buying jewellery abroad

[Cumbria41]

Please can anyone tell me if I buy a ring in South Africa for about £1,000 do I have to declare it at customs back in Engla?nd

[Infomaniac]

Yes.

[TWR]

If you wear it, would they know the difference only IF THEY ASKED.

[Infomaniac]

^^True. It depends on whether you are willing to break the law or not.

[Infomaniac]

Yes.

[squarebear]

However, as has been said, many people simply wear the ring. We were advised to do this by a jewellers in Las Vegas.

[Infomaniac]

To elaborate, you are allowed to bring in £300 worth of goods, whether gifts or souvenirs, without being taxed. Anything over that amount should be declared.

[hc4361]

They would know if they asked you to remove it so they could read the hallmark.
Would they, though?

[237SJ]

It`s not a case of customs proving whether you bought the ring on that or a previous trip, it`s up to you to prove it and if you can`t they can take it off you. They will have a record of previous duty paid.

[GSDfan22]

Rules were made to be broken. I would just wear it home and say nothing. How would they know if it was new or old?

[askyourgran]

I bought a diamond pendant in Singapore, the assistant asked me to address an envelope with my home address and they actually sent the guarantee certificate and receipt to my home while I continued my holiday there and then on to Australia. So that customs wouldn't find the certificate and receipt in my belongings. They have obviously done that before, I had no idea I was breaking the law until then.

[237SJ]

My colleagues and I used to buy leather jackets etc in the market in Istanbul. We used to pay by credit card but ask the seller to write us out a receipt for less than we paid. We used to post the original credit card receipt home and declare the cash one to customs. This worked ok until customs intercepted my colleague`s post and found their credit card receipt. Lesson to be learned - you will never get one over customs - they know every trick in the book.

[askyourgran]

I didn't know that Customs could intercept anyones mail without some sort of a warrant.

[237SJ]

AYG - customs have a huge amount of power like you wouldn`t believe. They can come knocking on your door..

[Trotbot]

The sending of watch / jewellry boxes by post and wearing the original has been around a long time. It goes (or at least, used to) via Mount Pleasant sorting depot where a lot of it is x rayed. Some parcels are then opened, and some are then delivered by Customsto get someone to sign for the receipt.

At the airport, Customs can detain anything pending satisfactory evidence it was either bought in the UK or was previously duty paid.

A lot of people get away with it just because of the sheer number of people willing to commit 'victimless' criminal offences. Others get caught and end up with a criminal record.