[cathgates]

Don't worry, this isn't an x-rated thread!!!
We've had 2 shipping companies round to give us quotes, and both told us it was best not to take candles, and the second told us we would only be able to take a small amount of alcohol otherwise we would be charged duty. Has anyone arrived fairly recently with any problems with either of these items?
Thanks
Cath X

[Smiler]

Darn it! :D

They're talking tosh! There may be a problem with those natural beeswax candles though, so check that with MAF.

You can bring the contents of your drinks cupboard, just don't pack 20 caes of rum. ;) We bought the drinks cupboard and quite a lot of OH's stack of wine, not an off licence full but maybe 40 bottles. The drinks cupboard ones were all opened and half gone *hic* but it was all ok. It was listed on our shipping and wasn't checked or examined.

[britchik]

I bought candles with me too - no problems !!

[cathgates]

I thought so!!! I did check MAF, and saw the bit about beeswax and was sure I was ok with personal alcohol.
Thanks
Cath X

[StevieD]

Just put it all in, take no notice!!!

Although we didn't ship alcohol, we had loads of candles, and they survived the tropics too!!

Good luck

Steve

[cathgates]

That's my attitude Stevie, although my oh is a little more cautious!!!
I plan to 'slip' in a few items when my oh isn't looking, I'm hoping He's at work on the days that the shippers come to pack!!!
I am very tempted to buy a couple of 10 litre plastick tubs of white emulsion as well after hearing how expensive paint is along with a few strong coloured match pots!!
Hmmmm I wonder what else I can hide? !!!

Cath X

[StevieD]

There is no problem putting emulsion and stuff in, we didn't have room but I know lots of people who have done. The shippers will always quote the rules to you, but the gang who come out to the house just put in what you want, as long as it isn't dodgy.

[marcia]

Hmmmm I wonder what else I can hide? !!!

Cath X

Cadburys PROPER milk chocolate, proper Bisto powder, cadburys PROPER milk chocolate, Cheese and onion crisps (with a good sell by date!!), Cadburys PROPER milk chocolate, Hob nobs, Cadburys PROPER milk chocolate, persil non bio washing tablets (the persil sensitive here irrites my son's skin!) on yeah and why not a few bars of Cadburys PROPER milk chocolate!!:laugh

Seriously you can get everything you need here, and you do get used to not having stuff, there are a few Brit shops around, and the one near us will bring in items you request if they can (shes getting me the persil non bio tablets!)

Don't believe everything the packers say, check on here first! But if you are bringing 'suspicious' items get the packers to put them all together in one box, all our booze and food items were put together in one box so there was only one for the MAF guy to open, he wasn't bothered about anything I brought, even pinched a taste of chocolate!

Good luck!

[Pip]

yep.. we brought alcohol and candles.. no probs! (and Cadburys, Birds custard power, skips - in fact anything dried in our cupboards that wasn't prohibited by MAF)

when they finished packing the container, there was still space for about four of five boxes - if only I'd known - I could have crammed in some more!

[Debbie]

We brought alcohol in with us, our wine rack full and spirits. Only points to note are that the shippers won't guarentee the quality of the wine when it arrives due to heat changes in transit. All of ours has been fine. Open bottels can be a problem from an insurance point of view, leakage and fire. The box they are in could end up any way up. We taped our lids and risked it.

It is worth making a note for yourself of the box numbers that the packers put alcohol, any food items in, medicines in and so forth as that way if there is a problem at this end MAF don't need to open every box. I know your packer is supposed to but believe me when I say we had so many mis-labelled boxes it was laughable. Also, if you are going to bring in your alcohol make your own list of what you are shipping, eg 1 full lt bottle of gin, 1/2 a 750ml of gin. As you will be asked to fill in a declaration of what you are importing and you probably won't remember what was there after all those weeks. The same goes for your personal medication.

(You could always stick all your meds in the knickers and socks box and forget to declare any of it like we did!!. Whoops).

Debbie

[cathgates]

Galaxy is my preferred chocolate!!! I also like 'Mr Toms', they are a nut brittle bar. - We never end up with half drunk bottles of wine for some reason!!!!
(We have been known to end up with half drunk people at the end of a night!)
I have been stocking up on ibuprofen though, after seeing the price on another thread!!
It is a good idea to get the packers to put all the questionable items in one or two boxes though, I'll try to remember that - something else to put on my list of things to do and remember!!!
cath X