French Customs ,counterfeit goods,buyer beware .

[W124Bob]

The buyers of counerfeit goods could under new french laws be guilt and fined upto 300k euros or 3 years in jail!
http://www.french-property-news.com/latest-news-an...
Anyone know any more ,would you for example still be guilty if you bought the item in good faith?

[so called]

Thats like being fined for being run down by a joy rider.

[need45peed]

W124Bob said:

The buyers of counerfeit goods could under new french laws be guilt and fined upto 300k euros or 3 years in jail!
http://www.french-property-news.com/latest-news-an...
Anyone know any more ,would you for example still be guilty if you bought the item in good faith?

There was a programme on TV the other night about the Douanes and counterfeit goods. They were stopping people at the border coming back from the Ventimiglia market and confiscating fake designer goods. They were issuing fines of about 60€. The big fines/jail terms are for traders.

[ColinM50]

And the Douanes officers regularly do a swoop at the peage just outside Toulouse too. Weekend afternoons, they sort of give you a couple of hours to do the 95 miles from Andorra then when you stop to pay for the peage they have a look in your car and anything suspicious they'll pull you over for a closer look. Clever eh?>

[smifffymoto]

Cheat the Douane and come off at Portet sur Garonne and get back on after the toll booths

[Dave Angel]

I've been stopped twice by the Douane whilst travelling from La Roche Sur Yon to the ferry at St. Malo, both times just south of Rennes. The questions were the same both times, "Have you been to Spain?" and "Are you carrying any merchandise?" After a cursory look in my luggage I was on my way. I was alone in my Shogun, perhaps I looked a tad suss.

Just to add: I had a fair amount of booze and fags (bought in France, in Carrefour bags) and they weren't interested in those.

Edited by Dave Angel on Sunday 1st August 02:05

[bobt]

You ca nbuy as much booze and baccy as you like in Spain and other EU countries that are not tax free, and bring into France legally. It's just palces like Andorra where there is no VAT ehre the French impose import duty over a certain amount. I have been stopped at Perpingan at the toll booth coming back from Andorra, and they didn't do a throught search