What is happening with duty-free? Thursday marks a new beginning for the sale of high-margin goods like alcohol and cigarettes, yet nobody is sure how the replacement regime will work.
It is no wonder agents are confused about what is going on when the majority of airlines and ferry companies are still unclear about what onboard measures are going to be introduced.
For example, during a ferry crossing from Dover to Calais operators may have to switch prices from a UKduty rate to a French rate in the middle of the Channel. This could mean a customer waiting in a queue is turned away because the ferry has just crossed into UKwaters.
And it’s not just the ferries which are experiencing problems. Airlines, from the low-cost carriers to the scheduled giants, have said they will stop selling duty-free goods on inter-European Union flights from July 1.
Talks between airlines, ferry operators and Customs and Excise on the detail of the new arrangements are ongoing, even though the changeover is just days away.
But that doesn’t help agents, whose customers quite understandably want to know what is going on.
The most frustrating thing about the whole mess is that duty-free has worked perfectly well for more than 50 years. The only consequences of abolition will be higher prices and job losses.
Tanya Jefferies