duty free allowances

[florry]

I have just read that apart from the usual tabacco and alchohol you are allowed to bring back, that you are only allowed £145.00 worth of goods which includes clothes, shoes, gifts etc.

Is this correct ??


I didn't know there was a cap on the amount.



Is it still worth taking my two empty suitcases ? LOL

 

[Miffy2003]

Yes, it is true

Though you can obviously take back more but then you have to declare at customs and pay the extra.

Karen

PS You can still buy a lot though as things are very cheap (especially at today's exchange rates). I would definitely take a spare suitcase or two....

 

[patdavies]

It is worth pointing out that this is £145 per person. Even babes-in-arms.. Age restrictions only apply to tobbaco and alcohol.

 

[allie5]

We have never been stopped in 10 years of travel to Florida. However, we are always wary of the measly £145 limit and take the following precautions!!

1. Remove tags from all the clothes you buy. Better still , wear the clothes/shoes and bring them back as dirty washing or put the trainers on and your old ones in the case!!

2. Dont pack all your gift items together!! A customs man opening a suitcase full of Disneyana and shiny Nike Trainers will have a field day!

3. Discard as many carrier bags and fancy packaging from your purchases. It makes it a tiny bit harder to be classed as something in your allowance then!

4. DO keep your reciepts. If you are unlucky enough to be stopped, cutoms will apparantly "guess" the price of items if you dont have a receipt. This is most important if you buy a expensive item like a camera and you get it much cheaper in the US. It MAY be calculated on its full UK price plus the duty if its over the £145 limit.

 

[Daniel&family]

Allie

I hope your not advocating smuggling .

If you are it's O.K really, as long as you're not one of those people who are judgemental of others that get a child pass for a 10 year old .


yours

Daniel

 

[allie5]

LOL Daniel!!!

I know if the customs guys opened my cases I would be hit for duty as we buy quite a bit!! I just try and "minimise" the damage shall we say . Cant say I have ever even SEEN a customs man when coming back through LGW in all the trips we have done....we are hardly being "vigilant" letting people breeze through an empty cutoms hall. I guess they watch us on CCTV or something!

 

[florry]

:thewave:

Ooo I think I get it !

I hope the customs officers don't read these boards LOL

I think I can read between the lines




My counter isn't going fast enough

 

[Miffy2003]

I think certain things are a "red flag" to customs - ie people that return with obviously new golf bags and equipment are pretty much asking for an inspection! This is just what I have heard..!

Karen

 

[keith&carol]

Touch wood in 20 odd years of flying backwards & forwards from LGW and Heathrow, we've never been stopped altho I can't recall ever bringing back anything that would have interested them. I've seen people stopped with loads of cd's, golf bags and business cases. Also people with nothing but dirty laundry - LOL!
They seem to be more interested in where the flight is from and if it's from a known drugsmuggling source. They do have a sniffer dog in arrivals at LGW now.

We have however been stopped at MCO! Customs there are strict and no nonsence. They'd picked up that I had a lot of chocolate in one bag to post on to my Sister in Panama City. They assumed I was going to sell it (if you've ever tried American chocolate you'll know why).
They were very pleasant and sent us on our way but I wouldn't DARE try to get anything I shouldn't past them.

 

[florry]

LOL sniffer Dogs ?

I've never even seen anyone working in customs even the red area was closed when we came through at Gatwick LOL

Frightening though (seriously) it makes you wonder if they check properly when we get on these planes.







My counters not moving fast enough !

 

[patdavies]

Originally posted by florry
:

Frightening though (seriously) it makes you wonder if they check properly when we get on these planes.

Cusotm & Excise have nothing to do with the security at the aitrport to protect the outgoing planes. Thye have nothing to do with you getting onto a plane.

BTW, C&E have you under observation in the baggage hall and will target some searches from their observations of behaviour there.

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

I remember last year of someone posting on the boards about being stopped at customs at Heathrow or Gatwick coming back from Orlando - so it does happen!!

I found the thread doing a search

Customs thread

Cath

 

[florry]

Thanks Pat

You've reassured me that they are watching for potential problems.