Warning - Cigarettes, Malta, Qawra

McFluff

On a recent stay in Qawra, Malta my husband and I each bought 16 cartons of cigarettes (Silk Cut Silver and Benson & Hedges Gold) in the BEST VINTAGE tobacco shop in Turist Street in Qawra, Malta. When we ordered them we were told of a "special offer" that week on the B&H Gold. If we paid in cash we could have them for 35 euros rather than the normal 40 euros. We paid for and picked up the cigarettes a few days after we ordered them. As we had sufficient cigarettes we duly packed the unopened cartons in our hold luggage and, on arrival home, HMRC staff asked to see what we were carrying in the way of tobacco. We were horrified to find out that the 'special offer' B&H ones were, in fact, Duty Free although the Silk Cut Silver were Duty Paid. The end result was the the seizure of all 16 cartons of B&H - although we were informed that the officers could have also taken the legitimate Silk Cut Silver! We have always thought that Duty Free goods could only be bought in an airport and only on production of a boarding pass showing a destination outside the EU. I'm pretty sure the shop knew what they were doing - even if we didn't - and that's why they gave us the 'special offer'. We're now out of pocket by 560 euros. So please heed this warning and if you still feel inclined to shop in the BEST VINTAGE shop (there are plenty of other tobacco shops in the area) check out the packets before you pay and leave the shop. I know that the shop sells legitimate duty paid B&H Gold if single packets are bought off the shelf.:mad:

McFluff

The shop sold the Duty Free cigarettes illegally. I accept our mistake was in not checking the packets but I didn't think I needed to. I'm well aware of counterfeit goods and make sure I don't buy from back street shops, markets, cash & carry places. I've never heard of this happening before and thought Duty Free goods were not avaiolable to retail shops.

McFluff

HMRC wanted £697.32 duty and with the £493 (approx) already paid to the shop each packet would have cost around £7.50. I can buy them here in a supermarket cheaper than that. My anger is not with HMRC but with the dishonest shopkeeper - although I think it would have been nice if our own authorities could have shown some sympathy for an innocent holiday maker who had been conned whilst abroad.

I have notified the Maltese Police, the Maltese Customs and VisitMalta (all via their websites) but the only response I've had was from the VisitMalta people who said they'd passed my message on to the police. I don't expect anyone in Malta is springing into action but I wanted to warn anyone else going to Malta to be on their guard.

laurel7172

But would 16 cartons cost you more in the supermarket than the £700 you would have paid Customs?
That's the calculation you needed to do. The £500 you'd already spent was spent, whether you kept the cigarettes or surrendered them.

terryw

These "duty free" cigarettes are not likely to be real duty free - more than likely they are counterfeits, or smuggled from Libya. Not that that really matters - the Maltese authorities are very aware of the problem and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will take further action against this shopkeeper.

I think I have used this shop - it or more or less opposite the Elvis bar? The shopkeeper offered me some cheaper cigarettes but only to smoke in Malta and not to be taken home. I refused as I like to obey the rules on tobacco.

McFluff

Paying HMRC £700 would have been cheaper but, at the time, I was originally certain that I had nothing in my suitcase to worry about (apart from my dirty washing) and was in complete shock at their discovery and wasn't thinking straight. By not paying, I suppose the only winner is the dishonest shopkeeper.

McFluff

terryw wrote: »

These "duty free" cigarettes are not likely to be real duty free - more than likely they are counterfeits, or smuggled from Libya. Not that that really matters - the Maltese authorities are very aware of the problem and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will take further action against this shopkeeper.

I think I have used this shop - it or more or less opposite the Elvis bar? The shopkeeper offered me some cheaper cigarettes but only to smoke in Malta and not to be taken home. I refused as I like to obey the rules on tobacco.

The shop is almost directly opposite the bus station. We have holidayed in Spain in the last few years and always bought our cigarettes in an official Tabac. There doesn't seem to be such a thing in Malta but the shop looked legitimate and the assistant certainly never said anything about only smoking them in Malta. We bought single packets and our daily newspapers from there all during our holiday. I asked a friend who was holidaying there to buy a packet off the shelf just a couple of weeks ago and they had the Duty Paid stamp on them.

Anyway, if you're right and they were counterfeit I'm glad I didn't pay HMRC the UK duty - although the seizing officers seemed to think they were not counterfeit (they had Duty Free printed on the packets) but if, as you say, the Maltese take action then I'll be a bit happier.

I, too, follow the HMRC guidelines - when I can.