About to go stateside - what to buy ?

AJK said:
How exactly would customs know that any unpacked goods you have with you were purchased there?
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Even if you threw the packaging away, most people won't spend over £500 on something and just throw the receipt away.

My family got stopped by customs some years ago on return from Florida. They went through all our cases and checked every one of the receipts my Dad had to ensure it wasn't over the threshold.

So while you may likely not get searched, its naive to think its impossible, as has already been pointed out, customs aren't stupid.


Also why do we always get these threads from people going to the US? Surely if there are items you need, you already know what you want. Just enjoy your holiday, its not some kind of cheap Mecca and its been a long time since the pound offered significantly higher spending power.
 
Nexus said:
Even if you threw the packaging away, most people won't spend over £500 on something and just throw the receipt away.

My family got stopped by customs some years ago on return from Florida. They went through all our cases and checked every one of the receipts my Dad had to ensure it wasn't over the threshold.

So while you may likely not get searched, its naive to think its impossible, as has already been pointed out, customs aren't stupid.


Also why do we always get these threads from people going to the US? Surely if there are items you need, you already know what you want. Just enjoy your holiday, its not some kind of cheap Mecca and its been a long time since the pound offered significantly higher spending power.
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I don't understand how this works, say if I'm given a camera from the UK and take it on holiday with me. On return they can charge me customs on it, if I can't provide a receipt? (as it's a gift)
 
never been searched at manchester airport on the way back from florida.

both times took clothes to throw away when we got their and came back with a whole new wardrobes worth of clothes each

Also why do we always get these threads from people going to the US? Surely if there are items you need, you already know what you want. Just enjoy your holiday, its not some kind of cheap Mecca and its been a long time since the pound offered significantly higher spending power.
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have you ever been? you can get good brand clothes far far cheaper than you can over here most of the well known stores have huge discounts for holiday goers as well! usually you can find them around the travel information areas of malls
 
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As someone else has said a lot depends on where you are going in the states, Minnesota for example has no tax on clothing sales so clothes are very cheap.
 
Begbie said:
I don't understand how this works, say if I'm given a camera from the UK and take it on holiday with me. On return they can charge me customs on it, if I can't provide a receipt? (as it's a gift)
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That's not what I said.

If you go to the US for example and spend $1200 on an Apple Laptop, $800 on a camera, $1500 on a watch etc....

Its highly unlikely that you are going to throw those receipts away because of needing them for warranty, tax, insurance and credit card protection reasons. Many big ticket items will also have the serial number printed on the receipt, Apple certainly do.

So if you get stopped and searched, they can easily check things like this. Which as I said above, is exactly what they did to my family. We were young and had largely bought lots of Disney stuff and clothing and they were making sure that they didn't exceed the exemption.



arknor said:
have you ever been? you can get good brand clothes far far cheaper than you can over here most of the well known stores have huge discounts for holiday goers as well! usually you can find them around the travel information areas of malls
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Yes, did you miss the part where I said I was searched coming back from Florida?
I've even lived there for three summers.

Of course you aren't going to get searched every time you go somewhere, but it does happen.
 
there was no one even around the nothing to declare lane both times for us but we arrived really early in the morning.

my ex is going back over there for 3 weeks soon going to get her to get me some clothes :D
 
Windle said:
As someone else has said a lot depends on where you are going in the states, Minnesota for example has no tax on clothing sales so clothes are very cheap.
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The difference between 'no tax' and 'the highest tax in the US' on items like that is not even 10%, so its hardly a big deal.
 
I feel this is always worth mentioning:

Other goods including perfume and souvenirs
You can bring in other goods worth up to £390 without having to pay tax and/or duty.

If you arrive by private plane or private boat for pleasure purposes, you can only bring in other goods worth up to £270 tax and duty free.

If you bring in any single item worth more than your allowance, you must pay duty and/or tax on the full item value, not just the value above the allowance. You also cannot group individual allowances together to bring in an item worth more than the limit.
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http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm
 
Been thinking.. Buy me a Mental pair or Basketball style trainers.. Size 14.5 (15.5US)

cheers broski..
 
Nexus said:
That's not what I said.

If you go to the US for example and spend $1200 on an Apple Laptop, $800 on a camera, $1500 on a watch etc....

Its highly unlikely that you are going to throw those receipts away because of needing them for warranty, tax, insurance and credit card protection reasons. Many big ticket items will also have the serial number printed on the receipt, Apple certainly do.

So if you get stopped and searched, they can easily check things like this. Which as I said above, is exactly what they did to my family. We were young and had largely bought lots of Disney stuff and clothing and they were making sure that they didn't exceed the exemption.
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So if you sent all of your receipts home in the post, they have no proof that you bought the stuff in the USA and can't charge you?
 
Judgeneo said:
So if you sent all of your receipts home in the post, they have no proof that you bought the stuff in the USA and can't charge you?
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I don't know the details of how they work.

Ultimately if you had a suitcase full of brand new looking goods, an amount to clearly take you over the exemption then chances are you are going to be questioned on them. How they go about charging you for breaching that and forming evidence without receipts and stuff I don't know.

Chances are you are unlikely to be searched anyway, but it can happen.
 
Nexus said:
I don't know the details of how they work.

Ultimately if you had a suitcase full of brand new looking goods, an amount to clearly take you over the exemption then chances are you are going to be questioned on them. How they go about charging you for breaching that and forming evidence without receipts and stuff I don't know.

Chances are you are unlikely to be searched anyway, but it can happen.
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It's easy for them as they sieze the goods. That way it doens't matter if you can't pay up.

Although just don't spend more than £390 and avoid the whole faff of trying to pretend it's not new, a lot easier!
 
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