Showing Boarding passes in airport shops

ohnonotgmail

Just reading an article on the BBC website http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33873725 about airport shops claiming back the VAT on purchases by people flying outside the EU and basically pocketing it for themselves. The article says that there is no need to show a boarding card except when buying duty free cigarettes and alcohol. Does the same apply in Dublin Airport?

highlydebased

One key reason airport shops request to see your BP or ask where you are flying is generally for their own market research so they can see passengers flying to X airport might spend a certain amount and on particular items etc.

For items going outside the EU most shops I've ever bought from have displayed an EU and Non-EU price and you are charged whatever price applicable to where you're flying to.

The fuss over shops pocketing the difference seems to be much bigger than the issue at hand IMO

munchkin_utd

highlydebased wrote: »

One key reason airport shops request to see your BP or ask where you are flying is generally for their own market research so they can see passengers flying to X airport might spend a certain amount and on particular items etc.

For items going outside the EU most shops I've ever bought from have displayed an EU and Non-EU price and you are charged whatever price applicable to where you're flying to.

The fuss over shops pocketing the difference seems to be much bigger than the issue at hand IMO

it might be, or they are just f*ckwits trying to inconvience the patrons.

I was flying once from Munich T2, which is a kilometre long terminal, and was literally flying from the very end of it.
Of course I wanted a magazine or something from the shop in the middle 500m away (thats something between 4 and 5 football pitch lengths if you want to visualise it), but they refused to take my cash as I had no boarding card which was safely with the mrs waiting at the gate. Pr*cks.

EDIT: just sent a mail to the airport to tell them to cop on.

Pat Dunne

munchkin_utd wrote: »

it might be, or they are just f*ckwits trying to inconvience the patrons.

I was flying once from Munich T2, which is a kilometre long terminal, and was literally flying from the very end of it.
Of course I wanted a magazine or something from the shop in the middle 500m away (thats something between 4 and 5 football pitch lengths if you want to visualise it), but they refused to take my cash as I had no boarding card which was safely with the mrs waiting at the gate. Pr*cks.

EDIT: just sent a mail to the airport to tell them to cop on.

In fairness the people at the tills are only doing their job. Bear in mind that some "f*ckwits" (as you so politely put it ) in mannagement has dictated as policy to the poor sod that must face the public and that this policy cannot be deviated from when carrying out a transaction with a customer.

Please don't blame the little guy, they're only doing their job,which is probably more soul destroying, that you or I will ever appreciate. Blame the faceless Pr*cks in senior management, who what to harvest your data for their retail monolith.

Noxegon

There's an article in the Times that says no requirement in Ireland either:

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/passengers-not-obliged-to-show-boarding-cards-in-airport-shops-1.2314584

WH Smith in Birmingham refused to sell me a newspaper for cash when I refused to present my boarding card.

DAA respond

daa Statement Re Airport Shopping August 11 2015Duty free shopping within the European Union ended in 1999 and last year 81% of passengers using Dublin Airport travelled to duty paid destinations.Within shops operated by daa's ARI subsidiary, we offer a single price to all customers across many product categories, whether they are travelling to a duty paid or to a duty free destination. In this way, we pass on VAT savings for duty free passengers to all of our customers.We guarantee that perfumes, aftershaves and other fragrances are 20% cheaper than downtown prices and we are also 15% cheaper than downtown prices for skincare and make up products. These savings apply to all passengers, regardless of whether or not they are flying to a duty free destination. There are two separate prices for most of our alcohol products - the duty paid price and the duty free price, which is significantly cheaper. A one litre bottle of Jameson whiskey for example is currently priced at €21 duty free and €42 duty paid, while a one litre bottle of Kilbeggan whiskey is priced at €38 duty paid and €20 duty free.Separately, we also have a range of premium liquor brands, including Hendricks Gin, Grey Goose vodka and Coole Swan liqueur, which have a single price for all destinations, whether they are duty free or duty paid. This offers significant discounts on downtown prices to all passengers, whether or not they are travelling to a duty free destination. Boarding cards are scanned by ARI for a number of reasons. These include checking whether a passenger is travelling to a duty free or duty paid destination and understanding passenger spending patterns. In order for a passenger to buy duty free alcohol or tobacco, it is a requirement that the passenger in question can prove that they are travelling to a duty free destination. We use this spending pattern information in conjunction with other market research to improve the retail offer in our stores, and to help plan staffing levels. This information also allows daa to assess the commercial potential of a new route or service, as we may have information on historic passenger spends for the destination and/or the airline in question. The only information that is tracked is the item purchased, the airline, and the destination in question. We do not record any personal information in relation to passengers.It is policy in our stores to ask that passengers present their boarding card when making a purchase, however if any passenger buying a non duty free product does not wish to provide this information, we will still make the sale.daa’s income from its retail activities at Dublin Airport subsidises the airport charges at the airport.

