Best way to 'detax' after H in Europe

[Mininana]

FYI I learned this today. You can download the global blue app, make yourself a profile and they give you an ID card. You can later add more info such as CC details for refund as well as address and other info you sometimes have to input manually or tell merchants (like at Lafayette)

This app gives you a bar code and virtual card you can later hand out for the merchant to scan and it will have all of your details


I heard some people got a physical global blue card on the mail afterwards. Makes shopping so much easier and less prone to mistakes.

 

[EmileH]

FYI I learned this today. You can download the global blue app, make yourself a profile and they give you an ID card. You can later add more info such as CC details for refund as well as address and other info you sometimes have to input manually or tell merchants (like at Lafayette)

This app gives you a bar code and virtual card you can later hand out for the merchant to scan and it will have all of your details


I heard some people got a physical global blue card on the mail afterwards. Makes shopping so much easier and less prone to mistakes.

Great info. Thanks!

 

[LailaT]

Here's my VAT experience in Italy (Venice) yesterday. I submitted 3 forms; only 1 was from Hermès, and it was on a tape/receipt format and not like the 2 other forms with which I was familiar, but still came with the same Global Blue envelope addressed to Bratislava. I did put all 3 forms in one envelope, got tape from the Turkish Airlines ticket counter to ensure nothing would fall out since the envelope's stickiness was lacking, and dropped it in the post box at Venice Marco Polo airport - after obtaining customs stamps on all 3 of course. I expect the cc refund soon, but if there's a problem - TIA for all the valuable resources on this thread!

Something I found curious btw, is that the Venice H calculates 12% on everything, regardless of whether gold is included, and regardless of total spent. (By contrast, Céline offered 12.5% for purchases below 3K, then 14% 3-5K, and at 5K I believe it went up to I believe 16%.)

Yikesy, I just saw on my cc statement that so far only 2 of the 3 refunds came through, and not the Hermès one yet, which was of course the largest one. I really hope the receipt I received and filled out from Venice H was sufficient.

Have any of my fellow TPFers shopped at an Italian H and experienced similar? Perhaps I'll copy this over in the Milan/Rome Shopping thread to enquire...

 

[EmileH]

Yikesy, I just saw on my cc statement that so far only 2 of the 3 refunds came through, and not the Hermès one yet, which was of course the largest one. I really hope the receipt I received and filled out from Venice H was sufficient.

Have any of my fellow TPFers shopped at an Italian H and experienced similar? Perhaps I'll copy this over in the Milan/Rome Shopping thread to enquire...

Don't worry. I haven't shopped in Italy, but in France Hermes always takes a bit longer.

 

[Graw]

Yikesy, I just saw on my cc statement that so far only 2 of the 3 refunds came through, and not the Hermès one yet, which was of course the largest one. I really hope the receipt I received and filled out from Venice H was sufficient.

Have any of my fellow TPFers shopped at an Italian H and experienced similar? Perhaps I'll copy this over in the Milan/Rome Shopping thread to enquire...

Laila, Italian H takes longer and may come as a check in a few months as opposed to the faster electronic returns.

 

[LailaT]

Thank you Pocketbook Pup and Graw. I appreciate your advice! It went in the envelope (as the one shown in fly22's post above) and showed VISA credit card as method of refund, so I'd be surprised to receive a check. I guess the weird thing to me is just that the other 2 refunds (sent in same envelope as the H one) came through on my cc statement 2 weeks ago already.

 

[LailaT]

^refund came through just now, just shy of 10.5% unfortunately, but still glad it finally did come. <2 months, as you said. Thank you again for the counsel!

 

[Graw]

That is great!

 

[EmileH]

Hi everyone. I returned on the 12th from Paris. This experience with Detaxe and customs was much smoother and in keeping with all of my other experiences returning home from a trip. I strongly believe that the not so nice French agent deliberately flagged me then didn't process my forms correctly last trip which caused me a huge hassle.

All of my forms scanned in Pablo except the expensive ones from Hermes and for sone reason a small one for two brooches from Chanel. I took this forms to the agent. This agent was nice. She asked to see the items and I showed her. Just like last time I had put the jewelry in small pouches rather than carry them in the boxes. She questioned that and I offered to show her the boxes in my bag that I planned to check. She said that was fine. I put the forms in the various boxes and kept my copies. I had taken photos of all the forms in my hotel room the night before.

To my surprise two French agents met me at the gate and asked again to see the items. I showed them and they thanked me and left.

When I got to US customs I presented my form. I had declared everything of course but this time I had written up a summary on a sheet of hotel stationery, with the conversion from euros to dollars and the totals. I had all of the receipts in an envelope.The agent thanked me for being so organized. He didn't ask to see anything and he charged me a 3.9% flat rate which was much lower than I expected.

Today is the first that I checked. All of my refunds including Hermes are in process successfully except the small Chanel refund. Maybe that's just a bit behind everything else. The Hermes forms were indeed in global Blue's tracking system.

So don't be worried if they stop you at the gate. This is apparently routine. Declare everything and be as organized as possible. It pays.

 

[EmileH]

Update: premier says that my Chanel form wasn't properly stamped by customs. It's only $100 so I probably won't bother with it. I'm going to plan B: take all of your refunds in cash if possible. At least it was a small one this time. My Hermes forms are in progress.

 

[Unlimit]

I've had problems every time using the Pablo machine to scanned my H purchases (B, K), my vat forms gets rejected and than required me to see a custom agent. Does this happen to other people?

 

[EmileH]

I've had problems every time using the Pablo machine to scanned my H purchases (B, K), my vat forms gets rejected and than required me to see a custom agent. Does this happen to other people?

Yes all of my jewelry and expensive bag forms are rejected my Pablo. That's where the problem arises. You have to trust that the agent properly "stamped" them. There used to be a physical stamp that you could photograph but not any more. You have no proof. The agents keep messing up for me. My Hermes forms appear to have been properly stamped by the agent this time thank goodness.

 

[scndlslv]

I've had problems every time using the Pablo machine to scanned my H purchases (B, K), my vat forms gets rejected and than required me to see a custom agent. Does this happen to other people?

Yes I have to have the agent stamp my form each time. However they've never asked to see any of the merchandise and I've received my refund each time.

 

[Chenah]

I returned from Paris on November 16th. All my vat forms were scanned successfully at the CDG airport using the Pablo machine, including my Hermes purchases. I dropped off the forms at the La Poste mailbox since it was near the Pablo machine and I did not see any Global Blue box. Today is the first day I checked the status in the Global Blue online tracking system, it says "no records". Any idea why?

Thanks!

 

[EmileH]

I returned from Paris on November 16th. All my vat forms were scanned successfully at the CDG airport using the Pablo machine, including my Hermes purchases. I dropped off the forms at the La Poste mailbox since it was near the Pablo machine and I did not see any Global Blue box. Today is the first day I checked the status in the Global Blue online tracking system, it says "no records". Any idea why?

Thanks!

It must just be taking a bit longer. Keep checking. Good luck