Covid-19 statement on the current situation
Last updated May 2021
Dear traveller and partner,
First, we would like to express our understanding of the difficulties that all individuals and their families face during this period. The Covid-19 virus affects us all. It has impacted our health, daily life and business operations and is leaving us in huge uncertainty of what the future will bring.
Our main priority is the health and safety of all of you and our team members. Our daily operation has been running remotely since the 12th of March 2020. We have stayed accessible via phone from Monday to Friday and our customer service via email has stayed available 24/7.
As time progresses, retailers are being hit hard and the tourism industry has come to a stand still. However, due to the progressive vaccination programs, signs are showing the borders are slowly opening up again. We have seen a couple of changes which affect our policies and procedures:
Most customs offices are accessible upon request in major EU countries*. A phone number is mentioned at the desk to ring for support.
Some retail partners have prolonged their payment terms with at least 60 days but are slowly reducing this time to normal payment terms (in general 14 to 30 days).
Government support for businesses has been effectuated for the first months and commitments for prolonging this support has been pledged.
*For the current customs situation at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport click here.
What does this mean for you as a traveller?
The expected refund date in your account may be less accurate. Most stores have been processing claims as usual but there are still some delays in payment.
Refunds are currently not guaranteed for some partner stores in our shopping guide (pink logo). If a store does not process your claim, we can not refund the VAT.
Because stores are struggling with the Covid-19 crisis, our shopping guide is currently less accurate. We update our shopping guide daily and we are in close communication with stores regarding their payment policies and status in our shopping guide. However, for some stores the situation is currently still unclear.
If you are flying any time soon, we advise you to contact airport customer services the day before your flight for information regarding customs. For the situation at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport click here.
Our customer service via phone (+31 88 828 3733) is available between 12.00 and 16.00, from Monday to Friday CET timezone, until further notice. Customer service via email is still available 24/7.
What to expect next?
Keep an eye on this page for any updates regarding our policies and procedures. The situation is continuously changing and we update this page on a regular basis. We are trying to support and help our retail partners in these challenging times. Did you know you can also get a VAT refund when you shop online?
The past period has been a challenge and the months to come seem no different. Although all is uncertain, we are positive this too shall pass and that the travel industry will rebound. We are all in this together and we are happy to see that in times like these the best in people surfaces.
Please be safe, and take care of the people around you,
Joni Smeenk
CEO vatfree.com