URGENT: Quick VAT refund question

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pyrexia

pyrexia

rosed.
O.G.
Sep 10, 2006
4,820
316
#1
HELP!!

A friend of mine in Europe has located an item I desperately want and have been looking for very very very long time, but the H store will not ship it to me (some crap about packages getting lost when they get to my country, but Paris doesn't have that problem).

My friend is not coming home for a while, so I will have to fly up to Europe to get my stuff from him.

My question is: if the passport # on the detaxe form doesn't match my passport number, but I have the detaxe form in hand AND the item as well, will customs still stamp my form?

I only have experience where the #s were matching, so I don't know about this. I'm crossing my fingers that this is ok, cos I really really really really really want this item!
 
#2
My understanding is that at the detaxe counter they will ask to see passport and items, and if the passport doesn't match there is no refund. I could be wrong of course.
Pardon my curiosity but why would the passport number be different?
 
#3
LittleH said:
My understanding is that at the detaxe counter they will ask to see passport and items, and if the passport doesn't match there is no refund. I could be wrong of course.
Pardon my curiosity but why would the passport number be different?
Click to expand...

Because my friend is the one purchasing, but I will be the one bringing it home. He will not be leaving the EU at the same time as I am.
 
#4
I see, however if your friend is a resident in Europe they won't be able to get a VAT form to their passport number. And even if H disregard the residency the person at the VAT counter in the airport will pick up on it and won't refund.

Here is an idea: how about she buys it for you now and you go back once you visit to ask the boutique to do the VAT form for you? She can perhaps agree this with her SA in advance?
 
#5
Actually can you not get your friend to buy the item and have Hermes issue the detax form with your details on it (name and passport no)? For Hermes, it's just a matter of printing a detax form. They can put any information on that the buyer supply to them. Then it's up to custom to verify between what's on the form and the traveller that is exiting the EU.

When we shop in Europe a lot of the detax forms we get, don't even have name and passport numbers on it, we just have to fill it in ourselves.
 
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