Wrist Check 2017
Discussion
hilly10 said:
lostkiwi said:
When stopped at Stanstead and asked if he had nothing to declare (and with screaming child) he said no. The customs man then pointed to the watch and asked about it. He said he had bought it at Geneva. HMRC confiscated the watch and he is now in court proceedings to try to get its return.
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Blown2CV said:
not sure how customs could prove he bought it on that particular trip?
They don't have to. With customs you have to prove you bought legitimately- travellers have been questioned over jewellery they've owned for years - if they can't prove it was bought in the UK or duty has been paid they can still be liable. Justayellowbadge said:
Blown2CV said:
not sure how customs could prove he bought it on that particular trip?
They don't have to. With customs you have to prove you bought legitimately- travellers have been questioned over jewellery they've owned for years - if they can't prove it was bought in the UK or duty has been paid they can still be liable. 
lostkiwi said:
Justayellowbadge said:
Blown2CV said:
not sure how customs could prove he bought it on that particular trip?
They don't have to. With customs you have to prove you bought legitimately- travellers have been questioned over jewellery they've owned for years - if they can't prove it was bought in the UK or duty has been paid they can still be liable. Blown2CV said:
lostkiwi said:
Justayellowbadge said:
Blown2CV said:
not sure how customs could prove he bought it on that particular trip?
They don't have to. With customs you have to prove you bought legitimately- travellers have been questioned over jewellery they've owned for years - if they can't prove it was bought in the UK or duty has been paid they can still be liable. Unlikely they'll bother with something obviously used but nice and shiny and bling might have an issue.
lostkiwi said:
Blown2CV said:
lostkiwi said:
Justayellowbadge said:
Blown2CV said:
not sure how customs could prove he bought it on that particular trip?
They don't have to. With customs you have to prove you bought legitimately- travellers have been questioned over jewellery they've owned for years - if they can't prove it was bought in the UK or duty has been paid they can still be liable. Unlikely they'll bother with something obviously used but nice and shiny and bling might have an issue.
lostkiwi said:
No... they can usually determine from serial number where it was bought. But it is helpful to have receipts at home just in case.....
Unlikely they'll bother with something obviously used but nice and shiny and bling might have an issue.
Some points.Unlikely they'll bother with something obviously used but nice and shiny and bling might have an issue.
1. Before you leave the UK, you can go to the Customs office at major airports and get a certificate for valuable items that you are taking out of the country . This avoids the issue of Customs then trying to charge you duty on your return. However, it would be a right pain to have to do this for every newish valuable item you take out on a trip.
2. The issue of serial numbers is overstated. For example, the watch smugglers favourite - Rolex now randomise their serial numbers and only they know where that serial number was sold. So HMRC have no idea with serial numbers for Rolex. The same is true for other watch manufacturers.
3. The whole area of declaring goods and paying duty is poorly thought out. For example, if you go to declare an item and pay the duty you do not get a receipt which details anything about the goods e.g. description and serial number etc. You just get a till receipt typically of the credit card style. This then means that you could in theory be stopped again on your next trip and even though you have paid duty and no real means of proving it other than the aforementioned non descriptive receipt.
4. The example highlighted in the post seems to be a case of the guy admitting guilt by saying that he had bought the watch in Geneva. This is rather different from a HMRC official randomly seizing goods where the owner has not admitted guilt. The officer has to have reasonable suspicion in order to seize goods - just looking new and blingy is not reasonable suspicion. Looking new and blingy and the officer finding a receipt or warranty papers in your luggage plus new watch box is reasonable suspicion.
A recent impulse purchase, had not planned to buy anything new but after trying it on at the Audemsrs boutique knew it was a must have and went for it on the spot (not at all my style normally). Absolutely love it. Royal Oak Offshore 44mm full ceramic with black dial and rose gold detailing.
Edited by sealtt on Sunday 26th February 13:40
sealtt said:
A recent impulse purchase, had not planned to buy anything new but after trying it on at the Audemsrs boutique knew it was a must have and went for it on the spot (not at all my style normally). Absolutely love it. Royal Oak Offshore 44mm full ceramic with black dial and rose gold detailing.
Thats a pretty serious impulse buy!Edited by sealtt on Sunday 26th February 13:40
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