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Tenger

Noxegon wrote: »

There's an article in the Times that says no requirement in Ireland either:

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/passengers-not-obliged-to-show-boarding-cards-in-airport-shops-1.2314584

WH Smith in Birmingham refused to sell me a newspaper for cash when I refused to present my boarding card.

I do get the point from the daa about checking every pax boarding cards allows them to pass on savings to all. (Might not necessarily believe it!!) But the boarding card for a newspaper, drink or sandwich is Orwellian bollix.

Fred Swanson

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Jamie2k9

Shucked with the reaction this has been getting, really over the top and no big deal.

A handful of passengers will benefit and are we really crying over a euro or so!

Ruu

Often pop into the WH Smith in T2 and have often left my boarding pass with the other half, some staff are not bothered but now they have 7(?) self service checkouts where you have to scan your boarding pass along with your items.

bk

What a load of nonsense. The prices you pay are really no cheaper then what you would pay outside the airport and I would say often more expensive (look at the rip off pricing of water).

Clearly they are simply pocketing those VAT returns for themselves.

I think the whole practice should be banned, including asking people to see their boarding pass for anything but duty free alcohol and tobacco.

LXFlyer

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Shucked with the reaction this has been getting, really over the top and no big deal.

A handful of passengers will benefit and are we really crying over a euro or so!

It's not really the point though - the shops shouldn't be pocketing the VAT for themselves for sales to non-EU passengers.

It's really a question of principle and fairness here.

Jamie2k9

lxflyer wrote: »

It's not really the point though - the shops shouldn't be pocketing the VAT for themselves for sales to non-EU passengers.

It's really a question of principle and fairness here.

They shouldn't be I agree but what will happen is prices will be put up 1 euro and they will pay vat (not claim back) and the customer still won't benefit....

bk

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They shouldn't be I agree but what will happen is prices will be put up 1 euro and they will pay vat (not claim back) and the customer still won't benefit....

Or alternatively if they did that, they would see a significant drop in sales, due to their prices already being quiet high.

I think it is more likely that they would simply reduce their profit margins. I know they won't like that, but they don't exist in a vacuum where they can just charge whatever they like.

Certainly given the high prices in the apartment, the customer certainly isn't benefiting from it at the moment.

Simon Gruber Says

A few minutes ago I went to WH Smith after security in T2 in Dublin. They now have self service machines like in a supermarket that will not allow you complete your purchase without scanning your boarding pass. Given that I had to pay €8 for a bag of Murray Mints and a tub of chewing gum, I don't think I made any savings even though I'm flying out of the EU lol

draiochtanois

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LXFlyer

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

They normally ask for your boarding pass at the outset unfortunately!!

L1011

Dixons in some airports (BHX for one) used to have a statement up at the tills making it sound as if they were being extremely nice to you by not increasing the prices if you weren't flying outside the EU. They may, as the DAA statement claims, have the reclaim worked in to their profit margins but the Dixons thing was particularly sleazy.

