Originally Posted by
deepakvrao
Nope. You obviously have no clue how VAT refunds work in the EU. It is upto the retailer to decide to participate or not.Every item bought by a foreigner and taken out within a specified period of time is entitled to a VAT refund. Applicable to goods, and not services. Obviously.
Neither do you apparently.
Guide to VAT refund for visitors to the EU - ec.europa.eu
Can all goods be bought VAT-free?
No. There are some goods that do not qualify. The facility is intended for goods that could in principle be carried in personal luggage. Goods that have to be exported as freight, for example, and cars and yachts are excluded. Some countries may also exclude other categories of goods.
Do I have to leave the EU straight away from the country where I purchased goods?
No. You can buy VAT-free goods even if you are going to be visiting other EU countries before you finally return home, as long as you actually leave the EU with the goods within the time limit. You have to get your documents stamped by a customs officer at the point of exit of the EU – not necessary in the same EU country where you bought it.
Lots of good info in the link above and maybe even a way to still get the refund.
IF, however you shipped the bike out by mail instead of on the plane ride home you might be out of luck. That's not how VAT reimbursements work in Europe.
You would have been better off contacting
National tax authorities. They would have the authority to be able to give you the final answer and actually have people trained in this matter.
Hell, send them a message on
Instagram and they will likely be able to answer you quickly enough.
I'm still left with a few questions though:
- What kind of address did you ship to in France? A Hotel, home address?
- How long did you stay in Europe?
- How many months after Canyon shipped the bike did it leave Europe?