Extra Tips for dealing with Customs ##UPDATED##

I've been asked to put this up and I think it's a great idea.. When you finish smoking your pack of cigs or a pouch of baccy, cut them up and save the bit that has the barcode, EU duty paid sticker, health warning and shows the brand. Save them up and when you go shopping again take them with you. If you are stopped by Customs you have evidence that you have smoked your previous purchases :) These are extra tips to add to N2D's main advice.

I think we could make a feature of this so if anyone has any other tips we can put them up too. We could make a page of them. What do you think, peeps?  Every little helps :)  Justine xxx

(Agreed Jussy ... l've now made a permanent page HERE   Other readers have already posted their tips. Thanks guys  SH.)

Cut off back of ciggy pack to show barcode/duty paid label/branding 

Cut baccy pack to leave barcode/duty paid label/brand
----------------------------------------------------------

What you DON'T do is take take your car with Godzilla mounted on it with flashing red eyes and then HIDE 120 packs of baccy under your seat!  That's immediate "Go to Jail and do not collect £200" !!!!!!!!!! (true story from one of our readers)

Never EVER hide your baccy. Customs WILL search if you are stopped. IMMEDIATE seizure of everything!  Justine xxx

This is a good plan? LMAO

27 comments:

  1. Thanks Just what I was looking for.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks to one of our readers,Gary, for reminding me.

    Jussy, thanks and that's a good idea to make it a feature! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Simple but brilliant! Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great tip. This site just gets better and better and believe me it's appreciated. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  5. l just cut a 200g empty tub of baccy down no problem. l'll be saving them from now on and if goonies ask me how much l smoke l'll be able to show them.lol Luv it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. TIP : If you have to take your own car on a baccy run-and you shouldn't really- then go online and book a hire car at the one of the car hires near the port for the time and date of your return. Normally prebooking is either free or only a deposit of ,something like, ₤20 but the peace of mind it gives is surprising. Sure it doesn't help with the fact that if your car has been seized you'll be 'out' a lot of money and your goods BUT it does mean that you won't be overly fearful about how to get you/the kids/Great Uncle Fred back home several hundred miles away. UKBA have been known to use the threat of letting you try and struggle home with two screaming infants...

    If your return is planned for outside Car Hire Office hours then PLAN beforehand what to do in the event of your car being stolen. That that mate of yours has his cell phone on and a full tank and will come and get you etc.

    Like the Ad says- every little thing helps.

    Another related Tip, that I have used too myself, is: Come Back As A Foot Passenger. Its worth the ₤40 extra. One of you take the 'empty' car on the ferry and one of you carry on the tobacco as a footpassenger. The car driver can park up outside the port once he's through customs and pick the foot passenger up. Last time we went over, we went over on the Dover-Dunkerque ferry but came back on the Calais (the Dunkerque ferry doesn't do Foot Passengers unfortunately). We flew Youngest Useless Object out on a cheap flight so he could take the car back unladen...and it was more than worth the cost of his Ryan Air ticket and the extra foot passenger ticket for the peace of mind that the family car would not be taken (assuming Youngest didn't say anything too stoopid to the nice UKBA Officer).

    Finally another car tip: If you are driving over then you can buy a day's AA cover for Europe on their website for a few quid if you don't already have it because you bought the 'Roadside' package to save coin this winter. Again, peace of mind.

    ReplyDelete
  7. i just carry the tab/label off each pack of baccy,i also keep a copy of any reciets from previous trips.

    ReplyDelete
  8. "i just carry the tab/label off each pack of baccy,"

    Same here (tax label off every tub), i stick them to a sheet of A4 and write the date smoked underneath

    ReplyDelete
  9. Luv the godzilla story! Anyone who tries to hide their tobacco and cigs is a complete moron. That's a criminal offence there and then. No ifs or buts. Sect 167 CEMA para (1) & (2)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think Jussy needs to practice her needle point and knock up a cute little Action Man® Customs Officer uniform,like our Moms used to. It could come complete with detachable yellow neon jacket, shiny brimmed peaked cap and Bad Attitude.

    Super glue 'him'- the Action Man Customs Officer Edition® into Godzilla's mouth.

    That'd probably get you SWAT-teamed at the next port.

    :p

    ReplyDelete
  11. Blocked Dwarf

    Dont forget the flak jacket and countless utility belts and attachments that they think makes em look tough and scary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The use of these type of vests is to intentionally look aggressive. Covert (known as undershirt) would be far more appropriate. Look at NYPD cops uniform compared to the robocop attire these goonies wear. l once talked to one of these goonies wearing this crap and asked him why he was wearing it. He said to protect him from knives. l told him it would do nothing of the sort because it just says 'don't stab me in the body, stab me in the neck'. Ask anyone from the military and they'll tell you the same.

      Delete
    2. True Liam, total disadvantage in close combat.

      Delete
  12. As Justine said never ever hide baccy or mis-declare the amount you have ; if stopped you will be searched and loose the lot, as well as the car and be looking at a criminal record for breach of the CEMA section 167 para 1 ; don't ever try it ; its not worth it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 100% correct! Don't hide excise goods and don't, let's be clear about this, LIE about how much you have!

      Don't do it!

      Delete
  13. S'Funny...I was stopping O/H from chucking out My empty Belgian Baccy pouches in case of a 'Home Visit'...6 weeks later & it seemed paranoic so they were binned.....never thought of them as a record for future trips!! Duh! Glenn

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think Customs still suggest that you have your goods "on display", e.g. on the back seat. That is unreasonable, and I'm sure your insurance company and the police would disapprove. I wouldn't do it.

    Put it in the boot, and/or in a box or luggage.

