So, in the immortal words of Ernie Wise .... 'This is what was wrote'
Dear ## ##### ############,
can you please explain why you are treating your loyal customers with what only can be described as utter contempt? Myself and others take advantage of EU shopping. lt is one of the few benefits that EU affords it's everyday citizens. Now we are finding that you are restricting availibility of your product, namely ###### ####### HRT, in Belgium and Lux at the bequest of HMRC in the UK.
We, your loyal customers, have to endure intimidation, harassment and indeed downright theft when confronted by HMRC and yet we have never had any help from yourselves in these matters.You have been completely silent regarding this but we lived with that because we understood you are not willing to question and confront HMRC.
However, it comes somewhat of a shock, and indeed insult, to find that now you are complicit with HMRC in denying us our rights as EU shoppers. What, in god's name, have we done to deserve such treatment from yourselves?
We are not smugglers, we pay the relevant tax in the country of purchase, we don't buy counterfeit goods, we are legal legitimate customers .... your customers! Not only do customers from the UK travel to the EU to buy their tobacco but many ex-pats of the UK who now live in the EU also smoke your product. We are now denied your product because of your complicity with HMRC ... this is simply disgusting and unethical.
These terms describe exactly how HMRC/UKBA operate and of course they are unaccountable to anyone but themselves. l can give you many documented examples of their tactics against legitimate shoppers. l cannot for the life of me understand how you have become a willing pawn in their draconian unjust activities. Are you that naive that you believe HMRC will be satisfied that you've just restricted one of your products? Well, think again because now you have started they will press for more and more. Mark my words.
Does being a loyal customer of yours count for nothing? lt feels as though one has been betrayed by someone you always thought was a friend.
l await your answer with interest.
Yours,
can you please explain why you are treating your loyal customers with what only can be described as utter contempt? Myself and others take advantage of EU shopping. lt is one of the few benefits that EU affords it's everyday citizens. Now we are finding that you are restricting availibility of your product, namely ###### ####### HRT, in Belgium and Lux at the bequest of HMRC in the UK.
We, your loyal customers, have to endure intimidation, harassment and indeed downright theft when confronted by HMRC and yet we have never had any help from yourselves in these matters.You have been completely silent regarding this but we lived with that because we understood you are not willing to question and confront HMRC.
However, it comes somewhat of a shock, and indeed insult, to find that now you are complicit with HMRC in denying us our rights as EU shoppers. What, in god's name, have we done to deserve such treatment from yourselves?
We are not smugglers, we pay the relevant tax in the country of purchase, we don't buy counterfeit goods, we are legal legitimate customers .... your customers! Not only do customers from the UK travel to the EU to buy their tobacco but many ex-pats of the UK who now live in the EU also smoke your product. We are now denied your product because of your complicity with HMRC ... this is simply disgusting and unethical.
These terms describe exactly how HMRC/UKBA operate and of course they are unaccountable to anyone but themselves. l can give you many documented examples of their tactics against legitimate shoppers. l cannot for the life of me understand how you have become a willing pawn in their draconian unjust activities. Are you that naive that you believe HMRC will be satisfied that you've just restricted one of your products? Well, think again because now you have started they will press for more and more. Mark my words.
Does being a loyal customer of yours count for nothing? lt feels as though one has been betrayed by someone you always thought was a friend.
l await your answer with interest.
Yours,
################
There was of course no answer. l've written about the Vichy French before and these companies fit that category perfectly. Not only are we smokers harassed, intimidated and robbed by HMRC (Nazis) but now the Tobacco Companies (Vichy French)
My own response will be to change what l smoke and from there on smoke something similar from one of the ex Baltic USSR now EU States. lt won't be the same but after a short while l'll get used to it. They are far cheaper than the UK brands too.
l stopped paying UK tax on the UK brands and paid it to one of the EU countries instead. l won't pay tax to support the HMRC to harass me. Now, l won't buy anything from these Tobacco Companies either as it would support them also to harass me.
Stuff them, l hope their shares fall as their market shrinks and disappears. My actions alone won't do this but others will do the same. Do they actually expect us to start buying our tobacco in the UK because the brands are no longer available in the EU? They must live in cloud cuckooland!
The Resistance fights on!
This will mean that the British will buy foreign made products and not British. Surely we should be helping British industry.
ReplyDeleteThe belief of such as HMRC, ASH and the like is that if we can't buy our preferred tobacco in the EU is that we'll have to buy it in the UK.
ReplyDeleteThey really do think we are stupid! They are getting desperate now because the tax not being paid in the UK is hurting them ... and worrying such as ASH, as they see their funding under threat.
My message to them is 'We are not stupid and you are not getting our money ... period!
Anon .... I would love to help British industry but l won't pay someone to persecute me.
ReplyDeleteWith you all the way SH. What a cowardly set of bastards they are. This is breaking EU rules surely?
ReplyDeleteI always smoked Dutch tobacco any way. But then, why pay THEM to persecute my Dutch mates?
ReplyDeleteIn fact, short of China, or Russia, is there ANY country where they are not persecuting their smokers?
Furor ... you make a valid point. Tax is used against smokers so in the end it's a question of giving them as little as possible. Bulgaria is pro-smokng but even the citzens there are taxed excessively compared to their salaries as are Russia and China.
