Destroy or destroy? Some friends of mine were going to surprise me by sending a several-years-old PalmPilot to me in time for me to use it for a particular event. It's been over three weeks since it was sent, but all Parcelforce can tell me is that they've been "Advised" about the package - which means it's still in Customs! I asked them if I'm supposed to do anything or if they are handling it. "Oh no, sir, we always take care of it all; you'll just pay the customs duties upon receipt." Fine. That was 10 days ago.
Thing is, this has happened to me before - they seem to just think that you'll magically know that they're holding onto your desperately needed item indefinitely.
GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has my goddamn address on the fucking package! If you aren't going to do anything to further process the fucker without me filling in some more forms, perhaps you could, um, send a notice? Did it not occur to you that I don't always know what's being sent to me? Instead, my friends had to spoil the surprise so that they don't have to worry about said package becoming a dead letter.
RESOLVED, effective immediately, all further packages sent to me are going to be smuggled into this country. It would be more efficient and faster for me to fly back and forth just to get my parcels.
In conclusion, FUCK YOU UK CUSTOMS! AND FUCK YOU PARCELFORCE FOR CLAIMING TO DO THINGS AND DOING JACK SHIT! SMUGGLING FOREVER!
― Anonymous Coward, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 04:12 (nineteen years ago)
When I starte dmy job at SOAS, we got a customs note saying that a parcel for the East African Society (non existant) had been confiscated. The contents of the parcel was:
1 x African statuette
1 x Towel
7 x Fishes, gently rotting
1 x kilo of marijuana
They suggested that if we wanted to claim any of the items we could write to an address below. No-one wrote - though I was keen on the fishes cos you can't get decent Tilapia in the UK.
― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)
one year passes...
when you bring stuff back into the country do you declare it? is it risky not declaring it?
― czn, Thursday, 15 November 2007 17:48 (eighteen years ago)
I've been stopped and had my case searched on returing from NYC twice (once Heathrow, once Glagow) -- but I fit the smuggler profile nicely: single male travelling alone before Christmas with a massive suitcase. Both times I had no contraband with me, phew.
The safe way to do it is to dump the boxes stateside. If you do have boxed items, they can make you pay both VAT and import duty. If they want to, they can press charges as well (v. unlikely for 2 iPods and a Mac, say). And since the dollar is on the Tin standard these days you'll probably still save money even if you are rumbled.
― stet, Thursday, 15 November 2007 18:48 (eighteen years ago)
Actually when I say "boxed items" they can, and anecdotally have, check serial numbers etc on unboxed items to see if they've come from the US, and demand to see receipts etc.
― stet, Thursday, 15 November 2007 18:49 (eighteen years ago)
I tried to declare some foodstuffs when I entered the UK. I hadn't been overseas before and Aus customs are SO picky about all that, I assumed everywhere was. I meekly asked if I had to declare things like the Vegemite I had with me and the customs man laughed at me and said "geez we're not Australians" and waved me through!
― Trayce, Friday, 16 November 2007 04:26 (eighteen years ago)
I remember while waiting in line to come through customs a couple of years ago and watching this bloke have his suitcases (four huge ones) unloaded onto the desk. Every suitcase contained nothing but cigarettes. Nothing else. Officers from other desks came over to have a laugh ("where's your tootbrush?") and in the end the caught bloke was laughing too ("yeah, it's the same in that one too, sorry"). What are the penalties though? I mean 'smuggling a few hundred packs of ciggies' - it can't be that bad can it? And it gave the customs people something to do, they always look so bored.
― Ned Trifle II, Friday, 16 November 2007 14:12 (eighteen years ago)