Thanks, I got back late last night to Miami and noone inquired about anything. I usually fly into Fort Lauderdale and have to fill out a form and/or are questioned upon return. I feel like we didn't even go through customs but that doesn't make much sense.
As for the VAT refund, this was definitely a learning experience.... each SA had a different story (on a similar note, waitstaff at various restaurants also had different stories about whether or not service charge/gratuity was included in prices). I ended up getting screwed out of any VAT refund on purchases made from Louboutin and Dior, which is annoying bc I mentally convinced myself what great deals I was getting when you factor in the refund.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to shop and am upset I didn't grab a couple of things from Givenchy when I wanted to and never even made it to YSL bc I was so short on time and now I can't find same things on US website. So maybe another trip is in order! This time, I'll know exactly what to do! Lol