Cargo/Customs Question

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

But it does make a good excuse to get the PCs out of the starport and into that society the Referee spent so much time detailing.

Nothing more frustrating than detailing up a culture only to have the PCs ignore it and go somewhere else.

(OK, there may be even more frustrating things that PCs do, but this is one of them!)

 

[DFW]

But it does make a good excuse to get the PCs out of the starport and into that society the Referee spent so much time detailing.

Yep, and it would be funning to see a Type A cruising down the streets trying to find an address. :lol:

 

[Egil Skallagrimsson]

Bit surprised this thread has gone on so long.

If someone dies, in a low berth or wherever, their goods go to their beneficiaries as defined by will or by law or custom. Otherwise to the government.

Freight service is starport to starport, unless other arrangements are arrived at (for which a premium is payable). Whilst in starports/space the goods are covered by Imperial law, once landed they will probably face some kind of customs inspection, and will them fall under local juisdiction. A free trader approaching a high tech star port will transimit its cargo, and the addresses that the containers will be delivered to, so local firms can collect and complete the cargo movement, or the consignee can collect themselves. On approach to a low tech port there is still likely to be some kind of traffic control, though cargo handling will not be so slick, the containers might end up being unloaded and warehoused, but that is not the problem of the carriers, who have done their part and get paid.

Though I like the idea of a free trader making a door to door delivery, its not very likely for most cargos (but, like every other GM, I know that it is the very special cargos that create the stories, and get the big payouts!)

Egil

 

[locarno24]

The ship simply delivers the cargo & the body to the star port. The ship has no further responsibility.

Almost certainly the theory, but I doubt it's quite as simple as that in practice. If nothing else, you've failed in your contracted duty.

"We have 200 dTons of assorted machine goods, some bonded superdense precursors, 2 dTons of off-world wines and spirits and this corpse. Oh, and we have some luggage."

"Wait...what?"

"He would have been looking to immigrate, but our medic was incompetent and he's dead. "

"I see. One or two bits of paperwork to fill in, I feel."

By default, normal freight is picked up from and delivered to the port.

Depends. Have a look at the INCOTERMS for the standard commercial models of delivery in use today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterm

 

[rinku]

By default, normal freight is picked up from and delivered to the port.

Depends. Have a look at the INCOTERMS for the standard commercial models of delivery in use today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterm

Sure. But I think we've covered this; the guys crewing the freighter don't normally get involved in the trucks. And the players are normally the freighter crew equivalent.

Heck, their involvement may not even be the whole of the interstellar delivery process for a particular cargo. If you want to ship gadgets from Glisten to Regina it's not likely that the same ship is going to carry the goods all the way, though it could be the same shipping company. Even a Megacorp is likely to have their ships run main routes that follow freight demand, with feeder services to link the routes as need be.

 

[Jacqual]

Well considering the question posed by the OP if a Low Berth passenger does not survive the trip. I feel that the body of the deceased and his or her 10kg allotment of storage as per the mongoose rule book. Should be handed over to the port authority. Low Berth passage is a Port to Port issue with exception sometimes being made via contract. Normal operations is Port to Port.

 

[simonh]

"I see. One or two bits of paperwork to fill in, I feel."

Sure, but it's standard paperwork for an (unfortunately) frequently occuring situation.

Depends. Have a look at the INCOTERMS for the standard commercial models of delivery in use today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterm

From what I can tell, INCOTERMS contracts are between the buyer and seller of the goods. For freight shipping the operators of the vessel aren't buying or selling anything, so they aren't relevent.

They are revelent for speculative cargo, but it's my assumption that the prices and costs given in the rules for speculative cargo assume port-to-port transport.

Simon Hibbs

 

[Fovean]

They wait a month before telling anyone what had happened because...?

Simon Hibbs

No, sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The word of the death would go out immediately. The standard hold time I'm using IMTU is one month per parsec travelled then all goods and remains revert to local government or port custody. - including cargo that was paid for beyond the normal travel allowance.

Thanks again for all the thoughts and comments.

 

[Galadrion]

Mm... as far as I'm concerned, this situation wouldn't likely ever crop up in a game I was running. Why would someone who was shipping freight be traveling low berth? Considering the risks involved, and the cost of freighting, anyone who could afford to ship any amount of freight would also be able to travel middle passage... which is a lot safer. It's theoretically possible a shipper could travel low passage... but without further details, I'd be inclined to think any such person is crazy.

 

[Fovean]

YMMV

:wink:

 

[AndrewW]

Mm... as far as I'm concerned, this situation wouldn't likely ever crop up in a game I was running. Why would someone who was shipping freight be traveling low berth? Considering the risks involved, and the cost of freighting, anyone who could afford to ship any amount of freight would also be able to travel middle passage... which is a lot safer. It's theoretically possible a shipper could travel low passage... but without further details, I'd be inclined to think any such person is crazy.

Low berth passengers are entitled to a small baggage allowance 10 kg).

 

[DFW]

Low berth passengers are entitled to a small baggage allowance 10 kg).

also, someone who was moving to a new world could haul his possessions (1 ton = 1 KCredit + himself) on the cheap. I could see it in some circumstances.

 

[rinku]

Also:

Some guy with only enough money left over to cover the freight cost and a low ticket for that "big sale that will finally make me rich after all these years". All his money being sunk into the cost of the cargo.

Political refugee escorting the last treasures of his people that are en route to expatriates. The peasants were only able to scrape together enough funds for freight and low passage. Alternately, the passenger was travelling *back* with the weapons needed to support the revolution.

Mad scientist who has an irrational fear of space travel and can only cope by low passage travel. His killer death robot in the cargo bay will be upset when it finds out the players killed its daddy.

Renfield. You probably don't want to open the crate.