Hi, in the interests of preventing others from making the same mistake as me, let me pass on my recent cock-up. (If you want to make financial contributions for having saved you from the same pain, these would be gratefully accepted).
Even though I'm a Brit, I'm no longer resident there so I decided to take advantage of being able to reclaim VAT (17.5% !!) on any purchases during my recent hol. I bought a new PC (this model not available except in UK & US) from a reasonably well-known supplier based in the UK and asked them to provide the VAT forms so that I could reclaim the VAT on the way back to Singapore.
Cockup #1 - Even though the supplier promised to send the forms, they didn't arrive in time before I left. The reason for this becomes clear soon ...
Cockup #2 - The genuinely pleasant Customs people at the airport told me that even if the supplier had provided forms, VAT reclaim is not available on Internet-purchased goods. At my request, they even gave me a photocopy of the relevant rules, so that I can attempt to give the supplier a hard time.
Basically, the supplier's salesman bulls**ted me about providing the forms (a dishonest saleman?! surely not?!)
Fortunately, by purchasing through the internet I already got a better price than I could get in the shops, but the 'loss' of the addition saving on VAT has ticked me off somewhat.
Oh well.
Cheers