LV in Rome and Milan...

alexcluvlv

O.G.
Jun 1, 2006
273
119
First time ever to go to Europe end of this month and it'll be in Rome and Milan :yahoo:. So, aside from doing all those tourist-y things, of course, I have plans to visit LV :graucho:. For those who have been to LV in both Rome and Milan what have your experiences been? Also, how and when do I take care of the VAT? TIA for the heads up :wave:!!!
 
First time ever to go to Europe end of this month and it'll be in Rome and Milan :yahoo:. So, aside from doing all those tourist-y things, of course, I have plans to visit LV :graucho:. For those who have been to LV in both Rome and Milan what have your experiences been? Also, how and when do I take care of the VAT? TIA for the heads up :wave:!!!
Your SA will explain everything about the VAT. Make sure you have your passport with you when you make a purchase eligible for the VAT refund.
 
I’ve been al LV in Rome many times. There are two boutiques, Via Condotti and Rome Etoile and a third one which is inside the Rinascente department store. I always shop at Rome Etoile. It’s the biggest one and SA are knowledgeable and professional. The name of my SA is Stefano.
Happy shopping [emoji877][emoji4]
 
They both happen to be great cities for LV shopping [emoji4] Esp since they have 3 boutiques in each of them. All within walking distance from each other so if one boutique doesn’t have them, you can always ask the SA to check the other boutiques and you can walk right over there.

That being said the ones I prefer to shop at in Milan is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, it’s right next to the Duomo and it’s a beautiful locale. Friendly SAs.

In Rome, I’d def recommend going to the one on Piazza di San Lorenzo. Beautiful displays, it’s large and has the best selection.

Must have your passport with you. FYI my SA just told me the other day after I witnessed an American causing a scene at the boutique that LV boutiques in Europe recently implemented a restriction on accepting AmEx if it’s a chip and signature, which is mostly US cards. It has to be a Chip & Pin, so in any case, i’d definitely recommend you take a Visa or MasterCard with you to be on the safe side. They said managers will make certain exceptions for US clients that have LV history but its at their discretion. Again, I don’t know how much every boutique is now enforcing this. It’s only LV, other designer boutiques have no AmEx issues.

The tax refund the SA will give to you and explain briefly. The paperwork is given to you in a brochure/pamphlet that has all the info. If it’s your first time, you’ll have to read it, it’s all there in simple steps. Just remember that you have to get a customs stamp on the form at the airport that you fly out of when you leave Europe. Also important please go to the airport at least 1.5hrs ON top of the recommended 3hr airport arrival time. Especially since Milan and Rome airports have long lines for the tax refund process. They are also notorious for actually making you take your items out of the bag to check.
 
They both happen to be great cities for LV shopping [emoji4] Esp since they have 3 boutiques in each of them. All within walking distance from each other so if one boutique doesn’t have them, you can always ask the SA to check the other boutiques and you can walk right over there.

That being said the ones I prefer to shop at in Milan is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, it’s right next to the Duomo and it’s a beautiful locale. Friendly SAs.

In Rome, I’d def recommend going to the one on Piazza di San Lorenzo. Beautiful displays, it’s large and has the best selection.

Must have your passport with you. FYI my SA just told me the other day after I witnessed an American causing a scene at the boutique that LV boutiques in Europe recently implemented a restriction on accepting AmEx if it’s a chip and signature, which is mostly US cards. It has to be a Chip & Pin, so in any case, i’d definitely recommend you take a Visa or MasterCard with you to be on the safe side. They said managers will make certain exceptions for US clients that have LV history but its at their discretion. Again, I don’t know how much every boutique is now enforcing this. It’s only LV, other designer boutiques have no AmEx issues.

The tax refund the SA will give to you and explain briefly. The paperwork is given to you in a brochure/pamphlet that has all the info. If it’s your first time, you’ll have to read it, it’s all there in simple steps. Just remember that you have to get a customs stamp on the form at the airport that you fly out of when you leave Europe. Also important please go to the airport at least 1.5hrs ON top of the recommended 3hr airport arrival time. Especially since Milan and Rome airports have long lines for the tax refund process. They are also notorious for actually making you take your items out of the bag to check.

This!
 
Thanks for all the information! Our hotels are located within walking distance of the boutiques so this should be a fun exercise :happydance:. I'm still trying to decide what to get :graucho:.



First time ever to go to Europe end of this month and it'll be in Rome and Milan :yahoo:. So, aside from doing all those tourist-y things, of course, I have plans to visit LV :graucho:. For those who have been to LV in both Rome and Milan what have your experiences been? Also, how and when do I take care of the VAT? TIA for the heads up :wave:!!!

Your SA will explain everything about the VAT. Make sure you have your passport with you when you make a purchase eligible for the VAT refund.

