Customs rip off

[surfing_64]

Here in Australia (sydney), i get a letter from customs charging $84.05 for 11 cans of snus!! (5x Skruff stark, 5x that elixer shit i want to try, and a free can of some mini chick snus) was sent in 2 packages from buysnus, and it cost more in tax than it does for the actual stuff!

I started snusing in Norway when i lived there for a year, and i thought it was expensive paying 50kr or about $10 for a can. I used to travel across the border (30mins away) and load up cheaply.

Australia sucks!! :cry:

[Zero]

Modern governments are indistinguishable in operation from organised crime. They take your money for arbitrary reasons and threaten physical force if you don't comply. Assholes.

[brendo20]

Damn. The same thing happened to me about a year ago, I live in Tasmania.
I actually had a break from the stuff, it became too expensive for me. Got back into the cigarettes, now i've managed to kick those, and often I crave that rush and feeling of wellbeing from the snus.

Unfortunately though, it's just too expensive, almost a luxury item for an australian to use. The rudd government seem to adopt most of the previous liberal policies, albeit the few that gain media attention, so I think as far as the snus products are concerned, they'd still prefer us to fill up the cancer wards and continue to put the pressure on the health system and that area of the federal budget by allowing cigarettes and no alternative other than medicinal nicotine (originally bankrolled by big tocacco anyway)

Some of the biggest problems in our society have the simplest solutions.

[surfing_64]

I've gone a year and a bit without having a snus, but i've kinda craved it daily. So i gave in and gambled on it being let through customs, but with todays drug and bomb threats everything now gets checked and we get charged more for tax than for the snus! Shit aye

[razor]

I am wondering, if you had a friend out of country who could receive it for you and remail it to you as a gift, I don't think you would have to pay tax on it. Of course, DON'T have them include the receipt.

[STORM6490MT]

Re: Customs rip off

who did your order from and what method of shipping did you use? sorry to hear about your loss. if all methods of shipping get you at the boarder, then make friends with someone in Sweden by shipping them presents from your country and in return they would send you snus. If the packages is labeled as a gift on the customs form they cant touch it.

[drnknmnky]

Hey there snus-ers and snus-ettes!
First time snus user but reformed smoker and skoal chomper living in Perth, Australia.

Got my first batch from customs today (which I had to cut work to receive as the customs' hours of operation are from 9am 'till 1:30 pm....they even asked me if they wanted to send it to my address..."uh, I'll be at work dude..so no, thanks")

Anyhoo, I got 7 tubs of various types and got charged $70 import ...
Not happy Jan!
(I'll be taking the previous advice and getting my mate to post them to me next time)
But now am enjoying slight buzz from the 'Power Elyxir'

[surfing_64]

yeh, i got mine 2day. finally... it was from buysnus.com and sent through swedish post in 2 different pakages. Everything here goes through customs, no matter how you send it, coz of bombs and drugs and bugs and stuff. The xray and open whatever they want!
I dont think if its a gift you can get away with it, you might just get off the gst of it, but the actual tobacco tax would apply. which might save me 10 bucks but not really worth it.

[STORM6490MT]

yeh, i got mine 2day. finally... it was from buysnus.com and sent through swedish post in 2 different pakages. Everything here goes through customs, no matter how you send it, coz of bombs and drugs and bugs and stuff. The xray and open whatever they want!
I dont think if its a gift you can get away with it, you might just get off the gst of it, but the actual tobacco tax would apply. which might save me 10 bucks but not really worth it.

Bombs, Drugs and Stuff? Man that place has gone to hell in a hand basket since they stole your guns!

Revolt!

[STORM6490MT]

Come to think of it... You could have your friend hollow out the foam blank and glass over several pounds of snus.

[pico]

Lately I've just been ordering one can at a time, and have never had them stopped at customs. They just arrive in my mail box, unopened, no 'cleared from customs' stamp, etc.

I only use loose, and one can last me about a week, so its ok for me. I've just built a small stock in the freezer (around 10 cans) so everything is fine.

I order from northerner (the shipping for small orders is quite decent) and depending what you order it will cost around $5-$7 AUD (including shipping), which is much cheaper than around $20 with the taxes.

I've experimented with ordering 2 cans at a time, some will get through, others will be stopped at customs, never had a 1 can order get stopped yet though.

Give it a try!

[drnknmnky]

***UPDATE***

Just got my second order (first was from Northener) from Buy-Snus, which contained 5 tubs, was stamped by Swedish customs (Northener's wasn't) and therefore Oz customs didn't bother check it... So it was delivered to my door at around a total cost of $15. Sweet!

So Buy-Snus from now on..

[surfing_64]

Maybe Perth customs is different from here. Have you been out and in of the country lately?? Coz the last time i came in, you declare whatever or not and they still xray you if you dont declare unlike the good old days. Maybe you just got lucky

But i still did calculate the customs fee before i ordered and was prepared to pay it. But i'm more likely to order more and in more regular time periods than if it gets done in customs again.

Oh and mine was also stamed by swedish customs, and aussie customs sent me a bill. But good on ya for getting it through!

[STORM6490MT]

good to hear you used bs and had no problems. i really like them because they are a young couple who run a small business and don't use bullshit advertising schemes like northerner does.

bs uses an international customs form on the front of the bubble wrapped envelope with full disclosure of the contents and nature of the package. the customs form is critical for international shipments to help customs deal with questionable materials. most mail with customs forms is sent into xray and passed quickly. if it does not have a customs form declaring the contents, value and reason for sending, the customs guys will open it up and inspect it by hand. this costs them money and they will try to make you pay for their time if they can find anything to tax. this is a good incentive to cross your t's and dot your i's when shipping abroad.

snus on man!

[Craig de Tering]

People, if the customs sting you too much why not MAKE your own snus?
It's real easy, just google it. Heck, complete DIY kits are available (although maybe they'll hit you up for the raw tobacco?).
Or just look for raw tobacco inside your own borders. The rest of the ingredients are common household items.
[edit]
http://www.snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=377 That snusbengt site has some easy drawings on how to DIY.