My home airport prices according to the german danish bordershopping. 40€ for a sleeve of red pall mall. But the cheapest was on Sal cabo verde. Esparagos sells red pall mall for 18€. So it depends on 3 things. Local tax rules Expensive brand booze Cigarettes. In denmark stay away from their cheaper stuff and local spirits, you might as well buy that in the nearest supermarket before leaving. And a final advice: never stick it to customs officers abroad. Stick it to your customs officers at home. I do that with 2 Litres of booze and i am only allowed 1.
Ugh, it depends. When you buy cigarettes duty free (unless you're heading to a third world country) duty free saves you a lot! Here in Texas a pack of cigarettes is about $7.75, and maybe $65 for a carton, whereas duty free cigarettes cost around $25-$30 a carton. For alcoholic beverages the savings are negligible, likewise for cosmetics; however, for high end jewelry, electronics, or fancy luggage, avoiding the taxes due is worthwhile if you're in the market for such items.
@@AliceObscura hi, be careful cigs that are made for duty free aren't the same as ones you buy at the corner store brother. research duty free tobacco factories
For me duty free is just a con. Sure, you don't pay any tax but they charge you double the regular price. I'd rather pay the tax and get the same item for a cheaper price.
Just waited to you get in the country. Airports try to scam tourists and they're just a genuine scam anyway to buy stuff also Airport leasing fees, demand Though I heard buying Tobacco and Alcohol is good Basically airport prices for stuff will be high with or without tax they're ripping people off
I never buy sleeves of cigs when leaving Stansted because they are expensive. But if i buy at billund its 40€ and if Ryanair 30€ and no i dont smoke but i know people who do...
The first Duty Free shops were basically an enticement to spend at the airport. Everything being sold was being exported and so did not attract sales taxes (you don't tax exports). Travelers could achieve this in other ways by ordering from abroad or arranging to have goods shipped after them or claiming back the sales tax at the airport. The shops, however, were much more convenient. They could offer "cheaper than downtown" prices to people who were definitely leaving the country. Thus they were very unlikely to sell what they bought into the home market.
The US military does it to help out the people who p ut their lives on the line for their country. Plus, States don't have the constitutional right to tax on federal land.
The original Duty Free Zone in Shannon applied not just to the airport but to the adjacent large industrial estate as well. Industries placed in the zone could import any raw materials and export any finished goods without attracting any duties or tariffs. This attracted mostly manufacturing companies. They would hire local labour and appoint local suppliers. They would pay their salary taxes and company profits would be taxed. All activities that might not otherwise occur. Why not do that everywhere? We do, it's called the EU or NAFTA. In 1959 there were all kind of Tariffs on all kinds of things so this was an innovation. The Duty Free shops were basically an enticement to spend at the airport. Everything being sold was being exported and so did not attract sales taxes (you don't tax exports). Travelers could avoid sales taxes in other ways by ordering from abroad or arranging to have goods shipped after them or claiming back the sales tax at the airport. The "duty free shops", however, were much more convenient. They could offer "cheaper than downtown" prices to people who were definitely leaving the country. Thus they were very unlikely to resell into the Irish market. The profits made by the shops added to the income of the airport which was run by the state. More sales in the shops meant less money required from the government to pay for the running of the airport. To my knowledge, with regard to things you might buy at an airport, Ireland only ever had excise duties on Alcohol and Tobacco products. There were strict limits on how much of these you could buy, like one carton of cigarettes and one or two bottles of spirits. The amount of excise duty being forgone was thus quite limited. Everything else in the shop was not "duty free" at all. It never had any excise duty on it. It could however be sold to international travelers as an export, with no sales tax. This gave the "duty free shop" some ability to beat prices in the high street where retailers were not in a position to say their sales were exports and thus they had to charge the full sales taxes (VAT as we call it).
@Lilitha11 : I never used any at airports. The only DFS I've used, a couple of times, is a roadside store on the Quebec side of the border along route 55 and roughly located in Stanstead, Quebec, where people can drive to and back from each side of the border. The store on the Quebec side that I went to can be useful for US residents who are driving back to the US from trips to Quebec and as long as they kept their receipts from purchases of various items, restaurants, hotels/motels, ..., then they'll be reimbursed the total of those sales taxes and I think it applies with both federal as well as provincial taxes. I don't recall ever having seen a DFS on the US side so don't know if Canadian residents returning to Ca. from the US can get the sales, ...., taxes they paid in the US during a temporary trip can be reimbursed, some how, before crossing back into Ca. I used the DFS at Stanstead once for reimbursement of taxes, but went another time or two just to check what the store sold, for it wasn't a tiny shop. I don't recall sales prices being unusually higher at the store, but maybe it happens with some items. I wonder if that would be illegal for a DFS to do when it's located in Canada, in Quebec anyway; if it'ld be legal to mark up their prices unusually high compared to regular stores where the same items can be bought. Prices can vary among regular stores though, so maybe the DFS can charge higher than all regular stores selling the same products charge. But, the DFS likely doesn't sell things that can't be bought at regular stores, so ....
I was hoping he would answer the question of how much of a bargain it really is or if it's kind of a scam, etc? Obviously it depends on the price at each store, but generally. I keep thinking back to an early Seinfeld episode where Kramer insists that Duty Free is just a scam.
Generally, the prices saved are minimal (if any), and aimed at upper class travelers, based on my observations as a semi frequent traveler. Additionally, it's not even that convenient as then it becomes another thing you have to worry about, keep track of, and carry with you for the rest of your travel time.
