Spanish VAT question re the Submariner Date (116610 Ln)

[2018]

Hi guys -

A while back I was lucky enough to reserve a Date Sub for July when i visit my family in Barcelona (I'm an Australian) at one of the ADs.

I gave them my passport details a while back and now they have confirmed that they have acquired one in time for my trip but I need to give them a 2,000 euro deposit.

They say that the retail price of 7,850 euros is non-negotiable and that they could assist in organising a 15.7% discount resulting in a price of 6,618 euros (very reasonable imo).

Does anybody have any experience in negotiating further at one of these spanish ADs or should I be grateful that this has been set up and take the good price as it is.

Also is there anything I need to do re bringing the watch back to Aus around GST etc?

Thanks in advance - I am fairly new to international purchases and always bought in Australia but after reading some of the forums here I thought I would give it a crack overseas too.

Appreciate it!

[2018]

Friendly bump guys

[torrente]

Spanish VAT is 21%, there is VAT refund but usually is through a service company like Global Blue that takes his part of that 21%. From your email I asume that the mentioned discount is the amount that correspond to the VAT refund after paying the refund service.

[2018]

Originally Posted by torrente

Spanish VAT is 21%, there is VAT refund but usually is through a service company like Global Blue that takes his part of that 21%. From your email I asume that the mentioned discount is the amount that correspond to the VAT refund after paying the refund service.

Hi Torrente - yea it looks like they have taken a clip of ~7% from the VAT - do the ADs have any affiliation with these VAT service companies such as Global Blue or is it truly at arms length?

Also inclusive of the VAT amount reimbursed, does the above from this AD seem like a good deal?

Thanks in advance.

[torrente]

I can not give you specific information, while I am from Spain I live elsewhere. Recently I have purchased 3 Rolex but with current EUR high in a USD based country are cheaper. Regarding the deal I understand that it depends on the specific models that you purchase, I had quite good deals with Pearlmaster, DJ and Explorer 1 but I understand that with SS sport models is not the same...

[Scotsjon]

I recently purchased one in the US to bring back into NZ (similar GST). I mailed the box and all papers but kept warranty card in my wallet and just wore on wrist on traveling back. That way there is no proof to customs that you purchased overseas and eliminates the possibility of getting pulled for importation.


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[No SUBctitute]

Originally Posted by 2018

Hi guys -

A while back I was lucky enough to reserve a Date Sub for July when i visit my family in Barcelona (I'm an Australian) at one of the ADs.

I gave them my passport details a while back and now they have confirmed that they have acquired one in time for my trip but I need to give them a 2,000 euro deposit.

They say that the retail price of 7,850 euros is non-negotiable and that they could assist in organising a 15.7% discount resulting in a price of 6,618 euros (very reasonable imo).

Does anybody have any experience in negotiating further at one of these spanish ADs or should I be grateful that this has been set up and take the good price as it is.

Also is there anything I need to do re bringing the watch back to Aus around GST etc?

Thanks in advance - I am fairly new to international purchases and always bought in Australia but after reading some of the forums here I thought I would give it a crack overseas too.

Appreciate it!

If MSRP is 7850 and VAT is 21% then the price before VAT is 6487.

As VAT refund services usually take a HUGE chunk of the VAT refund, I would say that if you can get the watch for 6618 then you are getting a decent deal.

I'm interested to know how they will manage to sell you the watch without a service taking a large chunk of the VAT refund.

[rootbeer7]

.....then you declare it on return to Australia and pay local VAT?

[Flier]

He has to
We have seen some horror stories with this, remember the Easy Jet pilot who bought one in Switzerland just to be caught later in the UK?

[hchj]

I suggest asking the AD in Barcelona if the quoted price is inclusive of VAT.
I have bought in France and the Netherlands, both ADs returned the VAT amount in full as they didn’t use any agent (such as global blue) for tax refund service.


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[No SUBctitute]

Originally Posted by hchj

I have bought in France and the Netherlands, both ADs returned the VAT amount in full as they didn’t use any agent (such as global blue) for tax refund service.

What were the logistics of the purchase? As the limited number of European ADs I've spoken to would only use a VAT refund service. Did you just not pay VAT at all and have to show your exit ticket or something? Or did they refund the VAT to your credit card after you sent the signed VAT refund paperwork back to them? Or something else?

