Retail refunds

A business acquaintance from the US asked me for some advice about the VAT-free shopping scheme and I am finding it hard to give a definite answer. He will be visiting the UK soon and doing some shopping here with retailers in the tax-free scheme. He is then going to Hong Kong for a week before coming back through Heathrow on his way home to the US.

To claim the VAT refund he needs to get the paperwork processed at Heathrow where there are both landside and airside customs desks. He is supposed to do this when first leaving the EU but has a tight schedule when flying to Hong Kong.

However he has plenty of time when coming back via London; if necessary he could even come back through security and immigration to be landside. The return to the US will be well...