[Lionheart]

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I think if you take the time to read the labels when they arrive on your items, you'll find that it is the UK Border Force who are charging you on behalf of HMRC.

I know that, but it really makes no difference.

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Speaking as an employee of the aforementioned organisation, it never ceases to amuse me when people moan about paying duty which they are legally required to pay in order to receive said items into the country, or discuss ways to circumvent it.

'Legally required to pay' - but why? And why did the government lower the limit after ten years even though the value of money actually decreases?

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If I actually knew who I could feed this back to in terms of 'intelligence', I would do so, trust me.

Again - why? Just because the government makes a decision, does not mean said decision is fair or just. And what 'intelligence' would you have to report exactly, since nothing I said is either unusual or untrue.

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This post offends me greatly. As a result, I won't be posting on this forum again.

That's absolutely ridiculous. Someone says something you disagree with and you won't post again? You know that forums don't exist just for opinions you agree with to be repeated at you, right? Surely this isn't your first day on the internet. You also don't explain how what I said was offensive at all - especially since I have absolutely nothing against the people who have to do this as part of their jobs, and don't blame them at all. I blame the people who made the rules they then have to follow. Which is why I explicitly criticised the government and government policy.

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And a word to the wise - you never know who is lurking (and watching) on these forums.

That sounds like a threat. 'Be careful what you say about the government and their money-grabbing policies - Big Brother is watching you!' What is this, North Korea? You make it sound like we live in a totalitarian state, and if you believe that then my little criticisms are an understatement, and you should be agreeing with me! Although, really if you fed this back as 'intelligence' I think a shrug would be the result, since nothing I said is not common knowledge or commonly held opinion.

We are one of the most heavily taxed countries in the world, and while some of those taxes can be justified (road tax to pay for the upkeep of the roads - in theory - etc) import duty on items that cannot be bought in the UK - and are therefore not competing with UK manufacturers - just like Inheritance Tax - is nothing more than a money grab, which is exactly why the government lowered the limit during the start of the recession - as a way to squeeze more cash out of people. It may be 'the law', but the law and justice or even fairness are not always the same thing, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with pointing out when the law is unjust.

And as for my more extreme description of the government itself, I do believe that when ministers vote in a law which fundamentally strips all citizens of their right to online privacy, and then moments later vote themselves to be excluded from said law, that they are indeed just as I described them to be. These are the same people that vote themselves payrises every year. I'm not party-political about this, I believe this of most politicians. And those politicians who aren't corrupt, and do have good intentions, are inevitably outnumbered by those that are self-serving and quickly find themselves relegated to positions of little or no consequence as a result. Frankly, what I said was tame compared to a single page of 'Private Eye'.

If, however, you truly disagree with some or all of what I said, and believe there is a perfectly valid opposing view, then state it. All you really said was; 'I work for HMRC / It's the law / I want to snitch / I'm offended / I'm leaving / Be careful what you say' - all of which may be true, but none of it is an actual argument.