PABLO IS YOUR ELECTRONIC CUSTOMS STAMP FOR VAT REFUND (DETAXE) IN FRANCE:
VAT-Refund-Pablo
In France, the VAT Refund procedure has been made much easier with the PABLO barcode reader. PABLO allows shoppers to get their VAT forms electronically verified without having to queue up for a customs stamp. The machines are fast and easy to use, but they can only be used for certain purchases made in France.
PABLO is a Godsend
If you intend on doing a lot of shopping in France, you’ll very quickly appreciate that PABLO is a godsend. We always manage to find plenty of things to buy in Paris and with my stash of VAT refund forms, PABLO certainly saved time.
When making eligible purchases in shops that offer tax-free shopping, you will be issued with a PABLO enabled VAT refund form. You’ll see the PABLO logo on it. All you have to do is scan the barcode of your VAT form at the PABLO terminals. This is equivalent to having your form stamped by Customs.
The PABLO machines are available at any time of the day so it doesn’t matter if you have a very early morning or late night flight. It is still possible to get your VAT form verified.
Detaxe at CDG
At CDG Terminal 1, the Detaxe area is one floor down from where we were dropped off by our airport transfer. The Detaxe service is clearly signposted. We arrived to find a small area with a bank of six PABLO terminals. A supervisor was on standby to help if you have any difficulties.
Pablo VAT Refund
The system is very easy to use and fast.
- Firstly, select the language for your PABLO operation,
- Next, place the barcode of your VAT refund form where it says “Scan your form here”
- If you see a green tick on-screen, it means that your form has been verified. If not, you’ll see a red cross.
I had ten forms to scan and only one failed. It turned out that the shop assistant didn’t print the entire barcode and so PABLO couldn’t read it. The supervisor advised me that I had to get a manual Customs stamp for this form.
What to do after PABLO
Once your forms have been PABLO verified, the next thing to do is to get yourself checked in for your flight as there may be long queues. We were lucky not to face any queues at the Singapore Airlines check-in.
Circumstances when a manual stamp is required:
The PABLO barcode readers are usually located near the Customs area. You’ll also need to get a manual Customs stamp:
- If PABLO is out of order, or
- If your form has been rejected by PABLO, or
- If you don’t have a PABLO-enabled VAT form
I had VAT forms from Norway and Germany and these had to be manually stamped. The one PABLO form with incomplete barcode was also manually stamped. There were no hassles at Customs – all they needed to see were my passport and flight booking before stamping my forms. They didn’t ask to see the goods at all.
Cash Refund by Travelex
Travelex handles the VAT refund for cash payments at CDG Airport. I headed to the counter as I wanted my non-French refunds to be paid in cash. There were only three people working at the windows for VAT refund/money change, and the queue was slow moving. Luckily I got there just before a Chinese group.
The unsmiling Travelex woman said that she could not handle my Norwegian payments as they were over one month old. She said that I’d have to mail them for credit card refund. I don’t know where this rule comes from, but there was no point arguing. My other non-French VAT refund was for Euros 13, for which I was charged Euros 3 handling fee.
Credit Card Refund
In the past, it was necessary to send your stamped VAT form back to the VAT company if you wanted your VAT paid to your card account. With the arrival of PABLO, this is no longer necessary under certain circumstances.
New instructions : If you would like your refund to be credited to your card account and the store has electronically inserted your card details on your VAT form, your refund will be credited automatically to that credit card once your form has been validated at the PABLO kiosk. In this case, you do not have to send the forms back to the VAT company. You should however hold on to the forms until such time as your VAT has been paid, just in case anything goes wrong.
Most of the larger stores will ask for your credit card details to include in the VAT form, but smaller shops may not do this. In your card details have not been included in your VAT form you will need to send the PABLO verified form back to the VAT company.
Tip: Before you arrive at the airport, it’s worthwhile spending time to go through your forms to make sure that they have been properly completed or that you have the correct form – I was actually given the VAT form for another customer at the Karl Lagerfeld shop. Luckily I had time to go back to the shop to fix the error.
Different companies have different requirements. For example:
Galeries Lafayette – In September 2017 when I did my VAT claim at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, I noticed that they now process the VAT refund in-house. We had to show our passport (or a copy of the information page). Their VAT refund staff prepared the Electronic Tax Free Form which included our credit card details. I was provided with a Customer Copy of their Summary of Tax Refund Form. At the airport, I scanned the Tax Free Form barcode at a PABLO machine and it was verified. As it was validated, it was not necessary to send any documents back to Galeries LaFayette. At the end of October the refund was credited to my credit card account. Before mailing the form back to the VAT company, you tear off the perforated bit at the end of the VAT form. This is your copy of the VAT document. It has your VAT form ID no. which is necessary if you need to track your VAT refund.
Printemps – Will give you the original invoices together with your VAT form. The invoices must be returned with the VAT form.
Shops that provide cash machine generated VAT forms – Some shops don’t bother completing your details so you need to ensure that your name, address, passport number are on the form. Also make sure that your credit card number is included and that you have signed the form.
Thumbs up for PABLO
I normally prefer receiving cash refund so that my whole VAT refund process is completed before I arrive home and there’s no chance of any VAT refund reversal. However, with Travelex appearing to have the franchise for handling VAT refunds at numerous airports, I am rethinking my approach since Travelex charges Euros 3 – 4 for each VAT refund form handled.
The French PABLO system seems to be an efficient electronic process so I was happy to receive credit card refund for all my French purchases. I was told to allow one month for the refund to come through. My Galeries Lafayette refunds came through just after two weeks. My other refunds all came through within a month.
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What a great idea. I wonder if other airports have these? I am going to make a point of looking out for them. I can’t believe Changi doesn’t have one!
G’day Elizabeth,
The electronic kiosks come in all shapes and sizes. At Changi Airport it’s called the eTRS (electronic tax refund scheme) self-help kiosk – look for GST Refund signs.
Below link explains the process. GST rate in Singapore is only 7% so it’s only worthwhile for big ticket items. Still, the process is very efficient.
http://www.customs.gov.sg/~/media/cus/images/individuals/tourist%20refund%20scheme.jpg?la=en
Cheers,
Helen
Hello,
Thank you for the brief explanation about the process. It was definitely helpful
I have a flight from Clermont to Paris and then to my destination home which means i will not get out of Paris airpot. Do you have the list of PABLO machines and customs office with their location on CDG.
Also do they have any machines at Clermont Airpot?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hi Nikunj,
CDG is a huge airport and you’ll firstly need to check which terminal your flight will be departing from at CDG. The VAT refund desks are very well sign-posted. Travelex handles cash refunds, but if you want your VAT refunded to your credit card, then you’ll need to look for a Customs desk if you don’t see any PABLO machines. The link below gives the map of all the different terminals and you’ll need to look for “Bureau de détaxe” or a customs desk.
http://www.parisaeroport.fr/passagers/acces/paris-charles-de-gaulle/plans-terminaux
As Clermont only handles domestic and EU flights, I doubt if you’ll find any machines there.
Regards,
Helen
hi! I recently purchased some items while in Paris, got the forms and went to the customs officer. He electronically stamped the forms and told me, since I requested my refund via Credit card, that I did not need to mail in the forms. Now I am worried. Even though they are electronically verified, is it okay that I didn’t mail it in? Anyone have experience with this? Also, if it is okay (I hope) when do you think I’ll get the refund? Thank you.
