What you don't do is display false information that UK Customs could use to confiscate your goods! They have leaflets from UK Customs telling you what you can bring back from certain countries. Trouble is that they are 5 months out of date! ... and the countries listed no longer have any restrictions on the amount you can bring back! This is on the Pride of York ship sailing from Hull to Zeebrugge. ls it the same on the rest of the fleet?
Even worse is the shop onboard the ship ... they have a big sign that is over 2 years out of date! This lists even more countries that it says have restrictions ... they removed these restrictions 29 months ago ffs!
Not to be outdone ... UK Customs themselves have a massive sign in the port itself that is like the leaflets onboard the ship .... 5 months out of date!
Wouldn't you think that something so important as information telling you what the law is should be correct? I mean one of them is involved in buying your tobacco and the other is involved in taking it off you if they can.
Ah l see now, this false information helps one of them in their occupation ... guess which one?
Fortunately, the 2 intrepid EU shoppers who supplied this information were prepared with all our info and documentation so even though they were stopped by UK Customs they came home with all their goods! :)
Update Not so fortunate it seems were the senior citizens on a coach trip. Couples were taken off the coach and made to return to the security area of UK Customs where they were forced to answer questions about their purchases. Their luggage had been removed and searched. One couple were slightly over the 'guidelines' and so lost all of it. I'm informed it was 500gm over! The other senior citizens that were left in the coach had to wait over 2 hrs until UK Customs had finished their
Update 2 Seems l may have been a little harsh on P&O. They made the mistake of trusting UK Customs at Hull. The leaflets etc are supplied by UK Customs and P&O simply put them out. Now, l understand the 'trusting' bit because if the agency that enforces the regulations has leaflets, you really would expect them to be up to date. I mean, it's a government agency so they would be right, yes? Except they aren't!
This doesn't absolve P&O entirely because they should know what's going on too as it effects their business. All in all, we have two bodies, one the ferry company and two the UK Customs. Passengers should be able to trust the information from both but this is not the case.
Is it incompetence? is it deceit? is it both? whatever you think it is, it's only the passengers that really suffer!
wtf are p and o playing at? its obvious what customs are doing the lying gits. ever noticed what greets you when you get back to hull? you don't get the friendly casually dressed officals in just shirts and ties like you do in belgium. you get robocops dressed in black body armor and utility belts. you carnt see their id or numbers either. talk about welcome home!
ReplyDeletels this true about the info? lt's a farce that if this is happening.
ReplyDeleteI must've gone abroad for cigs about 6/7 times. I've been stopped once. They pulled me and my friend and interviewed us separately, obviously thinking we intended to sell them. We both made it clear that we had done the maths and it made perfect sense to buy 6 months' worth in one go abroad rather than paying the ridiculous British price. After about an hour we signed a highly questionable document saying we wouldn't go abroad for cigs for six months (we were allowed to leave the country for other reasons). The overriding impression was that Customs had little to no understanding of the law and just followed their own guidelines, probably taught to them in induction during their first week on the job. We all have the right to use to our advantage the laws brought about by the creation of the democratic nightmare that is Europe. This blatant theft being carried out at airports around the country daily needs to be exposed - and stopped.
ReplyDeletelt's good to hear from someone who is not afraid of Customs. You're impression is totally correct about their understanding of the law and guidelines. The problem is that their scare tactics work on the vast majority of EU shoppers. You have to stand up to them ... sadly people don't. l also agree about your highly questionable document or should l say 'illegal document'? Well done ... keep up the good work. p.s. Bulgaria is now the country to go to ... not Spain. You get just as much sunshine, beaches etc but the prices are far cheaper ... especially for the cigarettes!
ReplyDeleteMacka ... yes l have noticed the robocops :0)
ReplyDeleteDanny ... yes it is true. Currently on with CEO of P&O Ferries, Helen Deeble about it .... and HMRC in Hull.
Updates to follow.