Hey everyone,

last year my husband and I purchased some items online from a different country to be shipped to the US. We did not know it was a counterfeit and some items were seized by customs but the rest were delivered to our now old address under my old last name (just got married and changed my last name). We moved to a different address also. We did not respond to the letter from customs and we haven't receive any further letters or calls ever since the incident.

Would this be something that would deny me from getting approved for GE? He was just approved for GE, while I'm still waiting to be approved for mine.

Possibly. Depends on whether your case comes up on their database and what their letter to you requested. Not responding to CPB letters asking you to contact them doesn’t exactly seem like indicia of a “Trusted Traveler. “
W

Did the letter say to contact them, or if they were taking action against you? Also what type of items? Ie counterfeit DVDs/IPADS are handled differently than counterfeit drugs.

It was clothing.

The letter said in summary, I have a choice of what I want to do to proceed:

1. I request that CBP consider my petition administratively before forfeiture proceedings are initiated
2. I request that CBP consider my offer in compromise administratively before forfeiture proceedings are initiated
3. I abandon the property and i request that CBP begin administrative proceedings to forfeit the property
4. I request that CBP send my case for court action
5. I request that CBP begin administrative proceedings to forfeit the property.

Since you failed to respond to an enforcement action you likely wont be getting GE.

Did the letter also give you a date to respond by?

If you are still within that period then respond!

This same thing happened to me several months ago. I've been attempting to go through the reconsideration process, but the reconsideration link on the TTP My Dashboard page doesn't show up for me. Has anyone else experienced this?

I don't believe failure to respond will be the ground of denial here.

Instead, the importation of counterfeit article is sufficient enough as a standalone customs violation.

Cannabis? You can forget about it.

It is straightly a waste of time and/money unless you want to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Either could be grounds. However they did ask for a reply (most likely to determine if this was a knowingly or not importation of counterfeit goods). If had replied it's possible it wouldn't be an issue. However there's another issue, was it reported on the application?

Hi all!

My boyfriend's GE was denied without any reason except for the canned response: "You have been found to have violated CBP laws, regulations, or other related laws. You do not meet the program eligibility requirements" - he did (or thought he did) the online reconsideration on/around August 1st, but of course, no email or anything stating receipt, looking into it or anything. Soooo … I had him re-do and actually watched him do it along with taking screen shots along the way - at the end when he went to submit, a pop up said 'Are you sure?' 'You are about to submit your Reconsideration Request for Global Entry. This cannot be undone. Continue?' after he clicked the YES, SUBMIT button it went back to his dashboard - again, nothing stating transmission successful or anything.

1. Is there anywhere on the dashboard that shows that a reconsideration has been received and possibly the status?

2. Anyone who's received a denial with NO explanation, how long did it take for the Ombudsman's office to respond telling you why it was denied and what needed to be done to correct?

3. Anyone who's received a denial with NO explanation, what seems to be the 'standard' or 'typical' reasons, if any?

My boyfriend has been cleared by both the FBI and has security clearance with the DOD and no criminal violations or records - the only thing that we keep coming up with is that on his original application, he had to put his first and middle name in the 'first name' spot as that's how it was on his passport … shrug???

My friend had to do a reconsideration last year and was able to email her request, but apparently it all has to be online now - has anyone had success in emailing the Ombudsman vs doing the online submission recently?

Any and all assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

No. The reconsideration request that you two did was basically just re-doing the application. That is not the same as sending an email to the ombudsman to appeal your denial.

I never received a denial with out some sort of stated reason, but Last I checked, the CBP website says responses can take as long as 6 months...and to follow up with another email/letter if 6 months have elapsed and you have not received a response. My first appeal was sent on 2/17/2017 and I received a response on 8/15/2017. My second appeal was sent on 9/19/2018 and I received a response on 3/11/2018

Can be anything from criminal conviction(s) to customs violations.

I haven't filled out the application in a while but if there is no box for his middle name, I would use only his first name (in the first name box) and his last name (in the last name box).

Yes, I appealed my NEXUS denial (sent my appeal in via email) and won.

I cannot figure out how to answer your responses, so I'll list here:

1. Per the website, you can no longer email the ombudsman - all reconsiderations must be done via the link on the website … there were 2 buttons: 're-apply' and 'reconsideration'

2. He hasn't received anything (no receipt or working on it or anything)

3. He has neither

4. I believe there was a box for middle name, but because he is the 'IV' (his dad is III and son is V) and his passport has first and middle together, but his license does not, it kept flagging him --- he finally stated to accept as is (there was an option for that on the application) - this is what we 'think' is the issue

5. How recently? My friend was able to do the email reconsideration the end of 2018, but it is stated this is not an option anymore - trying to find someone who's been successful within the past few months.

Thanks so much

My mistake here. I was definitely wrong and you are right. I had not checked that website since my last battle with them back in April of this year. I now see the CBP website does in fact indicate requests for reconsideration are done through the website rather than an email to the ombudsman. I cannot see the UI you folks are seeing because my application is approved so I am not much help with what you will or will not see on the website after you have requested reconsideration.

When I emailed my appeal letter to the ombudsman on 9/9/2018, I received the following automated email response:
So I find it strange you did not receive a confirmation email once you requested reconsideration. But seeing as this is a new feature and we are dealing with the US government, I am not all that surprised a confirmation email was not generated.

Now that I see how the process has changed, this makes sense. I suggest you allow 6 months to elapse from the last time you clicked the reconsideration button before you take any additional action such as clicking the re-apply or reconsideration button again.

Are both buttons still active for him now? Even though he has clicked the reconsideration button twice in the last 3 months?

If you clicked the reconsideration button and did not submit any documentation whatsoever to demonstrate the allegation of a customs violation was incorrect, he will likely have his appeal denied. I completed a FOIA request when I was told I had been denied because of past customs violations. This allowed me to see what records CBP had on me so I would know what they were seeing when they checked my background for customs encounters and how I should craft my appeal. I found something that might have been considered a violation, acknowledged it in my appeal and explained why I felt it was not a violation. That did the trick and I was conditionally approved.

When I received my denial for NEXUS, I completed/submitted the application on February 19, 2018 and received my denial letter approximately 6 weeks later on April 06, 2018.

OK, that's good news and narrows down one of the main reasons people are denied approval. He should definitely file a FOIA request asking all records relating to him crossing at a POE. That will let him see if there is truly something there that gave them cause to deny his application for a "Customs Violation".

If he is now using the drop-down box to choose a name designation like IIIrd, IVth, Vth, etc...that should eliminate the possibility of that piece causing the problem.

Last time I sent an email to the ombudsman in appeal of a TTP denial was 9/9/2018 and I received a response on 3/11/2019 stating the denial was overturned and I was conditionally approved (there was a typo on my previous comment--I received the response to that appeal in April 2019, not April 2018).

Very cool

I double checked with him and no email or anything after either submission and nothing on his dashboard indicating that a reconsideration has been received.

Yes - both buttons are still there

In the box for reason for reconsideration (I believe it was 500 characters) - he replied with all of the necessary information as well as asked why and that the only reason he could think of was his name - we'll see

I sent him the link that I could find to submit FOIA - which drop-downs and requests should he select?

He was denied in July - I'm guessing the new process started 1st or 2nd quarter 2019

Thanks for all your help … I got my GE and we have now planned a trip overseas for 2021, I hope we can get him squared away before then.