FRENCH LAW CHANGE ON TOBACCO

shrek 2

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• Jan 31, 2006

• #1

I WAS STOPPED AT DIEPPE YESTERDAY BY THE DUANE ( customs). THEY SEARCHED THE LORRY AS THEY HAVE MANY TIMES BEFORE THEN ASKED DID WE HAVE ANY TOBACCO OR FAGS I SAID YES AS WE DIDNT HAVE VERY MUCH 3KILOS TOBBACO AND 400 FAGS WHICH WE SHOWED THEM THEY THEN INFORMED US THAT WE COULD ONLY BRING IN 1KILO AS WE HAD NOT BROUGHT IT IN FRANCE , WE WERE A LITTLE SHOCKED SO I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERENT SMUGGLING AND IT WAS FOR OUR OWN USE SO THEY FROG MARCHED TO THERE HUT AFTER THREE HOURS THEY SAID WE COULD KEEP ONE KILO AND AND THIS IS THE CRAZY BIT IF THEY KEPT THE REST WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY 100 EUROS BUT WE COULD HAVE 1 KILO BACK AND ONLY PAY 50 EUROS . THIS LAW CHANGED ON THE THIRD OF JAN SO BE WARNED YOU CANT JUST GO TO BELGIUM AND BUY LOADS OF FAGS AND BRING THEM BACK IT IS NOW ILLEGAL AND IF COURT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE DUTY AND HAVE THE EXCESS CONFISCATED.

 

wildbeeste

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• Jan 31, 2006

• #2

Of course you deserve all you get being an antisocial smoker. Whereas us friendly reformed types are unappreciated......

Now I have got the prejudice out the way. Seriously

I thought the EU was supposed to do away with trade barriers between EU countries. As Belgium and the Uk are both in the EU wtf are the garlic smelling. CAP subsidy sponging Froggies doing? (sorry if that sounds prejudiced - it is just an observation)

Gordon Brown I recall was taken to task by the EU for attempting to stop people bringing in cheaper fags from France - even for their own consumption. So what makes the French fags special???

 

Steve

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• Jan 31, 2006

• #3

wildbeeste said:

So what makes the French fags special???

Click to expand...

They're afraid the French tobacconists will all go on strike and block the ports.

 

andy malton

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• Jan 31, 2006

• #4

fags

I got stopped about four years ago in my truck,I had brought 5 kilos of your best roll up and 600 fags from De panne (tobacco road)Belgium.
I had come from the Dunkerque ferry,and was delivering in Holland and returning from the Hook to Harwich.I got pulled at MEER Dutch border as I always use to at 3am, with a GB plate you are prime targets for these tossers.
They tried some old wives tale about you are not allowed to bring it into another country if you brought it elswhere in the EU,you are only allowed your old allowance if you travel to a different country There was six of them in a van and them feckers kept me there for about two hours,in the end they let me keep it all after all it was two days before xmas,I did miss my ferry though and had to wait 10 hours for another one.

 

ktm520

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #5

I've never smoked so I'm coming from a position of no information, but 3 kilo's (6lbs in my old money) of Tobacco sounds like an awfull lot of Tobacco for one person? How long does it take you to get through all that?

 

The Phantom Pieman

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #6

ktm520 said:

I've never smoked so I'm coming from a position of no information, but 3 kilo's (6lbs in my old money) of Tobacco sounds like an awfull lot of Tobacco for one person? How long does it take you to get through all that?

Click to expand...

Three kilos of tobbaco for personal use ...

is it arse !! ... if you are going to whine about attempting to defraud customs, at least be honest about your intentions ....

 

Steve

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #7

ktm520 said:

I've never smoked so I'm coming from a position of no information, but 3 kilo's (6lbs in my old money) of Tobacco sounds like an awfull lot of Tobacco for one person? How long does it take you to get through all that?

Click to expand...

It's only 60 packets, about 4 months worth, so not that big a deal if you don't travel abroad often.

 

thornley

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #8

Steve said:

It's only 60 packets, about 4 months worth, so not that big a deal if you don't travel abroad often.

Click to expand...

Agree, except he was in his lorry and stopped as he had been many times before. Does that sound like a guy who only does it every 4 months?

Funny how my attitude has changed since I stopped smoking 3 years ago. Good old French customs.

 

RAM-man

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #9

Steve said:

They're afraid the French tobacconists will all go on strike and block the ports.

Click to expand...

.. or its French Protectionism in overdrive again.

The French backky shops are regulated and the French Govt has hike up the fag/backky tax, so maybe their customs are miffed over goods moving within the EU .. or .. they are not getting enough tax to prop up their health and social care costs.

Worse still .. don't let the dog sniff out the Morrocan nutmeg .. cos that's real trouble

RAM-man ( a non smoker )

 

marcus

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #10

....meanwhile small business all around the south of england go bust because of EU imports


In our New Socialist World we pay shit loads of tax so GUESS WHAT
....the money goes to where products are cheaper....


If you voted labour then don't moan about fags being more expensive over here and then having to put up with nonsence from Johnny Foreigner.

You should buy your fags here and put up with the taxes, especially if you voted Labour because that's what you believe in!

 

RAM-man

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• Feb 1, 2006

• #11

Price war over Spanish cigarettes

A cigarette price war has broken out in Spain after US firm Philip Morris cut prices for its Marlboro brand. Altadis, the Franco-Spanish producer, has responded by slashing prices on leading brands by 26%.

The government has tried to discourage smoking - a habit admitted to by 30% of Spaniards - by raising cigarette taxes and banning smoking in the workplace.

The price war was sparked by Philip Morris' surprise decision to cut the price of a packet of Marlboro from 2.75 to 2.35 euros (£1.60).

Just do not take thru france as they banned carrying more than 10 packs in October 2005. French duty was hiked by some 40%. Here's a link to explain
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10295-1847549,00.html

RAM-man

 

shrek 2

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #12

we werent smuggling just bringing back baccy for family french customs at dieppe had there heads up there arses it took 6 of them 3 hours to work out what the quota should be and what the fine should be what made us laugh and the guy who was dealing with us was the fact that if they kept excess they would fine us 100 euros but if they gave us 1 kilo back they would only fine us 50 mad

 

Jhenshall

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• Feb 4, 2006

• #13

There is no "quota". Such rules are illegal. UK used to take similar view - lots = guilty of smuggling. Regardless of French domestic law the requirement is for authority to show illegality, not assume it. You can assert your rights under EC law directly.

Take a look at the 2002 ECJ decision in Hoverspeed - UK customs taken to court over quotas and seizing cars. UK lost and incurred huge compensation claims.