Buying furniture from Ikea

[Rosehillgirl]

Hi.
We saw a small unit in IKEA we'd like to buy. It's around 100€ so under the limit for purchases from the South-as far as I' aware that's around 135€.
We've been told that you're not allowed to buy any furniture even if its under the limit.

Is this true? It seems a bit strange to me.

Is it just another North Cyprus rumour/scare story?

Cheers

Rosie

[Marions]

It certainly was true. But some people sneak it under rugs/etc etc in the back of their cars. Get caught and you are in big trouble. Take a risk??? Up to the individual, but certainly it was the case of no furniture, and no dog food, and no diary products. But maybe this has changed, and it would be good if anyone knows of any changes ot post here.

[ozankoys]

Furniture especially from Ikea is definitely not permitted but some people take a chance. If only TRNC Customs would impose a 30% tax on production of a receipt I am sure they would receive a lot of revenue because a lot of people would rather pay up than smuggle IMHO.

[karmels]

I have purchased quite a few items from Ikea, I have found taking the unit out of it's packing and putting it in the boot has worked.
Just put the rest of your shopping on top.

[scubadubaqueen]

Wouldn't worry about it.... Little and often works, and then always wish I had got some more! Got a virtual new kitchen including a belfast sink that I could not find in North and work tops sticking out of end boot on another occasion, even walked across ledra once with a chair half in a bag and the rest under my arm under my coat... LOL! Now working on the bathroom. The locals are always shopping there, and ESK school is full of stuff from IKEA apparently. I just think it best not to overdo it so as not to draw attention!

[tomsteel]

It's a good thing the TRNC Customs do not have access to this forum, else they would have a field day with expats smuggling proscribed goods into the country and posters telling them how to do it.

[saldean]

Tomsteel they probably do.

[PapaBravo]

Have bought a number of items from Ikea over the years, never bothered to hide stuff and never ever been stopped, or seen anyone else being stopped.

[sparky71]

We went over to Ikea and superhome last month and purchased two sink units for the bathroom. They consisted of sink/mirror and the cupboard style unit underneath, one of which was made up and one flat pack. The wife went back the next day with a friend and they each purchased a further one each from Leroy merlin and you could clearly see it in the back of the car, they gave a little glance our way but that was it.

[HotHippo]

I've no luck, and was "done" recently, having been daft enough to believe my companion's tale that the limit had been increased to €250 each.

We were taxed 30 % of the full value of just under €500 of IKEA and Carrefour goods.

Nae luck HH!!!!

[tomsteel]

Ref msg 7/10 above. Exactly, so why are posters releasing such information on a public forum? Their logic defies any sense - IMHO.

[Panchocat]

Agree with you Tomsteel no doubt customs will now begin a purge on all vehicles returning from the south.
We were all allowed one container of goods tax free on the way in so if you are caught with more then you have no one to blame but yourself IMHO.

[terry2366]

Went to ike a today and bought furniture over the trnc customs hut it states clearly you are allowed to bring goods worth 260 euros.

[sophie]

I agree with Tomsteel re these people who are boasting about what they get away with. Bonkers IMHO. They will be the first to moan if caught. On second thoughts, we probably won't get to hear about it!!

[tomsteel]

I reiterate, why openly boast you are flouting the laws of our host country? You must be very clever.

[scubadubaqueen]

I think it is more a case of openly flouting the importation of furniture. Like refraining from putting a 3 seater sofa on a roof rack! As for laws.... "Cyprus" is the host country as far as I am concerned, and whilst respecting that the North has a different take on things at the moment, I do not feel that bringing things across little an often to be a problem as still respecting the current "laws" this side. An officer once said to me, that what they don't "see" they don't ask questions about. I think you would have to be extremely unlucky to get fined, unless of course you were bringing in so much stuff they could not fail to miss it, and like another poster said, there is an allowance anyway. Also, like many things here, it depends who is on duty if you were stopped and their "take" on the local laws. Likewise some go for an MOT and no one even bothers to start up the engine to check that the lights and brakes work, whilst another might get a failure for not carrying a medical kit! Such are the "laws" of this land. Every weekend the IKEA car park is full of cars from the North filling up with booty and this is not new, and it is very very rare for anyone to get stopped, and if every car was stopped the queue would tale back to the Coca Cola Factory on a Saturday afternoon.

[HotHippo]

Can anyone clarify the allowance for crossing from South to North?

Terry has mentioned above that there is a notice at the Customs Office (I assume at the Metehan crossing), on the heading North lane, that states the allowance is €260; is that intended to inform those entering KKTC that their allowance, on returning South, is €260.

The reason I ask, is that I have recently been informed by Customs Officers, as I crossed from North to South, that my allowance on my return would be €135.

To be clear, I try my best to be a law-abiding person, and have no wish to flout the KKTC laws.

[Rosehillgirl]

Thanks for all your replies.

I can understand the € limits but it seems a bit silly that you can't spend the allowance on a piece of furniture.

Not everything here makes sense does it????

Rosie