I've seen a carton of Marlboro Reds cigarettes at the San Francisco DFS priced at $110, and the same carton of Marlboro Reds at the Cozumel, Mexico DFS priced at $20 - within a few months of each other. Let the buyer beware.
the actual financial effect of Duty free is like blanket subsidies the business already knows what it can charge to make the most money lets call that a 10 Government pays for a discount of 1 so the price would be 9 but the business already knows that it will get less then 10% more customers if the price goes down 10% so profit would be inbetween 10-11 the business also knows that if it keeps the price at 10 the sales figures wont change so the business raises its base price to 11 takes 10 from the customer and 1 from government now the business gets a payout of 11 without changing the work they do at all this is why blanket subsides do not and cannot increase consumer purchasing power but in the case of the Duty free the airport raises the rent of the business by 10% so the airport takes the money instead of the business either way the consumer does not in reality get a discount so the goods are not cheaper
Not really. Grab your mobile phone and look up the normal retail prices in your country prior to pulling out your wallet. Chances are that the duty free will be as much or more expensive than buying the item directly from the shops in your country of residence. About the only groups of items which *might* be cheaper are alcohol and tobacco although the saving is typically very small these days.
Don't buy anything at Duty Free if you can get the same item in your home country or at the destination. The items are always cheaper, even with local or national tax included, in shops that are not labelled "duty free."
"Why are items called duty free?" Because you aren't being asked to pay customs duty on them, and neither is the seller under these circumstances. So they're free of duty...
I work for a DF company in the states and even this guy confused me. In short it's a small scale export company that sells units to customers leaving the country. Every country has their own allowance allowed to bring in before taxes are due on items over the allowance. Also none of our products that are tax free are allowed to be sold to anyone that is not leaving the country. They have to leave the country.
@Fred Smith in Scandinavia atleast/Germany at least it has been cheaper then regular stores, but store prizes go up and taxfree prizes follows. It's not a rip off, but taxfree prizes are like regular prizes on stuff from 1-5years ago. As they increase every year
@Fred Smith if you could read I was talking about TAXFREE in NORTHERN EUROPE, not duty free. Nothing there is my opinion. You can't come in with the USA when they have a completely different systems. Even just the thought of the benefits of being in EU area should had been enough to make the USA completely irrelevant here...
@Fred Smith read my comment, it says taxfree, because taxfree and is like duty free in concept, but from another perspective. So sorry, your exuse doesn't work.
I’ve always wondered how they distinguish between something bought in a foreign country and something you already own. You don’t have to pay tax on the clothes you pack to take on holiday for instance. Or if I took a Nintendo switch with me to play while on holiday.
You can't take your stuff that you bought from the shops with you. It gets placed onto the plane by the airport staff with a receipt. That's how they distinguish it all.
@@electricheartpony Err no. Ive been to quite a few airports in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and never have I seen it this way. What I saw was you get your items into a plastic bag saying "duty free", which gets sealed shut (so you cannot open it and put other stuff inside). And then you get this bag and off you go. This works to prevent you from putting more things inside. This does not work to prevent you from opening it and consuming or wearing the contents.
Duty free shops thrived best in the decades before large scale liberalization of trade and the flow of consumer goods- now one hardly sees liquor at really decent prices in them anymore. And so much more variety is available in major country markets the chance of seeing something really unusual at duty free is much less than it once was. Although I did find Australian gin interesting.
The intro of "Chop Suey - System of a Down" keeps playing in my head over and over every time I watch your great videos. your background music is almost identical.
So how else is a govt to pay for the military to protect you from invasion, police to keep you safe, ambulances that don't require upfront payment and every other fing thing?
@@chinaexpat1827 We need a military because of shitty countries like Russia and China. We dont need police as they dont protect anyone. Police are life rejects that just want to beat up and steal from citizens.
*To any Americans who lives near the Canadian border:* Step 1: Drive to Canada. Step 2: Purchase liquor at the Duty-Free shop. Step 3: Hide it in your car, drive back to America, and smile and nod your way through border security. Step 4: *PROFIT!!!* or get drunk, both good options.
I drove to Canada once; I stopped at the gas station attached to the Duty Free shop to fill up my tank (on the US side). My passengers though bought some snacks and Canadian Customs wanted to see their receipts. But they were really suspicious of my passenger notebook computers which they had taken with them. On our return a few days later, US Customs just welcomed us back into the country.
@@jonnunn4196 As long as you're an American citizen, returning to America, and you don't act hella suspicious, you can casually bring just about anything across the border. Undeclared duty-free items, Cuban cigars, live ammunition. Wait, did I just say that last one out loud?
Several possible meanings, but one related to airports is that selling you a sealed bottle of alcohol, or a box containing a bottle of alcohol is not considered "selling alcohol" in a traditional sense. You have to have a license to sell "drinks", but not unopened bottles.
@Mr Berty Qwerty Licences to sell booze in the UK stipulate whether customers are allowed to consume that booze on the premises (pubs, restaurants etc), or just buy it and drink it elsewhere. An offie is like a US liquor store (I'm assuming you're in the US). To be honest, most people buy their booze in a supermarket or a convenience store these days, dedicated offies are a bit thin on the ground.
@@notdaveschannel9843 depends on the state, places like MN it has to be a separate off sale. Grocery stores and the like can only sell low alcohol beer and wine. Regardless of the sale location in the US it still requires an off sale license.
In the last century and more, the ability of states to raise money by direct taxation of individuals and large corporate taxation, and the willingness of the population to accept this and the state to be able to run it, has generated far and away more revenue than indirect taxes like customs ever did. The latter once supported entire empires, but the former supports the enormous governments and public services we now expect, not to mention financing the biggest wars in history. For that reason, and to facilitate commerce as well, indirect taxation by customs is way down globally. It hinders free trade and isn't that crucial a revenue stream, albeit it has its value.
Except you get ripped off. The same product is often cheaper in supermarkets and on the high street. Especially booze. Heathrow is the worst offender in my experience.
I can see clothing; for those who were suprised by the weather when they landed. Paperbacks are also understandable at the originating airport. Electronics don't make much sense, but someone must be buying.
Does not make sense for Americans being that the US is one of the cheapest places to buy damn near anything, (except cigarettes) . I only buy unique liquors i won't find back home.
I noticed in Spain last year 200 cigarettes were about €50 bring back as much as u want , Duty free price was about €35 But only allowed 200 cigarettes now we hv left the European rip off jobs for the boys and girls club
It’s a die, usually four sided, which is lighter than the fluid it’s suspended in, such that when the ball is turned window side up, the die floats up to the window, revealing a side, which displays your “answer.”
