VAT Refund for Merchants that Didn't Provide Paperwork?

Restaurant meals aren’t eligible for VAT refunds.

The GlobalBlue websites lists “food” at 10% and doesn’t list restaurants/dining on the “non-refundable” list. Am I missing that disqualification somewhere on the GlobalBlue site?

In the Global Blue Italy section under Food it says this “ Refunds are paid on items that are exported in the shoppers personal luggage.” That excludes your restaurant meal. If you take a wheel of cheese home, that’s a different matter and some food qualifies.

What about for wine purchased either taken in luggage or shipped back to the US?

From the Global Blue site: https://www.globalblue.com/shoppers/how-to-shop-tax-free/destinations/italy

Wine is listed as a 10% VAT tax so wine carried back with you should be eligible if the merchant participates. It says in other Global Blue pages that not all businesses participate and to look for the Global Blue logo and ask before you buy.

shipped back to the US?

Wine (or anything) shipped back to the US that does not physically accompany you when you leave the EU is not eligible (bolding in answer my emphasis):

Do I need to take the goods with me when I leave the EU?

Yes. The goods must accompany you when you leave the EU. You cannot buy VAT-free goods if for any reason, you cannot or do not wish to take the goods with you when leaving the EU. Moreover, you have to be ready to demonstrate those goods to the customs officer who will stamp your VAT refund form.

A lot depends in the merchant and the purchase. When we were in Delft at the factory, they completed all the VAT paperwork for an item that was shipped home. It was a very expensive item but they took off the VAT for us. The cost of shipping is another story.

Travelbuggotme - I never heard of the Global Blue program. Is this a free service or is there a fee - either yearly, one time only, etc. and do you find it worth joining. We travel to Europe 2-3 times a year and I admit I am a shopper.

Our host provides some relevant advice too:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/vat-refunds

We have had things shipped for us more than actually collecting the VAT ourselves. A couple of times I got things set up to try do do a refund but it wasn’t a convent time or location at the airport to turn the paperwork in. I rarely try to claim VAT anymore.

Global Blue is a service that takes a cut of the refund. https://www.globalblue.com/shoppers/legal-information/tfs-terms-conditions

I'm curious. What sorts of things did you purchase that did qualify for the VAT refund?

I think the rules vary by country, and individual merchants can choose to participate or not. There will be a minimum amount you have to spend at a store; I don't think it matters what you buy, but the product must remain unused until you export it.

It has never seemed worth the airport hassle to me, especially if you're stuck using a middleman who takes a large cut. Is that the only option these days? It wasn't that way originally.

Much simpler is to have high-cost items shipped home for you by the merchant. That way, the VAT is deducted from the price at the time of purchase, assuming the merchant offers that option. But you have to totally trust the merchant to ship the item you purchased and paid for (one reads about switches sometimes being made), and there are issues like potential breakage and loss in transit. When it works, it's great.

The Global Blue program worked seamlessly for me and my travel friends last month at Rome’s FCO. The agents simply stamped the merchant prepared documents. I chose the refund to my credit card option. There were no inquiries about the form nor a request to inspect the merchandise.

Last year I bought a couple of leather jackets in Florence as well as a few pairs of shoes. Both shops gave me the paperwork necessary to claim the VAT back.