I’ve been al LV in Rome many times. There are two boutiques, Via Condotti and Rome Etoile and a third one which is inside the Rinascente department store. I always shop at Rome Etoile. It’s the biggest one and SA are knowledgeable and professional. The name of my SA is Stefano.
Happy shopping [emoji877][emoji4]

They both happen to be great cities for LV shopping [emoji4] Esp since they have 3 boutiques in each of them. All within walking distance from each other so if one boutique doesn’t have them, you can always ask the SA to check the other boutiques and you can walk right over there.

That being said the ones I prefer to shop at in Milan is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, it’s right next to the Duomo and it’s a beautiful locale. Friendly SAs.

In Rome, I’d def recommend going to the one on Piazza di San Lorenzo. Beautiful displays, it’s large and has the best selection.

Must have your passport with you. FYI my SA just told me the other day after I witnessed an American causing a scene at the boutique that LV boutiques in Europe recently implemented a restriction on accepting AmEx if it’s a chip and signature, which is mostly US cards. It has to be a Chip & Pin, so in any case, i’d definitely recommend you take a Visa or MasterCard with you to be on the safe side. They said managers will make certain exceptions for US clients that have LV history but its at their discretion. Again, I don’t know how much every boutique is now enforcing this. It’s only LV, other designer boutiques have no AmEx issues.

The tax refund the SA will give to you and explain briefly. The paperwork is given to you in a brochure/pamphlet that has all the info. If it’s your first time, you’ll have to read it, it’s all there in simple steps. Just remember that you have to get a customs stamp on the form at the airport that you fly out of when you leave Europe. Also important please go to the airport at least 1.5hrs ON top of the recommended 3hr airport arrival time. Especially since Milan and Rome airports have long lines for the tax refund process. They are also notorious for actually making you take your items out of the bag to check.
 
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Is any of this info pertinent if an American is living abroad, purchasing in Italy but mailing the item to the United States?

If you aren’t physically leaving with the bag, you won’t be able to claim tax refund. In fact, I wouldn’t even mention it at the boutique that you are planning to buy for someone else and mailing it. They might refuse to sell it. I mean you would still be saving a little compared to US prices even if you don’t claim the tax refund; but either way I would really think twice about shipping anything with the Italian postal service, esp a high valued item. Honestly from personal experiences, just shipping small invaluable items, I find the postal systems here to be unreliable, inefficient and slow. Not to mention the recipient might be slammed with US customs fees on it, since I’m assuming you will have to get it insured and get the value declared.
 
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If you aren’t physically leaving with the bag, you won’t be able to claim tax refund. In fact, I wouldn’t even mention it at the boutique that you are planning to buy for someone else and mailing it. They might refuse to sell it. I mean you would still be saving a little compared to US prices even if you don’t claim the tax refund; but either way I would really think twice about shipping anything with the Italian postal service, esp a high valued item. Honestly from personal experiences, just shipping small invaluable items, I find the postal systems here to be unreliable, inefficient and slow. Not to mention the recipient might be slammed with US customs fees on it, since I’m assuming you will have to get it insured and get the value declared.
Thank you for the information.
 
If you aren’t physically leaving with the bag, you won’t be able to claim tax refund. In fact, I wouldn’t even mention it at the boutique that you are planning to buy for someone else and mailing it. They might refuse to sell it. I mean you would still be saving a little compared to US prices even if you don’t claim the tax refund; but either way I would really think twice about shipping anything with the Italian postal service, esp a high valued item. Honestly from personal experiences, just shipping small invaluable items, I find the postal systems here to be unreliable, inefficient and slow. Not to mention the recipient might be slammed with US customs fees on it, since I’m assuming you will have to get it insured and get the value declared.

Totally agree about the unreliability of Italian postal service, but it’s not the only option: there are reliable private express couriers (es DHL, UPS). Mailboxes etc., is another excellent solution: they have several offices both in Milan and in Rome, pick up the parcel, insure it, and track it to the final destination. I always use them and never had any issue. They should take care of custom declaration as well.
 
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OP your trip is very promising, and certainly you’ll have great fun! If I were you I would spend some time in Milan Montenapoleone: it’s the biggest and the flagship and they have a great selection and are usually the first to receive new and rare items. It is crowded, but if you visit during the week you never wait to be helped. If you need a contact there please PM me.
 
OP your trip is very promising, and certainly you’ll have great fun! If I were you I would spend some time in Milan Montenapoleone: it’s the biggest and the flagship and they have a great selection and are usually the first to receive new and rare items. It is crowded, but if you visit during the week you never wait to be helped. If you need a contact there please PM me.
Hi,
Thank you--I've PM'ed you :biggrin:
 
Btw, for those people coming back into the U.S. from Europe and bringing your purchased goods with you--what have your experiences been like at customs? Did you pay any duties? Thank you.
I brought two bags back from Paris a few years ago. I did pay, but he didn't charge me very much--definitely less than the percentage that they have the authority to charge. I'm guessing he was just thankful that I declared my purchases as he thanked me for being honest. A friend of mine wasn't asked to pay anything at all, though I'm not sure she spent as much as me.

Make sure you declare your purchases. You don't want anything to happen to them as a result of getting caught trying to sneak them in.
 
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