Simon, this needs to be asked. The word needs to know. How do people with extra long fake fingernails whip in the bathroom!?!? I'm talking about those 3 to 4 inch fake nails. It's a legitimate question.
Any liquor purchased in the Bahamas is accepted back in the United States. The non-taxed liquor purchased in the Bahamas is cheaper than buying beer there. 1 gallon of rum can easily be purchased for 6 dollars with no tax but a six pack of beer costs about 12 dollars for domestic brands. This non-taxed liquor can be brought back into the United States and no taxes will be charged.... Very strange but true.
Helstrøm Aquavit (my favorite) is 400 krone in Norway, but 275 krone in the duty free shop in Gardenmoen. Jamison Whisky is $30 in Utah (where I live), but @$17 in Amsterdam airport’s duty free shop. Be a smart shopper. There are deals in duty free shops.
@@johnfogarty91, no, it's true. (a) I'm from the West of Ireland so I'm not just talking through my hole, and (b) you can always find counterexamples of stuff like this, but that doesn't mean that in the vast majority of cases it's not true: 1% doesn't invalidate 99%.
But in reality the EU customs union, single market and freedom of movement gave U.K. citizens a better deal. Duty Free is a small volume whereas when the EU got it’s act together you can fill a white van with stuff as long it’s local EU tax paid and for own use. Coupled with the fact that for example items for sale as Duty Free are usually cheaper bought in day a French Supermarket. Unfortunately one of downsides to Brexit is that U.K. citizens will have to fall back on Duty Free which is a lot lot lot less than what as EU citizens we enjoy now!!!!!
I never buy anything in these shops because they make you believe you are buying goods "Tax free" but in reality the price you pay comes with the taxes already included. You think governments are gonna let you buy shit for free without them getting their cut.
In Australia duty-free allowance for all people entering the country is 25grams of tobacco (or 25 cigarettes) 2250ml of alcohol, and $900 of goods. Anything above that allowance and duty/taxes are required to be paid. Failure to declare items above the allowance can lead to hefty fines and even potential imprisonment. The quarantine laws are even more strict, so if you're coming to Australia, read up on what you can bring into the country first, please.
If the UK government could make a decision they wouldn't had to ask for extra time but would have left of today. they had 3 years to come up with something but still need more time. I wonder what will happen now in October. Here in the Netherlands the constant not knowing what the UK wants to do and how is not really helpful.
@@MK-ex4pb i think the biggest issue is your shared border with the RoI and that they do want to stay with in the EU. people living in NI are actually dependant for certain stuff across the border in the RoI. like work, privet life and even hospitals. if you would leave like that with noting they will be effectively be out of work, can't go to there friends with out a visa or even use the hospital in need. so the question remains how do you thing that issue can be solved? if the UK really wants to it can just drop out effectively to day. but that will result in a hard border between RoI en NI.
At 2:12, the duty-free shop located in Ireland "as technically not a part of Ireland." If true, is there a loophole like if a crime was committed at that location, no government has jurisdiction? I assume the concept only applies to taxation, but I wonder if there's anywhere in the world where crimes could occur outside of all jurisdictions. Parts of Antarctica perhaps?
I was just in Dublin and was wondering why a bottle of whisky cost €55 to go to England, but only €40 if you go to America. I just said “screw you duty free” and bought the bottle when I got home.
Because goods transported within the EU are not treated as "exports", VAT (sales tax) and excise duty must be paid in the country of departure. There is no "duty free" within the EU. Even a "duty free" shop will have to charge you excise duty and VAT. Exports to the US are outside the EU so the VAT rate does not apply. to get an item "duty free" you would have to verify that you are leaving the EU (showing your ticket). Then, as it's an export, they needn't charge you the VAT. As an extra treat they don't have to charge you the hefty "Excise Duty" either. This is a special tax on items the government wants to discourage us from consuming. These taxes make up a big chunk of the price, so selling an item where the full tax price is €55 at €40 still leaves a very healthy margin. Given this margin, the same product in a lower tax regime could be much cheaper, even than "duty free". In Ireland for example the excise duty is around €17 for a typical litre of whiskey and the VAT (sales tax) rate is 23% but applied to the duty as well. So with some rough maths, a downtown shop (or a "duty free shop" at the airport that knows you are staying in the EU) is getting (nett of tax they have to hand over) about €28 of your "UK price" of €55, but if you are leaving the EU, the "duty free" shop is getting all of your "US price" of €40. It is still cheaper for you. That was an expensive bottle of whiskey by the way, the percentage tax is normally much higher around 60%.
To be fair THIS channel has been around for a long, long while. I'm not sure of the others, but Mr. Whistler here is popular enough to attract people to his/their new channels rather quickly.
I bought a drink and they won't let me open it to check it. Read send mail that they gave me the wrong drink and according to they would return the money, I have been 3 weeks and they have not charged me anything, you speak on the phone and they hang up because according to they do not speak English or Spanish since they say they are in Brazil
If I’m at the Paris airport, I could purchase duty free when heading back to the us? Not taxed by France or the USA? But what if I land in Boston and I buy a duty free item on my way into the US? Is that still duty free?
I have a question brought on about a movie. In "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" a neighbor complains to Wayne Szalinski that his lawn is too long when compared to the height of the grass of everyone else's lawn in the neighborhood. Wayne talks about something to do with forest loss and grass needing to be at a certain optimal height to produce oxygen, or something along those lines.
I didn't see a question in there. Regardless if your statement was intending to question the accuracy of his claim I still don't understand. Is it that was he was saying was that due to deforestation it's a requirement or strongly encouraged to have oxygen producing grass? Because it's not. Over 70% of Earth's oxygen comes from phytoplankton and other sea plants, and deforestation at the current level still isn't enough to hinder the total oxygen supply. Grass also doesn't reach a height where it stops producing oxygen, as long as it's alive it will undergo photosynthesis and produce oxygen. Mowing the lawn to an optimal height technically produces more oxygen, because grass will grow to take up the free surface area and will undergo more photosynthesis- but that's really only you "regaining" the O2 production you shaved off. Excessively tall grass may hinder water access to the soil, but generally not enough to harm the plant and hinder its photosynthesis.
