Nobody calls OP and says "hey, I buy a bunch of stuff from you and my son is playing football this year and we need some jerseys donated. How about sponsoring us?" The LGS can't support local if local doesn't support them (and sponsors of this site sponsoring the site or matches or whatever...same concept). Also, is the LGS that you might be hitting up for business too. Own or work at a (car wash, restaurant, grocery store, hair salon, sell insurance, real estate broker, etc), well, it ain't the guys at Optics Planet that are doing business with you or your employer. Not going to say I haven't bought a pair of pants or a shirt from them, or something I can't find anywhere else. But my first stop is always the local guy, even if it costs a few bucks more.

But to the point of ITAR, did everyone hear about the ATN thing? Apparently the DOJ asked ATN and Apple and Google to turn over all the information about the people who registered the Obsidian app (the app to view your videos). They CLAIM that they've had downloads from outside the US. So, in normal government overreach, they want ALL the users data (phone numbers, emails, etc) for EVERYONE who has the app (and therefore a thermal or night vision optic that might be ITAR regulated).

Maybe my next thermal image might be some dick pics or something with a heated wire sign that says "suck it, ATF". Just to see if they're watching. I just got my Thor4 two months ago and they're already on me!

 

[Conrad101st]

Well I got my trigger today. Installed it and happy. Ready to go elk hunting!!

 

[Gbyleveldt]

But to the point of ITAR, did everyone hear about the ATN thing? Apparently the DOJ asked ATN and Apple and Google to turn over all the information about the people who registered the Obsidian app (the app to view your videos). They CLAIM that they've had downloads from outside the US. So, in normal government overreach, they want ALL the users data (phone numbers, emails, etc) for EVERYONE who has the app (and therefore a thermal or night vision optic that might be ITAR regulated).

Turns out they right. I live in South Africa; I downloaded the Obsidian App just the other day, to use on my ATN scope. Which, by the way, was imported into South Africa using their legitimate distribution network. If, what I experienced performance wise on the ATN, is the pinnacle of US design capability, then I’d hazard a guess that it’s all a storm in a teacup...

 

[alwaywatchyoursix]

Yep. Shop local when you can. Many dealers will try to compete on price, and with the sales tax unfairness thing going away, most local dealers would love to earn your business. OP is fine I guess, but it's like buying at Walmart. I'd hope that people would want to be part of a community and help a LGS who is probably interested in the sport anyway. Support the LGS. Support the site sponsors. Remember, it's local businesses who get hit up to support the local school teams and buy the local girl scout cookies. Nobody calls OP and says "hey, I buy a bunch of stuff from you and my son is playing football this year and we need some jerseys donated. How about sponsoring us?" The LGS can't support local if local doesn't support them (and sponsors of this site sponsoring the site or matches or whatever...same concept). Also, is the LGS that you might be hitting up for business too. Own or work at a (car wash, restaurant, grocery store, hair salon, sell insurance, real estate broker, etc), well, it ain't the guys at Optics Planet that are doing business with you or your employer. Not going to say I haven't bought a pair of pants or a shirt from them, or something I can't find anywhere else. But my first stop is always the local guy, even if it costs a few bucks more.

I try to support my LGS whenever possible for the simple reason that when I have an issue with a component and I need a face-to-face conversation with someone about it, that's where I'll be going. The closest decent gunsmith is at least a couple hours away.

I've bought stuff from Optics Planet, and their DVOR subsidiary, but I try to avoid them whenever I can also. Both of their websites are a mess, especially when it comes to product info, and I hate their business model. Surely I can't be the only one who has noticed that they max out their "regular" price in order to make the discount seem larger than it is?

But to the point of ITAR, did everyone hear about the ATN thing? Apparently the DOJ asked ATN and Apple and Google to turn over all the information about the people who registered the Obsidian app (the app to view your videos). They CLAIM that they've had downloads from outside the US. So, in normal government overreach, they want ALL the users data (phone numbers, emails, etc) for EVERYONE who has the app (and therefore a thermal or night vision optic that might be ITAR regulated).

Maybe my next thermal image might be some dick pics or something with a heated wire sign that says "suck it, ATF". Just to see if they're watching. I just got my Thor4 two months ago and they're already on me!

From what I gathered, CBP actually stopped shipments of ATN night scopes that were headed overseas. So now they think they can find the shipments that they weren't able to catch by finding out who is using the Obsidian app, because of course the app doesn't really do anything for you if you don't have one of their night vision scopes.

Oh, except that it does. Because the app also works with a bunch of their daytime scopes and even their binoculars. Even the models made specifically for the international market. So of course there are people overseas who have downloaded the app.

But in classic government overreach fashion, they want personal info for WAY more people than necessary. They aren't requesting info just for downloads from outside the US, but for EVERYONE who has downloaded the app, regardless of where they are.