CF Request - just ignore?

[OpheliaBee]

I’m on a short break in Spain with DH and DC. Someone I know from a job I had 10 years ago and very occasionally bump into has just messaged me, asking to buy her cigarettes. Literally nothing about me suggests that I am pro-smoking. She’s never seen me smoke, I’m incredibly sporty, I’m asthmatic, and I have a young child. (She definitely know all of the things) I’m fine if other people want to smoke, far away from me, but no chance am I buying cigarettes for others.

AIBU to think this is really bloody inappropriate? Unsure whether to say something or just pretend I didn’t see the message. She’s quite a confrontational person.

"Burglars will love you now you've advertised your empty house."

How do they know where she lives? I have never seen anyone's address on their FB page.

Would leaving the EU make cigarettes more expensive? I thought that it would be the other way round.

I’m lol’ing at this thread

@Ginfordinner well she has Facebook friends she doesn't really like - it's not a big leap to suggest that if she's friends with people she hardly knows, at least one person might be a bit dodgy.

I find it odd that people claim if your Fb friends know you’re on holiday you will get burgled. Surely anyone who has a burglar as a FB friend would have some inkling that’s what they do? Secondly why would FB friends, particularly distant ones, know your address?

I have people from work as Facebook friends, but they don't know where I live.

Passthecherrycoke

You can't be sure everyone likes you. You just might think they do. They might have some dodgy mates.

I sound like a right Paranoid Pamela .

Burglars will love you now you've advertised your empty house

Why would you be FB friends with anyone you don't trust not to burgle your house, or not have seen within the last 10 years for that matter, close friends and family that have moved far away that you do want to keep in touch with notwithstanding.

Asking an aquaintance that you haven't seen for a decade a favour like that is a bit cheeky though, I'd just ignore it. Cigarettes aren't that much cheaper in Spain now anyway.

Plus you're only allowed to bring them back for personal use or a gift and you don't want to risk what would be a considerable outlay for someone who may or may not actually go through with the deal even if you chose to ignore customs regulations.

What’s liking you got to do with it? If you don’t like someone do you rob their house to show your distaste? 🤣

Just speaking from experience - my in laws went on holiday, posted on Facebook, got burgled.

They're very trusting but MIL has lots of friends on facebook.
Some of these are DPs friends from when he was young, or her friends children. People she 'knows' but isn't RL friends with.
People know where she lives because they will have gone to play with DP as a child, or picked him up to go to the pub, or could ask anyone in the local area as she has a lot of friends.

It might be a coincidence, but the cynical side of me says not.

I've dropped colleagues home if their car has been in the garage, or when I was designated driver at our Xmas party when I was pregnant.

I'm not a burglar but I'd know if their house was empty when they went on holiday. It's not a big stretch to say you need to be wary of what you post online.

Lol at the burglars keeping an eye on your holiday plans via social media.

Kittykarate has it perfectly -

Isn't the problem really that when you are buying Duty Paid goods in the EU, they are supposed to be either for personal use or a gift.

Buying for someone and bringing back is technically against the rules. Personal use is presumed to be around 4 sleeves, and that is if you have smoking paraphenalia with you.

Much as people do bring things back for others and charge them for it, it's actually illegal.

Much as people do bring things back for others and charge them for it, it's actually illegal.

I can see it now, the customs officials discussing the OP 'but she's incredibly sporty and has an inhaler; those fags can't be for her. Get her in here'.

I'd say no simply cos it's a bloody huge outlay to start with. I wouldn't have the cash to part with initially. The budget for a holiday is already stretched. It's also a hassle and not something I would want to piss around with on holiday even for a friend never mind an occasional acquaintance.
Many years ago a friend of mine was stopped taking tobacco home (legal amount) and they made her roll a cig (though not smoke) to prove she was the smoker because tobacco and cigs are allowed for personal use not gifting. Maybe the rules have changed but I would still not wish to lie to customs.

Tobacco is allowed as a gift. The customs officer was wrong .

www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/arrivals-from-eu-countries

I used to bring tobacco back for my dad and brother all the time. Was never stopped and if I had been, I would have said it was a gift - they don't know any different.

If I hadn't have done it for them, they would have got it from 'the man in the pub' anyway. It's not like me doing this for them had any bearing on whether they smoked or not.

@BarbaraofSeville yeah maybe. It was a long time ago but the customs officer made her go through all that and she told me he was trying to get her to admit she was selling them. (She was though 😂)

Yabu for letting your FB know you are on holiday while you are away.

Only post pics etc once you are back if you don't want to come back to an emptied house.

If you're someone who's really in to keeping fit, perhaps the idea of purchasing and transporting large amounts of fags is more alien than for your 'non sporty' traveller. I wouldnt ask a teetollar to bring me back booze

That’s a bit insulting to non-sporty types. I’m a lazy lard ass who has never smoked a puff in my life.

I wouldnt ask a teetollar to bring me back booze

Then you’d be missing out. I’m a teetotalling, non smoking asthmatic who wouldn’t blink at being asked to bring back booze for a relative or close friend.

@OpheliaBee - I'd ignore this message. If she contacts you again, probably on your return, you could say that you didn't get the message as you had turned Data Roaming off on your phone.
Then follow up with the key phrase "As I don't condone smoking, I don't want to assist others in the habit so I don't buy cigarettes/cigars/tobacco for anyone".

Job done.

Enjoy your holiday.

Agree entirely with this response.

I would ignore the request. It is cheeky and grabby. The part about asthma/having a child is irrelevant- she is not asking you or the child to smoke them 🤣.

'No'.

It's a complete sentence don't you know?!

Ignore her. I travel for work regularly and used to get messages like this all the time. I am not interested in spending time in airports hunting around duty free/waiting in line to pay. I want to travel smoothly and quickly through. The askers soon gave up with no response.