Matina,
The information you were given is incorrect. You do have to send your electronically stamped forms back to the VAT company. Without your returned forms, the VAT company will have nothing to process. It’s not too late to send the forms back. You would have been given a self-addressed envelope to return the forms in or you can use any envelope.
Make sure that your credit card details and all required information are completed. Take a copy of all documents (VAT form and invoice) before putting them in the mail. In case your envelope goes missing in the mail, you’ll still be able to follow up on your claim.
When the VAT company receives your forms, they will be able to check the system to see that it has been electronically verified by Customs, before making payment. How quickly you get your refund depends on the retailer’s system. As you’ll see from my comments above, I received some of my refunds within two weeks while others took a month.
Regards,
Helen Page
Hi Helen. Thank you for your response. That is extremely frustrating! Where can I send it from? I reside in the USA (New York). I am going back to Paris on April 10th–will it be too late to send it out then?
Hi Matina,
You can mail it from New York. Just make sure you have the correct postage.
I would mail it as soon as possible and not wait for your next Paris trip. Although you bought your goods in Paris, the processing is not done there. For instance, if it’s a Global Blue form, their process centre is Slovakia.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hello Helen,
Just like Matina, I have also electronically scanned my forms and left for check in because the staff informed me that the process is complete
It’s been a month and I still haven’t received my refund,now I realise that I need to mail my forms to the VAT company but I was not proveded any specific envelopes
I am back in India.
Can you please provide me the mail address of the VAT company?
Also can I send them in normal plain envelopes
Thanks for your response and helping us all out
Regards,
Nikunj
Hi Nikunj,
There are a few different VAT companies so you’ll need to check your forms to see which company your VAT refund is from. If it is Global Blue, then the address is:
Global Blue
P.O.BOX 363
810 00 Bratislava
Slovakia
Europe
You can use normal envelopes, but you’ll need to pay for the postage. Please ensure you take copies of your documents before sending them in the mail.
Kind regards,
Helen
hello NikunJ
for your case, would you mind sharing where did you find pablo barcode reader? i also have to travel from clermont to PARIS CDG? wondering where can i find the machine
At Paris CDG, look out for the “Detaxe” signs and you will find Pablo machines there.
Hi! I was wondering if you can help with my similar issues. SO I have scanned my tax form and the kios rejected it so, I went to the window and the agent asked for my passport & boarding pass as he looked at my tax receipt form and said, I was good to go. He did not manually stamped my tax paper so do I mail this out or will it all be electronically processed? Thanks!
Hi Jiji,
The Pablo machine is your electronic customs stamp and you’ll still need to send your stamped form back to the VAT company, unless you are getting a cash refund at the airport.
In your case, the customs guy should have scanned your VAT form or stamped it before giving it back to you. You will still need to send it back to the VAT company for your refund to be processed. Please make sure you make a copy of the form and receipt before sending them off.
Regards,
Helen Page
Hi Helen,
Thank you for your response. So since I don’t have a manually stamped on my tax refund paper. Will I still get a refund if I do mail it out with the prepaid envelope that was given to me from the Louis Vuitton store from Paris?
Hi Jiji,
Is it possible that the customs officer scanned your form without you noticing it? The only way to find out is to send the form and invoice back to the VAT company in the envelope provided – check to see if you need to pay for the postage.
Before sending the documents back, the most important thing to do is to take a clear photocopy of the documents. The most important information is the VAT Doc. ID.
After a week or two, you can track the progress of your VAT refund via the online tracker. It’ll tell you that your refund is being processed, or rejected. If rejected, you can contact the VAT company online and explain your situation. If they insist on a Customs stamp, you can go to your nearest French or EU embassy and ask for an export validation stamp. You will probably have to pay for this. You can also get a stamp from your own country’s Customs office. The VAT company needs to know that you have exported the goods.
This all sounds a bit painful, but if your refund is a substantial amount, then it’s worth doing it.
Apologies for the rush reply as we are travelling at the moment.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I have received cash refund from Lafayette and I am sure I validated it using Pablo electronic machine. But I noticed they credit the money back into my credit card and when I emailed them it was because they dont received the form back with custom validation stamp nor the electronic validation.
My friend is travelling to France Can i ask her to validate it for me using the Pablo machine at the airport next week? Would it still count?
Hi Sue,
Your message is a bit confusing. You said that you received cash refund from LaFayette and “noticed they credit the money back into my credit card”. I am assuming that they’ve “debited” the refund to your credit card?
When you received your VAT refund in cash, you are required to send the PABLO validated form back to the VAT company within 21 days. If they do not receive the electronically validated form within that timeframe they will reverse the refund by charging your credit card account. The PABLO validation is equivalent to the Customs stamp, but you still have to send the physical VAT form back to the company.
As your credit card account has been debited, unfortunately it is too late to do anything.
Sorry for the negative news.
Regards,
Helen Page
Hi Helen,
I purchased a Chanel Purse in Lafayette. I requested to get a credit card refund at the vat tax processing in Lafeyette. I used the barcode to scan at the CDG Aiport at the Pablo. It accepted it. What is the next step I should do? I didn’t mail anything at all. Please help. It’s been a month and two weeks but I haven’t seen the refund yet. Should I mail anything? The lady said just scan and that’s it. Unless she had given me the wrong information.
Hi Jel,
The barcode scan is equivalent to getting a Customs stamp. You still need to send the form back to the VAT company for your refund to be processed. Please read my post comments about the Galeries Lafayette process.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hello Helen,
I am also trying to get a refund from Galeries Lafayette. All I have is 1 Pablo paper with a bar code at the top right and a stamp on the bottom right. I don’t have any papers that are perforated. Do I just simply send that Pablo form in the envelope? Do i need to attache the receipt?
Thank you!
Hi Ana,
Your VAT form has to be electronically-verified at the PABLO terminal OR you can have a stamp from the Customs desk. I hope that the stamp on the bottom right of your form is a Customs stamp.
You need to send your VAT form and receipt back to the VAT company. Before doing that, please take copies of both documents just in case they go missing in the mail. Make sure that the Document ID Number is clear on your copy as this bit of information is vital for any followup queries with the VAT company.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen
i just came back from Paris and I’m a bit confused about my tax refund because of; for Premier tax refund company the only thing i need to do is validated my tax form at Pablo Kiosk in the airport and if it’s okay I do not need to send the form back to the tax company same as what the SA told: you can throw away the envelope! But I do have another tax form for Louis Vuitton by Gobal Blue and I did the same processed as Premier without mailing the form to them. But after I double checked on Gobal blue web site it said; I have to either go to their refund office or mail back the form to them after validated by the Pablo Kiosk @ the CDG airport in order to get my refund back to my credit card which I didn’t. So, did I do it right before? Please help!
Best regard,
Angela
Hi Angela,
The Pablo verification is equivalent to getting your VAT form stamped by Customs. You still need to send the form back to the VAT company for your VAT refund to be processed.
https://premiertaxfree.com/how-shop-tax-free
What you read on the Global Blue website is correct. You could have gone to the Global Blue and Premier Tax free desks at CDG to have your VAT claim processed but if you didn’t do that, it’s fine. Just send your Pablo verified forms and receipts back to the VAT companies concerned. The Global Blue form goes back to their processing centre in Slovakia and the Premier Tax Free form is sent back to their centre in Ireland. Before putting anything in the mail, make sure to take a copy of all documents. The important information is the DOC ID No. on the VAT form. You can track the progress of your VAT refund online if you have this number.
