Recumbent bicycles · Public discussion

buying power

Dh · 2003-12-09T11:05:00+00:00

Since I live in part from my US pension, my US investments and I live in Europe, I am pretty much on top of the currency exchange rate. For those of us in Europe, this is now a very good time to buy US brands as the US$ is very low. It's bad for my pension, but this should be good for US bike manufacturers and US exports in general. For those of you deciding which brand to buy, it might be attractive to take a trip to the US and bring back a bike on the plane. I did that once when I went to Ireland to visit a friend and I brought back a new Brompton. I saved a few pennies over the Dutch price. __This is just a public service announcement__ and not meant to provoke a political discussion. What caught my attention was the following which I copied: In New York, the dollar sank to: • An 11-year low against the British pound, which hit a high of $1.7361. • A three-year low vs. the yen, with a dollar buying 107.14 yen. • A seven-year low against the Swiss franc. • A six-year low against the Australian dollar.

Started by Dh · 9 December 2003 · Last activity 9 December 2003 · 9 posts · 760 views

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01 / Original postbuying powerDh · 9 Dec 2003 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9Steve Christens · 9 Dec 2003

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Original section: Recumbent bicycles
Published: 9 December 2003
Last activity: 9 December 2003
Original author: Dh
Posts: 9
Discussion status: Public discussion
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Original post
Dh
Archived post

9 December 2003, 11:05 UTC #1

Since I live in part from my US pension, my US investments and I live in Europe, I am pretty much on
top of the currency exchange rate.
For those of us in Europe, this is now a very good time to buy US brands as the US$ is very
low. It's bad for my pension, but this should be good for US bike manufacturers and US exports
in general.
For those of you deciding which brand to buy, it might be attractive to take a trip to the US and
bring back a bike on the plane. I did that once when I went to Ireland to visit a friend and I
brought back a new Brompton. I saved a few pennies over the Dutch price.
__This is just a public service announcement__ and not meant to provoke a political discussion. What
caught my attention was the following which I copied:
In New York, the dollar sank to:
• An 11-year low against the British pound, which hit a high of $1.7361.
• A three-year low vs. the yen, with a dollar buying 107.14 yen.
• A seven-year low against the Swiss franc.
• A six-year low against the Australian dollar.

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Mikael Seierup
Archived post

9 December 2003, 11:05 UTC #2

"DH" skrev...
Quoted message said:
For those of us in Europe, this is now a very good time to buy US brands as the US$ is very low.
It's bad for my pension, but this should be good for US bike manufacturers and US exports in
general.
Well yes and no. American bikes still suffer under the Curse of the Atlantic. This being the
combined effects of toll, VAT and shipping on the price of a bike. It adds something like 50% to
the price.
It is a great time to subscribe to Recumbent Cyclist or other magazines.
Mikael

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Dave Larrington
Archived post

9 December 2003, 12:06 UTC #3

DH said:
For those of us in Europe, this is now a very good time to buy US brands as the US$ is very low.
It's bad for my pension, but this should be good for US bike manufacturers and US exports in
general.
For those of you deciding which brand to buy, it might be attractive to take a trip to the US and
bring back a bike on the plane. I did that once when I went to Ireland to visit a friend and I
brought back a new Brompton. I saved a few pennies over the Dutch price.
Unless HM Customs & Excise or its local equivalent decide to slap one with all manner of charges at
a rather unhumorous rate... If importing a "bicycle" from outside the EU, they will hit you for
import duty and then charge VAT on on the total cost - including any shipping charges. At which
point what looked like a bargain suddenly costs the same number of pounds as it does dollars. Bah!
--
Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.uk
===========================================================

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Mikael Seierup
Archived post

9 December 2003, 12:07 UTC #4

"Dave Larrington" skrev...
Quoted message said:
Unless HM Customs & Excise or its local equivalent decide to slap one with all manner of charges
at a rather unhumorous rate... If importing a "bicycle" from outside the EU, they will hit you for
import duty and then charge VAT on on the total cost - including any shipping charges.
Recent conversation between a copper on customs duty and a person who shall remain nameless.
Copper: Wots dat?
Mr. X: A recumbent. Copper: Looks expensive. Did you buy that in Poland?
Ms. X: Not really. I brought it with me to have it repaired. As you can see it has a new nose.
(points to part) Copper: Aha, I bet that was expensive though?
Mt. X: Nah it was under warranty.
(Copper at this point just walks off looking disgusted while Mr. X tries to keep his pokerface while
making his escape.)
Good thing Poland is joining the EU soon. ;-)
Mikael