[tyler1980]

a lot of the time if you get a vat return that hurts the discount negotiation because they already know you are getting a good deal and the VAT refund does not eat into their margin so they look at it as a discount you get but not that they have to sacrifice profitability on.

[ROLEXUS]

Originally Posted by 2018

Hi guys -

A while back I was lucky enough to reserve a Date Sub for July when i visit my family in Barcelona (I'm an Australian) at one of the ADs.

I gave them my passport details a while back and now they have confirmed that they have acquired one in time for my trip but I need to give them a 2,000 euro deposit.

They say that the retail price of 7,850 euros is non-negotiable and that they could assist in organising a 15.7% discount resulting in a price of 6,618 euros (very reasonable imo).

Does anybody have any experience in negotiating further at one of these spanish ADs or should I be grateful that this has been set up and take the good price as it is.

Also is there anything I need to do re bringing the watch back to Aus around GST etc?

Thanks in advance - I am fairly new to international purchases and always bought in Australia but after reading some of the forums here I thought I would give it a crack overseas too.

Appreciate it!

Most European ADs are able to give their own 'in-house' VAT refund which will give you the full VAT amount back. You need to get the tax refund paper signed when you leave the Eurozone and then mail back to the AD. Some choose to use a service provider for convenience and obviously there is a cut in there for everyone. Try a different AD and see what they say

In countries such as Italy I used to easily be able to get 10% off Stainless Steel models plus full 24% VAT refund which equated to an approx 27% discount from retail. About 8-10 years ago 16610 submariner retailed in Italy for about 4400 euro which after discount and VAT refund would leave you paying approx 3200 euro for a brand new 16610 from an AD. Wow!

[Runnin' Rebel]

Originally Posted by hchj

I suggest asking the AD in Barcelona if the quoted price is inclusive of VAT.
I have bought in France and the Netherlands, both ADs returned the VAT amount in full as they didn’t use any agent (such as global blue) for tax refund service.


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That's interesting, I bought a OP 39mm grape at Glasson in Amsterdam @ Dam Square and they explained how it works and partially filled out the Global Blue Form. I thought the fee charged by Global Blue was more then fair ( I'd have to look but I thought it was less or close to 4% of the 21% ? ) and it took only 10 minutes of my time at AMS on departure for the refund. This was early 2017

[No SUBctitute]

Originally Posted by ROLEXUS

Most European ADs are able to give their own 'in-house' VAT refund which will give you the full VAT amount back. You need to get the tax refund paper signed when you leave the Eurozone and then mail back to the AD. Some choose to use a service provider for convenience and obviously there is a cut in there for everyone. Try a different AD and see what they say

In countries such as Italy I used to easily be able to get 10% off Stainless Steel models plus full 24% VAT refund which equated to an approx 27% discount from retail. About 8-10 years ago 16610 submariner retailed in Italy for about 4400 euro which after discount and VAT refund would leave you paying approx 3200 euro for a brand new 16610 from an AD. Wow!

Thanks for your input on trying different ADs in order to get the full VAT back. I'd like to get to Italy in the next year or two and might pick up a watch while there.

[2018]

Originally Posted by hchj

I suggest asking the AD in Barcelona if the quoted price is inclusive of VAT.
I have bought in France and the Netherlands, both ADs returned the VAT amount in full as they didn’t use any agent (such as global blue) for tax refund service.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Hey hchj - the AD in Barcelona has confirmed that the 7,850 euros is inclusive of the full VAT and I will receive 1,232 (15.7% with the remainder going to Global Blue) off.

They were completely unwilling to negotiate on the base price of 7,850 saying there is already an immense waiting list and it’s a miracle that they can land me one by mid year.

All in all this looks like I can get there watch for roughly retail at what they are sold for in Australia (where I have already tried and failed numerous times to get on lists worth 3+ years waits).

I am also able to get a no date for 6,592 CHF from an AD in Switzerland but I really slant the date.

[2018]

Hey hchj - the AD in Barcelona has confirmed that the 7,850 euros is inclusive of the full VAT and I will receive 1,232 (15.7% with the remainder going to Global Blue) off.

They were completely unwilling to negotiate on the base price of 7,850 saying there is already an immense waiting list and it’s a miracle that they can land me one by mid year.

All in all this looks like I can get there watch for roughly retail at what they are sold for in Australia (where I have already tried and failed numerous times to get on lists worth 3+ years waits).

I am also able to get a no date for 6,592 CHF from an AD in Switzerland but I really slant the date.