Should've Just Bought Whale Vomit!

[TinCup]

My Tale:

Panic set in some weeks back as I realised that despite stricter and stricter rationing, what little tobacco I had left just wasn't going to last until the airport fully reopens on this tiny little tropical island and travel returns to something resembling normal allowing resupply via visitors (pipe tobacco is not sold locally)

So I had three 50g tins of Petersons posted to me from the UK as a gift (one each of Luxury, Irish and Royal Yacht) Went to the post office to collect after weeks in transit and was told (not unsurprisingly) there was duty to pay

That'll be 270% tax on top of the full UK retail price please!

(they didn't even sound apologetic or have the decency to pop on the appropriate attire usually associated with such demands!)

More than a little taken aback I can tell you. But with little option I stumped up the cash to get them to release the goodies

Anyway, the lesson has been well and truly learnt that I can't really use post as a delivery method and at least I now have enough to see me through the holiday period but Mr Claus will clearly not be making a stopover next month since the festive budget has been well and truly blown



Happy Holidays!

 

[Old School 3319]

Wow that is crazy I can’t imagine. I thought my state was bad

 

[kcghost]

Man, that's tough. Like you say they could of had the courtesy to wear a mask.

 

[rajangan]

Time to get some tobacco seeds, friend.

 

[Old School 3319]

But did they at least kiss you on the neck first?

 

[TinCup]

Here's the kicker, 2 days previous I was able to pop into the airport's new duty free 'pop-up shop' they set up (currently selling off its stock before it gets out of date/season or whatever expiry) Since they've had no customer traffic for 9 months since borders closed

I bought 500euro worth of various Davidoff cigars for 160 euro with zero duty/tax to pay! I thought I'd won the lotto
Little did I know the tobaccos gods would have a plan to claim it back

 

[ashdigger]

At first I thought this was a thread about Haddos Delight......

Government do take a bite, don’t she? ~ Raising Arizona

 

[jeff540]

Every year I get one step closer to A-frame in the woods. ?

 

[Jacob74]

Go back to the duty free store, buy all the tobacco they've got. Then set up a local resale business. No need to gouge anyone...but you might be able to get your cellar restocked by sharing the costs with other tobacco lovers on the island.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Get a small boat, sail to the nearest place that has a tobacconist that sells bulk tobacco. Take a few life vests and fill them with the bulk tobacco, and then sail back home.

 

[TinCup]

Get a small boat, sail to the nearest place that has a tobacconist that sells bulk tobacco. Take a few life vests and fill them with the bulk tobacco, and then sail back home.

Hmm, good suggestion but the nearest place is Madagascar ?

I dunno about you but I saw a couple of animated documentaries about the place and it looks well creepy, with talking penguins and singing zebras etc. I think they're smoking something a bit stronger than Irish mix in their pipes!

Think I'm safer here ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Hmm, good suggestion but the nearest place is Madagascar ?

I dunno about you but I saw a couple of animated documentaries about the place and it looks well creepy, with talking penguins and singing zebras etc. I think they're smoking something a bit stronger than Irish mix in their pipes!

Think I'm safer here ?

Awe come on, you at least have a chance at talking something out of eating you there.

 

[mso489]

I get the drift from having lived on the remote Midway Island for eight months with the Navy. You get that one logistics flight every week, mail, groceries and personnel, and after that you are a million miles from everywhere. Other than the Navy town off to one side, it was mostly sea turtles, seals, a few hundred thousand albatross, and the Mid-Pacific, as far from Honolulu as Omaha is from NYC.

 

[anotherbob]

Hmm, good suggestion but the nearest place is Madagascar ?

I dunno about you but I saw a couple of animated documentaries about the place and it looks well creepy, with talking penguins and singing zebras etc. I think they're smoking something a bit stronger than Irish mix in their pipes!

Think I'm safer here ?

How Did Madagascar’s Stone Forest Form?

Join us in Wonderopolis today for a Wonder of the Day that will rock your world!

wonderopolis.org

 

[jaytex1969]

What about gifts from friends? Is that subject to any regulatory scrutiny?

 

[bnichols23]

Hmm, good suggestion but the nearest place is Madagascar ?

I dunno about you but I saw a couple of animated documentaries about the place and it looks well creepy, with talking penguins and singing zebras etc. I think they're smoking something a bit stronger than Irish mix in their pipes!

Think I'm safer here ?

Sounds like Captain Black Grape.....

 

[Recon Paul]

What's the going rate on whale vomit and does it ship duty free?

 

[gamzultovah]

Get a small boat, sail to the nearest place that has a tobacconist that sells bulk tobacco. Take a few life vests and fill them with the bulk tobacco, and then sail back home.

But that would be...would be...?

 

[mingc]

Where are you? Mauritius? How did you pick up pipe smoking as it didn't sound like there are any pipe shops there!

 

[TinCup]

What about gifts from friends? Is that subject to any regulatory scrutiny?


View attachment 53409

I had this box marked as gifts and it had other items in their too. Didn't make a difference.
If they visit in person they can bring 5 tins/packs each with no issues, which has worked well for me in the past

I guess i could order from a country with really cheap over the counter prices (i.e 270% of naff-all is still low!) Seems I just cant order from a country with medium to high tobaccos retail costs