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A
diverse array of goods for sale awaits the visitor to Europe.
Europe is a shopper's paradise, but it can also be a bargain hunter's
nightmare, especially in areas that are popular with tourists.
Good deals are everywhere, though ' you just need to know how
and where to look.
In Poland, look for folk art, as well as silver and antiques.
In the Czech Republic, purchase the famous Bohemian crystal or
elaborate marionettes. In Hungary shop for embroidery and wood
carvings
- Family-run
businesses offer the best values. In mom-and-pop shops you're
more likely to be served by people who care about their reputation
and their customers.
- Do
most of your shopping in the cheaper countries where gifts are
more interesting and your shopping dollar stretches the farthest.
The difference is huge: for the cost of a pewter Viking ship
in Oslo you can buy an actual boat in Turkey.
- Take
advantage of department stores anywhere in Europe for cheap
folk art, souvenirs, postcards, and inexpensive cafeterias.
- While
flea markets are notorious for ripping off tourists, they can
offer some great deals. Prices are soft, so haggle.
- Do
your flea market shopping early in the morning, when the selection
is best, or late in the day, when vendors are eager to make
a sale.
- Try
not to sound too enthusiastic about a particular item if you
hope to make a deal. Act as if you could take it or leave it,
and let the vendor try to convince you it's worth having ' preferably
by lowering the price significantly.
- If
you want to do a lot of shopping but you don't want to bring
extra bags along, pack some clothes that you can wear and discard,
or ship your clothes home in a cardboard box to make room for
your purchases.
- Watch
out for pickpockets, especially at street markets and flea markets.
Try to consolidate your purchases so that you aren't struggling
with multiple bags and boxes. Pickpockets look for targets who
can be easily distracted or diverted.
- Avoid
deals that sound too good to be true ' they almost always are.
Be especially wary of "designer" items
- Don't
buy anything that could be an illegal or controlled substance
in your home country. This includes drugs, exotic or endangered
animal parts and pelts, and even some foods.
If
you are looking for places to buy the items on you shopping list,
use a updated guidebook, they are time and money saving tools
for shopping.
Read also article from Rick Steve "Successful
Bargaining"
Tax Rebates On Purchases
Visitors are sometimes appalled at the high taxes and add-ons
that seem to make so many things expensive in Europe. Europe's
Value-Added Tax ranges from 5-22 percent per country, averaging
16 percent overall. Rates change, so you'll want to check with
merchants when you're there. You can get back most of the tax
you paid on merchandise such as clothes, cuckoos, and crystal.
All European countries except Ireland require a minimum purchase
for a refund, ranging from about €20 to several hundred dollars.
For the tourist, reclaiming a VAT is a fairy straightforward process.
The typical scenario is to get some form of documentation when
you make a purchase, stipulating the amount of refund due. You
then show these documents to customs officials upon leaving the
country to claim your refund. Most countries specify a minimum
amount you must spend in a particular shop to claim a refund.
The minimum amount ranges from US$ 25 in Sweden to US$ 340 in
Switzerland.
Another way for tourists to reclaim VAT is by purchasing items
at stores participating in the Europe Tax-free Shopping program.
When your buy from these merchants you simply show your passport
and get a Tax-Free Shopping Cheque showing the amount of refund
owed to you. When you leave the country, you show your purchases
to an appropriate customs official, who stamps your checks. You
then claim your refund from a Europe Tax-free shopping desk on
site, or have the refund mailed to you.
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