Duty Free

Kennine
Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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edited July 2016 in General Chat #1

When we return from holidaying on the continent, a couple of years from now, will we be able to bring greatly reduced "Duty Free" goods back to the UK.. 

 

Comments

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #2

    Even if we can, it will be very small amounts. Not the unlimited quantities of duty paid wine or Cognac we can bring back now. I never remember it being that much reduced anyway. It just seemed a mechanism for the ferry operators to make more money. Although
    I suppose that may have been passed on in lower fares. 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #3

    Who knows? It can only be speculation at this stage.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited July 2016 #4

    Not bothered about duty free ,I just want my blue passport backCool

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #5

    That will be entirely up to the Government. Mind you if you think about how prices of beer/wine/ sprits have changed in the UK since we last had a limited amount we could bring back from abroad duty free is not the bargain it once was. I enjoy an odd glass
    of brandy and I have the say the price in France were not vastly different to those in Waitrose especially when they have a offer on. Unless you frequently pop over to France to buy more wine than you can sensibly drink I doubt it will make a lot of difference
    one way or another.

    David

  • tombar
    tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited July 2016 #6

    Never ever bought duty free.  Its way too expensive.  Always bought in hypermarkets, and never within 5-10 miles of the portsHappy

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #7

    Tombar

    I wonder if K meant the ability to bring back any amount of drinks (within reason) from French supermarkets where as before we joined the Single Market there were restrictions. This of course is not strictly duty free but more to do with the free movement
    of goods. I would tend to agree that "proper" duty free was never really the bargain it appeared to be if you moved away from buying alcohol. Going back to one of my earlier comments the UK retail sector is much more price driven than it once was so even if
    it were reintroduced its unlike to show much in the way of savings.

    David

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
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    edited July 2016 #8

    Agree David and yet look at the 'duty free' shops in airports (captive audience for 2 hours!) and they are heaving and tills ringing.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #9

    Proper 'Duty Free' can have good savings, when we lived in Germany we used to get very cheap alcohol and tobacco products at greatly reduced prices. It was however limited to 1l per person and 2oo cigs or tobacco equivalent. We holiday in Lanzarote every year and the cost saving  on some items are quite good. The problem with bring them back now is that you get the best deal in the local 'Duty Free' shopd but as we know we are not allowed to bring back liquids in our hand luggage. This means you gamble with putting it in your suitcase or you have to buy it at the airport at inflated rates, still cheaper than at home though. The airlines also do a very good 'Duty Free' on these flights, again 1l per person.

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited July 2016 #10

    To those who like real duty free, - Don't forget the channel islands sit outside the EEC and you do get real duty free coming and going from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney etc!

    TF

  • tombar
    tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited July 2016 #11

    Tombar

    I wonder if K meant the ability to bring back any amount of drinks (within reason) from French supermarkets where as before we joined the Single Market there were restrictions. This of course is not strictly duty free but more to do with the free movement
    of goods. I would tend to agree that "proper" duty free was never really the bargain it appeared to be if you moved away from buying alcohol. Going back to one of my earlier comments the UK retail sector is much more price driven than it once was so even if
    it were reintroduced its unlike to show much in the way of savings.

    David

    Agree David.  If you look at the Canaries, even though part of Spain, its classed as if out of the EU.  British supermarkets are so cheap now, its not really worth weighing down your vehicles to bring stuff back

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
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    edited July 2016 #12

    That depends on what you're buying tombar - wine for instance is a lot cheaper abroad. Not sure you can buy a Pinot for eg. under £5 in UK and I picked some up at £1.49 (it was ok and some at £1.99 which was great) in the Calais Winewarehouse.
    Saved a fortune but am now down to 50 bottles left in the garage. We haven't bought any wine in UK in months.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #13

    Maybe Brexit will have hidden benefits, less alcohol and tobacco related illnesses!Wink

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited July 2016 #14

    Thanks to everybody for posting on this tread. I am still unsure what the final outcome of the different duty charges will be and how they will be administered.

    Possibly we will have to wait and see.

    K

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #15

    Possibly? I think you mean definitely, K.