Global Refund
 

Hello,

I am still waiting for my credit card to be credited back for purchases I made in Italy at the Space Outlet -- it's not huge -- about 48 E.

The Customs agent at Milan Linate would not stamp our forms because we were connecting in London on our way back to LA. I managed to talk to customs agent at Heathrow into stamping our forms -- and we mailed them at Heathrow.

That was Oct 2, 2004. I have tried the "tracking" feature on the Global Refund web page. I have also emailed and left messages on the customer service line with no response.

Is this whole Global Refund thing just a scam? Any tips? Should I just forget the whole thing?

I'm not doubting your story, but it doesn't make sense to me that the customs agent in Milan wouldn't stamp the forms. VAT is applied by individual countries so how could receipts be authenticated anywhere but in the country of purchase and prior to export?

My wife's credit card was credited the refund on or about January of the following year after purchases she made in Florence in October.

We also had our forms stamped in London, our last stop out of Europe.

We went on a cruise and hit several EU countries. They won't stamp your forms until you are departing the EU.

We flew out of Milan, and the customs agent there would not stamp our papers because the "goods" were packed in our suitcases. She asked to see the "stuff." When we could not produce, we lost out. She was a real "beach."

I remember it took several months (maybe 3) for my credit card to be credited from my Ireland trip. ((b))

I had this problem in England. They wouldn't stamp my papers since I was going to France, where of course they wouldn't stamp since I should have had them done in England..... I knew that the UK should have done the stamp, but just didn't feel like fighting with the guy.

As for Budman, the woman was enforcing the law... the goods must be available for inspection... don't blame her for your misstake.

Carol,
It is a common EU rule that your forms should have been stamped in the last EU port of exit - in your case, in France. There shouldn't have been any problem with the French stamping your forms and with the UK port rightfully will NOT stamp your forms.

Dear ucs,

It has been 3 years since I deposited the proper forms, properly stamped, in the proper deposit box at CDG, my departure point for the US.

I don't expect to see my refund in the near future.

Thanks for all the responses. I'll keep checking until about January or so.

The customs agent at Linate was quite a site. When he opened the window at 6:00 am, there was quite a line already. He went so slow -- checking everyone's goods, complete with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

We had already checked our bags, and I knew I was supposed to keep the goods in our carry-ons. But when he wouldn't stamp the form, I felt silly carrying this big bag of clothes and purses on board!

Anyway, I understand that you are supposed to get it stamped on your last stop out of the EU -- but if you are just connecting flight -- I never "entered" the UK, it seems silly.

Oh well. I'll keep waiting!

I have always felt so "lazy" because I have never bothered with trying to get the VAT back. Now, after reading this thread it does seem as if it is more trouble than it is worth.

Do most people feel the hassle etc. is worthwhile? Actually I haven't been lazy, just don't think about it.

It appears to be luck of the draw, when I've done the paperwork (France, each occasion) I've gotten the refunds. Is it possible it's a function of the store handling their end as well as Customs or the Tax people?

We got cash on the spot in Shannon for one - Tax Back - I think, and just got a check in the mail for about $4 from another (for lack of the proper term) vendor. This was from our mid-October trip. In the past I can't remember ever seeing the credit on a cc account, so we took the cash. (It amounted to less than $30 total.)

I got the refund the last time I was in Paris. I had been in London also but never spent enough in anyone place to be able to qualify. I spent the required amount of money at Gallerie Lafayett...it was the cashmere scarf that put me WAY over the top..LOL..anyway, it was very easy there, so I went ahead and did it. They actually have a department upstairs that helps with everything..quick and easy. Got stamped at the airport and bingo...the next month the refund was on my credit card. Now...would I do it again? Well probably depending on what I bought and the ease of the paperwork. In the big picture, it would not be a life and death decision and I could just let it go. I got 66.00 back so it's really not that big of a deal. I think having to have the merchandise available for inspection is the biggest kicker. They never asked to look at ours but we did do the forms before checking our luggage and it was easy to pack the goods to be easily accessible..so I guess it just depends on the circumstances, but it certainly isn't on my "must do" list.

Carol, you are right, I should have had the goods with me, but at the time, I didn't realize it. My bad.

What really pissed me off more than anything was the couple we were traveling with got their papers stamped without showing the goods. They were a couple of minutes ahead of us. She was a "beach."

They never asked to look at the goods at Shannon. ((b))

I'm not sure whether it's worth the hassle or not. I don't shop over the required limit, but my wife sure does - for her culinary equipment as well as for her personal clothing/accessories.

Besides, there seem to be always somebody in the stores that help her out in carefully explaining the process and in filling out the forms.

Who knows? France wouldn't stamp them either.... The French claimed it was because UK was not on the Euro. I just let it go. It wasn't much and I didn't want to fight. (France did stamp purchases on my last trip when I went on to Switzerland which is not an EU country!)

My experience with VAT has ALWAYS been positive. On shopping trips to Italy I have had my forms stamped at Rome and got either a cash refund or credited on my card. Ditto out of the UK. Last week in Milan I chose to get my refund in US dollars in the city the day before we left - pull up my Dec 11-14 Milan trip report - and it took some time but I got US$160 back which I thought was well worth the time spent. W.r.to customs the airlines are well used to the VAT process so they will issue your boarding pass, weigh and tag your bags and then allow you to take your check in bags to customs for your stamps. Only once in LHR did the customs lady ask to see an LV bag which was in my check in - other times they just ask where the goods are, I show them the trolley loaded with suitcases and they stamp my forms. IT is true though that if you have another EU port next they will not stamp - so, if you are flying to London which is EU they will insist you get your stamps in London but if you are flying to Switzerland they are obliged to stamp as Switzerland is not part of the EU. Thailand also has VAT and is equally easy to claim. The only place in the world I have seen this rule re carrying all claimable goods in hand baggage is Australia - hence I did not claim anything there!

global has a web site and will track your claim for you if you ask..

Ok dear ones, I am going to sound dense here. I buy in Italy. I fly from Venice to Amsterdam. Than to US.

So where do I get the refund. Venice or Amsterdam?? I am sorry, been wrapping Christmas presents all day, on and off so think my brain has turned off.

And also, do you have to spend X number of dollars in one store to get the VAT refund or is it the total that you spend in Europe regardless of how many stores?

Thanks for your patience. Like I stated earlier, I have never done this (stupid me).

My understanding is that you get the stamp when you leave the EU. So. if you travel..say start in France and then went to Germany and then Italy..leaving for home from Italy you would turn in all your papers in Italy. That is what I understand is supposed to happen. Now of course there is no accounting for the various agents etc. that can tell you something different, at least according to some of the stories related on this thread. Maybe a particular agent is just cranky or wants to throw their weight around...who knows. Unfortunately at that point, they have the power, right or wrong. It is also my understanding that you have to spend a certain amount of money in one place for them to do the paperwork. I think at Gallerie Lafayett it was around 180 euros, something like that but when I was there the euro was .97. I'm not sure if there is a law where any particular store MUST do the paperwork if you spend the required amount. It seems to me that we should get it on any goods we purchase to take out of the EU..at least in theory...but I guess it could be hard to track...so, like I posted before, for 66.00 would I do it again? Not sure. However, there was another poster who got 160.00 back so in that case I would probably go for it.

OK crefloors, think I will just again not worry about the VAT refund. Sounds like more time and stress than it is worth.

I am not a big shopper anyway, so unless I could get refunds for food and wine, why bother. I am being silly of course ((A)).

Crefloors,my wishes for a happy holiday to you! Hope you and your family have a chance to be together. Take good care.