Hi P,

You were dealing with the French Bureaucracy.

They do that to everyone.

You could have purchased less than the required amount (about 175E)at each store.

The forms might not have been filled out properly.

The forms might have been in the wrong order.

There are all sorts of reasons.

I am still waiting for my VAT refund from 1998.

I never heard of an automatic stamping machine for this. I can see alot of abuse from that method. The female in terminal two always makes you show her the merchandise. I always push my travel companion in her line so I get the other agent.
In addition to whad Ira mentioned about the minimum purchase in one store in the same day, you can not use the merchandise it must still be new. Last trip, I bought a pair of Mephisto boots for my job. The box made packing impossible so I took them out. The custom agent wouldn't stamp my papers. Another agent must of understood my despair and asked to see the soles of the boots. He could tell they weren't worn and stamped my papers against the protesting glares of the other agent.

Ira, European Detax must have been on strike in 1998. I'm still waiting for my Detax from the Netherlands.

When I get to CDG to fly home, it is usually DETOX, not detax, that I need to look for.

Or strong drink!

Yikes, I guess I got lucky, because I had no problem at all with the VAT refund in late Sept. I did know from previous experience to go there before I checked my luggage so I would have the items with me. The official asked if I had them, and I replied yes, but I wasn't sure I could get my suitcase closed again if he made me take them out. He smiled and stamped everything for me and c'est fini. Of course, I haven't actually SEEN the refund on my credit card yet...

Marilyn, in Terminal 1 in May I had to show the agent my plane ticket, so I had to go through the USAirways line first to get it, check my baggage, etc. Fortunately, I had all my detaxe stuff in my carry on, and the agent didn't even want to see it. However, I wonder how (w/o an "old fashioned paper ticket" issued back home) one could maneuver this if he/she didn't want to carry on the detaxe items?

It worked out fine, and I had my refund on my Visa w/in 5 weeks.

Yes, grandmere, it's a bit of a catch 22. I really couldn't have carried on my purchases, as they were clothing and shoes. But my official did not ask to see my ticket I don't think, although he wanted my passport.

I guess the process is as arbitrary as it appears to be; I always consider it very good luck when the refund shows up on my cc statement!

Grandmere, a printout of your electronic ticket reservation/invoice (I assume you would have this as otherwise how would you know your flight information) is sufficient for the detaxe, and is what I have used since electronic tickets have become prevalent.

In many years of shopping in Paris I have never been asked for the actual boarding pass, which is what I assume you got at the USAirways desk, since you typically don't have that until you check in and thus wouldn't have your bags with you for the detaxe process.

My experience has been that the customs officers at the window ask to see the items in the baggage of people who look like they might have made purchases that stayed in France with relatives or friends rather than leaving the country with the purchasers.

Thanks alot for the input, everyone. I should have gotten a closer look at the machine... it was after passport control, just before security.
I think I may have figured out why he refused it... The first time I did it, I didn't have a Titre de Sejour Student Visa and the second time I tried to get a VAT refund, I'd gotten it, so it was right there on my passport...but I still hadn't been in France for more than 3 months.
Does this mean that even if you're a US resident, and haven't been in the country for more than three months, you're not eligible if you have a Student visa?

BTW, at CDG 2 there was this one young man who was very easygoing and friendly. He didn't ask to see my purchases at all and just glanced at everything. No fuss, no spending hours staring at my passport like some French officials do. It was a rarity with my experience at CDG...

Pink, the machine for detaxe is supposed to be for those who have carry-on only. And, no, I have no idea how they can tell, although presumably someone could stop you for random checks, like the metro.

oh but I always travel with carry-on only. does CDG 2 have the machine as well? and if so, where could i findit?

hmm i'm leaving on friday... anyone on the location of the stamper at cdg2?

The only place I even tried to do the paperwork was Galerie Layfayett..it was easy..to spend the money and to do the paperwork. All those scarves and I'm so weak..but had the 10% off coupon and the VAT refund so I lost my head. Anyway, got all the paperwork done at the store and turned it in at the airport, got it stamped, mailed it and on my very next credit card statment..voila!! I believe that I read or heard from somone that there is an office in Paris where you can go and get your refund before you leave the country. It's fairly new, at least it wasn't there in 2002, when I was there, but it was posted on one of the message boards and I think I also saw it on line when I was googling something. Anyone know if I am correct?

so i guess ALL of the people who work in the detax office are friendlier at CDG2, so i didn't need the automatic stamper after all. HOWEVER, i just realized i'd dropped all of my forms (6 in total... this time and the last time) in the wrong SLOT! i put it in the slot for "autres departements - etrangers" instead of "paris - banlieue" ... no wonder i only got credited for ONE from last time!

Can anyone help me? It sounds like that tax refund can be only done with hand lugagge, since you need to show the items. Can't we do before the check-in lugagges? We are flying back to LA by Air Tahiti Nui, which seems departs from terminal 2. Thank you for your responses.