Arrowhead Militaria - any experience?

http://www.arrowheadmilitaria.com/ is a site in the UK that sells grenades and other deactivated ordnance, and recently has offered Hales grenades for sale.

Has anybody had any experience, good or bad, with this website?

I'll also add, if you are interested in purchasing from them, PM me first.

Hey fezfox ! Is this where your Hale's "didn't" come from?

Ridire Firean Yes

That sucks! Did you ever find out if it made it to AUS-Customs? Or were Arrowhead able to supply you with tracking information?

Well, I will discuss further over time - for now, I am just interested to see whether there are any others who have any experiences.

Gotcha! I did a quick search for them at BOCN and only got one hit listed in August 2017 from a collector there who's been a member for 9 years. For what it's worth, there was no mention of Arrowhead's reputation, it was simply listed as a place to purchase from.

Well, it's long past time for bed here, I hope you get some helpful answers to your question!

I have purchased from them (recently) with no issue. I believe their mail travels via shipping vessel and not aircraft, so it does take longer than usual for it to arrive.

@teecrooz - was it a large/expensive item?

fezfox said:

@teecrooz - was it a large/expensive item?

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The package was 12"X6"X6". They supplied tracking numbers.

Interesting. Shipped by sea with tracking numbers... didn't think it was possible, and didn't happen with my experience.

fezfox said:

Shipped by sea with tracking numbers... didn't think it was possible.

Click to expand...

This often happens to me as I send to the states from the UK a lot and anything of military origin, or gun-shaped (even rubber or resin sci-fi blasters), are 'refused air passage' and end up on a cargo container ship. Of course they never notify you and you only find out when your customer complains about slow service and you go tracking it down. Usually takes 4-5 weeks door to door that way across the pond.

I think you also have to realize that in this day and age, you are taking a substantial risk having any type of militaria sent to you through the mail across international boundries.

So I don't think that you can necessarily blame the seller whomever it is. There are ways to try and mitigate the risk, but it's still a big risk and entirely up to the seller if they want to 'play along'; which if it's their business they might not want to as it is not entirely 'above board' e.g. not declaring accurately what is being shipped.

I've bought maybe a half dozen grenades in various conditions, some from private sales and some from dealers and each time I went in knowing that there was a very strong possibility that it wouldn't get to me.

I don't know if it's still "frozen", but his PayPal account was frozen, cause someone who bought a grenade from him put the word "grenade " in his note on the payment. It got flagged, & PayPal froze his account, pending investigation. The crazy thing is, the account will still accept money, but he won't get it for a few months. You have to contact him directly for payment instructions.

To forestall any further comments about waiting a long time or it being "confiscated" that isn't the problem. I'll explain:

1. I ordered and paid for a Hales
2. I was sent photos of the package
3. A different package arrived with part of the wrapping from the item he showed in the picture - that wrapping, and the customs message, was removed, and it was placed on another parcel, with a DIFFERENT customs label
4. Based on the packaging, this so called "switch" occurred BEFORE the stamp was applied and BEFORE it left the UK
5. It contained a different (poor quality, next to worthless) rifle grenade! (ie. rifle grenades get through customs fine)

The vendor claims either
1. I am trying to swindle him (this was in the first email! Before any apology!)
2. that during the customs process, a mistake was made, and my parcel was sent to someone else, and the rifle grenade, meant for someone else, got my label.

Now 2 is pretty hard to believe.

1. why would customs remove the entire label off a package, and cut off the customs declaration, and then reapply it as part of an inspection process?
2. EVEN IF this is the case, the STAMP is applied in such a way that it could ONLY have been put on AFTER the packaging was placed on the new item - since when does custom buy postage??

LASTLY this EXACT SAME SCENARIO has happened to another member of this forum, buying a Hales from this vendor. He received military junk (not a grenade) instead of TWO PARCELS that were supposed to be holding his Hales. Again, the label was "switched by someone in customs" in exactly the same way. Explain that? Two parcels! One got "lost" altogether, the other had its label switched!?

CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING BY CHANCE TWICE TO TWO DIFFERENT BUYERS IN TWO DIFFERENT CONTINENTS, BOTH BUYING HALES, BOTH ON THE RPF FROM THE ONE VENDOR?

Thank you for clarifying, but I'm not sure why you are getting upset with people here for asking questions and pointing out our experience. For the record, rifle grenades do not always get through customs fine. I've had them returned to sender and confiscated.

Sounds like this is now between you, your credit card company (or PayPal), and the seller. I wish you luck in sorting it out.

teecrooz Im not upset at anyone here. Im sorry if it came across that way.

Its a cautionary tale, that I think, is not just about customs.

Folks. After extreme due diligence, that involved decoding the Royal Mail barcode, inspecting the layers of parcels and where the stamp was placed, weighing my parcel, calling the actual post office whence it came, speaking directly to the builder of the sellers website, and conversing via PM with other RPF members, I've made the conclusion (I tried hard not to) that Arrowhead Militaria deliberately defrauded me.

They said they had a Hales grenade. I paid them for it. They sent something else dressed up in a way to give the impression my item had been misdirected during a customs inspection. It was a lie.

Advice: DO NOT PURCHASE FROM ARROWHEADMILITARIA.COM

PM if you want to know more.

And now the site has shut down. Make of that what you will.

Wow! How many more people did they do this to? I can't stand people who go through all that work just to defraud people.

I have just been referred to this site as my friend and recently departed supplier of my Hales grenades whom you refer to has had his character and reputation tarnished by FEZFOX completely maliciously and speculatively. Not only did I receive no less than three Hales grenades over 3-4 years, I know several others who received theirs also. A couple of Facts that are missing from this one-sided conversation are as follows:

FEZFOX - Was provided with the full information about the other person whose item who didn't make it through customs. This person lived in North America and was given a full refund. FEZFOX who is Australian is a Medical Doctor who knew of the serious ill health of the supplier and harassed him to the point of professional negligence and malicious defamation of character. ALL correspondence between the two parties has been passed on to the family solicitor who plan to have his medical licence revoked or suspended. Furthermore, it is noted that FEZFOX has tried to create speculation by the disappearance of the website. The facts are that the website's homepage clearly stated that due to severe health issues the owner was seeking to sell all his stock this was on the website for two full months prior to FEZFOX purchase. It may be worth noting that that FEXFOX had no contract or relationship with the company mentioned at all, he purchased nothing from AHM, it was a private matter between the said individual and a third party who was supplying the item. It can easily be concluded that the harassment caused by the onslaught of nasty threats and assumptions caused my friends ill health to degrade to the point of hospitalisation.

The AHM website was NOT sold or closed mysteriously as FEZFOX knows only too well. The entire stock was put out to bid and eventually sold to a third party. The administrator of the website (whom FEZFOX hounded and called numerous times did not agree with the assumptions that were being made). AHM website was and has been simply closed as an agreement was made with the website maintenance company that upon sale of stock and exchange he could close the site without any penalty charge. The owner was to retire and had this intention for quite some while however, in this instance did not fulfil his objective and was not able to recover from further surgery. In his absence and ability to defend himself I wanted to convey facts not speculation or mystery and I can guarantee any other malicious talk of any kind with respect to my friend will be referred to the administrators of this site and be passed onto his son’s solicitors.

I have been copied in on the full correspondence chain and can categorically confirm that nothing untoward happened and integrity was maintained throughout their dealings regardless of the assumptions and perversion of evidence conveyed by FEZFOX. The threats of spreading ill feeling on the internet was spelt out in one email by FEZFOX to force the sellers hand to return money. For all anybody knew FEZFOX had already received the item, this of course we will never now know! FEZFOX You have caused serious damage in what you have said and done and in the fullness of time I am sure you will have to answer to a medical review board for what you knowingly did to a seriously ill man. On your own conscience be it FEZFOX.