Hope the above is clear for you.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi there – I’ve made some purchases in Paris, but I am not departing from the airport, I’m instead taking the train to London for work and then departing back to the U.S. via Amsterdam. I have the PABLO form and the shop I purchased from filled everything out. BUT I will not be departing France from the airport, just the Eurostar to London next. What should I do with these refund forms? THANKS!
Hi Darya,
If you are only transiting in Amsterdam and London is your last point of exit from the EU, then you claim your VAT refund at London Heathrow when you are leaving for the U.S. Please note that you have three months after the purchase date to export your goods.
Regards,
Helen Page
For the Pablo form refund, if I am departing from outside Munich, can I drop the form in Global Blue post box as I am claiming it via credit card?
Hi Sherly,
Pablo is the French system for processing VAT refunds for purchases made in France. The Pablo system allows you to scan your VAT forms instead of seeing a Customs Officer. So you’ll need to be departing from France to use this system.
VAT refunds should be submitted from your last point of departure from the EU, so if you’re leaving from Munich, you should get your VAT refunds processed there.
Regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I’ve brought a Rolex watch with approx. 16% VAT refund shown in the VAT refund/Pablo form.
Tried scanning through the Pablo but it was rejected. Not sure is it due to too high on VAT refund. As such, I’ve manually get a customs stamp and mail it in the yellow mailbox as per the instruction.
My question are:
(1) I didn’t notice my credit card number is in the VAT refund/Pablo form; it just stated mode of reimbursement is via credit card. Is there any issue?
(2) The envelope I use to mail back the VAT form was to Boutique Rolex in Paris. It is not the standard Global Blue…I think it is the place I brought the watch. What do you think? is there any issue?
Shall I contact the Rolex shop to expedite the refund as I’ve scanned a copy of VAT refund form with Customs stamp. Looking forward your reply ASAP. TQVM.
Hi Danny,
The reason why your VAT form was rejected by the Pablo machine was probably because yours wasn’t a Pablo-enabled form. It has nothing to do with the value of the transaction.
Not all companies choose to outsource their VAT refund function and from what you’re saying it appears that Boutique Rolex is handling its own VAT refund. This explains why you didn’t get an envelope for Global Blue or other VAT refund company.
Your questions:
(1) If you choose to have VAT refunded to your credit card account you must include your card number on the VAT form before sending it back. So yes, there is a problem if you didn’t record your card number on the form.
(2) If you’ve sent your form back to Boutique Rolex in Paris, it implies that the shop is handling their own VAT processing, so no problem here.
What you can do:
It’s great that you’ve got a scanned copy of your VAT form with the Customs stamp. I would phone the shop straight away, explain your problem, and ask them who you can email your form to. Re-scan your form, this time with your card details on it and send the form to this individual. If they’ve already received your form, then you can provide your card number over the phone. Ask them how long it will take for your account to be credited so that you can follow up if it doesn’t happen.
Let me know how you go with this as I may have an alternative solution.
Best regards,
Helen
Thanks Halen for details explanation and advise.
I’ve email them in last two days finally got their reply on yesterday evening. They said will credit back the VAT refund to me this week & I shall able to see the credit between 5 – 15 days. Looks like the shop is handling their own VAT processing because I don’t see my credit card in the form.
Hope everything goes well and will seek for your advise again if there is any needs later.
Cheers,
Danny
Hi Danny,
Glad to hear of your good news. Being Rolex, I’m sure you will get your VAT refunded as promised by them.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Hellen,
Indeed is true…I check & got the refund to by credit card account today. i.e. < a week since I purchased my watch
Didn't expect it is so fast as compare to my other purchases via premier tax free/Pablo.
Anyway, thanks for your advise.
Cheers,
Danny
Thanks for letting me know Danny. Enjoy your Rolex.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I’ve done this once before and the folks at the PABLO window asked to examine my goods. I’ve noticed that nowhere in the official PABLO website, PDF, or other instructions is it described the details of this. Must I leave the tags on my clothing? I’d prefer not to. I’m leaving Paris in a few days and I want to pack efficiently and be prepared if I should carry my purchased goods separately.
Hi Cindy,
Whenever I have shopping that I’m claiming VAT refund for, I always pack them in such a way that they are easily accessible from my case. Customs or their representatives have the right to ask to see the goods that you’re claiming VAT on. Having the clothing tags on make it easier for Customs if they ask to see your purchases. I’ve seen instances where they actually ask to see every item of shopping to match against the invoice.
So in answer to your question, you don’t have to carry your purchases separately, but make sure you can get at them easily.
Regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I recently found myself in a precarious situation. I made a purchase in Paris but departed EU from Dublin. In Dublin, there is no PABLO machine and Irish law states only “individual items > €2000” would be stamped. Though I phoned to speak with an officer, I could not get my form stamped. They stated I could get the form notarized back home. When I contacted Global Blue, they informed me that while Irish law accepts a notarized form, French law requires a stamp. The local French consulate tells me that while I could bring the goods in to them to send for a stamp, I shouldn’t count on getting my refund for not following procedure. I am frustrated because I did what I was told to do to the best of my abilities.
My question for you is – in the future, could I scan my form at a PABLO in Paris, even if I am stopping over in another EU location for a few days? I would be under the 90 day windows.
Thank you.
Joe
Hi Joe,
Apologies for the late reply to your query. We were travelling through parts of Spain where the hotel wifi was impossible to use.
I’m sorry to hear of the problems you’ve been having with your VAT claim inspite of your best endeavours to do the right thing. It would seem that some of the information you were provided were only partially correct. From the Global Blue website, this is their advice:
FOR TAX FREE FORMS ISSUED IN IRELAND:
● No Customs stamp required if individual purchased items on your Form are under €2,000 in value when departing from Dublin / Shannon airport.
● Get a Customs stamp if any individual purchased item exceeds €2,000.
FOR TAX FREE FORMS ISSUED IN OTHER EU COUNTRIES:
● Get a Customs stamp irrespective of sales amount for individual items or total purchase amount.
So in your case, Customs should have stamped your forms for you.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
You have 3 months from the date of purchase to have your forms stamped and sent back to Global Blue processing centre. If your purchases are of substantial value, you can get:
• An import validation stamp from your local Customs;
• An export customs stamp from any EU country;
Don’t forget to send your stamped original Tax Free Form and original receipt from shop to Global Blue Processing Centre. Before doing that, I highly recommend that you take a clear copy of the documents before putting them in the mail.
YOUR PABLO QUERY:
The requirement for VAT refund is that you have to get the stamp on your Tax Free Form at the final point of departure from the EU. The PABLO electronic verification is only valid in France, so you couldn’t go to Spain (as an example) to get your VAT refunded there. Also, if they find that you have stamped your forms before leaving the EU, they could deny your refund or charge it back with penalty if you’ve already been paid.
Hope the above answers your questions.
Kind regards,
Helen
Global Blue appears to require you to send in the form even after successful validation by Pablo.
