BREAKTHROUGH! UKBA beware! We're fighting back! **UPDATED**UPDATED**

UPDATE  1 & 2 (20/02/2012)
Now up on Real Tobacco site ... Yay!    Thanks Peter.
Now up on F2C ... Thanks F2C

Justine xxx
...............................................................................

Great News! Real Tobacco chain are to inform their customers of their rights and how to protect themselves from unscrupulous tactics used by the UKBA to seize their goods. They'll be doing this through their newsletters, making this information available in their shops through leaflets and putting the information onto their website with links to ourselves. Peter at Real Tobacco has already given out all the info cards l left him and he had very positive feedback from his customers.

This means we will be getting the message to cross-border shoppers at source BEFORE they come into contact with the UKBA. Many shoppers are not on the internet and simply do not know their rights or means by which to protect themselves. Many shoppers that have never come into contact with the UKBA believe they have nothing to fear if they do come into contact with them ... because they are innocent. Unfortunately they find out too late that being innocent is useless against the tactics used by UKBA ... and still have their goods seized!

Real Tobacco chain will do all they can to ensure their customers no longer are unprepared for the UKBA. This information should then filter back to the UK coach companies who run the shopping trips. Hopefully they'll then update their own information and poilicies and we'll no longer see the guidelines of 800 cigarettes and 1kg of tobacco as LIMITS! Those shoppers that go cross-border shopping independently will hopefully do the same to their friends and associates.

FINALLY we have the info going TO the cross-border shoppers instead of waiting for them to come to us (and usually too late). This really is great news. Now Real Tobacco are doing this we hope others will follow including ... perhaps ... maybe Ferry companies and Airlines :) You never know, even 'pro-smoking' sites might do the same :)

And on that note we must congratulate Freedom2Choose on doing exactly that very shortly .... thanks guys!

You can help too when you go cross-border shopping. Print these info cards out and give them to your fellow smokers. Be part of this growing victory.

We said we'd get out there and spread the message ... and we have .... and will continue to do so.

Not bad for a 'single issue little blog' eh? :)

49 comments:

  1. Well done people...respect!

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  2. Really not bad for a 'small', 'single issue', 'stick the boot in' site!

    This is a big a breakthrough as the finding out we MAY record the UKBA or the concept of SOTs.

    Only thing that bugs me about it is why hasn't FOREST et al been doing it for years? Surely they have an interest in this as they like to claim it was them that 'won it' ie got the MILS raised. Wouldn't Simon's expense account run to a trip to Adinkerke?

    Simon was probably too scared of the british retail lobby who are fighting for their very existence (own fault) and begrudge us every ounce of fairly priced tobacco we buy abroad.

    Well done SH, once again you've demonstrated who is the real voice of the Smoker and who really walks the walk and who just has vol-au-vents with political No Names and the odd appearance on Radio Rabbit Breeder.

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  3. Well done, indeed.

    I am going to Majorca in March. Over the years, I have become quite friendly with the staff in my favourite baccy shop. I had in mind to take a small supply of cards and a couple of sheets complete. My intention is to 'educate' the owner and the staff, and, of course, point them to this site so that they can download the cards fon themselves.

    Whether they do or not is then up to themselves.

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  4. The boys done well :) I'd put this up on FB Friends of Forest but we aren't friends. We're all banned here from there! lol :) xxx

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  5. I have now downloaded the necessary files to my computer.

    For a long time, we elders (as the yanks say) have thought and thought about something that we can actually DO to fight the Holy Zealots. At last, this IS action.

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  6. Got to agree with you there Junican m8. We should all get stuck in to N2D's HOOP campaign.

    Hands Off Our Purchases!

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  7. Hey SBC, what do you mean small? We're 3 million above Forest in the rankings! :) xxx

    p.s. Stilettos are better weapons than boots. lol

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  8. Well done, excellent news! And thanks for the thanks to Freedom-2-Choose (no need, we are on the same side): our techies are altering our front page on your behalf this weekend.

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  9. Now we're cooking on gas!

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  10. Compare today's blog post from Simon and this one.

    Simon always claims that the persecution of and theft from cross border shoppers isn't 'an issue' but apparently recommendations for chip shops-so remote from the rest of the country that most Brits will never get to try them- are.

