Going to Paris/Monte Carlo

southamptonkity

southamptonkity

Southamptonkitty
O.G.
Mar 1, 2007
264
0
#1
Are bags cheaper there since they dont have to be shipped or go through customs? I'm staying astaying at Hotel Vernet in Paris..its just off Champs Elysee near the Arc de Triomphe- 2 minute walk from new LV store, and 10 min away from DIOR! I'd love to get a bag, i dont really care which dior, to say I got it in france.

Any ideas on pricing? Good SA's that will manage with my broken french, or that speak english?

TIA!:tup:
 
#2
southamptonkity said:
Are bags cheaper there since they dont have to be shipped or go through customs? I'm staying astaying at Hotel Vernet in Paris..its just off Champs Elysee near the Arc de Triomphe- 2 minute walk from new LV store, and 10 min away from DIOR! I'd love to get a bag, i dont really care which dior, to say I got it in france.

Any ideas on pricing? Good SA's that will manage with my broken french, or that speak english?

TIA!:tup:
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The mothership located near Champs Elysee has SAs speaking perfect English. The bags are definitely cheaper in Paris compared to the US Pricing. In addition, in Paris any receipt over $75 you can get the tax back when you leave the Europe continent.

I think the US price includes the French tax + you pay the US tax. It was cheaper for me when I got my load there. :roflmfao::okay::yahoo::tup::wlae::heart:

I love Paris.
 
#3
The price is cheaper for most French designer bags. I think you can get tax back (VAT - 10% - 12% ) if you spend more than 175 euro at one store in the same day. I did this while I was in Paris earlier this monthl.
 
#5
southamptonkity said:
omg now i'm hella psyched! thank you so very much. I cant wait to see the 'mothership' lol this is like a pilgrimage
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Just want to remind you couple things while you are in Paris:

- Bring your passport with you if you know you are going for shopping that since they DO need your passport while filling in the tax return form for you. The price they mark for the bag already included the tax which means you are going to get 12% back/discount

- Go to the airport earlier since you DO need custom stamp on your VAT pink paper (green one for your record). Bring all the goods with you since they may want to see them. If you don't have custom stamped on your form, it is going to be very complicated and hard to get your VAT tax back. You can mail the pink form with the supplied envelop (stores provided envelops for customers) at the airport. I didn't have time to mail my forms while I was at the airport, but I mailed them out when I came back. It has been three weeks, and I haven't received my tax back yet. I know it can take longer time to get tax back. Another option you can get your VAT tax back at the at the airport and you get 10% back instead of 12% since they charge fees (I didn't do this way since I didn't have time) . If I am wrong on this on -site tax return, somebody correct me please.
 
#6
d'Orsay said:
Just want to remind you couple things while you are in Paris:

- Bring your passport with you if you know you are going for shopping that since they DO need your passport while filling in the tax return form for you. The price they mark for the bag already included the tax which means you are going to get 12% back/discount

- Go to the airport earlier since you DO need custom stamp on your VAT pink paper (green one for your record). Bring all the goods with you since they may want to see them. If you don't have custom stamped on your form, it is going to be very complicated and hard to get your VAT tax back. You can mail the pink form with the supplied envelop (stores provided envelops for customers) at the airport. I didn't have time to mail my forms while I was at the airport, but I mailed them out when I came back. It has been three weeks, and I haven't received my tax back yet. I know it can take longer time to get tax back. Another option you can get your VAT tax back at the at the airport and you get 10% back instead of 12% since they charge fees (I didn't do this way since I didn't have time) . If I am wrong on this on -site tax return, somebody correct me please.
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Great reminder. :smile:
I elected to take cash at the airport. I just didn't want to wait and may be not get any $$ back. I was satisfied with not getting the extra 2%. :tup:
 
#7
foxy_chao said:
Great reminder. :smile:
I elected to take cash at the airport. I just didn't want to wait and may be not get any $$ back. I was satisfied with not getting the extra 2%. :tup:
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Thanks foxy_chao. I truly agree with you that if I had time, I would prefer to have my tax back at the airport. Since i was almost late for my flight, I couldn't do it at the airport.
 