Premier Tax Free does not require the same. In the envelope, it reads as follows:
If your tax free form has been electronically export validated at the PABLO kiosk, you do not need to post it back to Premier Tax Free, unless you want a credit card refund and the credit card number is not electronically printed on the form, write it manually and post it back to Premier Tax Free with this prepaid envelope.
Hi Peter,
Thank you very much for your update on Premier Tax Free’s latest VAT procedure. The VAT refund process keeps being changed and there are now so many different scenarios to consider. The truth is that a lot of people haven’t even managed to come to grips with the basics.
I’ll be in Paris at the end of this month and will check what Global Blue is doing before updating my post.
Thanks once again for taking the time to share your experience.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Your posts are very helpful. Many thanks for your efforts in helping out us Globe shoppers with claiming back our VAT!
I’m going to Paris next week and was wondering if you can find out which stores have the Pablo vat form?
Many thanks!
Hi Sander,
Unfortunately there’s no such list as the number of shops that offer tax-free shopping in Paris are enormous. Usually the larger stores would use the Pablo VAT forms but if it’s important to you, just ask before you shop. The more important question to ask, especially of the smaller shops, is if they offer tax-free shopping. It’s no hassle getting a manual stamp as the Customs desk is next to the Pablo machines.
Happy shopping in Paris. I’ll be shopping there two weeks after you.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I had a question. I’m in Paris on a student visa and I don’t plan to travel anytime soon.
I wanted to get a tax refund on an Hermès bill and the refund may be over 1000 euros.
Do you think I could try to get a credit card refund without a boarding pass or ticket?
I’d really appreciate your help since you seem really informed about this!
Thanks in advance. ❤️
Esha,
You cannot claim VAT refund with just a Hermès bill. You need a VAT refund form from the shop and this has to be stamped by Customs when you leave the EU. In signing the VAT refund form, you are making a declaration that you are entitled to claim VAT refund. As you are currently living in Paris, you are not entitled to claim a VAT refund. Making false declarations could result in the reversal of your refund and a possible fine.
Regards,
Helen Page
Hi Helen,
So I have scanned my forms at the Pablo kiosk and got Green for all of them (both Global Blue and Premier Tax Free). From what the SAs at the different stores that i shopped at, they said that if it is green, I don’t need to mail anything back if Green appeara on the Pablo kiosk. I double checked with the lady at the Customs desk and at the person on the Refund counter and said that I don’t need to mail anything back if it’s Green. Is this true? Thanks!
Hi Angela,
I presume your query is in regard to VAT refund to your credit card. Below is extract from Premier Tax Free’s VAT refund guide:
“Once your Tax Free form has been export validated at the PABLO Kiosk or by Customs, make sure the credit card number of a valid credit card is
written on it. If the credit card number on which you would like your refund to be credited has been electronically inserted at the store and is printed on
the form, your refund will be credited automatically to that credit card once your form has been export validated at the PABLO kiosk. In this
case, don’t send the form back to Premier Tax Free, but keep it for your records.”
When you buy from the larger stores and you ask for your VAT to be refunded to your credit card, they will include your card number in the VAT form. The smaller shops don’t do this. In which case you still need to send the forms back to Premier Tax Free with your credit card details on it.
Global Blue unfortunately has not made any mention of the Pablo barcode reader in their VAT process. I have emailed them to enquire, and you may want to do the same.
Regards,
Helen
Hi Helen
I went to Paris and on 10/9/2017 i bought camera at shop Leica Baumachais.At the airport the officer checked the camera and scanned the tax refund form .He said the pro cess is already been done and wait your money at your credit card.
But i didnt get money back from Leica at all.I would like to know that there is any mistake in any procedure or not.
Thanking you in advance
Mr. Apiwat Manchanda
Hi Apiwat,
1. If your VAT refund form is from a VAT company like Global Blue or Premier Tax Free, you can go to their website and check the status of your refund. To use the Track Refund function, you’ll need to have your VAT Document ID. In this case, the refund would come from the VAT company.
2. Some of the larger shops process their own VAT refunds, in which case the payment would be from the shop. If your VAT refund form is from Leica Baumachais, then I suggest you give them a call to followup.
VAT refunds can take up to 8 weeks to be paid. Since your purchase was in September, you can start chasing up now.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
not too sure if the earlier comment got through as it was not reflected.
Hi Helen,
I have 2 tax refund forms (1 from Galeries Lafayette & 1 from Printemps) which i have intended to validate at CDG before leaving Paris. Unfortunately, the day that i was to depart 28Jan, there was a flood alert for River Seine where my nearest RER was closed and I had to rush to search for the next nearest RER which resulted in me having very little time for my departing flight, hence i did not have sufficient time to search for PABLO to validate my forms. Additionally, at my flight check-in, an airport member told me that there is PABLO machine at the departure area, which there was not. I spoked to the Singapore Airlines staff (who were manning the T1, gate 32) and they said there used to be a PABLO machine previously but they have removed it.
For the Printemps forms, i have an return envelope to – Premier Tax Free, Shared Services Centre Sp. zo.o ul. Domaniewska 39 02-672 Warsaw. Can i mail this directly to them with a letter explaining why the forms were not validated at the CDG? (River seine flooding + wrong directions from CDG staff)
For the Galeries Lafayette forms, i did not receive any return envelope. Can it be also mailed to Premier Tax Free address or could it be another address? (Update: I have called Douanes & Droits Indirects & customer service told me that they will not refund me unless Pablo machine is spoilt at that point, i honestly dont know what else i can do!)
Note: during the tax refund form process at both shopping malls, i have indicated the refunds to be on my credit card.
Appreciate your kind advice!
Thank you!
Karen Chan
Hi Karen,
A compulsory requirement for claiming your VAT refund is that the forms must be validated via the PABLO machines or that you have a physical Customs stamp on leaving France. Since you were not able to obtain your Customs validation, what you can do is contact the French Embassy or Consulate in your home town and ask them to provide you with an Export validation certificate. They may charge you for this service.
Once you have the export validation, you can send the Printemps form to Premier Tax Free in the return envelope that you have. I would include an explanation of why you failed to get the stamp at CDG (basically what you’ve written to me). Before sending back the forms, please be sure to take copies of all your documents, especially the Doc ID of your VAT form.
As regards Galeries Lafayette, they process the VAT refunds inhouse. For your Galeries Lafayette form, send it in your own envelope together with the export validation to:
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
Detaxe Individuelle Haussmann
TSA 44 100
75 446 PARIS CEDEX 09
FRANCE
Again, include an explanation as to why you couldn’t get your form validated at CDG and don’t forget to take copies of all your Galeries Lafayette documents. Make sure that your credit card number has been included in your VAT form.
I hope the above works for you and best of luck.
Kind regards,
Helen
Thank you Helen! You have been most helpful! I am going to reach out to the French Embassy here in Singapore and will keep you posted! This thread is super super useful!
Hi Karen,
Glad to help. I wouldn’t mind hearing about your experience with the French Embassy in Singapore. It may assist other people in the same boat.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi.
When i originally made the purchase in store i opted for a cash refund but once i got to the airport i decided to go with a credit card refund. So i did the whole pablo verification process. I didn’t mail back my form.
Would that work or did i have to do something different?
Thank you.
Hi Jenny,
Because you opted for cash, the store would not have captured your credit card information on the VAT form. So, although your form was PABLO verified, the VAT company will not able to make payment to you. What you need to do is mail the form back to the VAT company with your credit card details completed. Please make sure you keep a copy of your form, just in case it gets lost in the mail. You’ll also be able to track the progress of your VAT refund by keying in your DOC ID number.
