In a move to curtail the loss of Tobacco related taxes, and to prevent an increasing mail order cigarettes market in the U.K. the postal service have seemed to change its practices.
until recently all imported packages have been stopped by
customs only. In a recent change, due to the large number of boxes
coming into the U.K. it seems that boxes are being checked once more by the local post offices.
This move was first noticed when U.K. customers started
receiving custom notices signed by their local post offices, and not just by
regular customs as previously. This move has caused
online cigarette stores an increase seizure and returns rate that has been recorded at nearly 40%.
Once a package of imported cigarettes is
caught by U.K. customs the receiver gets a notice to pay 40GB or refuse the package. Once
refused the package is typically returned to sender within 1-3 months of being stopped. At this time the person ordering has a choice of a refund or another attempt of ordering.
Prices
of cigarettes in the U.K. are some of
the highest in the world, and recent
increases in tobacco related taxes have
pushed English customers to turn to the
internet for their purchases of their
favorite cigarette brands.
