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You're out shopping anywhere
in Turkey (particularly in a carpet
shop). You find something you like.
The price is suitable, or you haggle
until it is suitable. You decide to
buy. Good!
The salesperson says "I
must charge you Value-Added Tax"
(KDV in Turkish) "but you
can obtain a tax refund at
the airport when you take
your purchase out of Turkey."
Even better! Tax-free shopping! When
it works, it's great: at the airport
you apply to a tax refund office in
the terminal before you go through
passport control. You show them your
purchase receipt, fill in a form, and
they pay you the tax refund.
But often it does not work,
and here's why. The salesperson may
tell you that the tax is refundable
at the airport, but on your purchase
receipt it may say that you
have already received the refund directly
from the shop:
Uh-oh... The salesperson
asked you to sign the receipt ("for
your tax refund"). You signed
the unfamiliar form without reading
it carefully. When you get to the airport,
request your refund and are refused,
you examine the form more closely and
see the notice saying that by signing
the form you've confirmed that you've
already received your refund.
Did you?
Confusing, certainly.
You don't expect such a thing. The
salesperson knows you don't.
You signed without reading,
so the fault is partly yours.
Caveat
emptor! ("Let the buyer beware!")
The promised
tax refund that helped you
decide to make the purchase will
not be paid.
So you've paid more for your purchase
than you expected.
Here's how to avoid this disappointment:
1. Do not sign anything that
you have not read completely in a language
you understand well.
2. Do not rely on verbal
commitments. Get it in writing.
3. Make your purchase decision
on the basis of the final tax-included
price. If you receive a refund, good!
If you don't, no matter.
4. If someone asks you to sign a form
confirming that you have received a
ta refund, make sure you have received
the refund before you sign.
5. If you suspect sleazy dealing
from any salespersons, do not
do business with them. There
are plenty of honest merchants in Turkey.
Go find a better one.
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