Regards,
Helen Page
Hi Helen-
Please help!!! This was the first time that I have ever purchased anything expensive in Europe (a LV bag in Paris). I forgot about needing to get the VAT refund and only remembered about it when I was at the airport and saw the Global Blue sign. I searched for my paperwork and realized that I only had my receipt and not the necessary forms. I have packed the necessary forms in the checked luggage and thus could not show them at the Global Blue window. The receipt was obviously not enough. I am back in the USA and it’s been 30 days since the purchase was made. What are my options? I have all the necessary paperwork but not stamped … Please help!!! The refund is large enough that it would be a horrible to not get it back!
Thanks so much!
Dear Dalia,
Yikes!! How could you have forgotten??
You can still claim your VAT refund, but the process is time-consuming and there will be costs involved. However, as your VAT refund is substantial, it will be worth the effort. The process involves getting an export validation form from a French Consulate in the U.S.
Step 1.
I would email or phone Global Blue (https://secure.globalblue.com/customer-services/contact-us/)
(i) Explain to them that you didn’t have time at the Airport to get your Customs stamp and get their confirmation in writing that they will accept an export validation form from a French Consulate in the U.S.
(ii) Ask them whether you should then send this form to Global Blue or does it have to go elsewhere, e.g. French Customs?
Do Step 1 immediately.
Step 2.
Once you have an affirmative reply from Global Blue, contact your nearest French Consulate and tell them that you need to get a VAT export validation form, i.e. an “attestation de présentation des marchandises”. In order to get this document you’ll need to go to the Consulate with the LV bag you bought, your passport and your plane ticket (and boarding pass). The Consulate will probably charge you a fee for doing this.
Alternatively, on arriving back in the U.S. if you’ve completed any kind of U.S. Customs declaration that the LV bag was brought into your country, this could be used as well.
Step 3.
Once you’ve received your export validation form, make sure your credit card details are included on your VAT form. Take copies of all documentation (invoice, VAT refund form, export validation form, travel ticket and boarding pass) before sending them back to Global Blue, or wherever they tell you to send the documents to. It takes a month or so for the processing to complete, but you’ll be able to track the status of your refund online if you have the DOC ID no. That’s the number on the top right-hand corner of the VAT refund form. I usually go to the Refund Tracker (Global Blue in your case) after a couple of weeks to check the status of my VAT claim. If the system says that my refund is pending processing, then I know that the payment will happen. If the Tracker says that they have no record of my claim, then I’ll contact Global Blue and they will ask for the documents to be emailed to them.
The above may sound daunting, but you take each step at a time. If you think it’s all a bit painful, your other alternative is to go on another trip to Paris or another EU destination and re-export the LV bag again. You have 3 months from the date of purchase to do this.
All the best Dalia and I would be interested in hearing of your progress.
Best regards,
Helen
hello,
how can i track the refund status with Pablo?
thanks,
kevin
Hi Kevin,
Check your VAT refund form to see which company your VAT refund form is from, e.g. Global Blue or Premier Tax Free. You will need the Barcode number or DOC ID no. which is at the top of the form. Enter this number in the refund tracker. Below are links to Premier Tax Free and Global Blue’s refund tracker. If the message says that your refund is being processed you’ll know that it is in their system and it’s a matter of time before you get paid. If your form was given the green tick at the Pablo machine, you should be okay. It does take a few weeks for the payments to come through, provided you’ve included your credit card number on the form.
https://premiertaxfree.com/track-my-refund
https://secure.globalblue.com/tax-free-shopping/refund-tracker/
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
thank you very much for your reply, actually I have already checked the form(from Lafayette), but it seems not from global blue or premier tax free, the form was with 20 digital, i have tried with both way you mentioned, but failed.
on the form, I can find the name “douanes & droits indirects” on the up left corner, how can I track this one?
thank you very much in advance.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
As mentioned in my post update, Galeries Lafayette now process their VAT refund inhouse, i.e. they do not use a third party VAT refund company like Global Blue or Premier Tax Free. If you’ve validated your form at a PABLO machine at CDG and the message was “OK form validated”, then you’re fine. If you want to track your refund, you can email them at taxfree@galerieslafayette.com. You will need to provide the 20 digit number that you’ve mentioned. We did quite a bit of shopping at Galeries LaFayette last September and there was no problem with their process. They say that it takes up to 8 weeks for the payment to come through, but I got mine earlier.
Kind regards,
Helen
hi Helen,
thank you very much!
Most welcome Kevin. ☺
Hi Helen,
I want to buy a couple of Louis Vuttion bags in Paris next month but the thing is that they come in boxes that take up a lot of luggage space. Now they also come with a bag for the purse to keep it covered within the box but if I am asked to show the purses do I have to keep them in their original boxes or can I just keep the purses in their bags?
Hi Ketsia,
You don’t have to keep the boxes. Just keep whatever tags that come with the bags.
Kind regards,
Helen
Dear Helen, I happened to chance upon your posts and it is certaintly enlightening!
I was at Paris 2 weeks ago and bought a chanel and a celine bag. Went to the airport at Paris to scan it, got a green smiling face back at me, it means validated right? after that I passed everything to the travel agent to send back to Premier Tax. Unfortunately, after I tried tracking this refund, Premier tax told me that the form was not scanned at all and since there is no customs stamp on it, too bad no refund, very very frustrating as I had a few fellow tour members with me and all saw that it was validated.
I do not have any forms with me right now, it is all with premier tax, is this a gone case? 🙁
Hi Wei Fen,
If you had a green smiling face at the PABLO kiosk, it is confirmation that your export validation is successful. If your credit card details had been electronically recorded at the store, then it is not necessary to send the form back to Premier Tax Free. It can take up to 8 weeks before you see the payment in your credit card account. I’ve used the PABLO validation on several occasions and found that it works well.
As you were in Paris only 2 weeks ago, it’s still too early to track your refund. You said that you don’t have any of the VAT forms with you. Can you tell me how you were able to track your refund? Normally, to track your refund, you must have the DOC ID No. which is on the VAT form. Did you speak to someone at Premier?
Regards,
Helen
Hi helen, sorry i forgot to mention that i took pictures of the forms before i passed it back to the agent for mailing it out. I did not realise that if it has been validated successfully, it is not necessary to send back the forms to premier tax hence i passed everything to him.
I tried tracking through their website and a customer officer got back to me stating that the form wasnt scanned hence they are not able to do any refunds to me. 🙁
I was very puzzled as i still do not understand why the form wasnt scanned tho many of us saw the green smiling face. Now i am wondering if there is still anything i can do or it is indeed a hopless case now.
Hi Wei Fen,
Just to clarify, it is not necessary to send the VAT forms back to Premier, only if your credit card details have been captured electronically on the form. You should be able to see part of the number on your VAT form. Most of the bigger shops will ask for your credit card and enter that information for you. However, if the card number has not been captured, you still do need to send the forms back.
