Customs??

[kwackerman]

Hi everyone,

We are off to Disney for the 1st time just after Easter and would appreciate any help with my following query.

I intend taking our camcorder and 2 digital cameras one of which is brand new. While it is obvious when inspected that both the camcorder and the older digital camera could not have been purchased while on our holiday I am concerned that customs will assume that I have bought the new camera in the USA and try to charge me tax etc. What can I do to prevent this?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Andy

 

[UKDEB]

Hi kwackerman and welcome to the DIS!

Do you have receipts? That's an easy way of proving where they were bought. Where will you be flying into? We seldom see anyone in the green channel at Gatwick.

 

[Penny12]

Welcome to the DIS Andy!

Like Deb says, the best thing to do is to take your receipts with you as if you did get stopped by customs the onus is on <i>you</i> to prove you bought the camera in the UK, not for them to prove you bought it in the US!

If you don't have the receipts I think there may be something you can do at the airport on the way out, that consists of you registering your camera with customs before leaving the country, but I'm not sure how that works - it's just some vague memory I have in the back of my mind that I heard somewhere.

 

[Funky_dino]

Receipts is the best way i think. When I took mine last Yr it was brand new i took in in my hand luggage but only had to show it leaving the US to come back home. You could also try taking some pictures here now so they have the date on it etc etc. So if they look u can show u have pics on the camera dated before u went. Just an idea.

 

[tartangirl]

Receipt is the best.

We've never been stopped but my recharging kit has a UK plug on it. I reckon that should be enough to convince customs it wasn't bought on holiday.

Often there is some indication that it is from the European market.

My son's Nikon has EUR on the instructions which to me says that it is from Europe but I dont know if Customs would accept that.

 

[kwackerman]

Thanks for the advice. We are flying out from Birmingham and changing at New York, saved a packet by taking an indirect flight ( more money leftover to put in Mickeys pocket!). We have little experience of travel abroad; the few places we have been to never bother to even stamp the passport so it will be a strange experience to have the ins and outs of our spending examined.

 

[AndRu]

How about taking a couple of pictures on the digital camera as you load your suitcases into your car/taxi when you leave. If these are the first shots on the memory card, you can show it to customs and say "I took these when we left home!"

 

[Penny12]

Taking a picture on a Digital Camera won't work as the the memory cards can be removed from the camera - therefore it's not proof it was taken on the camera. You do have 2 camera's though - you could take a picture <i>of</i> the camera in question to prove you had it before you left home.

Honestly though Andy, I wouldn't worry about it too much or anything - chances are customs won't stop you and chances are that even if they do they won't bat an eyelid at your camera, we're just talking about what can happen in theory but in reality very rarely occurs

 

[Celestine]

Please, do not be fooled by a lack of visible presence in a green channel - just because you can't see Customs, it doesn't mean that they can't see you! Whilst your chances of being stopped are probably slim, they would probably look for high value goods, e.g. Ipod, camera, PC etc. A receipt/guarantee is the best thing, or how about having your property postcode marked? Have a great trip & don't get too hung up about Customs. I feel guilty walking through even when I know I've done nothing wrong!

 

[homerdog]

I wouldn't worry about bringing a camera back from Florida, especially if you bought it in the UK. As others have said, a receipt is best, but if it comes to it they can check by reference to the serial number.

Customs priorities lie elsewhere, I doubt they have seized any cameras in the last 12 months

Celestine, if you can't see them I think it's fair to assume they're not interested

 

[Tron[ADS]]

Homerdog is quite right. Ive read in the past that customs have databases supplied by manufacturers of valid european serial numbers from their products, so they can tell exactly where they are from.

Which makes me wonder what they would do if you peeled the serial number off......hmmm....Im guessing you would have to prove it was sourced in the uk in that case, which kind of takes away the old premise of innocent until proven guilty.....i feel i am rambling now, so will shut up.

 

[homerdog]

Which makes me wonder what they would do if you peeled the serial number off......hmmm....Im guessing you would have to prove it was sourced in the uk in that case, which kind of takes away the old premise of innocent until proven guilty.

Goods that enter the UK from outside the EU are deemed to have lost their identity for customs purposes, hence the onus is on the importer to prove their provenance

 

[Celestine]

Homerdog - believe me, they are there. Whilst a camera might not be the "in" operation, they are still there

 

[patdavies]

C&E decide on a good number of their 'pulls' from surveillance in the baggage hall. They don't rely solely on picking up in ther Green channel. Also, I have known somebody detained by C&E off a train at Reading because they were overheard boasting about how they had 'got away with it'.

Last time I came back through LHR, I had about $700 worth of clothes, etc. I went to the Red channel and honestly believe that I woke the guy up. He just asked why I was in that channel and waved me through.

Honestly, don't mess with Customs & Excise. It's just not worth it.

 

[homerdog]

Celestine And Pat - I understand what you are both saying, but I have pretty good inside info. on how Customs operate

 

[Frances999]

Customs priorities lie elsewhere, I doubt they have seized any cameras in the last 12 months

Totally agree. I really would not worry about it - like Homerdog said, they aren't really worried about the general tourist going a few pounds over the limit. Even when walking through the red channel most of the staff will just flag you straight through.

 

[Celestine]

Homerdog - So do I!

Does no boby remember Colleen whatshername? Contrary to the media her goods infact totalled about £5500. OK, not many of us would spend that on stuff we're bringing home, but the point is...SHE WAS STOPPED GOING THROUGH THE GREEN CHANNEL WITH GOODS EXCEEDING £145.