Duty Free Gate Delivery - Why?

[Danger]

Does Hong Kong do gate deliveries for Australian-bound flights like Singapore or is it possible to buy liquids over 100mL and take them with you at the time of purchase like Kuala Lumpur?

 

[kyle]

Gate delivery does not happen on flights from NZ so I'd agree that it's due to security compliance

But then NZ prices are not competitive?

 

[Lynda2475]

If you want to buy something duty free before departing Australia, shop around and get the best retail deal and claim the tax back at the airport.

Much cheaper to buy your headphones at JB Hi Fi and claim the tax than buy at the airport where the price without duty is more than the price including duty at any large retail store.

 

[SYD]

If you want to buy something duty free before departing Australia, shop around and get the best retail detail and claim the tax back at the airport.

Much cheaper to buy your headphones at JB Hifi and claim the tax than but at the airport where the price without duty is more than the price including duty at any large retail store.

But difficult to do for booze and larger items that come under LAGs. I usually pre-order booze for collection back in SYD on return.

But then NZ prices are not competitive?

AKL used to be relatively good compared to Oz - but can vary with relatively EX rate.

Does Hong Kong do gate deliveries for Australian-bound flights like Singapore or is it possible to buy liquids over 100mL and take them with you at the time of purchase like Kuala Lumpur?

I saw your question after I passed through HKG yesterday otherwise I would have asked. I don’t recall seeing any DF sealed bags for collection (like SIN). I was flying to DPS.

Anyone know if DPS is competitive for DF booze? Otherwise I’ll take my chances on arrival in PER…

 

[Lynda2475]

But difficult to do for booze and larger items that come under LAGs. I usually pre-order booze for collection back in SYD on return.

I've never felt the need to buy booze before departing Aus, after all the lounge and plane offer free drinks and generally alcohol is much cheaper overseas where the taxes are lower.

Large items can be purchased retail and checked in whilst still claiming back tax, I have done this on luggage before.

I laughed that duty free store at SYD was promoting timtams on sale for $5/packet, when the sale price at Coles is usually $2.50/pack.

YMMV depends what you are buying.

 

[SYD]

I've never felt the need to buy booze before departing Aus, after all the lounge and plane offer free drinks and generally alcohol is much cheaper overseas where the taxes are lower.

Yes, very rare that I’d buy something on departure. Unless I know I might be captive to “resort” prices and want complement that with an in room G&T (assuming you can buy tonic water on arrival!). I did that going to NOU.

Absolutely zero desire to buy something in SYD to cart around and bring home. Hence why “preorder” for pickup on arrival home is extremely handy if buying something at your last port of call before home isn’t practical/competitive.

 

[RooFlyer]

Large items can be purchased retail and checked in whilst still claiming back tax, I have done this on luggage before.

You buy it retail, check it in your luggage, claim the GST back, lug the stuff all over wherever overseas then bring it back??? Rather than pre-order it at the departure airport and collect on return??? What would be the $ saving on, say a 1l bottle of gin (or choose your own medicine)?

 

[Lynda2475]

You buy it retail, check it in your luggage, claim the GST back, lug the stuff all over wherever overseas then bring it back???

Well that's generally how luggage works, you take it with you to put your stuff in (the luggage was the large item i bought as clearly stated). I was able to claim tax back on my travel pack, packing cells, hiking poles and boots all bought at the same store, all checked in, all tax refunded. All stuff i needed to take with me to Patagonia, so no chore to lug and yes i brought it back as these are not single use items.

You clearly didn't bother to read what i wrote just tried to be funny about gin, not an item i mentioned nor would ever buy.

 

[RooFlyer]

Well that's generally how luggage works, you take it with you to put your stuff in (the luggage was the large item i bought as clearly stated). I was able to claim tax back on my travel pack, packing cells, hiking poles and boots all bought at the same store, all checked in, all tax refunded. All stuff i needed to take with me to Patagonia, so no chore to lug and yes i brought it back as these are not single use items.

You clearly didn't bother to read what i wrote just tried to be funny about gin, not an item i mentioned nor would ever buy.

We were talking about buying booze - you replied to and quoted a statement about booze. But yes, I see you changed the subject again. OK.

If some one writes " .... say, ..." its an example, an illustration. You know?

 

[gaz0303]

Well that's generally how luggage works, you take it with you to put your stuff in (the luggage was the large item i bought as clearly stated). I was able to claim tax back on my travel pack, packing cells, hiking poles and boots all bought at the same store, all checked in, all tax refunded. All stuff i needed to take with me to Patagonia, so no chore to lug and yes i brought it back as these are not single use items.

