taking advantage of the pound/dollar rate

I was thinking of a weekend's shopping in NY.

However, looking into it, there's a limit of £145 per head's worth of
goods that you can bring back - anyone know how strict this is - in
particular, if you come back with a suitcase full of clothes with all
the store lables removed, how would they be able to prove that you
hadn't taken them out with you in the first place?

 

I don't know what they are like now, but I did something similar a few
years ago, when doing the Florida thing. We appeared to travel out with a
suitcase each but we both had a smaller one inside a FOAD one. At the time
Virgin had a very generous baggage allowance and nobody batted an eylid
when we returned with 4 very heavy suitcases, and walked through the green
channel.

 

Would these all be items for Gentlemen or something harder to explain?

 

some clothes for me (maybe a new suit, overcoat, some casualwear),
some for the SO (fucknose, but probably shoe-oriented) - nothing
weird.

 

They can't there and then, especially if you destroy your
receipts - not like you're taking them back, is it? Your
credit card statement may be incriminating evidence, but
unless you do a Coleen [1] then you should be ok.

I always wear whatever I buy out there to make sure all
the labels are gone and then stick it in with the washing.

Not that I'd ever defraud HMC&R, you understand.

If you are going and want cheap clothes, I'd recommend
heading over to Woodbury Common [2]. You get the coach from
the Port Authority building (bus station) and it costs about
£18 return. Buses run every 30 mins I think, but get there
early (we got the 9.15am bus) and get your tickets from the
booth inside or get hassled by the people in red coats selling
them. It takes about 45mins to get there and you can then get
the bus back whenever you're done, again they run every 30 mins
or so. Beware that the coach back will add an hour to the time
as the Manhattan traffic is a nightmare on the way back!

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1320568,00.html
[2] http://www.premiumoutlets.com/woodburycommon/

 

[snip useful stuff]

any recommendations for an airline/somewhere to stay?

 

Check out hotel prices - plenty of other people are doing this and
putting the hotels into unusual demand - thus not being quite so bargainous.

Correct. Ridiculous.

It's variable.

The only way you'd come unstuck would be "Sir, why did you take 14
formal shirts, 2 suits, 4 pairs of trousers and two pairs of shoes for a
2 night stay?".

Unless you have a record or habit of being pulled by Customs, chances
are you'll be fine - just make sure your case looks like "someone coming
home" - ie worn and reasonably crumpled.


A few CD's and DVD's are no problem. An ipod or two are unlikely to be a
problem (especially if you split them up between carry on and checked).
If you want to be really safe with Ipods or Camera's - make sure you can
get some data on them and dump the packaging.

Start loading up on larger electricals, and things will get trickier.

You're more likely to hit your luggage allowance than get pulled by Customs.

 

Think of the Carbon Footprint

 

Virgin Upper, natch. I used my points when I went a couple
of weeks ago, so it only cost me £184 for me and the missus
to fly upper. Tbh, the relatively short flight means you
wouldn't get much sleep anyway. Get a day flight and you
really don't need upper, so Premium would suffice if it's
your own cash.

As for staying, the whole of Manhattan from 34th St up
to Central Park is shopping, between 8th out West to 5th
out East, so anywhere in that square will be fine location
wise. We stayed this time at the New Yorker which I would
not recommend for the $400 a night. Yes the location was
great but the rooms small and pretty grotty, tbh.

The best place I've stayed, paying my own money, was the
Roosevelt on Madison & 45th [1]. Nice big rooms, very good
quality and good location. It's only a couple of blocks over
from Times Square, Saks, Central Park, etc. It's a long walk
down to the Empire State building (go early) and Macy's
on 34th, but if you're in and out of the shops then you'll
not notice.

Food is cheap - think $ for £ - so you can eat out every
meal for very little, even in the tourist traps. Also, if
you're with the missus, take the horse & carriage ride round
Central Park as it's only $35 and takes about 20 mins and
will keep her happy!

[1] http://www.theroosevelthotel.com/

 

we own an RX-8 and a Cherokee 4.0L - do we look like we give a ****
about the "carbon footprint" (sic)[1]?

And it's Carbon Dioxide Footprint - just calling it "Carbon" makes you
(and everyone else) look like a science-fearing fucktard.

[1] see, ToG, that's how it's done.

 

ta.

It's not confirmed yet, just an idea at this stage.

 

Eh?

How can it be two blocks from Times Square and yet a long walk to the
Empire State Building?

 

Either post all of your receipts home separately, or throw them away.

DAMHIK

 

A couple of blocks _over_. He doesn't say how many it is up.

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Yes, that helps short term. Of course, having a wallet with no receipts
in would be equally suspicious. Keep enough to show you had a good time
and bought a few trinkets.

 

Hmmmm...

 

Just pack it all up & send it home via US Postal (/not/ UPS, Fedex
etc). Mark it up as 'commercial samples' & send it to your work address
if poss.

--
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www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
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'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

Because Times Sq is at Broadway and 7th while the ESB
is at 34th and 5th, so the hotel is 3 blocks east and
2 north from Times Sq but a block east and 11 blocks
north from the ESB - Google says 3/4 of a mile and I'd
say that was quite far!

 

That is not a good idea. It would be akin to "running the gauntlet" for
at least these reasons:

1) USPS are not that good for international stuff. There's a good chance
of it getting lost. So you'd want to insure it. Which means declaring
the value.

2) You would need to itemise the contents for Customs. If it slides
though, fine, if they pull it for inspection and the itemisation doesn't
match, or look kosher (no Des, nothing here for you) then they are free
to charge you VAT and Duty on what they /believe/ the shipment is worth.

3) Putting the word "Samples" on anything is like a Magnetonnastring for
Customs. Better to put "Items are sent free of charge, value is fo
Customs purposes only" but even then, the value has to be a "Fair Market
Value".

4) Unaccompanied imports are tax/duty free to the value of gbp 18 only.
double it if it is marked as and looks like a gift.

5) The UK end of USPS is, unsurprisingly, Royal Mail.

 

It's still not what I would call very far.

I'll usually walk from that general area to Greenwich Village or
Chinatown, sometimes all the way to Battery Park.

Rubbish!