Funny you should mention this. Last Saturday when returning from Antibes with a lovely peice of art under my arm a kindly gentleman in a blue uniform beckoned me over aksed to look at my package. In my ingnorance I had never ever read the sign re the 300 chf but he then proceeded to show me when I stated that my purchase was 550 Euro. He then also warned me that he could have fined me on the spot for not using the red lane but seeing I was such a nice guiy he would forgo that !! Suffice to say that they took 12 1/2 % off the original price and then charged me the 8% on that - 39chf. So alls well that ends well but I am much better informed and will take labels etc of all clothes, shoes etc beofre packing.

Question: Unless the items still have the foreign price labels still attached, how would they establish that you made the purchase abroad and didn't pay the VAT?

The best way is to shop tax free.

That way you pay the cheap European consumer prices and the low VAT in Switzerland.

You are entitled to a tax free document (Global Blue) from approx 70 EUR and just have to ask for it at the cash point. Keep in mind to get the customs stamp of the country you leave and your destination country, 

 Happy shopping:

http://globeshopperindex.com/

Hey Jeff

Do men in uniform often ask to look at your package?

ONLY men in uniform big boy !!

Oh, Jeff, none of the girls in uniform stop you?  What a shame!

Hi Jeff - whey did they deduct 12.5 % before adding the 8% Swiss VAT? I guess it's not the VAT of France as this would be 20 % and furthermore Swiss customs is normally not able to refund you the French VAT. 

Thanks!

Hi Rena - thank you for the info. So I get this right: you have to get the Swiss customs stamp in order to receive the e.g. German VAT refund with Global Blue? Seems a little odd to me since normally you initiate the VAT refund while you are leaving Germany (e.g. at the resp. German airport) and therefore don't need the a Swiss stamp. 

Thanks a lot!

Manfred I have no idea !! Quite honestly it was going to cost me less than I figured so I wasnt going to stick around and argue the point. At the end of the day I have trouble like you just trying to work it all out.. The figures if you are interested is value of item = 550Euro. They changed this to 498 Euro = 499 CHF and then they charged me 8% on that......39CHF...

Already helpful, thx! I guess what happened is that they took the net EUR amount to add the 8% Swiss VAT as they are supposed to, i.e.:
- EUR 550 includes 20% French VAT.
- EUR 550 / 1.2 = EUR 458
- EUR 458 at today's sell rate ~ CHF 499
- CHF 499 + 8 % Swiss VAT

So you yes, you only paid CHF 39 however you also paid the 20 % French VAT (~100 CHF), right? Or did you get the 20 % French VAT refunded at the French airport?

We asked the merchant about claiming back the tax and he just mumbled something unintelligible even tho he spoke good English..... We had got 8% off the price so he was probably p....d off. Given that we just paid it back at the airport in Geneva!!!! ce la vie !!!!

A friend(uhm) of mine passed trough the airport with a 4000 CHF worth of mountainbike, cming from the US. Remove all the labels prior to depart, make it a bit dirty and you are somehow safe....

This is what my friend told me :o) I have no idea....and I would not try it nono....