Airport VAT scam/Rip off prices exposed

[pastafarian]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...assenger-rebellion-gathers-pace-10450819.html

http://www.theguardian.com/politics...treasury-prices-travellers-tax-boarding-cards

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-08-11/...nisters-to-warn-retailers-to-pass-on-savings/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/avi...shopping-should-be-cheaper-says-minister.html

i always thought being forced to showing your boarding pass when shopping showed your eligibility to qualify for duty free purchases or security reasons to show you were permitted to be that side of the terminal purchasing Coke and Alka Seltzerin in Boots for legitimate reasons and not a fruity bomb maker

seems the greedy frackers have been pocketing the VAT for themselves,failing to pass on any savings and still charge you a small fortune for a bottle of water

At least its been clarified.......you can simply say no

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Always did seem a bit annoying that you 'had' to show your boarding pass when you wanted to buy, say, a full-price newspaper at WH Smiths air-side. Now we know why. Even Wetherspoons airside at Gatwick had recently-installed boarding pass scanners last time I was there a couple of months back, which they never had before. Hopefully they'll now have to uninstall them again.

 

[wellquickwoody]

I always had my doubts about this. To be honest I see nothing illegal going on but very underhand. The really sly bit is that you cannot take your own drinks through security due to the 100ml rule. Is that still a legal requirement or another 'rule' imposed by the airports to help them and not us? I have a feeling it maybe the former.

Having just checked this out seems I am wrong. Still in place via government directive.

 

[pastafarian]

I always had my doubts about this. To be honest I see nothing illegal going on but very underhand. The really sly bit is that you cannot take your own drinks through security due to the 100ml rule. Is that still a legal requirement or another 'rule' imposed by the airports to help them and not us? I have a feeling it maybe the former.

agree,i think thats the point,its not illegal,its just an arsey way to conduct business,we all know prices are high at airports and you have to go there expecting higher than normal high street prices........but what a bunch of ****s for trying to hide it though
actually maybe its just a case of no one bothered to ask them why they were doing it up and till now.

personally i am looking forward to my own little che guevara moment next time i am flying and sticking it to the man (or the bloke behind the counter at boots) and refusing to hand over my boarding pass when requested.

makes travelling slightly more interesting ............i am easily amused

 

[Hampster Gull]

agree,i think thats the point,its not illegal,its just an arsey way to conduct business,we all know prices are high at airports and you have to go there expecting higher than normal high street prices........but what a bunch of ****s for trying to hide it though
actually maybe its just a case of no one bothered to ask them why they were doing it up and till now.

personally i am looking forward to my own little che guevara moment next time i am flying and sticking it to the man (or the bloke behind the counter at boots) and refusing to hand over my boarding pass when requested.

makes travelling slightly more interesting ............i am easily amused

Interesting. Yes, i assumed in was some legal requirement. I have been refused a sale when i didnt present a boarding card before! I will be stroppier in future

 

[drew]

They have been reporting that they have not done anything illegal but surely there is an element of fraud if they are issuing invoices stating that you have paid VAT when in fact you haven't?

 

[ofco8]

I have often said to my wife "i f this stuff is duty free, why is some of it dearer than outside on the High Street". Now seems it was duty free for the retailers not the customers!!!

 

[Ernest]

When you show your boarding pass ask for the VAT to be taken off

 

[Simster]

I've never really liked the American idea where they quote pre-tax prices and then add on Fed/State taxes, but this is the first time where I can see that perhaps we should.

I'm sorry, the airports have been selling fraudulently in my opinion - it's that simple. Give it a few years and we should hopefully have PPI style lawyers offering to claw back 17.5%-20% on things bought at airports.

 

[Gazwag]

When you show your boarding pass ask for the VAT to be taken off

It should be remember of course that your destination has to be outside the EU

 

[ack]

Did always wonder about this, yes, could understand if buying fags or drink as norm much cheaper. Could never work out why when getting a paper and bottles of water. Now we all know and lets hope there's a backlash. As for their comments ,it's too hard to price diff depending on location, well they all have fancy tills, so discount from them depending on location. Cant be that hard with all these computerized systems.

 

[Ernest]

Another can of worms opened in rip off Britain

 

[Triggaaar]

I thought everyone knew this. Obviously the shops weren't paying VAT, and they were just making higher profits/paying higher rent. Try not to need things at the airport, and if you plan to buy something there, check it's cheaper than your alternatives.

 

[johnjim]

If you have time to spare at the airport, play the airport shopping game. Fill a basket up with things, go to checkout and when asked for boarding card walk away and don't return.
It's called getting your own back for all the times they have made you reshop and que again, because you had left the boarding passes with the wife while popping in a shop for something.
Not bitter or anything, just board at airports.

 

[Official Old Man]

I've mentioned Wetherspoons before somewhere. I actually got a VAT receipt from their till when, as I was flying to USA, I should not have paid VAT. Same with Dixons whose prices are no cheaper than the high street. They even claim 'tax free'. So who today will ask for their VAT back when buying anything? Bet BBC or Sky send a reporter to test the market.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Another can of worms opened in rip off Britain

It is ridiculous though that supposedly-reputable companies can operate like Spiv City UK. Hope they get hammered for back taxes.

 

[Creaky]

Did always wonder about this, yes, could understand if buying fags or drink as norm much cheaper. Could never work out why when getting a paper and bottles of water. Now we all know and lets hope there's a backlash. As for their comments ,it's too hard to price diff depending on location, well they all have fancy tills, so discount from them depending on location. Cant be that hard with all these computerized systems.

Pedant alert - VAT isn't charged on water or newspapers

 

[BensGrandad]

Are we now saying that if buying drinks or tobacco in duty free to take with you, we can and should refuse to show a boarding card?

 

[BensGrandad]

Pedant alert - VAT isn't charged on water or newspapers

Also according to the Royal Marsden hospital no bought bottled water is as pure as tap water. So take an empty bottle through the scanner and fill it up from the sinks in the toilet.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Always get my DFs in the States as the prices are generally cheaper than the UK