jods

Just got back from my holiday in Mexico / Florida & New York (16 days in total) Had a fantastic time, met up with some friends in Mexico, worked on the villa in florida and then spent a day in NYC. All was great.

Get back to Heathrow and some jobsworth midget busts me for being slightly over the limit for ciggies - Took the lot off me

What a TW@

Apparently if I now go, even inadvertently, over a limit I am facing unlimited fines and up to 7 years in jail!!!

fatherpierre

Bad luck.

How much is 'slightly over the limit'?

dave247

Unlucky, know better for next time.

jods

2,800 over the limit

200 is a stupidly low limit IMHO

Still, I'm off to Prague in a few weeks and, as I understand it, I can restock the 3,000 I am missing in all legality

And perhaps bring some Absinthe back - and some Petron Tequila

fatherpierre

LOL.

And you're moaning about it

P1ss taker

jods

I was "tired" and assumed the same limits as Europe applied - ie no limit for personal use"

That didn't wash with him one bit.

I said "okay - how much is the duty, I'll pay"

No joy there either

"How about I just take the 200 I am entitled too"

He laughed.

I signed the paperwork and walked away.


Glad to see they are hot to trot on busting big criminals

JonnyUK1980

iTrader: (1)

Did he then walk to the car park and get in his evo?

ScoobyWon't

It seems times have changed.

I pulled the same trick on many occasions.

The only time I got stopped, I showed them my return ticket back out of the UK and took them back with me.

As for how I got them back to the UK

555)

iTrader: (1)

be careful what you do for a while
a mate of mine in same situation got pulled in 3 times for routine customs for 3 consecutive flights in the aftermath of being stopped the first time
is his passport flagged? makes you wonder

v8voodoo

Not bad then, only 14 times over the limit..!!! Bang to rights I'd say.

You can certainly buy some next time you go abroad, but bear in mind you'll now have a Customs record and they may or may not have your details for future trips.

If I were you, I'd read up on the regs before you go and "assume" again...

As for abusing the bloke at the airport, he's doing exactly what he's paid to do.

And you'll never know if he's reading this or not......

salsa-king

3000 is the limit inn the EU.

you should have gone to spain.

David Lock

They can be complete b,astards. 20 years ago I went on a short business trip to Copenhagen () and took out a duty free bottle of whisky. I didn't quite drink all this and bought another one on the flight back.

But Mister bleeding customs man decided to measure - yes measure - the amount I hadn't drunk from the first bottle and charged me a few quid duty.

20 years on and I still can't believe it!

Bad luck with the ****.

I assume they didn't find the coke then?

dl

WRX_Dazza

Don't blame people for doing their jobs....



as above an EU trip may be called for!!!

chin up

cossie-nutter

iTrader: (45)

I must admit i will fill my cases right up brim as always worth the risk to get my duty's and other stuff back!

NotoriousREV

My Mrs usually does this to me. She tells me she's only bought 200 and show me them in her bag. What she doesn't show is the additional 2800 in my bag! Grrr. Actually, she only did this once and it was only an additional 200 which the Customs officer didn't find hidden amongst my dirty undies but I was livid when the Mrs admitted she'd piled the extras in my bag!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

SJ_Skyline

Slightly over the limit?

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Someone I know *ahem bought 7000 back twice a year from Goa, paid for the flights.

*he* got tugged by customs in Goa aiport once and it cost 500 rupees to bribe them

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

RE Prague, double check the limits....lots of my friends got caught out when we came back from there (3 years ago).

IIRC Prague was excluded from normal EU limits.

wagrain

Same thing with the Canary Islands.

Group of us went to our villa in Tenerife, and one couple brought 2000 each back to the UK with them (£20 for 400 on the plane!) They got stopped by a customs officer. They said it was their frist time there and thought it was same as Spain. The customs guy informed them of the correct rules and let them keep their **** saying "be carefull next time". Result for them!

Leslie

Did you honestly expect any different treatment when you were 14 times over the limit. Did you not know the limit and if not why did you not find out?

He is paid to check that people stick to the limit laid down and you can't blame him for doing his job after all!

Les

r32

Oh ,that slightly!

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

I am off to Gran Canaria on monday, the plane on the way back will be struggling to lift off I hope it's still around £2.50 over there.

CrisPDuk

MrsD tried that one once

Unfortunately for her I found them when we got home before she'd had the chance to remove them

I hid them and sold them to one of the guys at work, but told her that I'd binned them at the airport because I didn't want to be copping all the C & E flack due to her dirty addiction

thesyn

Did they check up yoir ar$$ for the big cigar?

mykp

i'd have stood there and smoked all 2800 of them

Hanley

But then they'd only fine you for smoking in a contained area

mykp

is the fine per cigarette or per offense, no matter i'm sure the fine for smoking inside is less than the fine for smuggling tobacco!

heres me at an earlier customs catch

Hanley

Did you get an extra fine for those glasses

scooby(puppy power)

How do you know my dad