At the end of week 3, I would try Premier’s Tracker again and see what the message says. If you get in touch with a customer service officer, ask if he/she can email you a copy of your VAT form. You can get the Frency Embassy in your home country to help you with the export validation of your form, but it is quite a long-winded process. Below is the procedure but before doing it, get advice from the Embassy:
“Procedure for getting your Tax Free form stamped after your departure
If, for reasons solely having to do with the organisation of the Customs service (absence, temporary interruption), you were unable to complete the VAT refund formalities prior to your departure from the European
Union, you can send a request for regularisation, before expiry of the six-month period following the date of purchase, to the Regional Customs Directorate with jurisdiction over the point from which you left
the European Union (list available at https://pro.douane.gouv.fr/rush/
API_Service.asp).
You must state the reasons that prevented you from completing the Customs formalities for export, along with the name of the Customs office at the exit point and the date of your departure.
You must enclose with your request:
• Any official paper proving that you are habitually resident outside of the European Union and that you visited France for a period under six months (photocopy of passport, identity card, consular ID card,
residence permit, etc.);
• Proof of export of the goods (stamp or receipt by Customs in your country of residence, certificate issued by an accredited authority in the French embassy or consulate in your country of residence, stating
that the goods have been shown to them);
• The original copy of the Tax Free form;
• A photocopy of your travel ticket.”
Your other option is to re-export the goods again if you happen to be going to Europe again in the next couple of months.
Let me know if you have any positive feedback from the French Embassy.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Sorry if my question has been repeated in the above but my issue here seems to have a mix of every comment above so just to be sure and I left the comment here.
I have bought goods from various company with different VAT agent such as Global Blue, Premier Tax free and Pablo. Just wonder why is there so many different agents and is it true that each different agent has it’s own counter in the airport?
I managed to post my claim for Global Blue and Premier Tax free through the Global blue and Premier tax free counter at Prague Terminal 2 airport. However, they rejected my form for Pablo which I am not sure why is it so?
So, my pablo claim has been selected for credit card refund at La Fayette -> Stamped by custom officer at Prague airport but not able to submit over the counter. Any idea what kind of postage service that I should used in Malaysia to have this claim successfully deliveted to France?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Grace,
VAT refund processing is a business and like all businesses, there are usually more than one player. The various VAT refund companies have their own counters at the airport, but thankfully they are all located in the same area.
Pablo is not a VAT agent. It is an electronic barcode reader which allows non-EU shoppers in France to get their VAT form export verified electronically without having to stand in the long Customs queue.
If a green screen appears with the message «OK, form valid» the approval process is complete.
If a red screen appears, follow the instructions on screen, i.e. you’ll need to get a physical Customs stamp.
Galeries Lafayette do their own processing of VAT refunds – they do not use a VAT agent. That is why your claim was not accepted by Global Blue and Premier Tax Free at Prague Airport.
If you have scanned your Galeries Lafayette tax refund form barcode at the Pablo kiosk and received the OK message, you do not have to send the form back to Lafayette if your credit card number has been recorded by them. You said that you selected the credit card refund option, so it would appear that you’ve given them your credit card number. The refund can take from 4 to 8 weeks to appear on your credit card account.
If you don’t think that you’ve given them your credit card number to record, you can send your VAT form, including your credit card number, to the address below. Make sure you keep a copy of the form for your records.
Tax Free Customer Service
Galeries Lafayette
55bis rue Saint Lazare
TSA 44100 – 75446 Paris Cedex 09
Hope the above helps.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Do you know if it is necessary to get a boarding pass first before going to the customs desk to get the stamp?
In addition, I have read from somewhere that even for cash refunds at CDG Airport, I have to provide my credit card number. Is this true?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Stella,
Yes you need your boarding pass before going to the Customs desk for your VAT stamp. I would do on-line checkin the day before your flight so that you will have an electronic copy of your boarding pass. You can then go straight to Customs to get your stamp on departure date.
No, for cash refunds at CDG Airport you do not have to provide your credit card number. They will pay you when they have checked that you have obtained the required Customs stamp.
If you take a cash refund downtown they will ask for your credit card number. This is so that if you don’t send back your Customs validated forms within the required timeframe, they can then do a charge-back to your credit card.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I sumbitted my VAT refund last week at Orly airport through the Pablo scanners. Two were through Global Blue and were accepted- the green icon showed up. Do I still need to mail in the paperwork to the company? Do I still need to pay postage on the envelope they provided? There was no drop off box at the airport so I kept the forms. I am mailing from NYC.
The other form was through Premire tax and was not accepted through the scanner. I saw a customs agent where he took my form, passport and boarding pass. He scanned the document and gave it back to me but did not put a physical stamp on it. He told me it was accepted and that I do not need to do anything else. I did not scan the document again and just took his word. Just wanted to confirm with you that this is the right steps. Do I need to mail the form in as well?
I requested the refund to my credit card. How long should I wait before I follow up?
Thanks for the advice!
Hi Anna,
If you told the store/Global Blue that you wanted a refund to your credit card and they entered your credit card number in your VAT refund form, then you do not have to send your Pablo verified documents back to Global Blue. (Note: When you pay for your goods with your credit card, your credit card information is not automatically included in your Tax Free Form.)
Keep your VAT forms until you’ve been paid. This can take 4 – 8 weeks. The VAT forms have a DOC ID Number on the top right hand corner. With this number you can go into the Global Blue refund tracker to check the status of your payment. If it says that your refund is being processed, then you can relax and the funds will arrive in due course.
If your credit card information was not entered on your VAT form, then you’ll need to send them back to Global Blue with your credit card number recorded on it. If your VAT amount is substantial, you might want to send the form back by registered post. Make sure you keep a copy of your documents before putting them in the post.
As regards your Premier Tax Free form, you can go into the Premier Tax Free refund tracker, maybe at the end of this week, and check if your refund is in their system. If it says that your refund is being processed, then you’re fine. If not, then I would email Premier Tax Free and get their advice. IF, contrary to what you were told, your form was not accepted, there’s not point in sending the form back to Premier as it does not have a physical stamp on it. Another point to bear in mind is that although the Customs officers can do electronic verification of VAT forms on their systems, it is not their responsibility to check if your credit card details have been recorded. As mentioned above, if your credit card details were not recorded, then you still have to send the physical VAT form back to Premier so that they know where to credit the funds.
Hope the above helps.
Kind regards,
Helen
Thank you for the reply!
Luckily the Premier Tax Free one is being processed, whew. I used the online refund tracker.
I also used the global blue online tracker and it said that both of my transactions are pending. The tracker said I have to mail in my form with the customs stamp. I verified the documentd via the Pablo and the green light showed up. I did not get them stamped by the customs officer because of this. What should I do! Should I just sent the forms in as is?
Thanks again for all your help.
Anna,
I would contact Global Blue and get their advice first. If you send them the form as-is, it does not show any Customs stamp. To prove that you’ve been through the Pablo process you might offer to show them a screen shot of your Premier Tax Free online tracker status.
https://secure.globalblue.com/customer-services/contact-us/#emailSection
Please remember to keep a copy of your Global Blue VAT forms before putting anything in the mail.
Let me know how you go.
Regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Do you know how many hours before my flight can I go to the customs desk to have my detaxe form stamped?
Thank you.
Hi Stella,
Check i desks normally open 3 to 4 hours before the flight. You need your boarding pass to have your VAT processed.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Thanks for your reply.