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  11. Grrat efforts lads, Honest George has already already cards and contacts in tabacas and pubs in the Costa del Sol, and when my court case is WON I will be in Benidorm meeting friends and educating the innocents.

    If your information had been available two years ago, I would have kept my 3 kg of Golden Virginia and the hardworking British taxpayers would have saved £20,000.
    TAKEN FROM THE NEEDY TO LINE THE POCKETS OF THE GREEDY

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  12. @ SBC

    I do not trust Simon at all. He doesn't tell the truth and what he means by "sticking the boot in" is being asking hard pertinent questions that he won't answer. ln Nov l was the one that told him his information on x-border shopping was out of date. He said he'd update it and thanked me for bringing it to his attention. What he actually did was remove it entirely and ban me from commenting on his site. lt's all about him with his la di dah friends in and around Westminster. He doesn't give a toss for the smokers.
    On the other hand the lads here are doing a fantastic job. Well done lads! You show what can be done!

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  13. lf this information about recording interviews and the notebook has been there years, why did we have to wait till these guys found it? What the fuck were Forest doing all these years?

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  14. Very well done on another achievement, so soon after the last as well :)

    Getting the word out is a big battle. You ladies and gentlemen are doing great things.

    This keyboard warrior says Thank You :)

    Karen

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  15. Great news and really well done. Shows what can happen with tenacity.:)

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  16. l can't thank you guys enough. You never cease to amaze me with your dedication and drive. What's more, you keep getting results time and time again. lt's hard to believe that there are only 2 of you and you do it all with no funding. Awesome!

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  17. Its a shame simon the pompus media man ignores the little people, the grass roots of the pro smoking brigade, he should be ignored too and links to his site on N2D should be removed.

    another shame is a friend of nothing2declare ( a recent ferry tripper) who knows full well simon has turned his back on the site posts on his blog probably because the lure of "her"own westiminster ambitions and the circle simon clark mixes in especially the media is a two faced disgrace in my opinion.

    simon clark has let down smokers, and shame on anyone who posts on his blog

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  18. A samm but significant blow for freedom and individual liberty, against the nanny state.

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  19. The new banner should read:

    RECORD EVERTHING
    SIGN NOTHING.

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  20. @shame l must say l agree with you. Not only are the grass roots ignored but their voice is silenced by moderation and banning.

    l've also noticed that Simon's big buddies no longer come here and defend him. ln fact they no longer come here at all. That says it all to me.

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  21. l used to donate to Forest but since Clark became head of it it's become a spent force. l no longer support them or donate to them.

    l'd willingly donate to N2D but can't see anything about donations?????

    Fantastic work N2D, keep it up.

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  22. N2D delivers as always! l've downloaded information cards and will hand them out on my next trip. Great stuff guys!

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  23. I met you on ship at Zeebrugg checkin and you gave me a card. What your doing is something thats been needed for ages. Wtf does anybody need forest for? Your the site everyone comes to!Kudos

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  24. Just heard on the news that The Border Force is to be split off from the UKBA.

    This could mean a new set of internal regulations for officers....not straight away but in due course.

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  25. Errr SBC ... not straight away? Just the beginning of March that's all! lol

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  26. SH, I meant that the new internal regs will take time to 'formulate'. To start with the new all singing and dancing Border Force will no doubt continue to (ab)use the their current UKBA ones..but a year or so down the line.

    My main concern right now is that as of March officers may try declaring that the 'SBC FOI' regarding recording is no longer valid as they are no longer the UKBA....

    Call me paranoid but you can't tell me that they haven't used such similar feeble excuses/lies in the past to deny X-Border Shoppers their rights.

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  27. SBC ... They categorically cannot do that. There has to be a regulation in place, they can't enforce something that isn't there. lt's basic law.

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  28. "they can't enforce something that isn't there"

    Like they never 'enforce' simple 'guidelines'? Oh no, perish the thought.

    :p

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  29. lol SBC ... I know, l know but atleast they do have guidelines. l am definitely going to travel the first days of this new force coming into being. lt should be fun ... "Who are you then?" They'll probably look like Dad's Army before they got their uniforms! Probably no ID numbers either! Border Farce!