"duty free" hardly means anything. Take it from me, 10 year navy wife. I'm just happy for tax free cigs at the Class Six and buying a bottle of tequila tax free at 3:30am😂
Well, I don't know what's your case, but I've been in a few countries and every time duty free everything is expensive AF, I've never found something that isn't cheaper than just ordering it online (shipping included)
Simon, just one question: can you explain duty free? You talked and talked but I did not learn one useful thing. Sorry, I like the channel despite just a bit too much rambling and draining you before it makes the point - but this time, I'm not sure there ever WAS a point. Should I do it? Should I do it at the shop in the country I'm leaving from to go to the U.S., or at the U.S. shop? Or what? Or is it NOT WORTH it anyway? Looks like time for me to look up the answer myself.
Duty free is about increasing spending at airports. It can also be about making airports more attractive to travellers who by their ticketing and route choices might thereby influence airlines to travel through there. Dubai and nearby airports through the eighties and nineties did that. They offered such bargains and so much variety that passengers would plan trips, from London to Bangkok say, in such manner as to have a stopover there. However they don't need to do that any more and prices have risen accordingly. Duty free is now for the bored traveller trying to kill time and lulled into an over-priced impulse purchase or the lazy one who consigns gift shopping quite sensibly to the few dead hours they'll be spending at the airport, trading cost for convenience.
I like to shop mens fragrances while I wait for them to bring out my cartons of Players Light and bottles of Finlandia vodka before setting off any illegaly purchased fireworks in the parking lot before driving away in the car that I just didnt buy, but have had for ages.
In Europe approx 1/2price from a pack of cigarettes its government tax, but in duty free it’s more expensive then in a regular shop, same with alcohol or any goods, so I don’t see the point to be advertised as a duty free shop
In Sweden, Norway and Finland duty free booze and tobacco is much cheaper. For example a 700 ml bottle of Absolute is about €26 in Sweden while at duty free it's around €19 for a litre.
I've noticed in several duty-free shops that products are much more expensive that any shop outside the airport.
the following dutyfree comparison site can help travelers buy in dutyfree: dutypare.com
Not in my country
My home airport prices according to the german danish bordershopping. 40€ for a sleeve of red pall mall.
But the cheapest was on Sal cabo verde.
Esparagos sells red pall mall for 18€.
So it depends on 3 things.
Local tax rules
Expensive brand booze
Cigarettes.
In denmark stay away from their cheaper stuff and local spirits, you might as well buy that in the nearest supermarket before leaving.
And a final advice: never stick it to customs officers abroad. Stick it to your customs officers at home.
I do that with 2 Litres of booze and i am only allowed 1.
only in third world poor countries , duty free products are shttt compared to paid ones
Yay, no taxes, only triple of the normal price with tax, that's what I call good deal :-D
So do we pay tax when we are back to our countries?
Ugh, it depends. When you buy cigarettes duty free (unless you're heading to a third world country) duty free saves you a lot! Here in Texas a pack of cigarettes is about $7.75, and maybe $65 for a carton, whereas duty free cigarettes cost around $25-$30 a carton. For alcoholic beverages the savings are negligible, likewise for cosmetics; however, for high end jewelry, electronics, or fancy luggage, avoiding the taxes due is worthwhile if you're in the market for such items.
@@AliceObscura hi, be careful cigs that are made for duty free aren't the same as ones you buy at the corner store brother. research duty free tobacco factories
@@uknowmeez5609 So only tobacco and not cyanide?
For me duty free is just a con. Sure, you don't pay any tax but they charge you double the regular price. I'd rather pay the tax and get the same item for a cheaper price.
Just waited to you get in the country. Airports try to scam tourists and they're just a genuine scam anyway to buy stuff also Airport leasing fees, demand
Though I heard buying Tobacco and Alcohol is good
Basically airport prices for stuff will be high with or without tax they're ripping people off
I never buy sleeves of cigs when leaving Stansted because they are expensive. But if i buy at billund its 40€ and if Ryanair 30€ and no i dont smoke but i know people who do...
it WAS interesting - but I'm left feeling more confused then when I arrived
this is the CZcamss.
The first Duty Free shops were basically an enticement to spend at the airport. Everything being sold was being exported and so did not attract sales taxes (you don't tax exports). Travelers could achieve this in other ways by ordering from abroad or arranging to have goods shipped after them or claiming back the sales tax at the airport. The shops, however, were much more convenient. They could offer "cheaper than downtown" prices to people who were definitely leaving the country. Thus they were very unlikely to sell what they bought into the home market.
You missed the most important question. Why would the government go along with this? What are they getting out of setting up a duty free spot?
The US military does it to help out the people who p
ut their lives on the line for their country.
Plus, States don't have the constitutional right to tax on federal land.
The original Duty Free Zone in Shannon applied not just to the airport but to the adjacent large industrial estate as well. Industries placed in the zone could import any raw materials and export any finished goods without attracting any duties or tariffs. This attracted mostly manufacturing companies. They would hire local labour and appoint local suppliers. They would pay their salary taxes and company profits would be taxed. All activities that might not otherwise occur. Why not do that everywhere? We do, it's called the EU or NAFTA. In 1959 there were all kind of Tariffs on all kinds of things so this was an innovation.
The Duty Free shops were basically an enticement to spend at the airport. Everything being sold was being exported and so did not attract sales taxes (you don't tax exports). Travelers could avoid sales taxes in other ways by ordering from abroad or arranging to have goods shipped after them or claiming back the sales tax at the airport. The "duty free shops", however, were much more convenient. They could offer "cheaper than downtown" prices to people who were definitely leaving the country. Thus they were very unlikely to resell into the Irish market. The profits made by the shops added to the income of the airport which was run by the state. More sales in the shops meant less money required from the government to pay for the running of the airport.
