Credit cards in Italy, buying cigarettes and tobacco, a no.

retired2011

I've just come back from Italy and as usual when abroad I purchase large quantities of tax paid cigarettes and tobacco as they are cheaper than at home.

However where I was staying in Italy none of the tobacco shops accepted credit or debit cards for cigarette or tobacco sales and only accepted cash.

Also the price for tobacco is fixed.

So my Nationwide select credit card was useless in that situation.

Luckily I had £2500 in my wife's Nationwide account and was able to withdraw 500 euros a day from an ATM conveniently situated outside the tobacco shop and the savings I made more than covered the lost interest and currency conversion costs.

Alias_Omega

I dont really understand the post?

Are you just saying that credit cards were not accepted to buy tobacco in the shops in italy? If so, this is more a Praise, Vent & Warnings area?

agrinnall

If you just gave up smoking you'd save a huge amount more.

RichL74

Personally I would be writing to Nationwide to express my disgust and asking for a bit of compo like...

[/sarcasm]

pmartin86

Isn't there a limit of something silly like 200 cigarettes to bring into the county anyway? Why would you need thousands of pounds?

Chino

pmartin86 wrote: »

Isn't there a limit of something silly like 200 cigarettes to bring into the county anyway?

From http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm:
"When arriving into the UK from an EU country you can bring in an unlimited amount of most goods.
For excise goods such as alcohol and tobacco, there are no restrictions. However you must meet the conditions below:
•You transport the goods yourself.
•The goods are for your own use or as a gift. If the person you give the goods to pays you in any way - including reimbursing you for any expenses or payment in kind - then it's not a gift and the goods may be seized.
•The goods are duty and tax paid in the EU country where they were acquired."

retired2011

500gms of tobacco in the uk is about £160.
In Italy it is about £72.
Bring back 8kg and save about £1400

Paid for the holiday.

Alias_Omega

^ How much is a sleeve of 200 B&H going for these days? :beer:

System

Talk about a false economy.

I guess since the tobacco kills you sooner, you'll not have to fork out for the extra holidays you would have had if you lived longer.

retired2011 wrote: »

500gms of tobacco in the uk is about £160.
In Italy it is about £72.
Bring back 8kg and save about £1400

Paid for the holiday.

GingerBob_3

pmartin86 wrote: »

Isn't there a limit of something silly like 200 cigarettes to bring into the county anyway? Why would you need thousands of pounds?

No limit within the EU, provided they're for your own consumption. And why that rule should apply anyway is beyond me. It's a common market with in a customs union !!!!!!!

GingerBob_3

agrinnall wrote: »

If you just gave up smoking you'd save a huge amount more.

Is there a prize for today's most unhelpful post? If so, I nominate the above.