Official worldwide thread - Tips/Advice for customs, VAT, etc...
- Thread starter mercx5
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Yes this can happen if you get the vat tax refund prior to leaving the country and do not submit the right forms when you leave, they will claw back what they gave you.
You should get a customs stamp and submit the paperwork at your last European Union city. In the case paris since you only have a stopover and aren’t actually going through customs again.
I’ve been to Paris over 10 times and have gone through the VAT process even before the Pablo electronic system. The forms were all scanned appropriately. After emailing them several times and not getting any informative responses on the delay in refund, they credited me back after 5 months only to reverse it a week later. The app showed that I completed all the necessary steps and the refund was issued. Later it was reversed stating I didn’t complete the necessary steps. Since I scanned my forms, there is no stamp to show for it. Actually the higher item form had to be inspected by customs and scanned. Buyers beware. Global Blue can scam you.
Sorry to hear that this happened to you but what I did last weekend when I flew back from Paris was that I took a picture of the confirmation screen on the Pablo machine, after I got the green check mark. It shows the form number that I scanned, so I’ll have proof in case they don’t refund me my VAT.
Oh yes global blue continues to get more and more shady. I would continue to complain and ask for them to prove what step you didn’t complete. Also be aware the best way to get the refund used to be CC however now they refuse to refund in local currency and instead refund to where you are from and by doing so they take another 15-20% conversion fee! So the 10-12% you were getting back now becomes like 8% So fricken shady!
That’s a good idea. I know on one of them, I had to see the custom’s agent who them scanned it. I even have a screen shot in the app with them saying I completed all the steps yet they still reversed it now saying I did not and that it’s past the time. Well, all my emails fell on deaf ears for the past several months. Even if you have a photo of the Pablo scan, if they don’t refund your money, there’s no one that you can even complain to! I just messaged my sales associates to see if they have any further contact info.
Just an idea but if they charged you again by credit card why don’t you dispute the charge on your CC. Then they will have to respond to you with evidence
I tried that already and they said since it’s a reversal that they can’t do anything about it despite my documentation. Since they are not a merchant but provide a service and it’s a net zero balance, they cannot reverse it.
Planet Payment-
Can anyone share their experience of how long it took Planet Payment to register the tax refund form in their system? I mailed my VAT refund from Zurich's airport to the office in Greece on May 19. I've been checking the website and it still says "We are waiting to receive your stamped Tax Free form."
Can anyone share their experience of how long it took Planet Payment to register the tax refund form in their system? I mailed my VAT refund from Zurich's airport to the office in Greece on May 19. I've been checking the website and it still says "We are waiting to receive your stamped Tax Free form."
I will be flying from the US to Paris and plan to make several purchases. I will then take a train to London (and likely make additional purchases), and then fly home to the USA from there. When entering London customs, do I pay tax/duty on the purchases I made in Paris? If so, any idea how much that is?
I didn't think I had to pay when entering the UK, but then I saw a post where a shopper was charged thousands when she went through London customs, so now I'm nervous.
Thank you so much. I couldn’t find this information anywhere!
I didn't think I had to pay when entering the UK, but then I saw a post where a shopper was charged thousands when she went through London customs, so now I'm nervous.
Thank you so much. I couldn’t find this information anywhere!
Do the bags have to be in their original boxes? My carry-on is quite small so I was wondering if I can just put the bags for the customs.
I live in the UK and will be visiting a country in the EU and am planning on buying a handbag costing a few thousand £. Then I want to get the tax refunded, so the bag will be in its original packaging and carried onto the plane. When I land in the UK, I presume I have to declare it at customs right? I can't find any information (that I understand) on the government website, all I understand is that I will have to pay 20% of the total cost of the bag, plus 2% customs fees. Even after the tax refund, this will still be a lot more than purchasing it in the UK. The last time I travelled, I didn't get a tax refund at the country and wore all the items for the duration of my trip, so I didn't even realise I may have needed to declare the items upon arrival... Nobody flagged me down. In fact, 50% of the time, there's no security at the 'goods to declare' part of customs when exiting the airport.
Am I missing something obvious? If it's so expensive to pay tax and customs, why do people even bother buying 'tax free' items in Europe? For those of you living in the UK, have you had any experience with this? What should I do?
Am I missing something obvious? If it's so expensive to pay tax and customs, why do people even bother buying 'tax free' items in Europe? For those of you living in the UK, have you had any experience with this? What should I do?