My WORST experience with the GLOBAL BLUE tax refund service

Hey all.

I barely even check out my blog, but today I decide to post a story of mine when I have issues with global blue. If you have no idea what global blue is, it's pretty much a major tax refund issuing company in Europe and in most countries in the world.

Before I begin to tell you my issues, I have to talk you through why I got involved with this silly issue from the first time. But if you want to skip to the issues, go to below the - PROBLEM.! - paragraph. Here we go.

So, I'm a flight attendant for an airlines in Indonesia. I fly regularly to Amsterdam every month. And during my duty I like to do some shopping in between. And since the price of branded items (LV, Gucci, Dior, etc) are definitely higher in Indonesia than in Europe, my friends and family occasionally ask me to buy those branded things for them.

It started on 29th of August. I did some shopping at the Bijenkorf Amsterdam and decided to cash out the tax refund there as well, as they provide Global blue tax refund lounge in the building and I think why not do it here so it can faster the customs and tax refund process at the airport. And as they say after I received the money I have to get customs stamp at the airport and mail back the tax refund form to the global blue via the global blue box that they provided at the airport NOT longer than 21 days. In my mind, the 21 days refer to when I put the form into the box. But then again I'd leave the next day. It doesn't matter, so I thought.

The next day, 30th August, at the airport. For some reasons the customs queue were way too long. (Either the customs counter near the check in desks or the one inside the airport near the gates). I can't risk myself board the aircraft late for the tax refund. I'm not a passenger for God's sake. So I decided to process the tax refund next week as I know for certain that I'll be back to Amsterdam exactly next week and bringing the goods back for tax refund wasn't a big deal anyway. So ya, I departed for Jakarta that afternoon.

The next week 6th of September, as I was at the airport going for my flight from Amsterdam to Jakarta (again) I did the customs stamp for the tax refund. Then put the form into the global blue box. And done. Everything seemed normal until...

PROBLEM.!

22nd of October 2017.

.

I found unusual activity on my credit card billing statement. Around 500ish Euro debt I have to pay to global blue. I didn't understand why. Then I contacted the global blue customer service on their Facebook messenger. It was a quick reply. I always love to contact them through it as I don't live in Europe, making a phone call would be damn expensive. So, they told me that they debited me for that amount of money from a failed transaction on the 29th of August. It was really hard to recall. Like yo, it was 2 months ago. Then I begin to remember about it. I told them that I already put the form into the box as I was told. But then I obviously couldn't prove it to them as I got no receipt for it. I keep contacting them, and...

The next day, they found my form. Pretty suspicious for me. Because it wasn't a few days after or a week after I complained. It was The Next Day. Does that mean if I didn't complain then they'll never find my form.? Pretty questionable indeed.!

So I think this isn't my fault, and they confirmed it wasn't. So my logic think that they should immediately process to revert back my money to my credit card as they have found the "missing" form. But nope.!

They say, the "regulations" required me to obtain the original receipts of all those things I bought to mail back to them, then only then they can process to revert back money. Like WHAT.?!?!?! Do you even believe it.?? For something that clearly not my fault they ask me to go back to Amsterdam from Indonesia only to get the original receipts. (As I don't have the original receipts anymore. It's been 2 months from the first time I complained for God's sake). Do they think going from Indonesia to Amsterdam is a walking distance trip.?

I give thanks to the fact that I'm a Flight Attendant. What if I'm not.? What if a trip to Amsterdam is something that I can only afford once in my lifetime.? Should I just let the money go away just like that and pay the credit card bill.? Gosh..

On 13th of November finally I managed to get all the reprinted receipts and have it sent to the global blue address they gave me. But it took soooo long for it to be delivered. 2 weeks in total. They only received it on the 1st of December. Seriously. And you know what happened.?

They say they can't process my tax refund because the name on the receipt wasn't all on my name. LOL. 😅. To my defense, it's a simple story. My friend ordered the items from Sales Associate he knew as those were pretty rare items since the new season collection has launched. So ya, he had to order it under his name and I'm the one who bought it with my card, but the receipt was under his name as his the one who ordered it. 

But again, why only now they can't process my refund under the reason that the receipt wasn't on my name.? If that's not possible to do, then it shouldn't be possible for them to give me the tax refund from the first place, right.? It's weird, isn't it.? 

Well conclusion is, the weird things for me were :

1. From the first place it's them who missed my form. That they thought I never mail it back to them. Which I did.
2. After they found my form, to my logic they have all the original receipts and form in their hand. In their freaking hands.! Why on earth they ask me to send them the original receipts AGAIN.?? Right.?? It's weird.
3. Then when they received the reprinted receipts I sent them, they can't process it because the name on the receipt is different with mine, I mean they should double check it with the original receipts and form that they have, and see it for themselves that the name IS different. And it should not be a problem because the name was different the whole time, and I had the money with no problem on different name. Until they took the money back and suddenly the name difference is a problem. Somehow.

But sadly, all regulations that global blue made was only to protect them, not to protect the customer.

If I could select which tax refund service I prefer to use, seriously I would prefer NOT to use their service again. But what can I say, every boutique stores work with global blue. I have no choice but to use their service again, but never will I ever use their global blue lounge in bijenkorf or anywhere else again. For Real.!!!

So. That's pretty much my Worst nightmare of having issues with global blue. Oh, how much drama I caused over it. Because it's a pretty good money they took from me tho in this economy. LOL. I'm sharing this story not in any hope of getting my money back (which is impossible). And I'm letting it go after waiting for so long for the reprinted receipts to be delivered at the global blue office. (2 weeks). I have the thought that it'll miss again and it'll never arrive. I'm sharing this for others to know, so you guys won't have the same issue like I do. I would personally and strongly advise you guys to never use the tax refund lounge at the bijenkorf or elsewhere. Just cash it out at the airport. Spare a lot more time to do it. It's better than having your money fly their way back to global blue. 😅😅😅

Hope this story helps.! Have a nice day peeps.! Lots of love. 😘

PS : I'm not the only "Global Blue" victim. You can always Google it. And there various story about this issue with Global Blue. Like seriously though, I'm pretty sure the company make a big profit. I mean with this issues, why not.? Lol.

Click link below to know the various stories of experiences with global blue.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k9868574-Be_careful_to_Global_Blue_Tax_Refund-Paris_Ile_de_France.html