From: proberts@informix.com (Paul Roberts)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: Re: VAT refunds ?
Date: 16 Nov 92 01:08:18 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <985@ether.UUCP> danm@ether.UUCP (Dan McDonald) writes:
>In article <1992Nov4.150121.3888@westford.ccur.com> black@westford.ccur.com (Samuel Black) writes:
>>
>>That's only partially true.  While each individual shop can set a minimum limit
>>for their own VAT refund department (which can range from L10 to L150 or more),
>>you can collect all your receipts and apply for a VAT refund from the government
>>when you leave the country.  Thus, if you have 10 purchases at L20 each, you can
>>get a refund on all L200 from the government.  Just remember to keep all your
>>receipts and have the merchandise handy (they hardly ever ask to see it, but you
>>can never tell).  There is no minimum amount for this procedure, although they
>>will charge a fee of around L5 (many stores charge L7 or so).
>>
>>		- sam black
>
>***************  Warning!  From my experience, this is NOT true! ****
>
>You may refer to my posting of controversial opinions and observations
>regarding a recent trip to UK, and how much of a scam I thought the whole
>VAT refund thing is.  But anyway, I was told in no uncertain terms by
>the person at the Customs booth where they stamp your forms so you can
>go to the other booth to get a cash refund that *if you don't have a
>filled-out form from the shop, you CANNOT get a VAT refund, no matter
>how many receipts you have*.  Of course, the shops won't give you
>a form if you don't meet their minimum purchase.
>
>My best advice is to forget the whole refund idea, and chalk all the
>extra taxes up to the cost of doing business and contributions to a
>different economy.  If you are still interested in going through the
>exercise, pointedly ask *every* shopkeeper for a VAT form, ask again
>if they are vague.  Save all your receipts, fill out the forms completely
>and allow about 3+ hours at Heathrow airport, if you have the
>misfortune to be travelling through there.
>
>If there is a way to get a refund with just receipts, please let me know.
>I have a stack of them from many small-medium purchases.
>
>To restate my opinion: The whole VAT refund is a huge scam, and I would
>rather be thanked kindly for visiting and leaving large amounts of
>money to help out the foreign economy than listen to the misleading,
>inaccurate, incomplete rantings about the "easy VAT refund" and have
>to hassle with yet more lines in the most disorganized airport staffed
>by the slowest and least considerate people I have ever seen (Heathrow).
>
>Have a nice day, and good luck with any VAT refunds you may try to get.
>I have yet to see any results from dropping a properly filled out and
>verified official VAT refund form in the box at Heathrow airport.
>Again...good luck.  I think you'll need it.
>
>dan
>------------
>Dan McDonald   danm@ether    ...uunet!sequent!ether!danm

For what it is worth, I had no problems getting a VAT refund on a
shortwave radio I bought in London a few years ago. Got the form
from the shop, had it stamped at Heathrow (they tale a look to see
that you really are exporting the product), mailed it back to the
store, waited, wrote to the store politiely asking them to get a
move on after about two months, the store send me a cheque. I think
I got about 25 pounds back.

I was surprised that as a British citizen I was able to do this: I
guess an export is an export, regardless of who is carrying it.

Paul
Xref: sparky rec.travel:15703 soc.culture.celtic:7401