Need a laugh? Consider US Customs...

I recently purchased a Conurus-converted Contax lens from outside the United States (Italy in this case). It was shipped and stopped at US Customs. The shipping customs declaration correctly identified the contents of the package as "Contax Lens". From there, it went to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I received a call asking why I was importing foreign Contact Lenses (also called "contacts" in American colloquial jargon) without proper FDA approval. When I called them back, they kept telling me I had misspelled "contacts." I kept telling them that this was camera equipment. After several minutes, the person on the other end of the phone said, "OHHHHH....ok." and thanked me for my time and hung up

I think I'll get my Contax soon....but who knows?

--
'The humble improve' -Wynton Marsalis

...they can't even READ.....

sad.

CM_laptop said:

...they can't even READ.....

sad.
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Click to expand...

And you are suprised? That is just your tax dollars at rest,,errr I mean work.

--
Paul
Life's Lessons Chapter 33
'You can't please everyone, you just have to please yourself'

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• Franka -

This is a funny story indeed.

But I am still confused as to why, if they thought they were contact lenses, the US food and drug administration would express an interest?

In Europe, a food or a drug is something that you swallow. Do Americans actually ingest their contact lenses? Europeans find them much more useful when they are carefully placed in the eye.

I would suggest you guys read the instructions, but I realize you can't actually see to do so. Its a chicken and egg situation.....

--
Bizy

Maybe the same Customs people that checked me with a Geiger counter when reentering the USA from Canada.

well, austrian customs is funny as well, my recent purchase of a camera strap got into the country labeled as 'security strap, lifejacket'

toobizy said:

This is a funny story indeed.

But I am still confused as to why, if they thought they were contact
lenses, the US food and drug administration would express an interest?

In Europe, a food or a drug is something that you swallow. Do
Americans actually ingest their contact lenses? Europeans find them
much more useful when they are carefully placed in the eye.

I would suggest you guys read the instructions, but I realize you
can't actually see to do so. Its a chicken and egg situation.....

--
Bizy

Click to expand...

I don't work for the FDA, but I believe the FDA checks everything that has needs a prescription and contact generally do need a prescription to get (Unless it just used to change the color of your eyes). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

toobizy said:

This is a funny story indeed.

Click to expand...

toobizy said:

Europeans find them
much more useful when they are carefully placed in the eye.

Click to expand...

Generally speaking, I understand contact lenses are worn on the eye, not in the eye. I imagine it must be rather painful to insert one of these into an eye, further it must require at least some surgical skills. Is this common in France?

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Best regards,
Doug
http://www.pbase.com/dougj

The FDA sets standards for a LOT of health related products.