spassvogel

"As long as the item is out of its packaging, it is kind of hard for the customs agents to tell that you didn't buy it in the US or previously pay duty."

Don't forget to eat your creditcard slip and the invoice

SV

spassvogel

"5) The print needs to match. Check the pattern on one side. Now, check on the other. If the pattern matches, it's real. If not, it is fake."

O O - you coulnd't be more wrong:

In Bangkok you can order CHEAP fake ones where the signature sign doesn't match. The more expensive ones are MATCHING! So - that's certainly not a criteria!

SV

annhig

I haven't read all of this thread, so apologies if someone else has made this point - what about the bags' insides?

one of the reasons I carry a handbag, [and I doubt that I'm alone in this] is that I need it to carry thinga around. and I need to be able to find those things, hence I want to see how the inside is organised before I buy. but hardly any of the bags have any information about that, so the adverts and pictures are useless.

so even if I could/wanted to afford them, they remain unpurchased.

anyone else have this problem?

LoveItaly

Yes, annhig, I do so I completely understand your thinking.

And speaking of LV handbags I just read that an Australia woman was fined 1000euro in Italy as she was caught buying a fake LV bag. This happened in the beach area of Jesole outside of Venice. The article said the Italian authorities are attempting to fine buyers in order to discourage people from buying the rip off products so that the immigrant sellers won't have as many sales. No mention if the seller was fined or whatever. I couldn't help but wonder if the Australian woman wondered why she was the only one that got caught and fined, lol.

Coach bags have become a pathetic joke.

And just a reminder that when a new poster comes here to advertise just click on the grey triangle to alert Fodor's and they will remove the advertising post(s) and the person posting the advertisement.

Guenmai

Luisah: I'm one who declares my items. However, a few years ago while coming back from one of my Bangkok trips, I was way over the limit. When the customs guy looked at my custom's form, he raised an eyebrow. I then said to him that I'm one who declares items, but that I'm really tired of many times being the only person standing in the line to pay tax. I then went on to say that I'm sure that off of a plane of over 300 passengers that I'm not the only person, or one of the few, that went over the $800. limit. He then said to me, and this is the honest to goodness truth, "Why did you even declare it all?". He then marked my form and said welcome home, and that was the end of it. I wonder how many of those customs guys, declare everything when they travel? Happy Travels!

Luisah

"He then marked my form and said welcome home, and that was the end of it. I wonder how many of those customs guys, declare everything when they travel?"

That's interesting. I don't know what the customs guys do but I do know that if they catch you it can be rough. There'll be a fine on top of the duty. I've seen them do spot checks -- pull someone out of the line and go through all their luggage. Remember Jeb Bush's wife getting caught after a Paris trip? Pretty embarassing for her husband, the governor of Florida. Maybe she tried to walk right through customs carrying a new LV purse.

I had a similar experience returning from Paris one year. I don't remember how much I was over, but the customs guy in Atlanta pulled out a book and checked on everything I'd listed and said "no duty on that" a couple of times and I wound up paying something like $15, no big deal.

I know what you mean about being the only one listing everything.

Happy travels back to you!

Guenmai

Luisah: Yes, it's true that one can get spot checked. And as for airports, I've posted many times that it can depend on the airport and that, as far as my airport experience goes, Atlanta and Chicago (O'Hare) are the absolute worst. I try to avoid those two like the plague. More than a few times I have either almost missed my connecting flight due to them taking everything out of my suitcase, inspecting everything, and moving at snails pace, and after honestly declaring one or two items that had pushed me over the $800. limit. Then I've been stuck with the pile of mess to repack and then recheck the luggage and try to get to a connecting flight. I missed a connecting flight a few months ago. Then I was stuck, for nearly 4 hours, in O'Hare before the next flight. And had there not been space left on that flight, I wouldn't have gotten home until the next day since a bad storm hit right after my flight took off and the other planes were grounded. When I got home to the west coast, the flight board read that all flights that had left O'Hare after mine had been cancelled. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Correction: "...that all flights that had been scheduled to leave O'Hare after mine had been cancelled." Happy Travels!

JillDavis

Okay, let me get this straight because this is my first time traveling overseas.

When I get to the Zurich airport to come home to the States, I need to get in line to claim my VAT refund. (I will be purchasing an LV bag) Then, I get in line to pay my duty tax? (unless I want to be sneaky. haha.) If my flight is at 10:30, what time should I get to the airport to do all this?