If I do an online check-in and have an electronic copy of my boarding pass, do you know what is the maximum number of hours prior my flight can I arrive at the customs desk at CDG to stamp my detaxe form?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Stella,
I usually do online checkin the day before and arrive at CDG three hours in advance to do my VAT. That’s enough time even during busy periods. I don’t know how much earlier you can process your VAT. There’s nothing to stop you from trying earlier.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I purchased items from Spain and France. For Spain receipts from the LV store, Pablo isn’t recognized. I also purchased from LV from Galleries Lafayette in Paris. Little did I know, that one was Pablo eligible.
I didn’t scan the tax refund forms at the Pablo Kiosk in CDG airport for my Spain or Paris receipts, but brought my document to the customs agent for manual stamping (did not know I should of for the Paris bnb purchase). At the counter, they manually stamped the Spain receipts. I noticed that they did not stamp the France receipt and when I questioned it, they said that one is scanned. I proceeded to mail out the VAT tax forms.
I know I did not scan the LV receipt for France. Would the customs agent have scanned it for me (and I just wasn’t aware of it)?? They did not tell me to go and get it scanned.
When I entered in the DOC ID code in Glpbal Blue, it shows ” request pending.” If it was scanned by the customs agent, wouldn’t it show “refund processing”??
I mailed out my unstamped VAT tax refund form, but I have a picture of it with the DOC ID.
Your help is appreciated. I am worried I dont have the hard copy VAT tax refund form now since I mailed it out and the agent did not manually stamp the form.
Hi Tracy,
To be clear: PABLO can only be used for tax-free shopping in France. Anything else that you buy from other EU countries, like Spain, have to be stamped by Customs manually.
You had your Spanish receipts manually stamped by Customs which is correct.
The Customs officers have access to the PABLO system so they would have scanned your French LV receipt. You would not see this standing at the other side of the counter. If the refund tracker says that your VAT refund is request is pending, then it means that they have it in their system. VAT companies usually do batch processing at the end of the month so it could take anything from 4 to 6 weeks for your payment to come through. If they have all the information they require, then the refund tracker should say that your VAT claim is pending payment. I suggest you check the tracker at the end of 4 weeks and if there are no new updates, then the next step is to contact them thru their online tracker.
Regards,
Helen
Thank u so much! I was worried because I ended up mailing my French LV receipt (without a stamp and without me scanning it in the Pablo machine). I have nothing but a photo of an unstamped VAT refund form left from LV and the actual receipt.
The tracker still says “pending” so I will follow your advice and check back in 4 weeks. I was worried that the customs person did not scan my receipt on their end for me ( because I didn’t see them over the counter), but maybe I am worrying too much.
I was about to contact Global Blue and head to the French Embassy in the US until I found your site. Thank u for this site, very helpful!
Hi Tracy,
As you can imagine, there are so many VAT refund claims being processed everyday and things can and do go wrong even though you may have followed the process correctly. One of the readers below said that she had her form verified at the PABLO terminal and yet the tracker asked for her stamped Customs form. So, it’s understandable that we get a bit concerned about the VAT being paid. As I advised above, check after 4 weeks from when you left CDG and if there’s no progress, you may want to contact Global Blue.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hello Helen,
I just back from Paris 2 weeks ago. All my purchases was done in Printemps and I got the tax refunded in cash from their service desk on the same day. What I did when I arrived CDG was just scan the VAT forms at PABLO (got green smile face for each form). That is all I did and I haven’t returned the forms to VAT office, Travelex or the custom since I have already got my money back. Do I miss anything?
Thanks
Hello Eric,
As your purchases were made in France, you’ve got your money in cash and PABLO gave you a green smiling face, you don’t have to send back the VAT forms. However, I would hold on to the forms for a month or so just in case something’s gone wrong with their electronic verification. One of our readers said that he had a green smiling face and yet his credit card refund was reversed later on. Strange things can happen!
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi, I faced a problem with my tax refund. I did validate my tax refund form in the airport. However. I place all forms within an enveloped even if it was authorised by different tax company and place it in the mailbox at the airport.how should I do now?
Hi, I just realise from the previous post said that I had validated my tax refund form from the PALBO kios so I have no need to mail the form back. However I still put it into the mail box at the airport without taking a photo. This is because this is my first time claiming refund in the Europe and thus I have no idea how was it going on. Now, I can’t check whether my refund had been proceding as I have. O barcode number. What can I do for getting back my barcode?
Hi Jocelyn,
If your goods were purchased in France and the shop entered your credit card number on the VAT form, then it is not necessary to send your VAT form back. The only way get your VAT form barcode is to ask the shop to email you a duplicate copy or you can email the VAT company and ask if they can do a search for you. Jocelyn, there are so many of these VAT transactions going through every day and the chances of getting a copy of your VAT form is pretty slim. The Global Blue and Premier Tax Free systems are reliable and if yours are from these two companies then you can expect your refund to come through, provided your VAT form has your credit card number on it. The refund can take up to six weeks to be credited. Sorry I can’t give you any other advice.
Regards,
Helen
Thank you. I have used this PABLO for a few years and love it.
But last week when I bought an expensive watch the PABLO machine said no. So I went to the customs officer who said he has scanned it. I asked him to put a manual stamp on and he said don’t worry it’s automatic. It is on the system.
Now I am worried. How do I track the form and see if it was indeed validated?
By the way, this form is not issued by the big company like Global Blue or Premier Tax Free.
It is on an official Douanes & Droits Indirects form.
Please assist.
Hi Sang Fung,
The Customs officers have the ability to scan VAT refund forms at their terminal so they wouldn’t provide a manual stamp unless your form faileld to scan. I’ve not seen the official Douanes & Droits Indirects form that you’ve referred to and I can only presume that the Store you bought your expensive watch from is handling its own VAT refund. VAT refunds do take time to be credited to your credit card account. To track your refund you should ring the store and check the progress and timeframe with them.
Regards,
Helen Page
Hi,
In August, I have purchased some goods in Galeries Lafayatte in Paris and done the tax refund prcocedue with tax free form received in same day. Until now, I realised that the tax free form has to be verified by PABLO or got a stamp form the custom at the airport. . Because I have been never told by the shop staff so that I got nothing done now. May I know how I can get the taxi refund back?
Thanks in advance for your advice
Martin
Hi Martin,
You have 3 months, after the month of purchase, to get your VAT form validated. Unfortunately, as it is now end-November, you’ve missed the deadline. I’m sorry not to be able to give you any good news.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I have a question about tax refund in Paris. I’ll be leaving Paris by direct train to Zurich , and then flying back home from Zurich Airport.
I’ve been very concerned with the fact that there’s no Pablo kiosk available in Gare de Lyon station.
Can I just go to pablo kiosks at CDG after doing my shopping in Paris to get my tax refund.?
Thanks in advance
Regards,
Tenry
Hi Tenry,
Below is link to TGV-Lyria page which provides information on getting Customs stamp on the train. It also mentions the possibility of placing your form in the Customs letterbox at certain train stations, unfortunately Zurich is not mentioned as one of the stations.
https://www.tgv-lyria.com/en-CH/travelling/on-board-support/documents-you-need/duty-free
When you’re at Gare de Lyon, ask at the station to see if you can obtain any advice to ensure that you get your Customs stamp. And when you’re on the train ask the ticket collector if there is a Customs officer on board as you need to get your VAT form stamped.
I do not think that you can go to a Pablo kiosk at CDG to get your VAT form verified if you’re not leaving from there. I haven’t seen anyone suggesting that this can be done.