BonkeyDonker

The cynic in me would not be surprised to see them increase their prices to reflect this in the near future - with a reduced price only for those flying outside the EU/those who produce their boarding cards.

L1011

This actually reminds me - there's a food outlet in T1 that was showing ex-VAT prices on the shelves back in, erm, 2012? or so. On Pier D. You were charged the VAT inclusive price at the till.

Has that been fixed to the legally required, VAT inclusive price? I don't use T1 often and didn't really want to go back to them anyway!

Balf

I think the whole issue shows how much you can get away with by just having the balls to do it. Just ask every punter for a boarding pass, and mostly they will.

Stinicker

I remember last year having to present my boarding pass in Asmterdam to buy a silly fridge magnet, I was connecting there going onwards to Asia and a friend asked me to bring a fridge magnet from Amsterdam as they collect them. How pointless was it? You should only have to scan your boarding pass for Duty liable items like booze and cigarettes.

Duty Free used to be great back in the day before the EU ruined it all. I remember going to London back in 1997 and my sister and I were only kids, my mother and father was there too and each one of us were carrying 800 cigarettes each Plus a lot of Whiskey. Those were the days, fast forward fifteen years and I got busted at Dublin with 800 cigarettes again whilst coming in from Bangkok via Dubai, rudest woman I ever met, I immediately admitted I had more than my limit but she was on a total power trip all I can do is laugh at how pathetic her life must be.

They seized my cigarettes and ever since then I think I'm on some sort of watch list as the last time I flew through Dublin they checked me and opened my bags checking for contraband, however the girl who was working for customs was pretty hot and couldn't have been nicer compared the the uncouth woman I met the year before. Still its pretty annoying and I was only bringing them back for a friend as I don't even smoke. I only stick to 200 cigarettes now whenever I fly long haul.

arubex

Stinicker wrote: »

Duty Free used to be great back in the day before the EU ruined it all.

Duty Free seems to contrary to public-health interests that I'm surprised it wasn't completely disassembled in the 1990s.

Their main sales seem to be cigarettes and alcohol. Should we really be providing a cheap(er) way of purchasing those...?

smurfjed

Should we really be providing a cheap(er) way of purchasing those...?

Of course they should..... at least it would bring back some of the enjoyment of flying :)

Crumbs868

bk wrote: »

What a load of nonsense. The prices you pay are really no cheaper then what you would pay outside the airport and I would say often more expensive (look at the rip off pricing of water).

Clearly they are simply pocketing those VAT returns for themselves.

I think the whole practice should be banned, including asking people to see their boarding pass for anything but duty free alcohol and tobacco.

I don't know about that, the Mrs reckons for perfume and make up that the loop is the cheapest place in the county so they do seem to be passing on something.

Also for water Dublin airport must be one of cheapest airports in the western world. Since they started doing DAA water (self pay) all the rip off shops have had to halve their water price

L1011

PDX bans retailers from charging more than they do off-airport and mostly has local shops. Pretty much everywhere else is a huge ripoff though

SpaceTime

I was going through CDG and they refused to sell me a bottle of water and a sandwich because I had checked in using a mobile app and she couldn't scan my boarding pass!!!!

So, I went into rude Parisian mode and got my food!

Locker10a

L1011 wrote: »

PDX bans retailers from charging more than they do off-airport and mostly has local shops. Pretty much everywhere else is a huge ripoff though

WHSmith are a mega ripoff in UK airports the worst offenders in my experience

fits

Makeup is definitely cheaper in the loop. Everything else is same price or more expensive though.

Joe 90

Locker10a wrote: »

WHSmith are a mega ripoff in UK airports the worst offenders in my experience

In fact WH Smith are or were serious rip off merchants for cigarettes in the motorway services too. I've stopped smoking now so don't know if they still are but I haven't bought anything whatsoever in Smiths since they charged me about a quid extra on a packet of cigs sever years ago.

