LV's New Purchase Enforcement
- Thread starter smudleybear
- Start date
It is probably only in Europe. The peice I just purchased in Europe was approximately 40% less than what I would have purchased it for in the USA (with tax). People could really run a resale business if some limits weren't put in place.
Really? My nationality (passport) is different but I'm a permanent resident in EU... So I end up pulling the short end of the straw? :rain:
I was recently in Paris and Vienna and made LV purchases in both countries. When I got to Vienna, I explained to the SA that I had made recent purchases in Paris, so I should be in the system. She told me that they don't have access to Paris' system and she had to add my info. So I'm not sure how they can police this throughout all of EU unless they've upgraded their system in the past few weeks or perhaps it applies to each EU country and not collectively throughout the EU.
Maybe trying to get the VAT tax refund? Part of the reason my purchase was 40% less was because I received a 79 euro tax refund as I exited the country. I had to show my passport to process the refund.
VAT Refunds are not at all related to purchase limits by retailers...meaning your VAT Refund cannot be denied because you've exceeded any purchase limits set by a retailer. Though I imagine the retailer might be agreeable to waiving any purchase limits if those purchases were not made with passports for VAT Refunds since you would lose some of the savings (thus reducing the likelihood that you are a re-seller purchasing for profit). Chanel has had a "one bag per passport" limit for years in EU, but I've have been able to exceed that limit by kindly asking the SA and have received full VAT Refunds for all purchases.
I don't see how they could even enforce this given the volume of LV customers. So I seriously doubt this is possible. Plus, I've heard that sales are seriously down in Paris since the attacks so why would they implement a rule that further reduces sales???
Seems dubious. I was in Spain last week and bought something at LV in Barcelona and at check out I said I should already be in the system, as I bought something as recently as March in Paris and the SA said they have separate systems and I'd need to register in theirs, too.
I know in Paris there are Asian tourists who will offer you money to go into LV on the Champs Élysées and buy a bag for them, as there is a limit to the quantity you can buy per day. At least, that was the case in 2014 when I lived there, it might've changed since.
I know in Paris there are Asian tourists who will offer you money to go into LV on the Champs Élysées and buy a bag for them, as there is a limit to the quantity you can buy per day. At least, that was the case in 2014 when I lived there, it might've changed since.
Awesome! Which bag?
A zippy wallet. Would be approx $870 in US with tax. After VAT tax refund was 456 Euros. Which is about $518 USD.
Below is a list of some LV items I've purchased over the past year in Europe and the USD cost (w/Local Sales Tax), actual Euro cost (after currency conversion to USD and w/VAT Refund), and the % off.
Go-14 PM: $4,579.50, 2747.25 e, 40% savings
Pallas Clutch: $1,171.50, 805.80 e, 32% savings
Key Cles: $213.00, 137.70 e, 37% savings
Mini Pochette: $330.15, 214.20 e, 36% savings
Pouch 15: $346.13, 223.57 e, 36% savings
I also used a card with zero foreign transaction fees and 1% cash back.
HTH
Go-14 PM: $4,579.50, 2747.25 e, 40% savings
Pallas Clutch: $1,171.50, 805.80 e, 32% savings
Key Cles: $213.00, 137.70 e, 37% savings
Mini Pochette: $330.15, 214.20 e, 36% savings
Pouch 15: $346.13, 223.57 e, 36% savings
I also used a card with zero foreign transaction fees and 1% cash back.
HTH
It hasn't been enforced yet (as far as I know). 5 items per passport within 6 months. Which is bizarre to me as they are nowhere near the level of Hermes in terms of pricing and scarcity.