If you ordered a Makerbot Replicator 2 recently, you might have noticed that it was a bit late getting to you. That’s because when Makerbot decided to launch the Replicator 2 in Australia it ran into an obnoxious hurdle, namely, in the form of the the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
When the local distributor BilbyCNC tried to get the Replicator 2 into the country, it was told that the fancy new 3D printer, which retails for just over $2500 here, would be held pending a further inspection. Why did it need inspection? According to BilbyCNC, Customs flagged the packaging as “suspicious”.
This was weird, not just because Customs detained a fairly innocuous product, but because they had seen a Makerbot device before. Why the seizure now?
Well, when Makerbot shipped the old Replicators, they came in a grey box with the word “Makerbot” on the side. With the Replicator 2, the box was changed to be jet black with white Makerbot logos.
Customs apparently held it for a week so that they could be sure there was nothing suspect in the new packaging.
So if you had late delivery of a Replicator 2, you should probably take it up with Customs. If you dare.