    DO NOT "conceal" it in any way that would appear intended to thwart a casual Customs search. They WILL find it, you WILL lose it, you WON'T win the appeal.

    If they have stopped you, you WILL be searched. DON'T lie, or be evasive.

    Being a bit defiant and unashamed is acceptable. You know your rights. You are in the clear.

    Sorry about all the capitals, (shouting), but we do hear some disastrous stories in the emails. SH is often driven to banging his head against the wall.

    Record it all. Don't sign the notebook.
    And don't be evasive.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Incidentally, we've just had a fabulous success story, I do hope SH gets the guy's permission to tell you all about it. The Sked is involved!

    Sorry, SH, couldn't resist leaking it before it's ready. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. "The Sked is involved!"

    *is on tender hooks* GIMME GIMME GIMME! I WANNA HEAR STORY BOUT THE NASTY SKED MAN MOMMY!

    That aside I think, after talking to SH the other day, the bestes tip we can give anyone is: THE N2D CARDS DONT WORK UNLESS YOU DO! The UKBA suffer from nazi-sopy NOT lycanthropy. The cards aren't some kinda magical silver bullet nor anykind of Get Out Jail Free Card. Just waving them around at the Checkpoint only makes you and N2D look foolish. You have to read and FOLLOW the advice printed thereon. It is tried, tested and works.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is all l have so far. l've requested full story :-

      "Me and my wife were pulled at glasgow airport coming back from majorca and had 100 carton of lambert confiscated we appealed lost there appeal and took mr sked to court it took two years to actually get him (them) into court but we did win and they had to pay us the uk prices at that time it worked out at just under £5000 the fags had cost us £2000 proper result, apart from the really good bit was when he actually lost the plot in court and started hurling abuse at me and the wife and the judge threatened to jail him one of the most enjoyable days of my life. You remember me ian. I bet you do."

      Delete
  17. "we did win and they had to pay us the uk prices at that time"

    Now that is a result. A transcript of the judgement would be really handy for any other court cases....and the fact that Sked almost got nicked is just too delightful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Just had this sent me. Sked again criticised by court. Not about cigarettes or tobacco but red diesel. The man should not be a review officer in my honest opinion.

    UKA Review Officer Ian Sked

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yay, that's a good one! Well worth reading for the bollocking of the Sked. It's always amazing when justice and sense comes from those in power.

    The Sked is certainly a liability! But maybe not, cos he still hasn't been sacked. Maybe he is exactly the sort of review officer that Customs likes.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Freebird Jussy

    You are all doing a sterling job here.

    Time to defend yourselves more? Please note that UKBA are acting illegally under our written constitution when they seize tobacco from the public.

    The Declaration of Rights, 1688/9 provides:

    "• That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void;"

    This is the presumption of innocence. UKBA are stripping you of your constitutional rights by presuming your guilt and requiring you to prove your innocence. This is our government's progressive replacement of our own constitution and legal system with the corpus juris system of the continent, where you are presumed guilty and you have to prove your innocence.

    By carrying proof with you, you are agreeing to the destruction of our constitution and aiding and abetting our government’s intention to crush us into the European mould.

    Carrying ‘proof’ that you are not a smuggler is acceding to the destruction of our legal system, our culture and our country.

    If the tobacco is legally imported and illegally seized, the UKBA should be reported for prosecution for every illegal act. If the police fail to act, they are aiding and abetting an offender and possibly conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

    Start reporting the UKBA for theft, attempted theft, or robbery or attempted robbery (theft with violence or the threat of violence) as appropriate.

    If UKBA attempt to seize, or seize goods, insist they call the police or call them yourself and report them for attempted or actual theft. If they detain you longer than the time it takes to ask if the tobacco is for your own consumption and for you to reply that it is, or intimidate in you any way, I suggest they become liable for attempted robbery.

    Watch John Bingley at the Lawful Rebellion Conference, London, 13 June 2009, parts 1-7 for fuller details of our constitution.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSvJlbv_LkU

    DP

    Regular smoker - 3 per year: 14 March (no) Smoking Day, 1 July National Smoking Day & my birthday

    PS The Institute for Economic Affairs have an event on plain packaging on 14 March
    http://www.iea.org.uk/events/the-plain-truth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, this is all fine and dandy but has anyone actually gone and done it? You got evidence they have? Youtube? The boys here back up their stuff with actual evidence. l serached google and could find nothing but people talking the talk. l'm not gonna risk my baccy on a keyboard warrior.

      c'mon, show me the money and then l'll do it!

      Delete
    2. @ Anon 06:49, with you on that one. The post is the typical LOLFOOL Rebel nonsense and you won't find much evidence that it 'works'- I've searched high and low and googled til my fingers were numb. Even got myself evicted from a LOLFOOL blog (Captain Hissy Fit's) for asking difficult questions about 'proof'. Stick to what we know and have proved works, SH and Z and others have put their money where their mouths were time and time again and backed it up.

      Delete
    3. Got to agree BD. Why would you change a winning formula? Anyways theres something very satisfying in using their own regs n stuff against them. lol

      Delete

"In the eyes of the Tribunal the review letter contained several preconceptions, prejudgments and non-sequiturs"

"the absurdity of this reason is demonstrated by simply stating it"

"We therefore find that Mr Sked misdirected himself as to the Policy in carrying out the review and his decision is therefore one that no reasonable review officer could have arrived at."

... commonly known here at N2D as 'Skeds' ... that is to say these are Judges comments regarding UKBA Review Officer Ian Sked's reasons for rejecting peoples appeals against seizures.

Comments are now moderated to keep out spam and those with malicious intent. The author of this blog is not liable for the content of any comments ... period!