Dixons Duty Free at UK airports have excellent prices, and they will even match online retailers e.g. Amazon

And in Dubai which for most people known as "tax-free", I found that most of electronics (DSLR body, lenses, etc..etc..) are far more expensive than the top ones listed at toppreise ...

but wait...

It's Dubai anyway..

either "Do Buy" or "Do Bye"...


Ollie

I was there last week and found it to be a complete waste of time with regards to shopping. Even the prices in Carrefour which are amongst the cheapest in the Emirate were higher than most Swiss online retailers.

I wouldn't have held you back had we been out shopping together, neither.

It's a common misconception, I think, that Duty Free means "Discount". Quite the contrary. And Airport shoppes are almost always more expensive than regular retailers. The only bonus to "duty free" is that it's not supposed to count against your personal exemption (e.g. the 300CHF) aka you won't be charged duty on it.

It does NOT mean that, what you buy there is necessarily going to be allowed or enterable into the country where you are going. For example, sometimes you can buy Cuban cigars, but if you're going to the US, then it's a big no-no.

?

Absolutely not. It definitely counts towards your personal excemption when entering the arrival country. So if you buy some 300 CHF in Germany and then some 100CHF whiskey at FRA airport would you have to declare the entire lot and pay VAT on 400 CHF for your imports in CH.

The "duty" is the VAT: Since you are in a non publicly accessible area with a boarding pass in your hand is it clear that you will export whatever you buy. Therefore you do not need to pay VAT on it. (So it saves you the hassle of reclaiming the VAT on products you want to export). That does not mean that the country you travel to will also make it "duty free" for you.

In Switzerland is that VAT not very much, but Germany has for example 19%, Austria 20%... so you actually should be able to save quite something. I was at FRA last week and even the shops before the gate in the public area are able to give you some 10% discount directly when you show your boarding pass (instead of the global refund which has so high fees that you hardly get more than 10% either...). As these are branded fashion boutiques which cost the same pretty much everywhere do you indeed save a bit.

I don't understand why this has been moved to complains. This thread is not complaining about the prices in general, is asking for comparison. This started as a Switzerland specific problem - Zürich Airport - which turns out to be a worldwide problem.

But the fact that we express distaste for the misleading publicity while looking for answers, doesn't make it a complaint. And it IS Switzerland taxation related.


I’m having some trouble understanding this sudden “all into off-topic bin” thread swipes.


On topic, the stuff that you buy in the duty free does count towards your personal exemption. At least I was told so when thinking about buying something a little more pricey in Germany (is it possible the law is different in certain areas?). The only thing I still find worth buying is alcohol, since they allow you to carry those liquids carefully in the hand luggage, instead of spending the whole flight praying “may they handle my luggage with care”.

I have bought a bit in Germany and Portugal, and did find prices quite good, specially in Frankfurt. In terms of cosmetics and alcohol, they were really cheaper than in a normal store, both in Germany and Switzerland. But until now, all I saw in Zürich Duty-Free was more expensive. Even the Sprüngli chocolate... I just find it odd.

And also be careful if you are changing planes. You might not be able to take your bottles with you. We bought wine in Argentina which was then confiscated in Frankfurt as you can't bring liquids on the plane. Bastards!

WOHA!

Not even from the duty-free? My trip back took me to Palma de Maiorca, so I was able to take my wine with me without any problem. Is this only Frankfurt or Germany wide? I also never had problem in Zürich or Porto.

Nope. Not even from duty free. I was not a happy bunny.

But I guess my post wasn't clear. Did you connect some where? The problem is in transit. They won't let you take the bottles through the transit security to your next flight. So you won't have a problem on a direct flight.

I have no idea it it's a problem anywhere else. Like I said, I don't usually bother carrying around bottles. But we hadn't had time to shop so we grabbed some wine in Buenos Aires. But when we got to Frankfurt and when to transit to our Geneva flight, the wine got left in Frankfurt.

I usually never take direct flight to Porto since they are usually the double of the price. I take either Air Berlin with a transfer in Palma de Maiorca or a Lufthansa with stop in Frankfurt/Düsseldorf. I usually buy some Port on the airport of Porto since it's cheaper, I can carry it in hand luggage, and can give it to FIL when he picks us up on the airport.

I hope I won't have the same problem when flying to Dresden next X-Mas...

It's possible it's not a problem within Europe but only on intercontinental flights, or only in the terrorist ridden land of the Argentines....

Anyway, something to look into. No one wants to have their bottles taken away from them. Unless you have time to drink it between flights.

And I wouldn't worry about it until mid-Novemeber. Who knows what the rules will be by then.

Cigars in Switzerland are very good I think.
When the exchange rates was over 2 CHFs to the pound, cigarettes were a good buy for those of you who wanted them. The deals you get in Zurich and Basel when I use it on wiskey and vodka 20% are pretty good I think!

I feel you...........I just got back from LGW. Onboard the flight home, the lacoste perfume for men was selling for 33.50 pounds and the same product was 85CHF at 'duty free paradise'.

The prices are just higher at the airport. Probably the whole country as well, with or without tax.

I have learned my lesson, buy stuff at airports outside CH or aboard the flight home.......putain de calice......................

I remember the pitch book for a syndicated loan for one of these operators (aer rianta I believe) which had a table showing that retail profit margins in their operations in the airports were double that of normal retail for the same products. Guess that says it all.

You sure about that...?*


There are ways around that.


* I'd guess you'd still have the 300 allowance, wherever it came from. You'd pay duty only on the extra 100 (it can't be one piece/set 'cos you bought it elsewhere). Even then, I'm never sure whether spirits are counted in the normal 300CHF allowance, or whether they're separate.