Sharp Practise By Airport Retailers

[mikey4444]

Don't give them your Boarding Pass, and then we can stop this frankly fraudulent practice !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33873725

[Peter Pedant]

article in your fave mag Mikey - The Daily Mail

so you get to an airport and you get ripped off while you have an enforced wait - what is new

[ummmm]

And they can refuse to serve you.

[murraymints]

I never shop at airport..so called duty free not any cheaper than high street these days

[mikey4444]

So-called "duty-free" has been a rip-off at Airports for as long as I can remember. Although this isn't duty-free of course. But its just another con, and at last people seem to be wising up to it, if the BBC link is to be believed.

Lucky no Airports involved in my trips to Cornwall, although I have smuggled many a pasty back across the Border with Devon !

[ummmm]

It's basic stuff though. They want to see your boarding pass if you buy a sandwich.

[ummmm]

It's was on the news this morning, Mikey.

[mikey4444]

Ummm....If we all said no, they would soon change their tune, as Boots and WH Smith have now admitted. Its fraud, pure and simple.

"Treasury minister David Gauke said VAT relief at airports was intended to reduce prices for travellers.

He warned it was not meant to provide a windfall gain for shops.

Passengers do not legally have to show their boarding pass when buying goods at the airport"

Just say no !

[mikey4444]

Umm...its was on the news yesterday as well, so more people are now aware that they are being ripped off !

People power !

[ummmm]

To be honest I really couldn't be bothered with the hassle of arguing the toss with a shop attendant.

I buy very little from UK airports.

[jno]

it was in the Independent, PP.

They don't always ask for your boarding pass, which has in the past made me wonder why they do so at all. I hadn't realised it was a tax scam.

[andy-hughes]

Slightly off track, but on the same principle - back in the days of cheque payment, many stores would ask you to 'pop your address on the back of your cheque'.

I would always refuse, and ask why they felt they needed this information - which they always advised was 'store policy'.

I would then advise that it is not my policy to give personal information without a reasonable explanation, and on occasion, I have left the store without the purchase if I could get the same item elsewhere.

We are far too willing to agree to requests that have no real validity.

In the case of cheque addresses, it was simply so the store could pass on addresses to junk mail firms.

If there is no valid reason to offer information, then don't do it.

[sunny-dave]

Ironically, most of the people who are complaining about this are only travelling inside the EU - so the stores can't claim the VAT back anyway.

But it is sharp practise (if not technically fraudulent) to collect details from people leaving the EU and then reclaim, but not refund, their VAT.

[hc4361]

andy, I was only ever asked to put my address on the back of cheques if the amount was over the guarantee limit, usually after showing the cashier proof of id. If a cheque bounced the bank wouldn't give the address of the customer.

[andy-hughes]

hc4361 - //andy, I was only ever asked to put my address on the back of cheques if the amount was over the guarantee limit, usually after showing the cashier proof of id. If a cheque bounced the bank wouldn't give the address of the customer. //

I know this was the practice when card limits were £50, but I was still being asked when the limit went up to £100, and my purchase was well within the limit.

My point would be - the bank have guaranteed the payment with the card, why then do you need my address?

[sunny-dave]

On further reflection ... everyone travelling within the EU should insist on giving their boarding pass, whilst everyone going outside the EU should refuse.

This will distort the avaricious retailers' statistics (by showing a much higher percentage of VATable purchases) and mean that they can claim back far less VAT ...

[gness]

Dave....that's a brilliant idea for a quiet protest...I like it.....☺

[youngmafbog]

I wonder how much of a problem this really is. Apart from a few items like a paper (no VAT) I dont tend to buy much and others seem to be the same. Plus, as pointed out most are probably within the EU so again no proble

Of course, if the shops are going to give the VAT off then you will need to show your boarding pass, otherwise you will all be up in arms because they are not checking !

As for the cheques, i too have only ever been asked for address on cheques greater than the guarantee limit. You must just have a criminal looking face AH.

[ummmm]

My milkman used to ask me to write my address on the back of cheques. I don't know why, it's not like he didn't know where I lived!

[youngmafbog]

And phone number ? ;-)

[ummmm]

HaHa.....he didn't quite go that far :-)