Paris question.. please help!

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galex101404

galex101404

O.G.
Jun 22, 2007
4,629
286
#1
I have searched through almost all of the Paris recommendation threads and i wanted to give a huge thank you for everyone who commented, it helped a lot!

My boyfriend and i are planning a trip to Paris and Amsterdam for May 2010..

I know that i am entitled to a tax refund and i really want to buy my kelly in Paris, but i was wondering if the refund will be automatically deducted at the time of purchase or would i have to wait a few months to receive it?

Would the prices/tax refund be better in Paris or Amsterdam?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, i tried to search, but had no luck! Thanks so much in advance:hugs:
 
#3
mooks said:
You can get it put back on your credit card or you can opt for cash at the airport but you get more back if you go for the cc option
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Thanks for your help!

So pretty much at Hermes i will have to pay full price, but when i leave i will get refunded at the airport? I just want to make sure i got it right =)

Also, we are landing in Amsterdam, going to Paris for a few days, then going back to Amsterdam an flying out of there.. will that make a different on how much tax i will get back? Thanks so much again for your help!:heart:
 
#4
You will get a flat 10% back from Hermes. It does make a difference WHICH credit card you choose for the refund, because different credit cards will have different tiny fees attached to international transactions. I have been told at Hermes that Amex takes the biggest bite. I do not know how important this is, but I always opt for the refund to go to a non-Amex card. You do not have to use the same card for the refund that you use to make the purchase.

The MOST important thing to remember is NOT to check your purchase in a suitcase before heading to the detaxe desk at the airport. At that price point they will ask to see your purchase and if you do not have it with you to show the agent, you will not get the stamps for the refund.

Enjoy!
 
#6
Perigord said:
You will get a flat 10% back from Hermes. It does make a difference WHICH credit card you choose for the refund, because different credit cards will have different tiny fees attached to international transactions. I have been told at Hermes that Amex takes the biggest bite. I do not know how important this is, but I always opt for the refund to go to a non-Amex card. You do not have to use the same card for the refund that you use to make the purchase.

The MOST important thing to remember is NOT to check your purchase in a suitcase before heading to the detaxe desk at the airport. At that price point they will ask to see your purchase and if you do not have it with you to show the agent, you will not get the stamps for the refund.

Enjoy!
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:tup: advice. This was what I did too.
 
#7
galex101404 said:
Thanks for your help!

So pretty much at Hermes i will have to pay full price, but when i leave i will get refunded at the airport? I just want to make sure i got it right =)

Also, we are landing in Amsterdam, going to Paris for a few days, then going back to Amsterdam an flying out of there.. will that make a different on how much tax i will get back? Thanks so much again for your help!:heart:
Click to expand...

You pay full price first, and get refunded only when your detaxe forms are processed. This might be at the airport in cash (in which case you typically receive only around 5% in return because of various commissions), or a few months later after you mail your forms back to Hermes (in which case you get about 9% in return in your own currency after taking into account currency exchange rates and commission from your credit card company).

Unless you are on transit only in Amsterdam on your way out from Paris, and have an onward boarding pass for your flight outside the EU, you will not be able to get your detaxe forms stamped at Paris airports, but you would need to stamp them when you leave the EU from Amsterdam instead. You are usually asked to show your boarding pass / passport together with the detaxe forms, so they can ascertain you are not a EU citizen, and you are leaving the EU. So unless you are just on transit in Amsterdam, you would not have a boarding pass that shows you are leaving the EU.

Hermes France does its own refunds, and it is easiest through a credit card. In fact, my FSH SA automatically selects this option for me. In this case, it would not make any difference from which airport you leave the EU.
 
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#8
Amsterdam SA tells me prices are better in Paris. If you are leaving the EU from Amsterdam I do agree, make sure you hand carry your goods. Tax refund is after check-in and I've seen many people at the refund counter arguing with no success for the stamps. Good luck!
 
#9
another possibility is to have H paris have the items shipped to you directly . that way you do not have any hassles at all with stamping form and rebilling to your credit card.

the unfortunate side is that you may be liable for any import duties/taxes in your home country
 
#11
sorry to hijack your thread galex, but I have a similar question.

I'm going to London --> Paris, and departing EU from Paris. Judging from the exchange rates now, it might be cheaper for me to purchase from London.

Does anyone know how the VAT refund wld work then? Do i get about 12% off if I buy from London, and claim the VAT from Paris' CDG airport when I depart?

Thanks so much!
 
#12
isadora said:
sorry to hijack your thread galex, but I have a similar question.

I'm going to London --> Paris, and departing EU from Paris. Judging from the exchange rates now, it might be cheaper for me to purchase from London.

Does anyone know how the VAT refund wld work then? Do i get about 12% off if I buy from London, and claim the VAT from Paris' CDG airport when I depart?

Thanks so much!
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I went to london and paris last month. I departed from london, so I did all the VAT claim in london heathrow airport (including those things bought from paris)
AT FIRST, I also thought that london would be cheaper as the pounds is much lower now, BUT actually it doesnt make big different.
For example, VAT now in uk is 15%, but after deduct the administion fee and sth else, u were only got around 8~9 % discount!!!
 
#13
ryomat said:
I went to london and paris last month. I departed from london, so I did all the VAT claim in london heathrow airport (including those things bought from paris)
AT FIRST, I also thought that london would be cheaper as the pounds is much lower now, BUT actually it doesnt make big different.
For example, VAT now in uk is 15%, but after deduct the administion fee and sth else, u were only got around 8~9 % discount!!!
Click to expand...


Hi Ryomat,

U mentioned that u had a london-paris trip, and u claimed everything u bought in London airport, including things that bought from paris? I am planning on a trip to London-Paris via eurotrain and back to Lodon and depart from there. Does that mean i need to claim all the purchases from Paris in London Airport?

If i am about to buy lots of items that is too much and impossible to hand carry throughout my flight, can i handcarry and show the tax officer, after i done claiming tax, i check in all the items so i dont have to carry them in the flight?

Thanks...
 
#14
The tax reclaim is BEFORE check in desk - long queue - allow 1 hour plus. Once you are done with customs, you can check the items in.

When you buy the items in Paris, they will give you carbon copies of the receipt (yes ancient right?) I believe one slip is red in colour and the other is green. (In the UK its a till receipt that you sign at the bottom).

At the UK customs, you will hand in the red slip which the customs will stamp and send back to Paris, you retain the green one. They might check your items, sometimes not but if the item is not with you when they ask, you cannot claim.

Once Paris has received the red form back, they will refund the money on to your credit card. The whole process can take up to 6 weeks (from submitting the form at the airport).

For those of you thinking of buying from London - the biggest problem is the stock of items.
 
#15
chuck75 said:
The tax reclaim is BEFORE check in desk - long queue - allow 1 hour plus. Once you are done with customs, you can check the items in.

When you buy the items in Paris, they will give you carbon copies of the receipt (yes ancient right?) I believe one slip is red in colour and the other is green. (In the UK its a till receipt that you sign at the bottom).

At the UK customs, you will hand in the red slip which the customs will stamp and send back to Paris, you retain the green one. They might check your items, sometimes not but if the item is not with you when they ask, you cannot claim.

Once Paris has received the red form back, they will refund the money on to your credit card. The whole process can take up to 6 weeks (from submitting the form at the airport).

For those of you thinking of buying from London - the biggest problem is the stock of items.
Click to expand...

Thanks alot...i think i will try my luck in Paris.....
 
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