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Dh
Archived post

9 December 2003, 12:07 UTC #5

You can attempt to get around those extra 'taxes' by taking a trip to the US and bringing the bike
back on the plane. We've brought back golf clubs for friends here in Europe and we just dirtied up
the clubs to make them look used. It might not be legal, but I was raised to be an honest crook - if
you get caught doing something illegal, you pay the fine, period.
There are ways around most everything. You can always pay a friend a few bottles of wine for
bringing back something a bit inconvenient such as a bike ... or a laptop ... or whatever to take
advantage of the lower US$.

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Ian
Archived post

9 December 2003, 14:07 UTC #6

Dave Larrington scribed with passion and wit:
Quoted message said:
DH said:
For those of us in Europe, this is now a very good time to buy US brands as the US$ is very low.
It's bad for my pension, but this should be good for US bike manufacturers and US exports in
general.
For those of you deciding which brand to buy, it might be attractive to take a trip to the US and
bring back a bike on the plane. I did that once when I went to Ireland to visit a friend and I
brought back a new Brompton. I saved a few pennies over the Dutch price.
Unless HM Customs & Excise or its local equivalent decide to slap one with all manner of charges
at a rather unhumorous rate... If importing a "bicycle" from outside the EU, they will hit you for
import duty and then charge VAT on on the total cost - including any shipping charges. At which
point what looked like a bargain suddenly costs the same number of pounds as it does dollars. Bah!

It sure does.
--
Ian
catrike.co.ukcatrike.co.uk

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Torben Scheel
Archived post

9 December 2003, 14:07 UTC #7

"Mikael Seierup" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Good thing Poland is joining the EU soon. ;-)
Yup. I could easily find room for a couple of Kamils guys, while they sculpture a VK for me -
dreeeeam, dream, dream dream, dream, dreeeeam...
Torben.

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Dave Larrington
Archived post

9 December 2003, 14:07 UTC #8

DH said:
There are ways around most everything. You can always pay a friend a few bottles of wine for
bringing back something a bit inconvenient such as a bike ... or a laptop ... or whatever to take
advantage of the lower US$.
Though according to HM Customs & Excise, were you to import personally that wine from Abroad, it is
liable for duty. Yes, if you bring back a bottle of wine to give to your neighbour in return for
looking after your cat, that is Naughty. Remember, boys and girls, that [censored]'s father was a
customs official, and *[censored]* thought he was a nasty piece of work.
One scam which, I'm told, has been successful, is to bring the stuff in as bold as brass and, if
questioned, say that you are a cycling FLJS and that the item is merely something you are
road-testing. It will help if it says "FLJS" in your passport, obv., but my Sinister Agents have it
on good authority that a Several of Titan mountain bike frames found their way into the UK via
precisely this method.
The Mgt. does not, of course, condone attempts to deprive HM Treasury of their pound of flesh...
--
Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.uk
===========================================================

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Steve Christens
Archived post

9 December 2003, 19:10 UTC #9

In article <[email hidden]>, Dave Larrington says...
Quoted message said:

DH said:
For those of us in Europe, this is now a very good time to buy US brands as the US$ is very low.
It's bad for my pension, but this should be good for US bike manufacturers and US exports in
general.
For those of you deciding which brand to buy, it might be attractive to take a trip to the US and
bring back a bike on the plane. I did that once when I went to Ireland to visit a friend and I
brought back a new Brompton. I saved a few pennies over the Dutch price.
Unless HM Customs & Excise or its local equivalent decide to slap one with all manner of charges at
a rather unhumorous rate... If importing a "bicycle" from outside the EU, they will hit you for
import duty and then charge VAT on on the total cost - including any shipping charges. At which
point what looked like a bargain suddenly costs the same number of pounds as it does dollars. Bah!
My other area of conspicuous consumption is sailing, and I am always appalled when I note in the
British sailing magazines that the cost of marine electronics, BEFORE VAT, is the same in pounds as
we pay in dollars. Ouch!
How do you afford it? (Not as many lawyers???)
Steve Christensen

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