To my knowledge, with regard to things you might buy at an airport, Ireland only ever had excise duties on Alcohol and Tobacco products. There were strict limits on how much of these you could buy, like one carton of cigarettes and one or two bottles of spirits. The amount of excise duty being forgone was thus quite limited. Everything else in the shop was not "duty free" at all. It never had any excise duty on it. It could however be sold to international travelers as an export, with no sales tax. This gave the "duty free shop" some ability to beat prices in the high street where retailers were not in a position to say their sales were exports and thus they had to charge the full sales taxes (VAT as we call it).
@Lilitha11 : I never used any at airports. The only DFS I've used, a couple of times, is a roadside store on the Quebec side of the border along route 55 and roughly located in Stanstead, Quebec, where people can drive to and back from each side of the border. The store on the Quebec side that I went to can be useful for US residents who are driving back to the US from trips to Quebec and as long as they kept their receipts from purchases of various items, restaurants, hotels/motels, ..., then they'll be reimbursed the total of those sales taxes and I think it applies with both federal as well as provincial taxes. I don't recall ever having seen a DFS on the US side so don't know if Canadian residents returning to Ca. from the US can get the sales, ...., taxes they paid in the US during a temporary trip can be reimbursed, some how, before crossing back into Ca. I used the DFS at Stanstead once for reimbursement of taxes, but went another time or two just to check what the store sold, for it wasn't a tiny shop. I don't recall sales prices being unusually higher at the store, but maybe it happens with some items. I wonder if that would be illegal for a DFS to do when it's located in Canada, in Quebec anyway; if it'ld be legal to mark up their prices unusually high compared to regular stores where the same items can be bought. Prices can vary among regular stores though, so maybe the DFS can charge higher than all regular stores selling the same products charge. But, the DFS likely doesn't sell things that can't be bought at regular stores, so ....
If you look at veteran healthcare and insurance you get the impression the US military hates soldiers with a passion haha 🌈 @@lordgarion514
I was hoping he would answer the question of how much of a bargain it really is or if it's kind of a scam, etc? Obviously it depends on the price at each store, but generally. I keep thinking back to an early Seinfeld episode where Kramer insists that Duty Free is just a scam.
Generally, the prices saved are minimal (if any), and aimed at upper class travelers, based on my observations as a semi frequent traveler. Additionally, it's not even that convenient as then it becomes another thing you have to worry about, keep track of, and carry with you for the rest of your travel time.
I've seen a carton of Marlboro Reds cigarettes at the San Francisco DFS priced at $110, and the same carton of Marlboro Reds at the Cozumel, Mexico DFS priced at $20 - within a few months of each other.
Let the buyer beware.
the actual financial effect of Duty free is like blanket subsidies the business already knows what it can charge to make the most money lets call that a 10
Government pays for a discount of 1 so the price would be 9 but the business already knows that it will get less then 10% more customers if the price goes down 10% so profit would be inbetween 10-11
the business also knows that if it keeps the price at 10 the sales figures wont change so the business raises its base price to 11 takes 10 from the customer and 1 from government now the business gets a payout of 11 without changing the work they do at all
this is why blanket subsides do not and cannot increase consumer purchasing power but in the case of the Duty free the airport raises the rent of the business by 10% so the airport takes the money instead of the business either way the consumer does not in reality get a discount so the goods are not cheaper
It depends on the location. It's not a simple answer.
Duty free more like you pay extra, your trapped in a building where you cant go anywhere so you end up having to purchase the item
So basically I need a small dry erase board, a calculator, and google to determine if I'm getting a good deal. Sounds like my kind of fun!
Not really. Grab your mobile phone and look up the normal retail prices in your country prior to pulling out your wallet. Chances are that the duty free will be as much or more expensive than buying the item directly from the shops in your country of residence. About the only groups of items which *might* be cheaper are alcohol and tobacco although the saving is typically very small these days.
@L Train 45 haha
Don't buy anything at Duty Free if you can get the same item in your home country or at the destination. The items are always cheaper, even with local or national tax included, in shops that are not labelled "duty free."
"Why are items called duty free?" Because you aren't being asked to pay customs duty on them, and neither is the seller under these circumstances. So they're free of duty...
I was just told that you are planning to get pregnant
Well then, you certainly tackled that question much more efficiently than Simon did. lol!
@@kathykaura7219 thanks
Duty free is a scam. You can always find it cheaper elsewhere.
I work for a DF company in the states and even this guy confused me. In short it's a small scale export company that sells units to customers leaving the country. Every country has their own allowance allowed to bring in before taxes are due on items over the allowance. Also none of our products that are tax free are allowed to be sold to anyone that is not leaving the country. They have to leave the country.
that's different here in australia you can buy in the duty free when you arrive from international flight
Taxfree used be nice, now it's expensive :(
@Fred Smith it still is
@Fred Smith in Scandinavia atleast/Germany at least it has been cheaper then regular stores, but store prizes go up and taxfree prizes follows. It's not a rip off, but taxfree prizes are like regular prizes on stuff from 1-5years ago. As they increase every year
@Fred Smith if you could read I was talking about TAXFREE in NORTHERN EUROPE, not duty free. Nothing there is my opinion. You can't come in with the USA when they have a completely different systems. Even just the thought of the benefits of being in EU area should had been enough to make the USA completely irrelevant here...
@Fred Smith read my comment, it says taxfree, because taxfree and is like duty free in concept, but from another perspective. So sorry, your exuse doesn't work.
@Fred Smith damn fred why you got a vendetta against duty free
£20 tolberones yeh I think the supermarket is cheaper haha
I always check the price online when I'm at a duty-free. Sometimes the item in the duty-free costs a good bit less, but sometimes it's more.
I’ve always wondered how they distinguish between something bought in a foreign country and something you already own. You don’t have to pay tax on the clothes you pack to take on holiday for instance. Or if I took a Nintendo switch with me to play while on holiday.
You can't take your stuff that you bought from the shops with you. It gets placed onto the plane by the airport staff with a receipt. That's how they distinguish it all.
I have a great looking Vagina
@@electricheartpony where do they do it like that? i have never seen this...
@@peka2478 international airports, at least the bigger ones. Once you buy it, your fight gets noted then your items are brought to your flight.
@@electricheartpony Err no.