#8
oh gosh! Thank you all so much for the wonderful advice. Did you know they discontinued the tax back when visiting Quebec? Suuuucks, so bad. I spent a ton thinking that the tax would make up for the lack of exchange rate lately, and I went into duty free and walked out with only a toblerone to show for my efforts.
 
#9
southamptonkity said:
oh gosh! Thank you all so much for the wonderful advice. Did you know they discontinued the tax back when visiting Quebec? Suuuucks, so bad. I spent a ton thinking that the tax would make up for the lack of exchange rate lately, and I went into duty free and walked out with only a toblerone to show for my efforts.
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For my understanding, if you purchase something at duty free shops in Canada; then you won't get anything back. The difference between Canada and France is:

- Canada: if a merchandise is marked $200, at the check-out you have to pay $ 228 (6% GST - Federal Tax, 8% PST - Province Tax 8% is for Ontario, I am not sure about Quebec since they are different among provinces). But you only get your 6% GST Federal tax back when you leave Canada ( the purchase for one receipt has to be over $ 55).

- France: if a merchandise is marked 200 euro, at the check-out you only need to pay 200 euro. And you will get your 10-12% of back after you submit your VAT tax refund form.
 
#12
d'Orsay said:
For my understanding, if you purchase something at duty free shops in Canada; then you won't get anything back. The difference between Canada and France is:
Click to expand...

oh i was saying that if you spent $50+ CAD before this year (not in duty free) that you got your tax back either at duty free, or by mailing in. They stopped that this year though... room tax back, shopping tax.. everything but food drink and gas.. bummer now.
 
#13
i'm soo excited for you southampton kitty!!! i'm sure your trip to paris would be a blast!

based on my experience in paris just this june, i love the store at rue royale - off faubourg st. honore and just a couple of streets from rue cambon where the main chanel is located. fyi, there's a chanel just next to the rue royale dior too but that chanel is one which i'd NEVER visit again - (more than the mothership at ave. montaigne) - the top level of rue royale was where i swore i saw the book with the exotic leathers in it, plus all the beautiful clothes and out of this world bags - like the lizard & croc jeanne bag). avenue montaigne is somewhere which you must visit of course, since it's the mothership, there's even homeware in one of the rooms there, and dior cosmetics and room upon rooms of clothes!

and no worries about the SAs being snotty/poor service. i got some PRETTY BAD service at chanel (SA practically raised her voice at me), but overall, i got the best service at dior even though i didn't buy anything. i just LOVED being in the dior boutiques best and the inventory is mindblowingly good!

pricing wise, i'd say it's really good plus with it being tax-free, it's really quite dreamy. the SAs speak excellent english and i'd recommend Rie (I think she's japanese) at the rue royale store - real patient, very friendly and enthusiastic and she knows the bags well.

everyone's given you really good tips. sensible (but stylish) shoes would be good too since my feet were practically aching after just walking along champs elysee. dress to impress definitely and it may be just me, but i did notice that carrying a designer bag helps get you faster service than if you were to carry a non-designer bag. the dior in the department stores (printemps? or lafayette? my memory is going wonkers) isn't too impressive so i'd give it a miss if you're short of time.

it's pretty walk-able down from champs elysee to ave montaigne and then rue royale (a nice slow walk though) but if you're taking the metro, the nearest stop to the rue royale one would be the concorde, it's just a straight road down from the exit at concorde.

and you've got to try leon's along champs-elysee, i love the mussels there. ;)
 
#15
you girls have got me sooooo excited! Thank you all again so very much.. the countdown is on.. 10 days!



I'm going to wipe my laptop's hd, and fill it to the brim with photos. :smile: Hopefully I will have something wonderfully dior to bring home! lol everyone thinks im crazy- going half way around the world, and all i care about are bags and shoes! ha maybe they are the crazy ones
 
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