May 6, 2017
We went to the airport way too early for our evening flight. I was actually the one who suggested that we leave the hotel at 12 noon. Too early according to Cynthia because the Turkish Airline check in counter opens at 4 pm.
We have tax refunds to file and claim that’s why I thought it would be better to allow extra time. Based on my experience, the process varies depending on each country. The amount of time one needs to claim for the VAT refund could range from 15 minutes (Capetown) kasi walang ibang tao, to 2 hours (London) haba ng pila, 3-4 hours daw during summer time, two hours or more (Turkey), 1.5 hours (Vienna) kasi isang barangay ang kasabay na Chinese, two hours +(Paris) kasi dalawang barangay ang nakapilang Chinese.
In Barcelona, it could be confusing. There are two entities for VAT claims. TAX FREE and GLOBAL BLUE. I thought they are one and the same. Hindi pala. And what makes it even more confusing is that there are store receipts that are under Global Blue, there are purchases that gave me Tax Free. Louis Vuitton is for Global Blue, while others are under Tax Free.
Asking for information didn’t bring us the right results. Every person we asked gave a different instruction and pointed at a different direction. Buti na lang maaga talaga kami kung hindi sobra akong manenerbyos.
According to one of the stores I made a major purchase from, all I had to do was to have the vat claim receipt stamped, then put in this envelope, seal then drop in the box. It wasn’t like that. I had to queue up thrice in two different counters. The customs wanted me to go down one floor so their boss could inspect the item. But I didn’t follow that direction. I went back to the TAX FREE counter, and the lady said I was at the right counter. She didn’t ask for the item, she just made me fill up the form and she said they’ll take care of mailing the tax free forms. I was worried the form might get lost so I had to ask her three times to be sure. I took several photos for my record. Nainis sa akin, kunin ko na lang daw kung wala akong tiwala sa kanila. Naniniguro lang ako kasi malaking sayang kung hindi ko ma-refund. Hindi lang 100 Euro ang pinag-uusapan dito. If that form doesn’t reach the Tax Free headquarters, the store would charge my credit card for the equivalent of the vat. If that happens I would sulk in one corner for several days with drooping eyes and face.
#travel
#taxrefund
When we were in Italy & Amsterdam both airport hindi namin nakuha ang tax free refund both places are closed at siguro by the time magbukas sila lahat ng flights naka alis na hehehe sayang nga
That’s what happened to us in Turkey. The line was long. There were only two officers processing the refunds. Then came their lunch break, walang pakialam, iniwan kami. We had a flight to catch, kaya goodbye tax refund.
actually, there’s a VAT refund counter in town, both in plaza catalunya and near the chanel store in passeig de gracia.
i went to the one diagonally across chanel. they charge fees since i got mine in cash. i was afraid the tax refund queue in the airport might be long.
it was morning when i went to the airport and when i went to customs, there was just one person in front of me. and the guy just stamped my forms. i even had to go the second time because i forgot to get one form stamped.
i also bought something from chanel and i just mailed the stamp form in the yellow mailbox right across the customs.
and the global blue kiosk was after immigration. walang pila. even the counter across it, for other than global blue, wala ring pila. i suddenly thought dapat dun na ako nagparebate through credit card para walang charges.
so i guess is you just never know. kaya it’s better to be early talga.
Some of my colleagues claimed their tax refund in La Roca Village. They just needed to have the forms stamped. My sister and Bong had an earlier flight to the US and theirs was so easy. No long wait and simpler. Global Blue after immigration— walang pila rin.
and the two filipinas i met in parc guell, nagkasalubong kami sa the tax refund booth after immigration.
they also got confused. they refunded the tax in plaza catalunya, but failed to have customs stamp their forms. kasi daw may nagsabi na inside na after check-in.
so for sure they would be charged the tax refund amount + penalty.
I couldn’t afford to make any mistake because I had a major purchase. Had I followed the instruction to just go inside the immigration, because global blue was there, I would be screwed too just like those two Filipinas.
they wanted to go out pa to have the forms stamped. sabi di na pwede after immigration. and i said you checked-in na your baggages. what would you show if they ask for the items?
That’s true. HIndi na pwede lumabas. Good I had second thoughts of doing what the customs officer told me to do. Or else I would not be able to claim the vat form at the TAX FREE counter outside the immigration and security area.