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  30. "They'll probably look like Dad's Army before they got their uniforms!"-SH

    Just remember Sir..."They don't like it up 'em"...them Goonies...they don't like the cold hard Letter Of The Law up'em..they don't at all.

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  31. Customs really is Billy-no-mates!
    First they were combined with Inland revenue, but the taxman didn't want to be associated with em. So then teacher told Customs to go and sit with Immigration, but Immigration wouldn't talk to them either.

    Next step, Customs to be combined with the Speed Camera bunch? Or maybe the cowboy wheel-clampers? Surely there's some organisation that won't turn its nose up?

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  32. My understanding is the police as in National Police are taking over.
    But it could be the expression members of Saddams Republican Guard, or maybe gadaffis Special Branch.
    Take your pick, Anything is an improvment.

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  33. Well George, we intend to make it as difficult as possible for them to misbehave. Oh and when you give the info cards to the Spanish Tabacs l hope they realise it is in their interest to get this info out. By the way, is there any Pueblo tobacco at your shops in Spain?

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  34. Nice one Smokey. l likw the links but theres a site missing. My mistake its the one were he has his head up his arse. :-)

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  35. You've probably already got this memo, but HMRC says:

    The reduction in the MILs is a targeted measure to prevent abuse of EU cross border shopping, protecting the revenue raised by tobacco products duty and the Government health objective of reducing the prevalence of smoking through taxation.

    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/thelibrary/tobacco-products.pdf

    This is none of HMRC's business. There is no 'quota' for personal use; it is not an 'abuse' of cross-border shopping since we are EU members and are entitled to buy whatever we like for personal use.

    This memo shows HMRC to be violating a fundamental principle of EU membership which has been repeatedly emphasized by the ECJ; you cannot use regulations and tarrifs to prevent the free flow of goods (in this case for personal use). This MIL and deliberate harassment of legitimate shoppers is designed to try to discourage people from doing what is perfectly legal.

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  36. Thanks WOAR, we hadn't seen it!

    What a steaming pile!

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  37. SBC said...


    My main concern right now is that as of March officers may try declaring that the 'SBC FOI' regarding recording is no longer valid as they are no longer the UKBA..

    So, I have just added a note to my Blackberry Calendar for March 1st 'send FOI request to The Border Force asking if the information given for the UKBA in FOI 19924 is still valid and, if not, to provide the necessary amendments'.

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  38. @anon 23:08

    Indeed, my Smarter-than-its-user Smart Phone has a similar calendar note. Just to have something to pull out of the hat when the Officer says 'but these no longer apply' because I'm sure they will. The two officers who stopped me had their 'excuses' to stop me videoing ready and I'm pretty sure The Border Farce will continue the practice of trying to deny shoppers their rights.

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  39. So what will become of the FOI TEAM that took two pages to tell me …
    They won't tell me.
    Will they be relocated to a cubicle at Victoria station lavatory next to the complains department?

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  40. Excellent result guys. l take my hat off to you.

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  41. PMSL Page 2 of that memo Economic Impact

    "A reduction in the MILs is likely to result in some travellers replacing the tobacco products they currently purchase in other EU Member States with UK duty paid products."

    Mork calling Orson...........

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  42. RT ... This bit particularly got me:- "However, law-abiding individual and householder travellers who genuinely import goods for their own use will not be affected"

    Oh yeah, right! ... and l believe in the Tooth Fairy too! The author, Bob Wales, is either a liar or a complete idiot ... perhaps both!

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  43. Woman On A Raft ... thanks, it's appreciated.

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  44. "...excuse me Mr. Wales but would you be interested in some Thames-side real estate?...I've got this bridge that I need to sell.."

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  45. SH I think you could be on to something with the "Both" but lets be generous and say "misguided" it is more parliamentary speak that way.

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  46. so if i have the statement of truth along with all other details and i get stopped at Dover with a 1000 packets of GV in my boot and i say its for my own personal use etc etc... will i still leave the port with the 1000 packets ?

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    Replies
    1. You obviously don't understand the term 'Statement of TRUTH'

      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.

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