Official worldwide thread - Tips/Advice for customs, VAT, etc...

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#586
anisetta said:
I think I'm late to reply but if you need cash at the airport you don't need to check any of the above, there used to appear the "cash" choise formerly but not anymore.

cash has a disadvantage as the tax refund payer company takes %10 of the total tax refund as a comission when you request cash; if you choose the credit card option then it takes 6-8 weeks to issue the payment -but its safe, your money won't get lost- and you don't pay any comission. This comission thing matters when you are going to get a high amount of tax refund
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Thank you for the reply. I'll keep in mind for the next time I go since I know I'll forget what I did when I did turn in my forms.

I did get cash though, since I wanted to pick up more souvenirs in duty free anyway. I don't mind the fee as it's almost like sales tax back home.
 
#587
Allisonfaye said:
Yeah, I am watching too. But it has only been about a month for me.
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Hi Allisonfaye! I had the same terrible experience at LHR, actually. Travelex refused to give me the cash refund after I got my customs stamp and told me to mail my refund to Paris (where my bag was originally purchased). I didn't even know I had to include a extra postage, so I fear the refund is lost. Our flight into LHR from CDG had been delayed and our layover time was cut extremely short. I was already stressed, and completely unhappy about being rejected!

Anyways, since it's been a while for you, I was curious to see if you've had any luck? Since you mailed your letter to Paris as well, did you include the postage?

I am upset because I had read up comprehensively on the VAT refund and was NOT expecting the airport fiasco.
 
#588
mkay224 said:
Hi Allisonfaye! I had the same terrible experience at LHR, actually. Travelex refused to give me the cash refund after I got my customs stamp and told me to mail my refund to Paris (where my bag was originally purchased). I didn't even know I had to include a extra postage, so I fear the refund is lost. Our flight into LHR from CDG had been delayed and our layover time was cut extremely short. I was already stressed, and completely unhappy about being rejected!

Anyways, since it's been a while for you, I was curious to see if you've had any luck? Since you mailed your letter to Paris as well, did you include the postage?

I am upset because I had read up comprehensively on the VAT refund and was NOT expecting the airport fiasco.
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It is looking like I am not going to get it. I gave it to a woman at the airport who said she was going to mail it to Paris. I suspect I filled out something wrong but they are so rude and not helpful at all. I guess they want to keep the money in Europe since their economy is in the toilet, too.
 
#589
Allisonfaye said:
It is looking like I am not going to get it. I gave it to a woman at the airport who said she was going to mail it to Paris. I suspect I filled out something wrong but they are so rude and not helpful at all. I guess they want to keep the money in Europe since their economy is in the toilet, too.
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Ugh, I'm sorry to hear! I hope it comes through though!

I wish they would've told me in Paris that I wouldn't be allowed to choose the cash option if I am leaving from another country (and to get postage)! That would've saved all the trouble. What a waste!
 
#590
mkay224 said:
Ugh, I'm sorry to hear! I hope it comes through though!

I wish they would've told me in Paris that I wouldn't be allowed to choose the cash option if I am leaving from another country (and to get postage)! That would've saved all the trouble. What a waste!
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I swear it's like they go out of their way to keep you from getting it. The guy at the airport in Brussels was a total a$$hole about it and not helpful at all.
 
#591
Allisonfaye said:
I swear it's like they go out of their way to keep you from getting it. The guy at the airport in Brussels was a total a$$hole about it and not helpful at all.
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Yes, unfortunate! I am not sure that I will try again next time, but I suppose my tips would be to (1) choose credit card refund and (2) mail the form back through certified mail from the US (after making copies of the forms).
 
#592
I dont know if this is the correct place for this question, but I'm hoping someone can help me with this: I want to buy a Chanel bag from Malleries, and have it shipped to my hotel in London (I'm going there in a few weeks).

Does anyone know what sort of import fees I could expect, and how would they have to be paid (as I do not reside permanently in the UK)? Might I be so lucky as not to be charged anything? Norwegian import fees are about 25 %, making the bag much more expensive, so this is what I want to avoid. I have asked the seller to reduce the value of the shipment, but haven't heard back regarding this yet.

Hoping for some positive replies :smile1:
 
#593
Has anyone in the US made an online bag purchase from a seller in Italy? A duty calculator I found online said the duty would be 9%. Does that sound right? Would there be any other fees? The info on this is surprisingly hard to find.

TIA!
 
#594
My brother is going to be going to Paris and making some purchases. He will then be leaving Paris on a flight to London and flying out from london (he will be in transit) then back to USA.
First question: Does he show the goods in paris for tax? or london? Basically I'm not sure what process he is supposed to go through.

His flight outbound from paris is at 7.20 AM (I'm not sure if the detax area will even be open before then).
His flight outbound from London is at 11.30 (thus a 4 hour transit period if the flight is not delayed). Will he have enough time to claim back on tax if he is supposed to do it in london?

What is the procedure for customs in USA? Do you declare your purchase there? and how much do you pay for US Customs? (purchases will be around 5 thousand dollars)
 
#595
I'm going to London and Paris in Feb, so I'll be interested to see comments. For the customs question, I know I always fill out my US customs forms at the airport before I leave (e.g. Heathrow). Then the US customs agents determine what you owe if anything.


The Customs Duty Rate is a percentage. This percentage is determined by the total purchased value of the article(s) paid at a foreign country and not basd on factors such as quality, size, or weight. The Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) provides duty rates for virtually every existing item. CBP uses the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUS), which is a reference manual that the provides the applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the U.S.

Here's a site with more info:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/kbyg/customs_duty_info.xml
 
#596
The last city in the EU that you're at is the place where you can get your tax refund. So your brother will have time to get his tax back in London.

Most important: you HAVE to show the agent the goods in person. That means they have to be carried with him; don't check them in!!!

Also, truth be told-- I bought a Chanel bag in Paris and didn't claim it when entering the US (box and all), and I was fine when my bag was scanned. But I wouldn't recommend it if you're concerned.
 
#597
Just wanted to share a tip with some of my fellow Canadians here to avoid huge duty fees. I recently wanted to order a pair of Valentino rockstud heels but wasn't looking forward to paying crazy duties. I remembered that in the past I've ordered things from revolve clothing and have never had to pay COD. So I knew Forward was their sister site and took a chance ordering the Valentino's as well as a Phillip Lim purse. Upon checkout they did not charge me any automatic brokerage fees as well as any sales tax. When it got delivered today I only had to pay my provincial sales tax and that was it. Just wanted to share this with any other Canadians out there who have hesitated to make a purchase for fear of overwhelming duty fees. Obviously this is restricted to only products that Forward sells. :p Hope this helps anyone looking to pull the trigger on a purchase.
 
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