All the best with your VAT claim.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hi Helen, thanks in advance. I posted my receipt to the tax refund company but it hasn’t appeared on my CC statement yet. I want to chase it up but can’t recall the refund company (and can’t check the receipt because… it had to be posted to said company!)
Can you please tell me a few of the main tax refund companies in the EU to see which one rings a bell? I know it wasn’t Planet or Global Blue… thank again
Hi Anthony,
Global Blue is the largest, followed by Premier Tax Free. Others include Tax Refund for Tourists and Vatfree.com.
I hope it is one of them. To track your refund they will need to know your VAT form Document ID.
Good luck,
Helen
Hi Helen,
I purchased a Chanel bag net of VAT Tax. When we arrived at the tax refund kiosk, the form was rejected and we went to see the Custom officer. He returned the form back to me without the manual stamp. We did not go back to the refund kiosk for further verification. Do we need to mail the form back to Planet without the stamp. I don’t want the VAT refund to revert it back. Thanks.
Hi Joanne,
When you tried verifying your VAT form at the PABLO machine and it was rejected, you did the right thing by going to the Customs desk. The Customs officers have the same PABLO scanners at their desk and it’s possible that the officer scanned your form and it went through OK. Hence the form was returned to you. One way to check is to go to Planet’s website and track your refund there.
https://www.planetpayment.com/en/tax-refund-customer-services/
If you get a negative response, I suggest that you contact Planet Customer Service and get their advice. Below is their contact details. Please do it as soon as possible.
Planet
140 Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris, France, 75017
customerservices@planetpayment.com
Telephone: +33 1 837 99 010
All the best.
Helen
Hi Helen,
I have to mail back a VAT form for purchases made in France. I will be traveling to London with a layover in Finland. Is it possible to drop the VAT form envelope in the mailbox at the Finland airport? Not sure if there are special mailboxes for VAT forms.
Thank you,
Virginia
Hi Virginia,
Global Blue and Planet have dedicated Tax Free Refund boxes at Helsinki Airport. If your VAT refund is through one of these two groups, you can drop it off there. If you don’t manage to find them, you can always send it through the mail, but ensure that you have postage on your envelope. Also, make sure you take a photo of your form, just in case your form goes missing in the mail. The Document ID no. on the top righthand corner is the important bit of information. With the ID No. you can track your refund status through the VAT company’s website.
https://www.finavia.fi/en/airports/helsinki-airport/airport/services-facilities
Kind regards,
Helen
If a store in Paris participates in Global Blue, does that mean it is the only way to get a TVA refund, paying the Global Blue fees? I live in the USA, but I have a French bank account in euros to pay for the phone and receive any refund.
I am thinking specifically of Apple. Assuming some day I can travel again to France, I want to buy an iPhone that has certain LTE bands not available on models sold in the US.
Thank you,Randy
Hi Randy,
Companies that offer tax-free shopping to travellers, are required to do quite a bit of admin work in processing TVA refunds, including having to submit TVA returns to their tax authorities. As most companies don’t want the added administrative burden, they are happy to outsource these tasks to VAT companies like Global Blue.
Global Blue has to make a living from their business, hence the fees charged. To answer your question, if a store uses Global Blue or any other VAT companies, they are unlikely to want to deal with your individual TVA claim.
When you’re dealing with a company like Global Blue, you can be certain of getting your TVA refunded, if you do your documentation correctly. Be warned that there are cases where smaller unethical shops, wanting to entice travellers to shop with them, will tell you that they can do the TVA refund. But, you won’t hear from them once you get back home.
Yes, it would be nice to get the complete TVA amount back, but as mentioned above, Global Blue has to earn a living. I would treat the TVA refund as the icing on the cake – you’ve found the iPhone you want and at a good price.
Please be aware that IVA refunds are for non-residents of the EU only. If you have French bank account, you may have fun trying to convince them that you are not a French resident and that you are entitled to claim TVA refund. Your options are:
1) pay in Euro cash and get your refund in cash (in which case there are added fees to pay to Global Blue), or
2) pay with your U.S. credit card and have the refund credited to that credit card – there are no additional fees for card refunds.
Hope the above answers your question.
Stay safe and I hope that you’ll be able to travel before too long.
Kind regards,
Helen
Hello,
I will be flying out of terminal 2C on Jan 2nd with multiple purchases / forms from various companies – global blue / premiere tax, etc. Unfortunately I wasn’t very structured when I shopped and I think I asked for some refunds on card and some via cash. A few questions :
1. How early should I arrive at the airport? Is 3 hours enough time?
2. Is it safe to assume that the refunds on credit card don’t need to be mailed back but the ones with cash do need to be mailed back?
3. How to tell if the credit card info was captured?
4. Do I go somewhere else for the cash refunds after the pablo terminals?
5. The VCA store told me if I’m flying first class there is a separate detaxe counter but I can’t see anything online about that so not sure if that is true or not.
Thanks I’m advance for your help / advice … truly appreciate it !!!
Hi SDHanda,
1. As there are fewer people flying these days, I would think that 3 hours would be sufficient, especially if you’re flying first class and don’t have to queue for check-ins.
2. To determine if you have to send your VAT form back to the VAT agency, check your PABLO enabled VAT form to see if your credit card details have been captured on the form. The bigger shops usually ask for your credit card when you tell them that you want a credit card refund. If your credit card information is not captured on your VAT form, then you must send the form back to the VAT agency. Before doing that, take a photo of the form just in case your paperwork goes missing in the mail.
3. As above, if your credit card details show on the VAT form, then you’ll know that they have been captured.
4. After doing your PABLO verification, you’ll need to go to the “Cash Paris” counter to get your cash refunds. Previously, Travelex handled all the cash payments, but I believe Cash Paris are the new people. Just check with them.
5. I’m not aware of where the first class detaxe counter is. Again, just check with the Information Desk there. Otherwise the normal detaxe counter is at 004 on the Terminal 2C map.
https://www.parisaeroport.fr/docs/default-source/passager-fichiers/plans/terminal_2c.pdf?sfvrsn=7ef2e5bd_6
Tips:
– Always take a photo of all your VAT forms before you arrive at the airport. The important information to capture is the Document ID on the top righthand corner. This number allows you to track online the progress of your VAT payment. If you have any queries about your payment, you’ll be asked for this number.
– Do not include your credit card details for cash payments.
I hope the above is of some help. We haven’t been to CDG since the start of Covid so things might have changed a little. I’d appreciate any feedback you may have.
Have a safe trip and a Very Happy New Year to you.
Helen Page
The whole process is still a hassle. I couldn’t find any map that shows the PABLO scanner location. After I passed the security check and the custom in CDG, I reached the tax refund office in terminal 2A. The lady told me to go downstairs and get the form scanned. To be honest, walking all the way back is a no-go.
Hello I’m travelling to Paris next month and will go to Zurich via train I saw that there’s no Pablo kiosk/Customs at Gare de Lyon train station can you please advise how i will get my VAT refund if I cant validate the forms. Thank you
Michelle, before purchasing from the shop, I suggest you get their advice on how you can get your VAT forms validated. Usually when a train crosses international borders some Customs officers will board the train, but there’s no guarantee that you will see them or if they’ll stamp your forms for you. Let me know how you go as others have the same problem.
Kind regards,
Helen