You clearly didn't bother to read what i wrote just tried to be funny about gin, not an item i mentioned nor would ever buy.

How did the process go on return to Australia? I’m trying to figure if the hassle is worth saving max $90, if I understand the TRS and personal concession rules.

 

[Lynda2475]

We were talking about buying booze - you replied to and quoted a statement about booze. But yes, I see you changed the subject again. OK.

If some one writes " .... say, ..." its an example, an illustration. You know?

No someone said you cant claim large items, I provided evidence that you can. The title of this thread is not Duty Free Booze.

As i specified the item I was talking about, no example or illustration necessary.

Post automatically merged: Jul 21, 2023

How did the process go on return to Australia? I’m trying to figure if the hassle is worth saving max $90, if I understand the TRS and personal concession rules.

Zero issues as the total value was under $900 (and being used clothing the boots were exempt from duty on return anyway).

 

[Austman]

Does Hong Kong do gate deliveries for Australian-bound flights

Unless the legislation has changed, HKG is not an exempt country so airside shops either will not sell alcohol at all or must deliver to the gate for a direct flight to Australia.

The last time I was flying to Australia, some years ago, the airside shops simply refused to sell it for those flights.

 

[Forg]

How did the process go on return to Australia? I’m trying to figure if the hassle is worth saving max $90, if I understand the TRS and personal concession rules.

I’d be interested to know this too … what procedures are involved, how much difference does it make to the amount of time between that sweet release from The Hurtling Tube Of Pain and being land-side in <insert chosen form of transport>?

I remember neighbours doing a 6-week trip around Europe carting a VHS VCR they’d bought in a Duty Free place before they left, and being surprised that someone would do that compared to the cost of a family-of-5 trip to Europe … stuff you’re using OS seems like a good idea (eg. digital cameras used to be quite expensive so buying duty-free to use OS and then claiming the GST back was something worth doing when you didn’t have lounge access on departure).

 

[Austman]

I’d be interested to know this too … what procedures are involved,

None of the item total is under $900.00.

If the items have been used, it’s their used value that counts. Many items lose value once used. Some by large amounts.

If in doubt you can ask customs and let them decide.

Eg I purchased an over $1,000 mobile, received the GST refund, but used it both before leaving Australia and while overseas. Customs, when I returned to Australia, said that they considered it now would be worth under $900.00.

 

[papeto]

Lotto duty free runs a 20% off promotion from time to time. They own the BNE duty free shop and also have a shop in Sydney. The 20% is good value when buying champagne. Great for taking overseas or getting on your return.

 

[Austman]

The 20% is good value when buying champagne.

Wine can be very expensive in many overseas countries, even at duty free prices.

Lotte duty free now runs Melbourne and Singapore.

Look at the same product in Australia and Singapore.

Australia:



Singapore:


S$48 = A$53.

So you can buy 3 x bottles in Australia for less than 1 bottle in Singapore.

Both at duty free prices (haha).

 

[SYD]

Just to add to that, Australian wine is generally poor value at Oz DF at the best of times.

 

[Austman]

Just to add to that, Australian wine is generally poor value at Oz DF at the best of times.

Agreed.

But, especially when on special, it can be reasonable value and quite handy to buy airside at the airport. That’s the only way if HLO of course.

And especially if going to a country like Singapore, were wine starts at around S$30 for a bottle of the cheapest (from anywhere). Maybe around S$25 in the big supermarkets. That’s still A$28!

It’s not always true to say that alcohol is cheaper overseas. Even at DF prices.

 

[Forg]

When last in a supermarket in Belgium, not known as the cheapest place in the entire world (OK not super expensive but not the 3rd world either), Australian wine was represented to me by the Wynns "black label" Cab Sauv being the equivalent of ~$20 when it was ~$40 here at the likes of Dan Murphys. Way cheaper there. However, the bad Oz stuff was barely any cheaper (and something that was a $10 bottle here was closer to $15 there ... "yellowtail" rings a bell, wine designed for soaking your car parts for cleaning).

Some countries are cheaper, some more expensive. Tax on booze isn't any lower in the UK for example; but the booze is cheaper in the first place, tax on a lower price is of course lower.

 

[jb747]

I recall buying Wolf Blass Black and Grey label in a little off licence store in London for about 8 quid. A fraction of the Oz prices. I never bought much of anything in the duty free stores, unless I had some odd foreign currency to get rid of.