Duty | Tax | Customs for International shopping {VAT refund}
- Thread starter ivivi
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I tried this with a monogram burberry poncho, no VAT back if ordered online
I had good luck with Premier for credit card refunds. It took maybe 1 week. I was seriously stunned when the credits showed up that quickly and that was with mailing the forms in. Global Blue seems much slower. I'm still waiting for a small credit card refund from a trip more than 6 weeks ago (and another one from a trip more than a year ago but that's another story!) Overall, I'm really wary of the credit card refund process and have started taking all my refunds in cash in the host country's currency and either saving it for a future trip or switching it back to dollars when I get home (as the rates are better from my bank than at the airport). The little credit card refund that I'm waiting on from my trip a few weeks ago was maybe around $15 total and was an experiment on my part to see how long it would take, to see if the problem I had a year ago was an exception rather than the rule. Well, 6 weeks and counting . . .still haven't gotten it. So, my advice is take the time to get the cash at the airport.
My friend was the one who went and submitted the forms end of September and still haven't gotten anything. She emailed them but they said to check back mid December if she hasn't gotten a refund
Yes it was. Oops I was mistaken about the date. The bag was purchased end of September but the form was turned in at the airport mid October
Hello all! I will be traveling to Paris in a few weeks and am looking to make a few purchases during my stay. I was hoping some of you would be able to advise on some questions I had.
- I've read that some of the large department stores, such as Printemps, have VAT refund counters in store. After purchasing, do I still need to have my forms validated by customs at the airport and mailed? I'll be asking for the refund on my credit card.
- My return flight to NY will be leaving out of CDG with a brief layover in LHR. Can I validate and mail in my forms in Paris, or do I need to do this in London? If doing so in London, will I need to leave the departures area to have my forms validated at customs and re-enter through security? My concern is that I have approximately 1.5 hours for my layover and am hoping to avoid going through security in LHR.
- What is the current VAT refund rate for the UK? It seems as if the refund amount will be less than if I were to receive in Euro?
- Somewhat unrelated question, but I will be flying into CDG at Terminal 2A. Am I able to go to Terminal 2E to shop before leaving the airport? It would definitely be more convenient to shop duty-free and avoid the VAT refund process. Also, has anyone had luck with the Shop & Collect service? http://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/shops/shop-collect