15K Flipper Zero Orders Seized by US Customs

Source: Flipper Devices Inc. on Kickstarter

Purchasers of the Flipper Zero received a haunting notification on October 1st from the @flipper_zero official Twitter account informing them that a container with 15,000 of the tomagachi-like penetration testing tools had been seized by US Customs.

Bad news: 🇺🇸 US Customs have seized (put on hold) a container with 15k Flippers purchased in September. We still have not received an official response about the reasons of the cargo seizure. That's why US orders not delivered yet. Thread 1/2 pic.twitter.com/2iWQ022wXH

— Flipper Zero (@flipper_zero) October 1, 2022

A further post in the thread signals that they've been given no reason by US Customs as to why these devices were seized. It should come as no surprise that the device is getting some attention from border officials after numerous posts on TikTok showcase the device as a toy to be used for gaining access to places that are otherwise barred from public entry. 

They've since stated that they will be working on alternative shipping solutions to deliver devices to US customers.

The device has also received flack from a few other nations as orders in Israel were confiscated at the border by the Ministry of Communication as Reddit users informed the community. It's been discovered that this was due to the device being able to communicate on the 868 MHz frequency; one commonly used by the Israeli Defense Force, making it illegal.

A Flipper Communications Manager noted in a comment on this thread that they had received lab certifications specifically for Israel with this case in mind but despite this, devices are still being confiscated. There are currently plans to release a special version of the flipper to comply with Israeli law.

Official responses aside, PayPal and eBay have also placed restrictions on the device and its creators. eBay was quick to place restrictions on the device, banning sale of it in March of this year according to some Reddit users.

The eBay restrictions, however, have done little to prevent the sale of the device on the platform. One Flipper Zero development kit recently sold for about $1,500 to the dismay of many hopeful owners. Currently, the devices are selling for prices up to $1,000.

In a Twitter post, Flipper informed its followers that their PayPal account had been restricted and the company had $1.3 million in earnings withheld.

PayPal has blocked our business account and is holding $1.3M for more than 2 months without explaining what exactly they are not happy with. Even @PayPal support doesn't know what's going on. ⚠️This endangers the production of Flipper Zero in general. More details in thread 1/5 pic.twitter.com/vK4kBAyb0X

— Flipper Zero (@flipper_zero) September 6, 2022

Since then, Flipper has stopped accepting PayPal as a valid payment type on their website and the device are currently sold-out.

Stick with us for further updates on the Flipper Zero.