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Importing bikes – the people to use?

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  • April 23, 2009 at 6:42 pm #11699
    gandberg

    Hello

    I’ve found one of my dream machines, but its in NY. Has anyone here used an importer to get a bike sent over from the states? If so, details please. Cheapest I’ve found is about £230.00, or the price of cheap return flights….

    The bike? A kona a-ha SS off roader in stars n bars paintwork. So sexy it hurts.

    Cheers.

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  • April 28, 2009 at 11:00 am #627969
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    Jon Burrage

    this is true. Cost wise, it
    this is true. Cost wise, it cost me £39 to send a set of carbon fibre aerobars to the states by parcelforce so I would suggest they are out of the running!

    April 28, 2009 at 10:00 am #627967
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    thebikeboy

    If you were coming back from
    If you were coming back from somewhere and you’d taken a bike box out with you – it would be pretty hard to check, although I suppose if they really got suspicious they could cross check to see what it weighed (or more likely what it cost you because of what it weighed) to bring it out. That’s pretty unlikely, as to Bananadrama’s point about it being scanned at the security gate, well you would’nt be taking it on has hand luggage would you, it would be going as hold luggage which might very well get scanned but unless it raised suspicions is not going to be linked to a particular passenger – you only have to see how hand luggage is dealt with to notice that.

    However, Gandberg’s original question was about getting something shipped over without him having to go out and get it.

    April 28, 2009 at 9:43 am #627965
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    Jon Burrage

    yeah I know but is there a
    yeah I know but is there a rule about sending an empty box? Do they check the weight of your box when going one way compared to the other?

    April 28, 2009 at 9:06 am #627963
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    BananaDrama

    An empty box will show just
    An empty box will show just that when being scanned at the security gate!

    April 27, 2009 at 10:55 am #627961
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    Jon Burrage

    How can they prove you didnt
    How can they prove you didnt take the bike with you to the states or wherever and are just coming back with the same luggage?…could always check in an empty bike box on the way out?

    April 27, 2009 at 9:47 am #627959
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    Barry Fry-up

    BUT if you say it’s not worth
    BUT if you say it’s not worth owt and customs decide to take you to task you’ll have to pay the duty on the amended value and, i think, a fine too.

    April 27, 2009 at 9:43 am #627957
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    TRs Blurb n Blog

    You will get charged on the
    You will get charged on the value that it is declared to be regardless if it is second hand i.e. if the value is said to be only a small amount you will only get charged a percentage of that. 😉

    April 25, 2009 at 8:04 pm #627955
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    gandberg

    Evening. The bike is a 95 or
    Evening. The bike is a 95 or 96 Kona A-Ha with an interesting frame design.

    Here is the very bike I’m after:
    http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/3559/dscn2120oc5.jpg

    I don’t think I’d have to pay import duty becuase how can customs value a 2nd hand bike thats so old?

    I’ll cost up sending it as two packages, thats a good idea. Most couriers go on volumetric ratings instead of kgs, and bikes, even wheels out and boxed still have plenty of air around everything.

    I normally use http://www.interparcel.com who despite a slightly home made looking website actually offer a stellar service with prices to beat parcel2go and with quidco cashback, if you’re into that kind of thing. Oh how I love bikes 🙂

    April 24, 2009 at 1:27 pm #627953
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    Jon Burrage

    TR, do you have to pay import
    TR, do you have to pay import duty on somthing that isnt new? i.e/ second hand?

    April 24, 2009 at 12:37 pm #627951
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    TRs Blurb n Blog

    You will have to pay import
    You will have to pay import duty and VAT unless it is something very cheap (£50ish). Tony is almost right, duty is about half on bike components than it is on complete cycles so it is best having the bike listed as components and not as a complete bike but sending 2 packages might prove more costly.

    This company is the cheapest I have found for most things.
    http://www.parcel2go.com

    April 24, 2009 at 8:42 am #627949
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    Jon Burrage

    Yeah the import tax is what
    Yeah the import tax is what you want to ‘avoid’ if possible, it really would kick you. I got stung ona set of spinergy’s once…they were second hand as well so I shouldnt have been charged but hey ho. If you havnt got a holiday booked this eyar you could wrap the two up together and bring it back (used after a cycle round central park).

    April 23, 2009 at 8:37 pm #627947
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    Tony Farrelly

    Is it for sale in a shop or
    Is it for sale in a shop or privately?

    Either way, what about buying it and getting them to ship, better still get them to ship the frame and all the gubbins without the wheels and then you won’t have to pay import duty – you could get them to send the wheels over separately.

    Even better buy the bike without the wheels and get them over here.

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