Rip-off Warning: Duty Free Shop in Dar es Salaam
Mar 12th, 2015, 09:44 AM
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Rip-off Warning: Duty Free Shop in Dar es Salaam
Hi
I bought a bottle of whisky at the duty free shop Dar es Salaam airport, but it was confiscated by security at Zurich while i was making my connection. Apparently it had the wrong type of plastic security bag.
I was quite annoyed as i had specifically asked the man in shop in Dar about this, and he gave me a clear assurance that the bag would be alright. I suppose it could have been an honest mistake, but maybe he was lying. Obviously it's a relatively trivial issue, but i thought i'd post on some travellers' forums.
By the way, also, don't carry carved wooden souvenirs in your handluggage; at Dar airport, the man in front of me in the security line had an African wooden carving confiscated because, they said, it could be used as a club. I wonder if security sold it back to the shop later.
Martian
I bought a bottle of whisky at the duty free shop Dar es Salaam airport, but it was confiscated by security at Zurich while i was making my connection. Apparently it had the wrong type of plastic security bag.
I was quite annoyed as i had specifically asked the man in shop in Dar about this, and he gave me a clear assurance that the bag would be alright. I suppose it could have been an honest mistake, but maybe he was lying. Obviously it's a relatively trivial issue, but i thought i'd post on some travellers' forums.
By the way, also, don't carry carved wooden souvenirs in your handluggage; at Dar airport, the man in front of me in the security line had an African wooden carving confiscated because, they said, it could be used as a club. I wonder if security sold it back to the shop later.
Martian
Mar 12th, 2015, 10:46 AM
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Can't comment re the bag in which your alcohol was placed. However, Tanzania is instituting additional fees for wooden carved items depending on type and price of item.
As this latter just went into effect, it would be a smart idea if tour operators advise their clients, but more so there be a sign at departures (whether by air or land) the details based on original cost and the fees due by traveler. And it would be beneficial that traveler request payment receipt from whom such purchase was made rather than airport/border personnel come up with their own figure.
As this latter just went into effect, it would be a smart idea if tour operators advise their clients, but more so there be a sign at departures (whether by air or land) the details based on original cost and the fees due by traveler. And it would be beneficial that traveler request payment receipt from whom such purchase was made rather than airport/border personnel come up with their own figure.
Mar 26th, 2015, 07:13 AM
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Not sure why you consider this a "rip-off" on the part of someone in the duty free shop in Dar. It was an agent in Zurich who ended up with your whiskey, wasn't it? Sounds more like a scam in Zurich. Big party in the back room on confiscated alcohol. LOL Why would you assume the guy in Dar was lying? Couldn't it have been a lie from the guy in Zurich? Or just a mistake on either side? I would have asked for a supervisor for clarification. Did you?
Mar 29th, 2015, 11:58 PM
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Actually yes, I did double-check afterwards, and I confirmed that the Zurich security man had correctly applied the rules.
As for the man in the duty free who assured me the bag would be okay in Zurich: as I said in my original post "it could have been an honest mistake, but maybe he was lying." At the very least, he was incompetent.
As for the man in the duty free who assured me the bag would be okay in Zurich: as I said in my original post "it could have been an honest mistake, but maybe he was lying." At the very least, he was incompetent.
