Customs and Cigarettes / Tobacco

ThumbRemote

mildred1978 wrote: »

So your posts on here are basically spam then.

Reported.

mildred1978 wrote: »

No, you've registered in order to promote (however indirectly) a site that you have a vested interest in.

That is against the rules of this site, hence I've reported you.

I suggest you read the rules: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/forum-faqs

They have not posted spam, their link was on-topic. They are not representing a company. They have no proven 'vested interest' in another site, and in any case that's not against the rules (otherwise presumably shareholders in companies would be prohibited from posting about those companies, etc)

In short, they do not appear to have not broken any rules. (If you disagree, please let us know exactly what rules you think they have).

mildred1978

Freebirdjussy wrote: »

You're being ridiculous. You'll note l said 'wrote' not 'write'. One hopes you can understand the difference?

Also spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately.

My posts are neither unsolicited, bulk or indiscriminate. l'm responding to specific posts directly with my personal point of view.

ThumbRemote wrote: »

I suggest you read the rules: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/forum-faqs

They have not posted spam, their link was on-topic. They are not representing a company. They have no proven 'vested interest' in another site, and in any case that's not against the rules (otherwise presumably shareholders in companies would be prohibited from posting about those companies, etc)

In short, they do not appear to have not broken any rules. (If you disagree, please let us know exactly what rules you think they have).

MoneySavingExpert.com is a free site - you cannot pay to buy space - one of the reasons why so many people use it! Equally you are not allowed to advertise any goods, services and/or companies anywhere on the forum, or through private messages (PMs), no matter how honourable the intention.

'Advertising' includes touting for business; asking people to contact you; posting e-mail addresses which indicate a web address; linking to sites or blogs you or friends are involved in (whether you’re selling something or not), or to your eBay or other auction sales.

All posts which we consider to be advertising will be removed where reported.

Users are allowed links in profile pages but please don't mention them in your posts or signature in any way.

If you continue to advertise on the forum, your permission to post on the forum will also be removed pending investigation and authorisation but only if appropriate. This includes the Referrers Board.

If you're a company/business and think you have a genuinely good deal worth letting our site users know about then please email our Deals Team on !!!!!!. Do not post on the Forum.

Freebirdjussy

Right, back to topic then. powerful_Rogue, over to you.

powerful_Rogue

No point looking to me, ive already answered questions in my last few posts.

Reading your posts and looking at that site, it appears everyone involved has an instant dislike towards the Border Force. It all comes across as how to be awkard and argumentative.

All I can do is repeat what ive already said. You can bring in as much as you like from an EU country, provided its for your own personal use and not being imported for a commercial purpose.

Freebirdjussy

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

No point looking to me, ive already answered questions in my last few posts.

Reading your posts and looking at that site, it appears everyone involved has an instant dislike towards the Border Force. It all comes across as how to be awkard and argumentative.

All I can do is repeat what ive already said. You can bring in as much as you like from an EU country, provided its for your own personal use and not being imported for a commercial purpose.

Was to be expected. You've answered nothing, just regurgitated the same ole press departmental statements.

Awkward and argumentative is nothing compared to how some of your fellow officers behave. Little wonder the UKBA/Border Force have the reputation they have.

Recording the interview and not signing the notebook puts Border Force at a disadvantage when they come to court because they have to deal with actual facts. One has to wonder why your agency is so averse to having actual facts

l sincerely hope that the recording of interviews and not signing the notebooks continues to increase. You may call this awkward and argumentative ... l call it fair and just.

Another point to consider is why the Border Force etc refuse to record interviews themselves? A recorded interview takes on average a third of the time it does to do a written one. What a wonderful use of the resources of the Border Force. One is completely factual and the other is open to question and takes 3 times as long. Great use of manpower!

You do have the recording facilities there because you have to use them if you are interviewing such as drug smuggling suspects. Before you tell me that is PACE (criminal) and not Civil (excise), l already know. Seems the suspect drug smuggler has more rights than the suspect excise smuggler!

By the way, of the average 68,000 excise seizures your agencies do every year ... how many of those result in a criminal prosecution for smuggling? Smuggling is criminal, is it not?

Cue powerful_Rogue for departmental statement

powerful_Rogue

Im not going to drag this on as were just going to go round and round in circles. Your clearly going to dismiss everything I say, so not much point in wasting my time. I dont know how much obivious it can be made though - You can bring in as much as you like from an EU country, provided its for your own personal use and not being imported for a commercial purpose

If I stop someone with 10,000 cigarettes and they can satisfy me they are for their own personal use, they will be very quickly sent on their way. Im more interested in finding people smuggling controlled drugs and firearms etc into the UK.

Freebirdjussy

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

Im not going to drag this on as were just going to go round and round in circles. Your clearly going to dismiss everything I say, so not much point in wasting my time. I dont know how much obivious it can be made though - You can bring in as much as you like from an EU country, provided its for your own personal use and not being imported for a commercial purpose

If I stop someone with 10,000 cigarettes and they can satisfy me they are for their own personal use, they will be very quickly sent on their way. Im more interested in finding people smuggling controlled drugs and firearms etc into the UK.

l understand you towing the 'party line' and not venturing outside it. lt is somewhat disingenuous of you though to make it sound so simple when purchasing tobacco products abroad when it is so clearly not. By doing so you are lulling people into a false sense of security.

l'm heartened that you say you are more interested in finding smuggled drugs and firearms. lt's a pity more of your fellow officers don't think the same way. Of all the people l know through the site, including myself, who have been stopped by Customs, not one has ever been searched fror drugs or firearms ... and that's a lot of people and searches. Their interest was purely tobacco.

l wish you every success in catching and prosecuting real smugglers.

shaun_from_Africa

not one has ever been searched fror drugs or firearms ...

Not to their knowledge.
Many of their bags may well have been x-rayed or had a going over from a sniffer dog before they were collected from the baggage carousel.

Freebirdjussy

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Not to their knowledge.
Many of their bags may well have been x-rayed or had a going over from a sniffer dog before they were collected from the baggage carousel.

Your luggage stays with you on the ferries and channel tunnel which is overwhelmingly the means taken for tobacco purchase. Airports are on the other hand a possibility.

CrazyClum

Customs Officers do a good job on all accounts! Why should some greedy so and so bring back 10,000 cigarettes possibly depriving the treasury of over £3000 in duty and VAT. Based on a £6.95 pack of Silk Cut with approx 88% of price going to HMRC.

I thought you could only bring back 800 from the EU anyway since 1st October 2011, previously 3200 to prevent any suspicion from the officers. I know you can bring back as many but why bother

I think somebody bringing back 10,000 (not stating this is any of you) would have a job convincing this - average of say 20 a day would take 18 months to smoke :eek: