Well, it's 2014 and 2013 has been and gone. We've shown beyond doubt our advice works for cross-border shoppers when stopped by Border Force. This advice is record everything and take a Statement of Truth. You'll find more details here on our forum. On there you'll read our members experiences and advice on using the Statement of Truth and recording. lf you are a cross-border shopper it's a must!
The thing now is, we don't see what more we can do. We've tried our best to get others to spread the word about shoppers rights and how to be treat fairly by Border Force but we've been met by a stoney silence! Believe me, we've tried everyone ... Ferry Companies, Tobacco Companies, Liberty sites etc etc .... silence! All we've asked for is to put up the basic advice for cross-border shopper's rights ... no links to us, no mention of N2D if they don't want to ... all that is important is the advice.
Then of course there's
The thing now is, we don't see what more we can do. We've tried our best to get others to spread the word about shoppers rights and how to be treat fairly by Border Force but we've been met by a stoney silence! Believe me, we've tried everyone ... Ferry Companies, Tobacco Companies, Liberty sites etc etc .... silence! All we've asked for is to put up the basic advice for cross-border shopper's rights ... no links to us, no mention of N2D if they don't want to ... all that is important is the advice.
Then of course there's
The Voice and Friend of the Smoker? ... really? What advice do they have for cross-border shoppers?
They have this!
Yep! ... FOREST directs cross-border shoppers via a link to HMRC(Border Force)! Some Voice and Friend of the Smoker eh? That's all you'll find about cross-border shoppers ... nothing more.
FOREST just send you to the 'enemy' ... HMRC(Border Force). Jeez!
On the positive side there is our forum. We've many experienced and knowledgeable members who help one and all who come to our forum. They even help shoppers they meet who are going on trips or those that wish to. We ourselves have seen this forum grow to the point where we are actually no longer needed ... the forum and it's members look after it themselves ... and do a damn fine job too!
Many cases have been won against Border Force ... some before they even get to court. Then there is the many shoppers that have been saved from having their goods seized. We can't take the credit for that ... it's been the forum and it's members!
These are ordinary members of the public who are making a stand against the abuse of our fellow citizens at our own borders. They have the guts to stand up and say 'enough is enough'. ... and we get results! Many of them, so much so that Border Force target N2D ... albeit unsuccessfully :)
Be part of it ... and make 2014 more successful than 2013.
Be a Lion ... not a sheep ... and join us!
Join the FORUM
Simon Clark should be truthful and change the banner to voice & friend of the tobacco companies. The link to customs l could say is beyond belief but that would not be true given his record.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you Smokey. There all mouth and no trousers. We need more guys like you
ReplyDeleteThe WEB has obviously not reached enough smokers.
ReplyDeleteIt is to restricted to the converted.
We have to reach out to those who stand near a million or more
locations,with posters,with stickers,with pamphlets,yes with sarcasm,with insults,with black propoganda,with lies,with deception,every trick in the book.
Print and be damned
Lets ask how many of the so called "Freedom Fighters"will commit themselves to a concerted paper action instead of the pointless continuous twittering and digital muttering
Just put it to the 100+ "campaigns/bloggers etc
....ARE YOU IN.......OR.........ARE YOU OUT ??????
When you have the country sleepwalking into such as the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Police Bill where it's going to be illegal just to annoy people ... l kid you not ... do you really expect them to do anything remotely positive or active?
DeleteThey are too busy watching crap like X-Factor, Celeb Get Me Out Of Here, on Facebook or playing PC games. That gives the government free reign to do what they want ... and so they do. There's only the awkward sods like ourselves that put up resistance and we don't have the resources to make a massive impact but we can cause damage ... and do.
So we do what we can :)
Have to add this ... Simon Clark has it within his control to save hundreds, if not thousands, of cross-border shoppers from being robbed by Border Force yet he doesn't. There's no excuse for that! Yet he has the audacity to put himself forward as the voice and friend of the smoker. With 'friends' like that you don't need enemies.
DeleteMaybe we need more advertising, Even paid for if it gets the word out. What about another group on facebook actively promoting Smokers rights.
ReplyDeleteGarry
I think that you are being very hard on Simon Clark. But I do agree that Customs is hardly the place to get unbiased opinion!
ReplyDeleteClark's problem is that he has to stay largely within the 'politically correct' spectrum of opinion if he is to do the job which his group is organised to do, namely, to lobby politicians. It is not the purpose of Forest to deal with the thuggery of customs.
Also, I suspect that his funding is very limited, as compared with the funding of Tobacco Control.
But we should give credit to Forest about the plain packaging consultation.
But you guys are doing a great job simply by having the required information available for people to read. It is up to them whether they bother or not. I suspect that many people do not realise how much they are at risk. Thankfully, I have never been stopped, but I suspect that I would have been easy meat for the thieves. Having read your blog, I now go on holiday fully prepared - statement of truth, list of previous purchase, copies of letters that I have written to my MP and others, and, most of all in my opinion, proof-positive that I can afford my purchases. Part of my objective is to give them no excuse to even hold on to my property, even temporarily, on the grounds that I have been unable to provide the required information.
'Political correctness' is what has buggered everything up. Tobacco has become "The Big C" - nobody wants to talk about it.
But people are taking notice. Every day, I get a large number of readers of my 'growing' essay. The total of readers, over the last four years, has grown and grown. What is interesting is that the number of people who actually grow their own will never be known, because of people's fear. But that is good, because it gives the Zealots no big target to aim at. What they have is tens or hundreds of thousands of tiny little targets which are not worth the cost of a cruise missile each.
So just keep doing what you are doing. People who have had their goods stolen will not therefore ever not import stuff again. They will look for information, and that is part of the usefulness of your blog.
By the way, I am sure that you must be aware that the House of Lords rejected the 'objectors' charter' bill.
Sorry but l can't agree with you there Junican mate. Can you tell me what's politically correct in NOT publishing peoples rights ... direct from HMRC/BF's own rule/regs book? lt isn't as though we are highlighting loopholes ... we are highlighting the law!
DeleteSimon Clark knows this full well ... and yet he chooses to direct people to HMRC instead!
Plain packaging campaign was for the TC's. TBH virtually every smoker l know couldn't really give a rat's ass about PP.
Yes l saw that about charter