The price of ignorance.

Living in Ireland is really wonderful, if you ignore their sanctimonius and religious laws and taxes they apply on alcohol and cigarettes. I don't approve the first ones at all, I understand that such excise is supposed to be there as deterrent for smoking and drinking. Very odd considered that one of the most exported thing from this country is alcoholics themselves.

Anyway.

If you live in Ireland and it comes on your mind to skip the duty on tobacco buying from websites those promise you cheap prices and duty free, don't!

Don't even try to have your Mama/Auntie/Best friend/Whatever shipping them.

I experienced it on my own skin.

Trusting one of the above mentioned websites and hoping to save money for a bit, I ended spending about the double.

Here's the story.

I bought a carton of Lucky Strike from "X" website.

Tot. paid: €66.06 + 1.16 due to change Euro/Dollar.

On their website they say:

U.K., Irish, French, Italian, German, Netherlands, and Canadian Customers X.com will not be held responsible for lost / stolen and / or seized orders by Customs. X.com will attempt to accommodate its customers to the best of its ability by providing a merchandise credit and points that grant discount on non-tobacco, non-alcohol (and non-perfume for Canadian customers) when deemed necessary.

Of course, Customs seized my carton at its arrival. What I was totally ignoring is the Public Notice 1878 which states:

Alcohol and Tobacco Products being brought into Ireland from another EU country without payment of duties must be transported and accompanied by you, i.e. cannot be shipped/posted to this country.

Translated: Or you bring them yourself and in the allowed quantity (i.e. 200 cigs) or there's no way that you receive them by post.

I hit myself against the Finance act 2001 Section 141 and 142.

BUT, you can claim them back, paying the missing duty which in this case has been:

Customs Duty           - €  63.93

VAT @ 23%              - €  17.97
An Post Fee              - €   6.00
Total for Collection    - € 87.90

Therefore, 10 packs of Lucky Strike in this way have a final cost of €155.12, that means almost 0.80 cents/cig, that means also I'll smoke them very slowly and wisely as they were gold plated.

With almost the same amount I should have got 2 cartons of Pall Mall at the newsagent behind home...