This strange platform that wants to promote the cross-border transfer of cigarettes and alcohol

"Finally, a real advantage to being European." This is one of the slogans that litters the website of Carklop, a new platform launched on Thursday, September 11, whose name gets straight to the point: for a commission, it offers to connect individuals who want to carpool... to buy cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, or groceries, but on the other side of the French border.

The idea stems from the frustration of a 52-year-old man living in Haute-Saône, Philippe Poulard, who has "tried to quit smoking three or four times" but hasn't succeeded: "It was when I took a trip to Germany that I realized everything was cheaper. It would be stupid not to warn people, we have the right to buy food abroad. My goal is to make people tighten their belts less." Like Blablacar or another cost-sharing platform, passengers pay the driver, and Carklop takes a 15% commission.

A priori, nothing illegal, customs services tell Le Monde : "The site in question refers to the regulatory information available on the customs website." Since spring 2024, the limit of one carton per person upon returning from a European Union country no longer exists, but has been replaced by a list of twelve criteria to differentiate commercial imports from imports for personal consumption. In addition to the admittedly high maximum quantities – four cartons of cigarettes per person, ten liters of spirits, 90 liters of wine, 110 liters of beer, etc. – a passenger must prove that they do not intend to resell the products afterward.

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