Ive been to quite a few airports in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and never have I seen it this way.
What I saw was you get your items into a plastic bag saying "duty free", which gets sealed shut (so you cannot open it and put other stuff inside).
And then you get this bag and off you go.
This works to prevent you from putting more things inside.
This does not work to prevent you from opening it and consuming or wearing the contents.
Timely! I’m on vacation and was thinking about this as I walked through the airport.
Duty free shops thrived best in the decades before large scale liberalization of trade and the flow of consumer goods- now one hardly sees liquor at really decent prices in them anymore. And so much more variety is available in major country markets the chance of seeing something really unusual at duty free is much less than it once was. Although I did find Australian gin interesting.
The intro of "Chop Suey - System of a Down" keeps playing in my head over and over every time I watch your great videos. your background music is almost identical.
Just let's not forget that taxation is theft
So how else is a govt to pay for the military to protect you from invasion, police to keep you safe, ambulances that don't require upfront payment and every other fing thing?
The people that whine about taxes are the first in line when it comes to benefits...
@@daneclark3161 Exactly!!!!!!!!
@@chinaexpat1827 We need a military because of shitty countries like Russia and China. We dont need police as they dont protect anyone. Police are life rejects that just want to beat up and steal from citizens.
*To any Americans who lives near the Canadian border:*
Step 1: Drive to Canada.
Step 2: Purchase liquor at the Duty-Free shop.
Step 3: Hide it in your car, drive back to America, and smile and nod your way through border security.
Step 4: *PROFIT!!!* or get drunk, both good options.
Amazing! I'm drooling already! I'm a simple man. I want one 30 gallon cask of Crown Royal.
I drove to Canada once; I stopped at the gas station attached to the Duty Free shop to fill up my tank (on the US side). My passengers though bought some snacks and Canadian Customs wanted to see their receipts. But they were really suspicious of my passenger notebook computers which they had taken with them. On our return a few days later, US Customs just welcomed us back into the country.
@@jonnunn4196 As long as you're an American citizen, returning to America, and you don't act hella suspicious, you can casually bring just about anything across the border. Undeclared duty-free items, Cuban cigars, live ammunition. Wait, did I just say that last one out loud?
Can we just talk about how dirty that mug is? Jesus Christ how long was the coffee in there? Like 4 years???
A cappuccino, latte, or anything with frothy milk will do that to a clean cup in one use.
@@FriedEgg101 Whipping cream does the same.
You dont drink coffee alot do you?
You should see the ones used in the military. If it's too clean, they go ape.
what does it mean when a store is "off-licence"?
It can sell alcohol and spirits
Several possible meanings, but one related to airports is that selling you a sealed bottle of alcohol, or a box containing a bottle of alcohol is not considered "selling alcohol" in a traditional sense. You have to have a license to sell "drinks", but not unopened bottles.
@Mr Berty Qwerty Licences to sell booze in the UK stipulate whether customers are allowed to consume that booze on the premises (pubs, restaurants etc), or just buy it and drink it elsewhere. An offie is like a US liquor store (I'm assuming you're in the US). To be honest, most people buy their booze in a supermarket or a convenience store these days, dedicated offies are a bit thin on the ground.
It’s a license that’s smelly, gone off :-p
@@notdaveschannel9843 depends on the state, places like MN it has to be a separate off sale. Grocery stores and the like can only sell low alcohol beer and wine.
Regardless of the sale location in the US it still requires an off sale license.
Duty free is s racket. You have been warned. Many prices are higher than retail.
Wait, did you actually answer the question?!
it takes a degree to answer that.
I can't believe 4 minutes seems like an eternity for me.
Simon never ceases to amaze me! He gives answers to questions i never knew I needed to know! 🤣🤣🤣😘😘
In the last century and more, the ability of states to raise money by direct taxation of individuals and large corporate taxation, and the willingness of the population to accept this and the state to be able to run it, has generated far and away more revenue than indirect taxes like customs ever did. The latter once supported entire empires, but the former supports the enormous governments and public services we now expect, not to mention financing the biggest wars in history. For that reason, and to facilitate commerce as well, indirect taxation by customs is way down globally. It hinders free trade and isn't that crucial a revenue stream, albeit it has its value.
Customs suck. In my country you can only order up to $75 before being made to pay customs and vat.
Except you get ripped off. The same product is often cheaper in supermarkets and on the high street. Especially booze. Heathrow is the worst offender in my experience.
I'd rather pay tax on an item priced at $100 than pay no tax on the same item selling for $200
No thanks, I give to Caesar what is to Caesar.
I am Caesar...
More importantly who buys things in airports? Besides food drinks of course. I never understood why airports have clothing, electronics stores, etc...
I can see clothing; for those who were suprised by the weather when they landed. Paperbacks are also understandable at the originating airport. Electronics don't make much sense, but someone must be buying.
Impulse buyer's with more money than sense.
Simon is hosting another channel. Does he not sleep?
@Justin O'Brien Damn
He has a team tho, he basically reads the script.
@@claudiobizama5603 still jesus
He also does a podcast: Biographies
Long story short; don't buy shit on duty-free shops, it's a scam.
A product maybe called "Duty Free" but it can only be cheaper by the dozen.
Does not make sense for Americans being that the US is one of the cheapest places to buy damn near anything, (except cigarettes) . I only buy unique liquors i won't find back home.
I noticed in Spain last year 200 cigarettes were about €50 bring back as much as u want ,
Duty free price was about €35
But only allowed 200 cigarettes now we hv left the European rip off jobs for the boys and girls club
Who invented the magic 8 ball and how exactly does it work?
It’s a die, usually four sided, which is lighter than the fluid it’s suspended in, such that when the ball is turned window side up, the die floats up to the window, revealing a side, which displays your “answer.”
They are made predominantly by wizards and some times warlocks, and are powered by the souls of dead puppies....everybody knows that.
philthy122 right what an idiot
Simon, this needs to be asked. The word needs to know. How do people with extra long fake fingernails whip in the bathroom!?!? I'm talking about those 3 to 4 inch fake nails. It's a legitimate question.
