But I dont plan on spending the time at a hotel and can they not check up on this ??
But I dont plan on spending the time at a hotel and can they not check up on this ??
Suppose they could, but don't think they do....
no, they can't/don't care/won't check up on that - i mean imagine it.... there's just no possible way, or reason, to actually keep 'close tabs' on every tourist and where they go once they're on the island. 'technically' the govt needs to know where you're staying, partly in case of, say, a hurricane or natural disaster, in case there becomes a need to look for (or, god forbid, identify) people, or account for them after a disaster, and it's also the 'address of record' they would use for delivering lost luggage or for any potential emergency.
but typically, the information you give to the officer while standing at the immi desk, in reality usually doesn't go any farther than that -
people are always divided on what to actually write on your forms and tell the officers --- most say just always put a hotel name, because once you start getting into "i'm staying with my friend/bf/husband at their house", it opens them up to ask ALL kinds of personal questions, looking thru bags for gifts you 'MUST' be bringing, charging you duty on stuff - even if it's really not a gift but for your own use, etc etc. Anything is possible although it of course doesn't always happen. Others always put the true yard address and take their chances, cause they feel it's better the govt knows where they really are, in case the info is ever needed.
Last edited by MissBlue; 10-26-2011 at 11:56 AM.
Miss Blue, do they actually charge duty on gifts?
Yup! That's what happened to us! I think it was trip #4. At the last minute I threw in some tshirts from our business (cost us very little), still in the bags...oops #1. The customs lady asked if we had made any friends on our trips...big smiles & a yes we have...did you bring gifts...actually yes we did...oops #2 lol! So our bags get torn into and the lady wants the "value" not our cost, those were about to be some silly expensive gifts! Luckily the guy you pay had trouble reading the ladies writing so we ended up pay far less than she would have had us! Lesson learned!!!Originally Posted by Sweet_Dawta
You were lucky sandy-girl!!
I get the idea of tracking everyones where abouts would be a bit much but I'm talking my own personal experience. I've already been documented on staying with Andre through the customs agent that interrogated me he pretty much wrote down everything I said. I am almost 100% sure that i've been flagged and will most likely get searched/questioned again. So if I return 6 months after my first visit with a "local" would they not wonder why I hadn't seen him the next trip? I just don't want to get myself in any unnecessary "hot water" because I've lied on my Visa.
yah i get what you're saying - but it doesn't necessarily follow, logically speaking, that someone would ALWAYS stay at the same place every time they visit jamaica. so as far as 'wondering why you don't see him next trip' -- that's a level of personal detail that's just not really done. hundreds of people don't see the same people on each trip, and stay at loads of different spots each different time they go - i truly don't think that kind of minutiae of detail would be examined THAT specifically. even for someone who may have been 'red-flagged' - it's still not necessarily always thought that they would 'definitely' go to all the exact same places and do the same things every trip. it's also a very common plan that the visitor has their local freind/bf/spouse/whatever go to stay with THEM at the hotel, instead of the visitor staying at the private home.... so that wouldn't be unusual -- even more so for a potential red-flagged visitor..... it could just as easily be explained that said visitor wants no more issues, and therefore plans the next trip to be completely in a tourist area, specifically to make sure that no more questions would be raised about them. (just an example, but i'm sure you get what i'm sayin')
if you're more comfortable putting the yard address though, just go with that.... whatever you feel is appropriate for you is what you should do!
Last edited by MissBlue; 10-26-2011 at 12:26 PM.
Hey Miss Blue,
Ya I completely see where you are coming from I guess I'm just a bit paranoid now but I think I'll have a better idea of what to do when I'm sure of where I'm staying on the island next trip coming
Thanks for everyones input and advice!
I just can't see you being "red flagged" for what?? you didnt do anything!!!!`You didnt have drugs, you had a valid passport, and a Jamaican boyfriend!! not a big deal!! A positive test for coke, on your hands..that is probably not even %100 legit...they have nothing! they can't do jack $h!t !
I've been very busy but finally had the chance to catch up this afternoon! What a great report Manda, loved it
I've only been sent to the right once...last year, trip #7...my hungover husband said "I dunno" when the lady asked him if the wood carvings were treated. ARGH! I only had to pull them out for the agent to look over, no big deal. I feel so bad for what you went through!!
Also, I go every year around the first week of March. Last year I paid $334 r/t (taxes IN) the 2 previous years were around $350. Watch for seat sales after the Christmas/New Years season!! $600 is TO much
sandy-girl : Absolutely!!
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