I couldn't fix the issue myself because the passport number image was loaded incorrectly, but when I contacted customer service, they fixed it the next day. Also, I accidentally pressed Enter after pa... See more
Company replied
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Vatfree.com is the best Tax-free shopping VAT-refund service! System/procedure: superior to the competitors; highest refund (guaranteed), can be used at almost all stores, easy, fast, efficient... See more
Company replied
I had an issue with my tax refund after returning from the Netherlands and reached out via WhatsApp with low expectations, but the customer representative exceeded them completely. They took full owne... See more
Company replied
VERY DIFFICULT APP TO SET UP, AND STILL DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY, AND THEY REPLIED TO MY COMPLAIN AFTER 11 MONTHS, AND THEY ARE REALLY VERY EXPENSIVE, PLEASE BECAREFUL . . . REPLY: AS I SAID, I'VE TRIED... See more
Company replied
Company details
- Duty Free Shop
- Financial Audit
- Information Services
- Non-bank financial service
- Software company
- Tourist Information Centre
Written by the company
VATfree.com simplifies tax-free shopping for international travelers in the EU, helping tourists, diplomats, military personnel, expats, and international students reclaim VAT on their purchases. Our streamlined process ensures that VAT paid at the point of purchase can be recovered after exporting the goods. With an intuitive mobile app and website, we guide travelers every step of the way, making VAT refunds hassle-free and accessible, with minimal paperwork. At the same time, we help retailers maximize the benefits of tax-free shopping to enhance customer satisfaction and boost sales. Whether you’re exploring the EU or running a retail business, VATfree.com is here to make tax-free shopping easy, efficient, and rewarding!
Contact info
Beurs van Berlage, Damrak 373, 1012 ZJ, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- vatfree.com
- support@vatfree.com
- vatfree.com
4.2
Great
103 reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 week
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Not as good as they promise
It is now some five months from filing my refund claim with Vatfree. I've had three rounds of emails indicating progress and even one round of credit card refund that was cancelled (apparently Vatfree wanted to renegotiate between the stores head office and the country branch) but actual payment has still not been made. There were no issues with the store approving the refund.
To add insult to injury, the amount offered for refund amounts to just 55% of the actual tax paid (or a 45% service fee), this despite the Vatfree promise of a 28% service fee.
Communication has been patchy at best.
My experience strongly suggests going with another refund provider- another claim lodged at the same time with GlobalBlue was paid out within 4 weeks.
Update- now after just over six months I have received a full refund along with an apology from the company. But this is obviously far too long for a transaction with a recognised store in the company's network and all paperwork filed without errors. While nice to get the attention- finally- of more senior staff it required a lot of persistence on my part.
13 March 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Vatfree.com
Hi Carl,
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with us.
We understand this was very frustrating for you and we're truly sorry you had to go through this.
Indeed, this was our first time processing a claim for this store and it resulted in some delay in payment. Furthermore, there was a bug associated with your request which created some additional difficulties, like displaying the wrong refund amount. All in all, we understand this was extremely disappointing and we're very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
In an attempt to make up for this we refunded you the full VAT amount without charging our usual service fee (28% with a maximum of 80 EUR). Thankfully, you recently confirmed the amount was received in good order. We hope that we solved the situation in a manner acceptable to you.
Despite this setback, we hope you'll consider giving our services another chance in the future. We're eager to demonstrate the improvements we've made and hope to provide an improved experience the next time.
Thank you for your understanding and for being part of our journey.
Kind regards,
Team Vatfree.com.
Best experience vs alternatives
Believe I've used all the VAT refund companies active in NL by now (i.e. Global Blue, Planet, vatfree, and Travelex). Vatfree is just the best, I don't understand why no more shops are working with them; get your stamp from customs and everything will go through their app from there. Super clear and easily trackable process.
With most of the other ones, you have to physically mail the receipts making the process notoriously error-prone. Especially with Planet, one is unable to track the receips given they don't have a mobile app or web log-in. They've lost multiple of my receipts and it takes them a long time to answer any requests over email...
29 September 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Vatfree.com
Hi Derk,
Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with Vatfree.com!
We're so pleased to hear that our service stood out among other VAT refund companies in the Netherlands. Your feedback about our streamlined process and trackability of your VAT refund is truly appreciated.
We're committed to providing the best experience possible, and we're delighted that our efforts have made your VAT refund journey hassle-free.
We look forward to assisting you again in the future!
Warm regards,
Team Vatfree.com
Avoid using vatfree.com!!
Avoid using vatfree.com!!
Vatfree is far from free, they charge you an insane high percentage of your VAT rather than getting you all your VAT back. Besides that they are extremely slow, return took over 6 weeks.
In the future, when I buy things, I will not choose a shop that only uses vatfree.com. Be careful when you choose your shops!
19 October 2023
Unprompted review
Reply from Vatfree.com
Dear Jasper,
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback regarding your experience with Vatfree.com.
We're truly sorry to hear that our fee structure and processing times did not meet your expectations.
Our goal is to provide transparency and efficiency in the VAT refund process while offering the lowest service fees, and sincerely apologise if the below information was not clearly communicated to you.
If you would like to discuss or provide more feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via support@vatfree.com.
We value your response as we work to enhance our services.
Kind regards,
Team Vatfree.com
_____________________________
Time-frames for refund:
https://traveller.vatfree.com/faq/embed/8A9NCrmzSjLDp56Kq/When-will-you-pay-my-refund-#faq_8A9NCrmzSjLDp56Kq
Service fee:
https://traveller.vatfree.com/faq/embed/StT64eax49SXqB23a/What-is-your-service-fee-#faq_StT
Service fee structure:
https://traveller.vatfree.com/faq/embed/dYjPj2334sbciHsZu/Why-do-I-pay-a-service-fee-#faq_dYjPj2334sbciHsZu
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