VAT Refund at Southampton

Here's an unusual issue for those of you with lots of Southampton embarkation experience: While traveling in Europe, I stupidly destroyed my laptop and had to buy a new one, spending on a lot on Maltese VAT. I left Malta with my forms and instructions for VAT refund, but I will need to get a customs stamp at my last port of debarkation from the European Union, and that will be in Southampton when I board the QM2 in mid-December. Has anyone done this? Is there a customs desk at the Southampton pier where I can easily get my customs stamp on my purchase receipt? Thanks in advance for your expertise!

I have never seen anything.

This is an unusual situation. Suggest you call as below and discuss.

Good luck!

United Kingdom Border Force (Customs and Immigration)

Southampton

023 8079 7429

023 8062 7107

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There is no customs officer at the Southampton piers during embarkations. There is only a rack of blank VAT refund application forms and a drop box and these are located just past the security scanners. I never got my VAT refunded in 2015. Others have reported mixed results.

Thanks for your responses. I will use the phone numbers Andrew provided to get whatever info I can and hope for the best. I was successful in getting VAT returned from a trip to Spain last year, but it was an ordeal. I am not counting on success. Thanks again.

The Southampton website says that there are drop boxes at all terminals. When we boarded the QM2 last year the customs gentleman told me to just to drop them in the drop box around the corner just after the scanners. Apparently they empty the box before they leave the port area. The refunds arrived eventually.

Last month I had some VAT forms at the port before we embarked on a Celebrity TA at a different terminal. I asked about the VAT box and they looked at me like I had two heads. The woman doing the pre-check of passports etc told me there was no box (true) but she would take them and post them. I am hoping they show up but it will not surprise me if they don't.

I am not optimistic. I had a similar issue with a purchase a few years back in Italy and managed to convince Greek customs in Corfu to stamp the documents. I then posted it but never got back a penny. However have had good luck just dropping German VAT refund forms in the box at QM2 terminal and magically got my money a few months later. On the other hand Italian forms dropped in the same box never were processed apparently. UK VAT refunds are always refunded via the box at the terminal in my experience. I think it depends on the country since most folks get their refunds at the airport or not at all.

Thanks for the responses. I am not optimistic either, but I will give it a try.

FYI to everyone: I think I have a process, I will try it, and hope for the best. Using the phone number that Andrew provided above, I phones the UK Customs Office in Southampton. The man on the phone did not hesitate one minute to explain that they do not stamp the forms in Southampton. He said to put the completed forms in the drop box at the Southampton cruise terminal and the Customs people will take it from there. I think I will include a note, and as I said, hope for the best. Again, thanks to all.

Good luck, let us know what happens.