OT: VAT refund on Rolex GMT Master II at T5
 

Good morning!

I am considering purchasing a Rolex GMT Master II in steel and yellow gold when I am back in the UK at Christmas time.

If I buy it in the UK it is much more expensive than here in Qatar but if I get the VAT back it will be about GBP 500 cheaper to buy in the UK.

Last time I was at T5 a few months ago I found the VAT refunds desk.

If I buy the Rolex in the UK what do I need to make sure I do to guarantee getting the VAT back at T5? Will a valid residence permit in my passport for the country I live (Qatar) be sufficient evidence to prove that I live overseas?

Also, if I buy the Rolex on my UK based BA Amex will that hinder my chances of getting the VAT back?

Many thanks in advance.

This site below has some info but .... Not sure whether you qualify...

http://www.taxfreetravel.com/VAT%20Refunds

You need to buy the watch from somewhere that does tax free for tourists, so perhaps Selfridges or Harrods. For this particular watch at this time of year, you may want to 'phone ahead to make sure they've got one.

After you've bought it, go the shop's tax refund desk to fill out the form - you'll need your passport with Qatar residency for this.

At T5, go through security as normal, then head to the Customs inspection desk as it's a jewellery item. If you're British, be ready to show your Qatar visa and inbound and outbound itineraries for your journey, to proove you don't live/spend much time in the UK.

After that, go to the Travelex VAT refund desk where they'll process the refund for you. You won't get all the VAT back as a commission is applied - it's probably about 12.5-15% that you'll see.

No worries re: the card. The shop won't care, customs won't check. I do this all the time using a UK amex and UAE visa and have no problems with customs, even on more expensive items.

Enjoy your new watch!

If you qualify for a tax-refund then the process is pretty painless, providing you follow the rules, one of which is to make sure you purchase from a retailer that is a member of the Retail Export Scheme and remember to get the relevant receipt from the retailer at the time of purchase.

Full details from HMRC are here.

Also note that certain items must be carried through security and presented at the HMRC desk airside, so be sure not to pack them in your checked-in bags.

If in doubt go to the landside desk first.

Probably a separate issue, but Heathrow Airport are currently advertising Christmas shopping on local radio claiming that airport purchases are around 15% cheaper than in comparable High Street shops. No mention of any residency restriction.

That would seem to imply net of VAT, though we know from separate threads that Dixons for example no longer sell 'tax free' at LHR. The whole 'tax free' argument is unclear, to me at least.

Why not just buy at T5 Mappin & Webb? You will have the VAT amount pre-deducted, which means you will be better off, because those VAT refunds through Global Blue or Premier Tax Free (most shops, including Harrods, Selfridges etc use VAT refund processing companies such as these) never give you the full VAT amount back, as they deduct administrative fees.

Telephone Mappin & Webb at T5 in advance to check if they have what you want in stock though. They have a pretty decent range of Rolex in stock (I bought mine from there), but not everything is there. Residency is immaterial if you buy airside at T5, as the discount applies to everyone.

Yes it should be. That's what I used to do when I was resident in Oman.

Not in my experience.

Thank you for your advice everyone. ^

Is there any 'tax free' in the EU - apart from maybe tobacco and alcohol duty?.

I bought a Sony computer from the SonyStyle store at T5, not only did I get 17.5% discount, but was also offered an additional 5% as an incentive to buy immediately. So I did, and it was delivered free to my office 2 days later.

In addition I was offered the chance to buy anything else from there under similar conditions (including the additional 5%) by phoning or emailing them. So I bought a wireless keyboard and mouse which was delivered, again free, to my office 1 day later.

All in all a steal, and I also got a VAT receipt, showing how much VAT I'd paid, so the bottom line is that airport shopping is just discounted shopping.

You don't get that much, I only got 10% back, the other 7.5% was the "commission". That's from those places that advertise the "tax free for tourists" plan.

What you really want is a VAT 407 form, and a retailer that will honour it. How it works is you fill out the card with what you bought for how much etc. As you leave the country there is a customs booth and you get the form stamped. At LHR T3 it's pre security near the check in desks. They examine your passport, sales receipt and stamp the form and mail it to the retailer where you bought the watch, and then the retailer will refund you the VAT.

It's up to the retailer if they charge a commission or not. Most seem to deal with the third party tax refunders who do charge, but it never hurts to ask around.

Of course you already knew all that didn't you? You just wanted to show off your new watch. :D

Nice watch....heck of a price. I got my near identical Seiko divers watch on Ebay shipped from SIN for £65. :p

I looked into this a few years ago prior to buying a one of these and at that time Mappin & Webb wouldn't take orders for later collection - you just had to get lucky.

And as this watch is in extremely high demand (especially by travellers) the chance of wandering in and finding one ready to go is very slim. I've looked in M&W many a time and never seen a GMT Master II in there.

I have been told in the past by M&W that they will order stuff in if you pay a deposit.

Also worth noting that you get 15,000 BAA Worldpoints (15k M&M miles, 15k VS miles, 22,500 BMI miles) for spending over GBP 2,500 in certain Heathrow jewellers in November or December. You may actually, if you ask nicely, be able to pay on a number of credit cards (splitting the transaction into chunks of GBP 2,501) and putting a different WP number against each one ....

^ love this tip!

I had precisely the same situation two and a half years ago - I was buying a Breitling Gold Chronomat Evolution. I priced it up everywhere; UK high street with VAT refund, M&W T5, here in Cairo, Tourneau in the US, somewhere in Singapore. The best deal, by far, was the Breitling Boutique in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai - AED66k. However the exchange rate at time of purchase can make a significant difference to your decision on where to buy.

A valid overseas residence/work permit in a British passport is more than adequate to get a VAT refund at LHR T5

Whatever you do don't follow HIDDY's purchase route; otherwise that Rolex you order will have turned into a Relax upon delivery. ;)