Warning ref travel and counterfeit goods

[Bruno]

Just thought I would mention to You guys about a new EU rule which caught a friend of mine from Australia out in Paris.

I know a lot of you guys and your wives do a lot of touring Europe so a quick warning.

Apparently in France and Italy (mainly) but not UK thankfully. Apparently the latest EU crazy policy is on the spot fines for people with counterfeit goods. My mates wife had a cheap aussie designer rip off counterfeited bag Going through the airport.

They were fined 2 times the cost of an original designer bag (not the ripp off bag)

Just be careful, as this looks like a cheap trick and some folk like to look like their stuff is more expensive than it really is. These little jobsworths are on the look out.ith:

[McFarkus]

That's outrageous!

[CDNSushi]

Hmmm. So by that same logic then, if I get caught wearing a Gold Bros. PV kilt, will I get fined double the amount of the price of a new Geoffrey Tailor kilt?

[Bruno]

Looks like you get the choice pay on the spot & lose the item (impounded) or you can stay in France and await a court date sometime whenever.

Ripped off or what. Sure I know they should not have bought a counterfeit item but they bought it in a shop in London for peanuts quite legally?? What's up with that?? Turned out about twice the price of an original my mate was not impressed. We all know that some are tempted just be careful in these areas in particular.

[David Dubh]

Hmmm. So by that same logic then, if I get caught wearing a Gold Bros. PV kilt, will I get fined double the amount of the price of a new Geoffrey Tailor kilt?

No I think you'll get fined double the price of sir Sean's cashmere kilt. anything to boost the treasuries coffers

[GMan]

I'm left speechless.

[McClef]

There are a lot of untrue rumours circulated about EU regulations, especially by the Press.

But it's the supplier rather than the buyer they would be chasing.

Italy and France would be much more likely to flout such regulations rather than the UK in any case.

[skauwt]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8215519.stm heres a story about a similar thing

[Chas]

What kind of crappy, rubbishy reporting is that. Fake goods will make you blind and they are made by child labour and if you still bring them in you will be fined £260,000. So either you have to feel guilty about how they are made or so frightened for your health or your wallet that you won't buy them. And then the kicker - it takes an expert to tell the difference between real and fake!

This isn't a 'news story', it is a planted scare story by what ever government department.

"The UK government says legitimate businesses lose an estimated £10bn a year to counterfeiters, with £9bn ending up the hands of gangs."

That's what this supposed 'news' story is about.

McClef is quite right:

There are a lot of untrue rumours circulated about EU regulations, especially by the Press.

And for the record, the EU only make policy. They do not and cannot issue on the spot fines. That is for the Judiciary of the member state to legislate and enforce.

Regards

Chas

[ForresterModern]

So that is what was such a big deal with street vendors my last trips to Paris and Barcelona. Saw a lot of street urchins, late teens early 20's with tarps laid out on the main streets with their goods laid out on them three or four of them together. But the guys were standing behind thier tarps holding ropes attached to each corner of their tarp, so they could pull them up into a sack containing all their goods and run like hell when a cop came around the corner, which I saw happen several times. I just thought they were worried about having their goods confiscated.