Jamie2k9

Joe 90 wrote: »

In fact WH Smith are or were serious rip off merchants for cigarettes in the motorway services too. I've stopped smoking now so don't know if they still are but I haven't bought anything whatsoever in Smiths since they charged me about a quid extra on a packet of cigs sever years ago.

Motorway services are there for convenience and therefore it is only good business sense to do so. It's like airlines rip people off in summer, ships rip people off before Christmas, restraints rip people off after 6pm and so on.....

jaymcg91

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Motorway services are there for convenience and therefore it is only good business sense to do so. It's like airlines rip people off in summer, ships rip people off before Christmas, restraints rip people off after 6pm and so on.....

Exactly, it's like people are too stupid to understand basic economics (supply and demand etc).

roundymac

In Cork on friday a very pleseant young lady told me there was no need to show my boarding card when I went buy some water. As for CDG that's becoming an even bigger dump than it was before.

arubex

jaymcg91 wrote: »

Exactly, it's like people are too stupid to understand basic economics (supply and demand etc).

People aren't too 'stupid' to understand, they're just fed-up with companies that artificially restrict supply in order to maximise profit.

In the 1980s, BA Shuttle services had a stand-by aircraft available in case walk-up ticket sales exceeded available seating on the primary aircraft. It worked well for them and as they said at the time even if they had to send the back-up with only a single passenger their overall load-factor was still > 50%.

Then they stopped doing that because the accountants decided instead to ream the last few passengers with extortionate fares than to expand supply to accommodate them.

The fact that many passengers on the Belfast-Heathrow run switched to BMA instead of taking a good reaming seemed to be lost on them. BMA went on to out-last BA on that route...

Katunga

I came back from Brussels on Wednesday and they refused to sell me a bar of chocolate and a small bottle of vodka without producing my boarding pass.

Jamie2k9

Katunga wrote: »

I came back from Brussels on Wednesday and they refused to sell me a bar of chocolate and a small bottle of vodka without producing my boarding pass.

It is a legal requirement for cards to be shown for cigarettes and alcohol.

Dardania

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

It is a legal requirement for cards to be shown for cigarettes and alcohol.

Link please?

LXFlyer

Dardania wrote: »

Link please?

Those items are charged duty inclusive for intra-EU flights and duty free if travelling outside the EU.

How else will they know which price to charge?

Dardania

lxflyer wrote: »

Those items are charged duty inclusive for intra-EU flights and duty free if travelling outside the EU.

How else will they know which price to charge?

I was referring to Jamie2k9 noting that it is a legal requirement to show boarding pass.

In the absence of showing a boarding pass, surely duty should be charged, as the safest alternative?

LXFlyer

Dardania wrote: »

I was referring to Jamie2k9 noting that it is a legal requirement to show boarding pass.

In the absence of showing a boarding pass, surely duty should be charged, as the safest alternative?

Fair enough, but it's a bit pointless being "difficult" in that situation - it's the one case where it is genuinely relevant to the customer to show the boarding pass.

I can understand taking that view with all the other items where it is irrelevant to the customer currently.

Dardania

lxflyer wrote: »

Fair enough, but it's a bit pointless being "difficult" in that situation - it's the one case where it is genuinely relevant to the customer to show the boarding pass.

I can understand taking that view with all the other items where it is irrelevant to the customer currently.

Absolutely - the incentive lies with the customer, to get a saving by showing their pass, but I haven't seen yet why one is required to present the pass (if a saving isn't being claimed...)

Jamie2k9

Dardania wrote: »

I was referring to Jamie2k9 noting that it is a legal requirement to show boarding pass.

In the absence of showing a boarding pass, surely duty should be charged, as the safest alternative?

Ok maybe a bad use of words but as already such passengers are just been difficult for no good reason and there is no need.

The sales assistance was well within her rights by not selling when they didn't know where the passegner were traveling. If they just over changed non EU passengers who refused they would then be moaning about been overcharged.