Why you should refuse to show your Boarding Card at Duty Free

[KKOB]

Air travellers are refusing to show their boarding passes at airport shops after The Independent revealed that the information is used by stores to avoid paying VAT - without passing on the discount to customers.

The grassroots revolt comes amid mounting anger at the tax ruse - which was exposed by this paper on 8 August.

Passengers who had assumed they were legally obliged to comply with requests to present boarding passes when paying for  goods in airport shops expressed astonishment that they were in fact being inconvenienced to boost retailers’ profits.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/air-travellers-refusing-to-show-boarding-passes-at-airport-shops-after-news-that-the-information-is-used-by-stores-to-avoid-paying-vat-10449107.html

[usedbustickets]

Yea and it is not just the so called Duty Free shops at it, but also robbers like WH Smith.  I bought a newspaper and they still wanted my boarding card, I explained you can't claim back the tax on papers cos there aint any, still insisted.. it then became one of those get me the managers moments.  In the end I chucked the paper back on the pile and told 'em to stick it where the sun don't shine.

Still without a row with someone occasionally, I wouldn't be the cheerful gent I am at all other times

[Menthol]

Wish I'd known about this on the way back here last week.

My family run a small family business in the UK and we are paying extortionate taxes but hey, we are happy to be running a successful business (though we never take this for granted). That large corporations continuously get away with w*nking the tax system is infuriating, depressing and shameful.

[Scunner]

I may be wrong but I don't ever recall being asked, even once, to show my boarding card in airport shops like WH Smith or Boots? In the Duty Free every time but not elsewhere airside.

WH Smith are bandits of the highest order - same on motorway service stations - absolute ripoff prices  for sandwiches, soft drinks etc. The one I use most is halfway ish between Harrogate and home. WH Smith Northbound or M&S Southbound. So when travelling home northbound I walk across the bridge.

[marina]

I seem to think it's a more recent thing for the smaller outlets (W H Smith, Boots etc) to ask for boarding passes. I know we've been asked to show them in both these two places in last couple of years.  Been the case in duty free for ages but looks like the others saw a little trick they'd been missing out on!   

[Scunner]

So

If enough people refuse, they will have to serve you anyway or take a big dip in sales.

I'm in

[marina]

And me!   

[Menthol]

We were asked in WH Smith for our boarding pass last week.

I'm definitely refusing in future.

[KKOB]

We were asked in WH Smith for our boarding pass last week.

So was I ! Which was strange because I was only going on the 146 from Wrexham to Whitchurch.  

[Steve A]

Anyone refused ?