The red channel

Felon

Felon

Felon

Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2014
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Location
Essex
Does anyone ever go through the red channel at customs, when returning from a country outside the EU with stuff they've bought? (for anything over £145) ?

Every time, I see literally everyone in the baggage hall go straight through the green channel, more often than not there aren't even any customs officers at the red channel, the whole area is derelict. (although I did see about 20 officers at Gatwick a few months ago, doing a sting)

Has anyone ever in the history of the world thought "hmmm, this nice watch I bought for £3000, I think I'll go via the red channel and hand a load of money to a man, because that's awesome" ?

:D

*I'm not asking anyone to publicly state that they're a tax dodger, but I'm just curious.....
 
What people don't understand is that the "Green or Red" channel is not a gamble where the worst case scenario is you pay what you would had you gone through Red to begin with.
The fines are a lot higher should you be found trying to evade tax and VAT.
So yes, there are plenty of people who will take the correct route and will pay the correct amount of tax/VAT on their purchases.
The resources available to customs is finite and most people who are going to chance it will just get through, no problems. However should you get caught then you're going to be paying a lot more.

For most, probably myself included (I rarely go abroad if I'm honest) the risk is worth it, the chances of getting caught slim. But there is a risk there and the end result is heavy fines if you get found out.
 
Yeah I read on hector’s website that the fines can be something like 100% the value of the offence (or something, can’t find the link)

I’m just curious to know, if anyone ever actually does come clean and go through the red lane, or do people make a judgement call? If there’s no customs officers hanging around do they make a break for it and go via the green? :D
 
Am I right in thinking the weird set of doors you go through afterwards are there specifically to trap people that they think look like they have smuggled something through?
 
Scam said:
Am I right in thinking the weird set of doors you go through afterwards are there specifically to trap people that they think look like they have smuggled something through?
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They are there to stop people going the wrong way through them. You can't slip in when the door opens for somebody coming out with that setup.
 
Scam said:
Am I right in thinking the weird set of doors you go through afterwards are there specifically to trap people that they think look like they have smuggled something through?
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I actually don't think it matters whereabouts, or which door you go through, I was actually stopped in the arrivals hall once by plain clothes customs officers, they asked where I'd come from and some other stuff (they showed customs ID) so I guess the location of the doors doesn't matter so much, it's just a security measure to stop being going back
 
I've never gone through the red channel. On the rare occasion when I would assume a tax was required, I cannot justify putting myself through the unfairness of paying tax on a purchase for which tax has already been paid for at the purchasing country. I accept my own integrity may not meet others. I'll live.
 
I've never seen anyone go into "items to declare" - And whenever I've peaked in, there's been no one in there.

When you walk through the "nothing to declare" at Gatwick, they have a load of tables, but I've never seen any officers in there.
 
Marky said:
When you walk through the "nothing to declare" at Gatwick, they have a load of tables, but I've never seen any officers in there.
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Not a dicky bird when I arrived early Friday morning from Cyprus via Stanstead (a lovely extra jaunt due to hydraulic fluid on the primary runway at Gatwick).
 
Gatwick is weird, sometimes there's not a soul there, however one time there were about 15-20 customs officers almost forming a wall around the exit from the baggage hall (around the customs lanes) they were literally stopping everybody (regardless of lane) a few guys in front of me were stopped, with questions like "where did you buy that jacket?" "how much is that worth" and stuff, I made a beeline for a gap in them and made it though..... (I had some extreme naughtiness going on in my backpack)
 
VincentHanna said:
I'm sure certain flights are deemed a lot more risky...how much smuggling is someone from Portugal seriously going to be bring in?
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At this time of year Portugals main export is drunk British people, we probably can't confiscate and destroy them, and since they can't be smoked, drunk, or sold tax free down the pub the border officials are unlikely to be interested in stealing them.
 
VincentHanna said:
I'm sure certain flights are deemed a lot more risky...how much smuggling is someone from Portugal seriously going to be bring in?
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Apparently it’s flights from high end shopping locations like Dubai and stuff, I think customs look at incoming flights and setup shop in the baggage hall ready to sting incoming travelers with expensive looking shopping bags.

I even heard that customs can check the serial numbers of things like watches, to see if they’re imported, or whether VAT has already been paid (although that may be internet folk law)
 
I've managed to get out of the airport at Heathrow once without going through any kind of passport control. I took a wrong turning coming off the plane and managed to find myself out in the arrivals lounge :D
 
I did in NZ, brought in cheap cigs.

Was going to risk it, then crapped myself and paid the VAT on it. Probably would've gotten away with it too.
 
Screeeech said:
Apparently it’s flights from high end shopping locations like Dubai and stuff, I think customs look at incoming flights and setup shop in the baggage hall ready to sting incoming travelers with expensive looking shopping bags.
Click to expand...
More or less this.

I was delayed at Paphos Airport in Cyprus last year, and noticed whenever an EU flight arrived nobody was in customs but as soon as a non EU flight landed customs was very active.
 
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