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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not bring back duty free for family

70 replies

rocknrollaa · 19/10/2023 17:30

I'm going on holiday soon. My relatives (who go abroad 2-3 times a year) have asked me to bring back duty free for them from the airport. I don't live near these relatives so it would just be in my house until I visit them at Christmas.

Had an argument which just resulted in me telling them I don't want to carry it around/ store it for the sake of them saving a few ££ on alcohol/ tobacco.

One of the relatives is a lifetime smoker and I don't want to fuel the habit because they have just been diagnosed with a health condition which is almost certainly a result of smoking, at least in part!

They are also well off and have more than enough money to buy these things at full price.

We had a big argument about it and they are telling me I'm being completely unreasonable. So am I?

OP posts:

SwedishEdith · 19/10/2023 20:26

You can only bring duty free stuff back for yourself or as a gift. You can't bring it back and be paid for it. So that's your get out.

https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use

Bringing goods into the UK for personal use

Bringing in goods for personal use when you travel to the UK from abroad - types of tax and duty, duty free, EU and non-EU arrivals, banned and restricted goods.

https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use

IncomingTraffic · 19/10/2023 20:31

Maybe she doesn’t want to spend time buying and carrying around cigarettes? Or storing them in her house and then delivering them to the relatives at Christmas.

That is a pain in the arse.

You could equally ask why the relative feels that it’s ok to enlist family members in facilitating their smoking.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 19/10/2023 21:49

GasPanic · 19/10/2023 18:52

At some point you have to ask what is having regard for someone elses health and what is controlling behaviour and dictating how they live their life.

For example, if you take a fat relative to dinner is it OK to refuse them if they order a burger and chips ?

Show quote history

Best you keep your dinner invitations to yourself.

I treat people as if they have autonomy and brain cells of their own. Doesn't mean that I won't give my views (once) but then accept the decisions that they make for themselves. If they ask for help, they've got it. If they want a burger, they can have it. Who am I to dictate to them?

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 19/10/2023 21:51

dementedpixie · 19/10/2023 19:18

If you were travelling alone then 400 cigarettes is above the limit of 200 that is allowed to be brought back into the UK tax free

I wasn't travelling alone and had both boarding passes which I was asked for. Ok with you?

Cicciabella · 19/10/2023 21:52

Er just say no.

IncomingTraffic · 20/10/2023 04:05

Not trying to dictate what a fat person chooses in a restaurant is in no way the same as not buying duty free cigarettes for a smoker.

It would be rude to refuse to allow the smoker to choose to go outside and smoke. That’s what would compare to telling someone ‘you’re fat; you must order salad’.

But actually buying cigarettes to save the smoker money is completely different.

merrymelodies · 20/10/2023 04:43

Cigarettes - bah! I refuse to purchase these toxic items. The sooner the tobacco industry folds, the better.

Ponderingwindow · 20/10/2023 04:59

I would not purchase tobacco or facilitate their habit under any circumstances. I certainly don’t want to contaminate my own bag with that junk and it is not allowed in my home.

IglesiasPiggl · 20/10/2023 05:05

I would take the easy route and have said "Yes, sure" and then "God, so sorry, there was a massive queue at security and I didn't have time to stop".

MyCircumference · 20/10/2023 05:06

IglesiasPiggl · 20/10/2023 05:05

I would take the easy route and have said "Yes, sure" and then "God, so sorry, there was a massive queue at security and I didn't have time to stop".

agree

newname642 · 20/10/2023 05:50

To everyone saying 'they'll smoke anyway' - what do they think is the point of the government applying duty/tax to the purchase of tobacco?

It's there both as a deterrent to try to stop people smoking and to help foot the bill to the NHS - tobacco related illnesses cost the NHS approx £2.5 billion a year.

So all these people buying (or asking other people to buy) their tobacco duty free are having an impact.

“Smoking remains the biggest cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK. There is clear evidence that increasing the cost of tobacco encourages smokers to quit and discourages young people from taking it up.” – Chancellor George Osborne, 2012
“Reducing the affordability of tobacco products through taxation is widely acknowledged to be effective in reducing smoking prevalence” – Treasury Minister, Damian Hinds, 2016

newname642 · 20/10/2023 05:57

So stick to your guns, OP!

PaminaMozart · 20/10/2023 05:58

You have 2 options

Okay............. - oops... Sorry!!! I forgot 😝

I'm afraid I won't be able to do that. ..... Sorry, no I can't..... No. ...... No!

Mistressanne · 20/10/2023 06:14

You’re going on holiday to relax away from other peoples demands, including theirs.
Just don’t engage on the subject.

tabulahrasa · 20/10/2023 06:53

“It's there both as a deterrent to try to stop people smoking and to help foot the bill to the NHS - tobacco related illnesses cost the NHS approx £2.5 billion a year.”

It doesn’t “help” offset the bill, it covers it 4 times over.

Tax on tobacco products is currently on over 10 billion a year.

OP - it’s not 20% VAT it’s 16.5 % plus £5.89. Cigarettes currently sell at about £12.50+ so duty free saves about £120 on 2 packets of 200.

Obviously up to you if you get them or not, but it’s not a small saving.

MinnieMountain · 20/10/2023 07:27

That did actually happen to me once @IglesiasPiggl . I was already looking for an excuse, security at Malaga airport solved it for me.

notimagain · 20/10/2023 07:47

@SwedishEdith

You can only bring duty free stuff back for yourself or as a gift. You can't bring it back and be paid for it.

Yep, agreed, from another source:

"You can bring in goods up to the limits below without paying UK duty and/or tax. These goods must be for your own use or intended as gifts. If you intend to sell or accept any kind of payment for the goods you bring in then this is classed as commercial use."..

TBH though it seems to be a rule that is frequently ignored forgotten and it's tough for Border force to police at port of entry.

Nevertheless the rule might be a convenient get out for the OP.

Warum · 20/10/2023 08:02

'I won't have space to carry it, sorry'.

Hbh17 · 20/10/2023 08:20

Buying Duty Free stuff is a tedious activity and who wants to carry all that extra clobber? I don't even buy it for myself, so no chance for anyone else. To be fair, nobody has ever asked me - I assume everyone I know would consider it to be way too cheeky to ask (which it is). Just ignore them, OP.

Gypsum5 · 20/10/2023 08:36

No OP YANBU. Ignore the ridiculous YABU replies saying you cannot dictate …. You most certainly can if they’re trying to drag you in on their filthy habit. They weigh nothing 🤔 It can be a great inconvenience carrying an extra bag, which makes me think that these people have never been to an airport. As for being superior, we most certainly are because we don’t stink.

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