On January 10, 2026, I made a purchase totaling approximately $451 at the Swatch İstinyePark store in Turkey, and a tax-free transaction was processed through Global Blue. My tax-free form number is 11059025579530710807, name S*** Y**** C****, passport number 402441***, passport expiration date 12/18/2033. All procedures were completed at the Global Blue office in İstinyePark, the documents were manually stamped, and I was told that everything was complete and that I did not need to take any further action. On January 11, 2026, all forms were placed in the Global Blue mailbox at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. On January 11, a €40 refund was credited to my credit card, but on February 10, it was withdrawn without any reasonable explanation. Global Blue later claimed that the manual stamp was not sufficient and that a new requirement—digital stamping or digital validation—was also necessary. However, by that time I had already returned to my home country, and at no point during the transaction—neither at the store nor at the İstinyePark Global Blue office—was I informed about any “digital approval/stamp,” nor was I given any instructions regarding such a requirement. Since January 13, I have been corresponding with Global Blue via email under case number 0280 7990. I have repeatedly asked what the digital approval is, where and how it should have been obtained, and why I was never informed about it during the transaction. Despite this, I have only received automated, generic responses for days, with no clear or satisfactory answers, and my grievance has not been resolved. Moreover, the situation was made worse by the fact that the refund was first credited to my account and then reversed. I am extremely frustrated by Global Blue’s lack of proper information and the way this process has been handled. I believe my refund was unfairly withdrawn, and I request that the €40 tax-free refund be re-credited to my credit card permanently and without any deductions. I also demand a clear explanation regarding the so-called digital stamp/approval requirement that was later imposed, and that my hardship in this process be formally acknowledged.
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