ReplyDeleteNope, it has to be pay as less as possible. The only other way is to stop smoking ... which isn't an option!
what a set of twats
ReplyDeleteAlways wondered how the Spartans felt at Thermopylae
ReplyDeleteI like your style , the cutters of your jib so to speak!. I too will no longer buy their brands in protest over their policy...Drum here i come (they don't make that do they?)
ReplyDeleteDrum is Imperial Tobacco l'm afraid but it is made in Holland and a local brand. Saying that l'd still buy Drum and only change the 3 that are being restricted. Cutters, GV and Amber Leaf.
ReplyDeleteOK i'll buy it in France ,still cheaper than here and knowing the French they'l tell HMRC to fuck off.
ReplyDeleteI've smoked Domingo tobacco from Spain for years, you do get used to it and its cheap enough. I would smoke camel shit as long as I didn't have to pay tax in the UK
ReplyDeleteCan somebody tell me what hand rolling tobacco IS freely available in Belgium i.e. What tobacco do the Belgians that roll their own smoke ?
ReplyDeleteI like G.V but will happily change brands. Unfortunately nobody seems to be able to tell me what is available.
I don't personally go to shop in Belgium, but a friend goes to get my tobacco for me and I want to be able to tell him what to get for me.
I also wrote and received no reply.
ReplyDeleteAll I got was:
Thank you for contacting Imperial Tobacco Group PLC.
Your enquiry is important to us and will be dealt with shortly.
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC
Head Office - Bristol UK
Try out the foreign made brands,if Ok write again to Brit Comapany AND the shop stewards of the company explaining how to get to the local job centre
ReplyDeleteWho else to write to:
UKIP and CON MEPs..(not lab,not worth rats arse
HMG Trade Minister
EU Trade commissioner(Brussels)
The Sun
The Daily Telegraph
PO Ferrries .Dover
The Belgian Finance Minister,Bel. Gov. Brusssels
MPs of areas with tobacco factories (UK)
In simple words HMG ,HMRC and Tobacco Cos are
losing the UK millions and threatening thousands
of jobs.. Dont forget the grovelling UK shopkeepers have their snouts in this trough.
The Free Corps
(Ruthless if need be,Defeated ,never)
Invade the blog and web sites ,the campaign
ReplyDeleteand party sites,over and over again,aggravate them all untill the matter is kicked onto the front pages.Do not let the matter drop.
Remind the fools above,we buy in the EU or
we buy from gangsters at home,we are not fussy.
In the EU,or out?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteCan somebody tell me what hand rolling tobacco IS freely available in Belgium i.e. What tobacco do the Belgians that roll their own smoke ?
I have seen mostly the Dutch tobaccos. But also Goulaise, Cirque Bleu, and other French stuff.
Adding to Furor, here's a shop with online inventory of brands of tobacco.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realtobacco.be/
This has to be against EU rules. WTF are Belgium and Luxemburg doing about it? l don't see any mention of Spain, Greece, Portugal, France so what gives? The tobacco co's have no balls at all. l hope their shareholders rip the boards a new one.
ReplyDeleteDear Smoking Hot
ReplyDeleteI clicked and clicked because of your offer to go to Doncaster Court for support of Paul Chambers. We call such people "McKenzie Angels". For a McKenzie Friend is an amateur who helps victims of... generally institutionalisation, I guess. In particular, financial exploitation and legal oppression. Some become angels and archangels!...
Might you be willing to support Maurice Kirk who is currently in Cardiff County Court and needs moral support? He gets cigars from France and acts as Litigant in Person, after HORRENDOUS harassment from South Wales Police.
More on http://bit.ly/bgkDHm
Enjoy your smoking!
Sabine
http://victims-unite.net
PS. Maurice has been categorised MAPPA level 3 which is terrorist level - unbeknown to him!...
ReplyDeleteDay Tripper web site
ReplyDeleteAugust 2010 - Golden Virginia is now £3.85 in Belgium. Tobacco availability in Belgium. Following a large Customs bust when a lorry carrying a huge quantity of Amber leaf bought in Luxembourg, was stopped at Dover, the tobacco companies have been prevailed upon to restrict the sale of English tobacco in Europe. Amber leaf is very difficult to get now. We are making representations to the E.U. about this as it is a clear breach of free trade and good swithin the E.U. Now they are requiring shops in Adinkerke to serve English shoppers with the suggested guidelines only (3000 cigarettes and 3 kg rolling tobacco).
Day Tripper .... the UBKA/HMRC use smuggling simply as an excuse for their real agenda which is stopping ALL sales of UK tobacco in the EU. To achieve this they will use any means possible and that includes deceit and outright theft. Let's see what the useless EU says about this.
ReplyDeleteSo they now want EU shops to serve UK customers with only the limits UKBA/HMRC want? They can go to hell ... l knew one day that being taught German would come in useful. :)
Guten Tag
Witch from Essex .... let us all know if you get a reply. :)
ReplyDeleteI am an officer in HMCR and am ashamed and disgusted by the corruption/greed of most of my fellow officers,confiscated tobacco products/alcohol being taken for their and their families own use,seized cars being sold at prices way below current prices to fellow officers, cars being sold whilst their owners are still in the process of trying to retrieve them.Travellers[gypsies?] not being stopped because of confrontation by 20 or more of them when one of them is stopped.Pity more is not targeted on the big boys bringing in huge amounts for sale,more corruption possibly? i could go on ad finitum.
ReplyDelete