Guenmai

I don't know about Zurich, as it's been a long time since I was last there. But, in Paris, I arrive to the airport at least 3 hours before my flight is scheduled to leave. But, I'm usually traveling in the spring, not in the high summer season when there are tons of people. But, I was also in Paris, last summer 2009 along with spring 2009, and I just added another half hour to airport arrival time as CDG as it is a zoo in the detaxe lines. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Jill Davis: I just reread your post. Are you asking if you pay your duty tax in Zurich? You pay it in the U.S. at the first airport you land at if you have more than one flight. If you have a non-stop flight, then you pay it when you arrive into your home airport. And if you have to pay it at your first airport and then have a connecting flight, you'd better hurry unless you have a long layover.

And the way it usually works, overseas, is that you stand in line 1 to get the detaxe papers stamped and then in line 2 to get the refund money. Personally, I stand in line 1 and get the detaxe papers stamped and then put the correct stamped paperwork in the envelope and drop it in the mailbox at the airport and then wait for my refund to be credited to me on my credit card. That can take up to two months, although usually less. In 2008, I think it was, it took one week short of two months to get my detaxe refunded. However, it was refunded really fast on this last trip in March/April. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Cepar: Your LV Passy Epi leather bag is the GM one, I think it's called, as you mentioned that it's the bigger one. I think mine is called the PM one, I guess the "G" is for "Grande" and the "P" is for "Petite". I'm just guessing. Mine was quite a bit less than the GM one and I'm glad that I got it when it first came out in 2006, as the price has really risen now. It's a very popular bag. I bought a detachable shoulder strap, to go with it, so it fits very comfortably on my shoulder. Maybe you should buy one,too. Happy Travels!

Luisah

"Then, I get in line to pay my duty tax?"

No, you won't owe duty tax to Switzerland. The duty tax is owed to the U.S. government when you exceed the $800 worth of goods you're allowed to bring into the country. You'll fill out a form and sign it on your return flight. You turn it in to customs and pay the duty when you land in the U.S.

If you're traveling with your husband the allowance will be $1600 -- So don't let him shop.

Guenmai

Detaxe Information: As for detaxe, I just opened my stack of mail and noticed that I have received my detaxe credit on one of my credit card statements. I was in Paris March/April.

I bought a new Chloe handbag on April 01st, in Paris, and for 750 Euros/$1,043.48 (exchange rate of 1.39). I flew out of CDG/ Paris on Easter Sunday, April 04th.

As usual, I stood in detaxe line #1 and got what I needed to get stamped/processed as I had more than one detaxe form to process. I then took out the different envelopes and put the forms in the different envelopes and dropped them into the mailbox right across from the detaxe window. I wasn't about to stand in even slower line #2, to get a cash refund.

According to this month's credit card statement, that I just looked at, the detaxe credit was posted to my account on May 25th. It was posted in Pounds Sterling at 81.05 with a credit of $119.59 to my credit card. Different detaxe companies handle the detaxe.

When I was in Paris and Italy in spring 2009, I ended up in Paris last and did my detaxe there. On that trip I thought I'd get cash Euros back instead of mailing in the forms. However, one of the Italian companies that had done my detaxe paperwork, in Venice, was not a company that the detaxe office handled in Paris, so I had to mail that form in and wait for my detaxe to get credited back to my credit card, as I usually do anyway. The other detaxe forms, I got cash Euros back. Since I was a bit lower on leftover Euros than usual, as I was leaving Paris, I wanted to have a larger leftover supply for when I returned in summer. I therefore decided, when I got to CDG, that I'd just try to get cash Euros back instead of mailing in all of the forms. Happy Travels!

JillDavis

Okay, so please tell me if I have this right?

1) Get to Zurich airport early because I have to get in line 1 to get my detaxe form stammped, then get in line 2 to get my refund money back right then and there. Allow 3 hours before flight for all of this.

2)When arriving home to the US, I have to pay duty tax.

Luisah

Correct, Jill.

Happy shopping!

Luisah

Oops, forgot. Report back on the shopping/detaxe experience.

Have a great trip!

Guenmai

To clarify if needed, although I had bought my items in Paris and had gotten the detaxe forms stamped in Paris, and of course, flew home from Paris, my detaxe was processed in pounds sterling although I purchased in Euros. Then the credited amount was converted from Pounds Sterling to dollars. Happy Travels!

Christina

Your "duty" on anything is a US tax and law, you can't pay it to some foreign country.

Guenmai

That was clarified above in both my and Luisah's posts to Jill. Happy Travels!