Christina: if the merchant ships the item(s) they take the VAT off the top. You simply don't pat VAT on thing that are exported. So the VAT comes off and that usually more than pays the shipping costs. P,us it save the hassle of carrying things around and gagging g about w/ the refunds.

I do it every trip . . .

Sorry for the typos - but you get the idea . . .

I have only had one glitch with the VAT refund system when Global Blue didn't send in one of the forms and my credit card was charged for the refund I had received. It wasn't very much money.

Otherwise on all my European trips it has worked very well.

As hetismj2 said upthread at least in Europe there is the opportunity to recoup some of the VAT, that doesn't happen when you travel to the U.S.

Here in Canada there was a system for travellers to recoup the GST paid but I think that has gone by the wayside now.