Is it me, or others?


I just purchased a Kenwood L-01T FM tuner from overseas and had a strange email exchange with a FedEx US Customs employee:

KT:
Attached please find the invoice associated with the above referenced shipment.  Please provide the following information for US Customs clearance:

Better description
Material composition
End use
Country of manufacture

Thank you,

Kxxxx Txxxx | Customs Trade Specialist | FedEx Trade Networks

ME:
The Kenwood L-01T is a vintage FM radio tuner made in Japan and will be used as a Fm tuner.   It’s likely ~50 years old.
…in other words, it’s a vintage FM radio.

KT:
What is the material composition of the radio tuner?

ME:
Ummm, what’s inside a radio?  Electrical components such as resisters, capacitors, transformers… the case is made of metal.

I’m confused by your question.  Radios are common.  Similar to stereo receivers and Bluray players.  Please clarify.

KT:
You said this was an Fm tuner.  What is the FM tuner made of?

ME:
Any AM or FM radio is a tuner (you turn a knob or press a button) to “tune”  in a radio station.  Radios has been around for 100 years and are commonly in homes and cars.  Are you asking what’s in a radio?  This seems like a dumb question, it’s simply a radio.  What’s in a common radio, is that your question?  

KT:
So this is an entire radio not a part?

ME:
YES!!! An entire working radio, nothing more or less.  Simply a radio.  This vintage radio has better engineering and sonics than modern radios that’s why I’m purchasing because I’m an high-end audiophile.
 

Am I outdated or is this person a bit dense?

 

kennyc

In cases like this, I just say, "It's made out of metal." Wonder if he is looking for materials that are hazardous or batteries or what, I don't know. Right from the start, communication is on two different frequencies. Yes, pun intended.

Post removed 

I doubt OP was communicating with a person. Random keystroke or word combination triggered an AI exchange. 

He was likely confused with word "Tuner".  Many years ago I was planning to air travel with "Infrared Head".  It was basically large metal cylinder with lens on one side and "+, -"  connectors on the other. It is used to measure objects temperature.  My coworker advised me to drive instead.  He took it to the airport once, and when he said he has infrared head the hell broke loose.  He spent entire day at the airport answering questions.

There is no such thing as a FedEx US Customs employee. It's either a FedEx or a US Customs employee. Who you were talking to was the Customs broker who clears freight for FedEx. The employee was probably too young to know what a "tuner" even was. That's why he asked all the questions. For him to "enter" it into his system, he has to usually know of what material something is made.