Any liquor purchased in the Bahamas is accepted back in the United States. The non-taxed liquor purchased in the Bahamas is cheaper than buying beer there. 1 gallon of rum can easily be purchased for 6 dollars with no tax but a six pack of beer costs about 12 dollars for domestic brands. This non-taxed liquor can be brought back into the United States and no taxes will be charged.... Very strange but true.
Watching this sitting in the duty free at BUD airport... #nailedit
Dóra Fauszt 27% VAT yay!
@@logannasty3240 yasssss! 😀
Why would you want to edit a nail?
(yes, I got what you actually meant :-P )
@@Shadow81989 budummmtssss :D
Duty free shops probably worked better at a time when people couldn't just google the item in question to see what it retails for elsewhere.
Not even cheaper. Better off buying from a local
My old man was in the coast guard and the navy. Since he served he can go to a local coast guard duty free store in the middle of the city.
Helstrøm Aquavit (my favorite) is 400 krone in Norway, but 275 krone in the duty free shop in Gardenmoen.
Jamison Whisky is $30 in Utah (where I live), but @$17 in Amsterdam airport’s duty free shop.
Be a smart shopper. There are deals in duty free shops.
Minor correction: in Ireland, "O'Reagan", is pronounced like "real", not "ray".
@@johnfogarty91, no, it's true. (a) I'm from the West of Ireland so I'm not just talking through my hole, and (b) you can always find counterexamples of stuff like this, but that doesn't mean that in the vast majority of cases it's not true: 1% doesn't invalidate 99%.
Sorry but you missed the point totally.. you left me more confused
Lol exactly... I literally dint get anything 😀
Todays video brought to you by "duty free world travel"
Tax free but expensive then those who pay taxes in shops
I've never understood the concept of arrival duty free shops - you're exempt from payiing tax even after claring customs before the pickup area?
Well in Vietnam Danang the "duty free shops" are more expensive than normal shops there.
Same for the rest of the world bit of a scam
But in reality the EU customs union, single market and freedom of movement gave U.K. citizens a better deal. Duty Free is a small volume whereas when the EU got it’s act together you can fill a white van with stuff as long it’s local EU tax paid and for own use. Coupled with the fact that for example items for sale as Duty Free are usually cheaper bought in day a French Supermarket. Unfortunately one of downsides to Brexit is that U.K. citizens will have to fall back on Duty Free which is a lot lot lot less than what as EU citizens we enjoy now!!!!!
Only a liter from Europe back to the States?!! Man, when I visit Ireland I want to bring back a damn case of booze :'(
You can bring a case, just might have to pay the taxes on it. The the taxes are like $3/bottle, not a big deal.
I never buy anything in these shops because they make you believe you are buying goods "Tax free" but in reality the price you pay comes with the taxes already included. You think governments are gonna let you buy shit for free without them getting their cut.
In Australia duty-free allowance for all people entering the country is 25grams of tobacco (or 25 cigarettes) 2250ml of alcohol, and $900 of goods. Anything above that allowance and duty/taxes are required to be paid. Failure to declare items above the allowance can lead to hefty fines and even potential imprisonment. The quarantine laws are even more strict, so if you're coming to Australia, read up on what you can bring into the country first, please.
you are a great teacher and speaker sir.
You are my hero Simon
What's dumb is much of the stuff selling in the Duty Free shops would not have import tax anyway. Like a 2 pound bag of M&M's.
Thank you for this awesome video!
Today I found out that Simon Whistler has ANOTHER channel called Today I found out
How it works is simple.
They don't make your booty pay that duty.
Robert Pruitt 😭
If it wasn't for EU free trade Britain would have probably left the EU by now
If the UK government could make a decision they wouldn't had to ask for extra time but would have left of today.
they had 3 years to come up with something but still need more time. I wonder what will happen now in October.
Here in the Netherlands the constant not knowing what the UK wants to do and how is not really helpful.
@@sirBrouwer if traitormainers would accept the referendum, Britain would be out!
@@MK-ex4pb i think the biggest issue is your shared border with the RoI and that they do want to stay with in the EU. people living in NI are actually dependant for certain stuff across the border in the RoI. like work, privet life and even hospitals. if you would leave like that with noting they will be effectively be out of work, can't go to there friends with out a visa or even use the hospital in need.
so the question remains how do you thing that issue can be solved? if the UK really wants to it can just drop out effectively to day. but that will result in a hard border between RoI en NI.
I went to a duty free shop at an airport to buy bose soundlink color it was almost at the same price we have in india.
Very informative. Also convoluted. No surprise there haha. Thanks Simon.🤔💕😉🤘
4:06 they never enforce that. They are too lazy to do the paperwork. You can bring in like 6 bottles. At least.
I call this a rippoff area than duty free!
Why is the heart associated with love? For Today I Found out
Some groups it's the liver or other organ.
At 2:12, the duty-free shop located in Ireland "as technically not a part of Ireland."
If true, is there a loophole like if a crime was committed at that location, no government has jurisdiction? I assume the concept only applies to taxation, but I wonder if there's anywhere in the world where crimes could occur outside of all jurisdictions. Parts of Antarctica perhaps?
czcams.com/video/NhlCrm1pSWM/video.html
Yes, embassies.
I was just in Dublin and was wondering why a bottle of whisky cost €55 to go to England, but only €40 if you go to America. I just said “screw you duty free” and bought the bottle when I got home.
Because goods transported within the EU are not treated as "exports", VAT (sales tax) and excise duty must be paid in the country of departure. There is no "duty free" within the EU. Even a "duty free" shop will have to charge you excise duty and VAT. Exports to the US are outside the EU so the VAT rate does not apply. to get an item "duty free" you would have to verify that you are leaving the EU (showing your ticket). Then, as it's an export, they needn't charge you the VAT. As an extra treat they don't have to charge you the hefty "Excise Duty" either. This is a special tax on items the government wants to discourage us from consuming. These taxes make up a big chunk of the price, so selling an item where the full tax price is €55 at €40 still leaves a very healthy margin. Given this margin, the same product in a lower tax regime could be much cheaper, even than "duty free". In Ireland for example the excise duty is around €17 for a typical litre of whiskey and the VAT (sales tax) rate is 23% but applied to the duty as well. So with some rough maths, a downtown shop (or a "duty free shop" at the airport that knows you are staying in the EU) is getting (nett of tax they have to hand over) about €28 of your "UK price" of €55, but if you are leaving the EU, the "duty free" shop is getting all of your "US price" of €40. It is still cheaper for you. That was an expensive bottle of whiskey by the way, the percentage tax is normally much higher around 60%.
the question is, why are they sometimes more expensive...
