Customs Stamp at LHR and Virgin Atlantic Car Service

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tustin

tustin

O.G.
Jan 17, 2010
835
423
#1
I have a dilemma and was wondering if others have had the same experience so please help if you have.

I need to get my VAT forms stamped by Customs before the security gate. But we're taking the Virgin car service that pretty much gets you through most of the security stuff through a back entrance. I'm no longer in London and thought of this when I started to buy stuff in Italy.

I don't know that I could exit security after I've cleared it to get my forms stamped.

Any suggestions on what to do who have been through this before with Virgin?

TIA!
 
#3
I seem to remember doing the Customs thing at the airport in any country I visited as long as I made a purchase in that particular country. There was no regularity in it either. When I was on a cruise ship, I did it at a Customs Office at the port.
 
#5
Presently traveling in Europe and trying my best not to incur my crazy roaming charges - every call to VA these days is at least 10 minutes long (or longer) even in the UC queue due to the BA strike and/or volcano. I will resort to this if I can't find the answer elsewhere. Their website is no help. Thanks for suggesting...
perlerare said:
Why don't you ask Virgin car service if they can help ?
Click to expand...
 
#7
sushi-queen - thanks for the tip! I will do that.

Ms.Birkin - that was my last resort, I think! It's nice to have everything handled but if need be, I'd probably have to do that. But I'll take sushi-queen's advice and post this question there in case anyone else has been through it before.
 
#8
i think you could pack all the vat-able stuff in a case or two together in case the vat people want to see any of it, and tell the driver you have to stop to do your vat stamping, the driver should know what to do..
 
#9
tustin said:
sushi-queen - thanks for the tip! I will do that.

Ms.Birkin - that was my last resort, I think! It's nice to have everything handled but if need be, I'd probably have to do that. But I'll take sushi-queen's advice and post this question there in case anyone else has been through it before.
Click to expand...


It would be mine as well LOL! I hope you manage to get it sorted and enjoy the rest of your travels
 
#10
I just got back so here's what happened:

I was at CDG airport and had packed all the stuff in one carryon bag. Although I had read and experienced in the past that we can only detax as we're leaving the EU, I decided to try away. I was only flying back to LHR and not the US yet, but I did let the customs agent know this - that I wasn't flying out of the EU for good until the next day. Luckily, the customs agent just let it through and stamped all of them. The only question he had was, "Are the goods here?"

Then, I got back to London and realized that there is a detax kiosk AFTER customs at LHR in Terminal 3. I don't remember this at all from our travels before and/or remember reading this here on TPF. Anyway, if anyone needs to go through this process, there is a way to get detaxed AFTER customs but you have to keep your goods on you as carry-on.

Hope this helps someone else!
 
#11
Thank you for the update tustin!

I am planning a similar trip - us - lon - paris - lon - us on virgin too so this is very helpful!

so if we're going to handcarry the VAT refund items, we can just go to the detax kiosk after customs at LHR T3 and skip the detax kiosk before checkin altogether?
 
#12
Mojo - that's what I saw on the detax instructions/envelope where there was a map of the various airports and locations of the "stamp" detax locations (as opposed to the "refund" locations).

The Virgin car service is the way to go because you go straight to a special security line into T3 (unfortunately, not straight into the lounge but you get to visit all the great shops, including H!).

If you want to pack all your stuff into your checked luggage for the London-->US leg home, try what I did which is to get the forms stamped in CDG/Paris but you have to keep the goods on you (so either as carry-on or before you check in). The kiosk that we used at CDG was pre-security. But it may not work. I think that I just got lucky.
 
#13
thanks very much tustin! If I get lucky and score a bag, I'll be way too chick to check it in! so I don't mind keeping it with me and then going to the kiosk after check in. this sounds more convenient as people who go to the pre check-in kiosk are sometimes asked to produce their goods again inside, right?

the virgin car service is the one for upper class passengers?

I am trying to be organised cos will have my 4 year old with me!!!
 
#14
Mojo - you won't need to show your goods again after security if you got your detax stamp before the security checkpoint. It's only once. I can't speak for whether you need to show it again if you want your tax refund in cash as I did all of mine via credit card.

Yes - the car service is for UC passengers.

I can totally relate to having to be extra organized when you have LOs with you. We opted to leave our LO at home, but I remember a trip to NYC when we had to have everything organized. Total nightmare otherwise.

Have fun!!!
 
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