Does anybody have a contact email address for the VAT refund people at Heathrow??

visit this page https://www.travelex.co.uk/services/vat-refunds

then open the drop down question "I haven’t received my refund yet, what should I do?"

and you'll see a few email addresses.

Thank you! I did find that after I posted here. They certainly don't make it easy to inquire about refunds, huh?

Personally I thought you had to apply for the refund when leaving the Schengen zone. That would have been the departure from France. Good luck. I have never had much luck with VAT refunds but then the sums were not that great either.

Actually the rules you apply for VAT refund in the country you are departing the EU from to return to the States. Since my boss was returning after meetings in London, he had to submit in London. Personally I think it would make more sense to request in the country you made the purchases.

Best of luck with the refund, there's quite a few threads on TripAdvisor from people having the same problem.

I understand that it often takes 6 months to process.

He needed to turn the VAT in France, it has to be done in the country where the things were bought.

Diane is correct:
"Actually the rules you apply for VAT refund in the country you are departing the EU from to return to the States. Since my boss was returning after meetings in London, he had to submit in London."

Diane, Frank, The EU is (amongst other things) a Customs Union, there are no customs between EU countries, just when you enter or leave the EU.
Goods which are exported from the EU intact and unused (important restriction) can claim back any tax paid (VAT). That is why you do the reclaim when you exit the EU, not when you exit from the country you bought the goods in.
If you exit the EU by a land border, that is where you claim the refund. Switzerland is not in the EU. You claim back Swiss VAT when you leave Switzerland. And if you crossed the border from France to Switzerland you could have claimed back the French/EU VAT then. Except trying to find an open customs office at the border when you are on a High Speed Train can be a little impractical.

Thanks everybody. It just slow-going bureaucracy!