What's the point when airport prices are double?
Shhh! The airport duty free shops don't want you to reveal their secret.
Yes, you answered the question. No, İ didn't enjoy the complexity of all the other questions that popped up from you answering the one question.
I wish I was duty free.
What the FUCK is the point of duty free if everything costs like twice as much in an airport anyway?!?!
After I wipe my bum I scream duty free!!!!
Ur welcome. 🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛
A gentleman and a scholar!
İ'm going to start doing that now. Haha!
A small point of note: NAFTA is now named the USMCA.
This guy narrates many channels and with millions subscriber...within short period of time
To be fair THIS channel has been around for a long, long while. I'm not sure of the others, but Mr. Whistler here is popular enough to attract people to his/their new channels rather quickly.
I bought a drink and they won't let me open it to check it. Read send mail that they gave me the wrong drink and according to they would return the money, I have been 3 weeks and they have not charged me anything, you speak on the phone and they hang up because according to they do not speak English or Spanish since they say they are in Brazil
Thanks again Simon.
I like to stop at the duty free shop.....
If I’m at the Paris airport, I could purchase duty free when heading back to the us? Not taxed by France or the USA? But what if I land in Boston and I buy a duty free item on my way into the US? Is that still duty free?
I have a question brought on about a movie. In "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" a neighbor complains to Wayne Szalinski that his lawn is too long when compared to the height of the grass of everyone else's lawn in the neighborhood. Wayne talks about something to do with forest loss and grass needing to be at a certain optimal height to produce oxygen, or something along those lines.
I didn't see a question in there. Regardless if your statement was intending to question the accuracy of his claim I still don't understand. Is it that was he was saying was that due to deforestation it's a requirement or strongly encouraged to have oxygen producing grass? Because it's not. Over 70% of Earth's oxygen comes from phytoplankton and other sea plants, and deforestation at the current level still isn't enough to hinder the total oxygen supply.
Grass also doesn't reach a height where it stops producing oxygen, as long as it's alive it will undergo photosynthesis and produce oxygen. Mowing the lawn to an optimal height technically produces more oxygen, because grass will grow to take up the free surface area and will undergo more photosynthesis- but that's really only you "regaining" the O2 production you shaved off.
Excessively tall grass may hinder water access to the soil, but generally not enough to harm the plant and hinder its photosynthesis.
"duty free" hardly means anything. Take it from me, 10 year navy wife. I'm just happy for tax free cigs at the Class Six and buying a bottle of tequila tax free at 3:30am😂
So whats the difference in price a bottle of silver patron is about 25 bucks where im at pack of camels about 6 bucks
@@Apolloneek the last time I bought a pack of camels on post (yesterday) I paid 5.68
@@Apolloneek and I haven't bought liquor in a while my husband got a 1L bottle of Gentleman Jack for 35 dollars the other day.
I like to shop at the duty free shop
Duty free costs more inside the airports of Australia then none duty free does outside the airports. Alcohol and tobacco are the two exceptions.
Of course an Irishman started the trend.
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Well, I don't know what's your case, but I've been in a few countries and every time duty free everything is expensive AF, I've never found something that isn't cheaper than just ordering it online (shipping included)
Simon, just one question: can you explain duty free?
You talked and talked but I did not learn one useful thing. Sorry, I like the channel despite just a bit too much rambling and draining you before it makes the point - but this time, I'm not sure there ever WAS a point. Should I do it? Should I do it at the shop in the country I'm leaving from to go to the U.S., or at the U.S. shop? Or what? Or is it NOT WORTH it anyway? Looks like time for me to look up the answer myself.
THERE'S ONLY $6 NZD DIFFERENCE AT AUCKLAND DUTY FREE AND LOCAL SUPER LIQUOR FOR 2 BOTTLES OF SPIRITS OR BAILEYS LIQUOR. WTF 😮😮😮
I still don't know how duty-free works. But at least you tried.
You don't have to pay any tax, but since they jacked up the price then it costs more anyway, so you should have just gone to Wally-World.
Duty Free works on high margins but zero tax so certain items like cigarettes and spirits are cheap
Is there an ice cream van parked outside your studio? It sounded like it
Forget about duty-free shops just go to Delaware no sales tax
Duty free is about increasing spending at airports. It can also be about making airports more attractive to travellers who by their ticketing and route choices might thereby influence airlines to travel through there. Dubai and nearby airports through the eighties and nineties did that. They offered such bargains and so much variety that passengers would plan trips, from London to Bangkok say, in such manner as to have a stopover there. However they don't need to do that any more and prices have risen accordingly. Duty free is now for the bored traveller trying to kill time and lulled into an over-priced impulse purchase or the lazy one who consigns gift shopping quite sensibly to the few dead hours they'll be spending at the airport, trading cost for convenience.
Nafta got changed to the USMCA didn't it.
Seinfeld brought me here.....😀
I like to shop mens fragrances while I wait for them to bring out my cartons of Players Light and bottles of Finlandia vodka before setting off any illegaly purchased fireworks in the parking lot before driving away in the car that I just didnt buy, but have had for ages.
For the first time, Simon failed to clear up my confusion. :)
In Europe approx 1/2price from a pack of cigarettes its government tax, but in duty free it’s more expensive then in a regular shop, same with alcohol or any goods, so I don’t see the point to be advertised as a duty free shop
In Sweden, Norway and Finland duty free booze and tobacco is much cheaper. For example a 700 ml bottle of Absolute is about €26 in Sweden while at duty free it's around €19 for a litre.