VAT refunds on purchases

[Isabelle70]

I live in the Channel Islands where we have any VAT removed from items that we purchase online that are shipped.
Amazon, Peacocks, Very and similar all deduct it straight away.
John Lewis don't but they refund the VAT amount once you message them.
I ordered 2 candies from the White Company as gifts and the VAT was not removed so I sent them a message requesting the VAT be refunded.
They responded that my order had been zero rated for VAT and there was no refund due.
The price I paid was the same as a UK purchaser so in effect that amount of VAT that was in the item The White Company has taken as additional profit.
Is this legal?

Assuming they quoted the full price up front, without mentioning VAT, yeah it is legal, but not a great look from a customer service perspective.

WH Smith was doing something similar at airports in the UK a few years back. When they scanned your boarding card, they were able put the gross amount though as an international sale (if traveling outside UK/EU at the time), but they never passed the VAT saving back.

One of the newspapers kicked up a fuss about, so I think they then changed their policy.

If the item is zero rated than no one would pay VAT on the item, regardless of where they live. What it the item?

Children's clothing I'm gonna guess?

As @WeeFinbar says they have zero rated the items (candles?) as they have been exported. Many companies would then not profit from the customer so would not charge the VAT component of the price. It seems like White Company are keeping the extra.

So long as the price isn't advertised as £** + VAT (which it hardly ever would be on a retail site, that's more used for business to business) I can't see how it's not allowed.

@WeeFinbar @DogDaysNeverEnd the price I paid for the candles is exactly the same as the UK price. All other stores refund the VAT component and it certainly doesn't make we want to purchase anything else from them.
I have just looked back on their site and they have changed the VAT information since I made my purchase.

UK VAT refunds
UK VAT is not charged on goods exported to a destination outside of the United Kingdom. 0% UK VAT has been applied on these sales, therefore these sales are not eligible for a UK VAT Refund.
Oh well, no more White Company purchases for me.