Buy in USA

Dave said:

I'm in the UK and considering buying a mountain bike from the States,

mail

Quoted message said:

order. Now I know I will have to pay postage, Import tax and UK VAT,

but I

Quoted message said:

would also be let off the US purchase tax (just like duty-free

shopping at

Quoted message said:

Airports, right?)

Has anyone done this, and if so:
how easy was it?
and how much did you save?

Cheers

If you plan to do it mail order you will save the local sales tax but
remember the US prices are quoted without sales tax (i.e. if you were
buying in person you would pay about 8% more than the price ticket).
For mail order add about $150-200 for shipping then add about 34% for
duty & VAT plus any import agent handling fee. At the end of the day
you have to weigh up whether the resultant saving is worth it and what
you would do if the frame arrives damaged or wrong. Also check very
carefully that you are getting what you think you are. I have seen a
number of bikes of the same make and name which are completely
different bikes in the two countries - different groupset, frame etc.

I've bought a number of bikes back legally from the US and it can be
worth it if you know exactly what you are buying and you get a deal on
it. I would not think of buying mail order from the US for a bike -
components yes, bike no. The problems of sorting out any
problems/damage with a $200 price tag to return it just are not worth
it IMO. YMMV

Tony

Dave said:

I'm in the UK and considering buying a mountain bike from the States,

mail

Quoted message said:

order. Now I know I will have to pay postage, Import tax and UK VAT,

but I

Quoted message said:

would also be let off the US purchase tax (just like duty-free

shopping at

Quoted message said:

Airports, right?)

Has anyone done this, and if so:
how easy was it?
and how much did you save?

Cheers

If you plan to do it mail order you will save the local sales tax but
remember the US prices are quoted without sales tax (i.e. if you were
buying in person you would pay about 8% more than the price ticket).
For mail order add about $150-200 for shipping then add about 34% for
duty & VAT plus any import agent handling fee. At the end of the day
you have to weigh up whether the resultant saving is worth it and what
you would do if the frame arrives damaged or wrong. Also check very
carefully that you are getting what you think you are. I have seen a
number of bikes of the same make and name which are completely
different bikes in the two countries - different groupset, frame etc.

I've bought a number of bikes back legally from the US and it can be
worth it if you know exactly what you are buying and you get a deal on
it. I would not think of buying mail order from the US for a bike -
components yes, bike no. The problems of sorting out any
problems/damage with a $200 price tag to return it just are not worth
it IMO. YMMV

Tony

Tony Raven said:

Dave said:

I'm in the UK and considering buying a mountain bike from the States,

mail

Quoted message said:

order.

Quoted message said:

I've bought a number of bikes back legally from the US and it can be
worth it if you know exactly what you are buying and you get a deal on
it. I would not think of buying mail order from the US for a bike -
components yes, bike no.

Also note that you will probably pay a lot less duty on some parts than
on a whole bike.

I bought a tandem frame mail-order from the USA with no problems (and
have bought another one since, but that was when living in Japan where
the import duty is very low anyway).

James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is
by treading on the toes of giants.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm in the UK and considering buying a mountain bike from the States, mail
order. Now I know I will have to pay postage, Import tax and UK VAT, but
I would also be let off the US purchase tax (just like duty-free shopping
at Airports, right?)

Has anyone done this, and if so:
how easy was it?
and how much did you save?

Cheers

MOB

....also have you checked they will send it to you? Quite a few will not ship
internationally due to agreements with the bike manufacturer.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Dave said:

I'm in the UK and considering buying a mountain bike from the States, mail
order. Now I know I will have to pay postage, Import tax and UK VAT, but I
would also be let off the US purchase tax (just like duty-free shopping at
Airports, right?)

Has anyone done this, and if so:
how easy was it?
and how much did you save?

Cheers

MOB

Best thing to do is find someone who is a member of the US forces,
stationed over here. Get them to buy it, and have it shipped over. They
can then sell it to you. No import duty, no freight costs.

--
Chris

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 22:56:37 +0000, Succorso

chris@_LEAVE_US_ALONE_SPAMMER_SCUM_ivy-house.net said:

Quoted message said:

I'm in the UK and considering buying a mountain bike from the States, mail
order. Now I know I will have to pay postage, Import tax and UK VAT, but I
would also be let off the US purchase tax (just like duty-free shopping at
Airports, right?)

Has anyone done this, and if so:
how easy was it?
and how much did you save?

Quoted message said:

Best thing to do is find someone who is a member of the US forces,
stationed over here. Get them to buy it, and have it shipped over. They
can then sell it to you. No import duty, no freight costs.

Or, just keep your eye open for super US flight deals and go buy it in
person. Good flight bargains do come up quite often in one promotion
or another, Little Chef were very recently doing (maybe still are?) a
promo where you could get a return flight to several US cities for
buying about 50 quids worth of meals.

Make a bit of a holiday of it.

Then you've just got to sneak it past the customs guys at the airport,
but with a few basic precautions you'd probably make it just fine.
--

"Bob"

'The revolution is just a T shirt away'

Email address is spam trapped.
To reply directly remove the beverage.

Call me Bob said:

Or, just keep your eye open for super US flight deals and go buy it in
person. Good flight bargains do come up quite often in one promotion
or another, Little Chef were very recently doing (maybe still are?) a
promo where you could get a return flight to several US cities for
buying about 50 quids worth of meals.

Make a bit of a holiday of it.

Then you've just got to sneak it past the customs guys at the airport,
but with a few basic precautions you'd probably make it just fine.

I think this has been mentioned here before - our friends in C & E are
particularly attracted to Bike Boxes and Guitar Cases in the Green
Channel. Get yer cheque book ready 😉

--
Chris

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 01:09:45 +0000, Succorso

chris@_LEAVE_US_ALONE_SPAMMER_SCUM_ivy-house.net said:

Quoted message said:

Then you've just got to sneak it past the customs guys at the airport,
but with a few basic precautions you'd probably make it just fine.

I think this has been mentioned here before - our friends in C & E are
particularly attracted to Bike Boxes and Guitar Cases in the Green
Channel. Get yer cheque book ready 😉

Note I did say "with a few basic precautions". Bringing it back
gleaming in a bike box would seem rather reckless 🙂

I'd suggest flying out with a used saddle, some worn tyres and brake
blocks and tatty handlebar tape/grips. Swap them onto the new bike
before travelling homeward. Get some quick milage in too whilst out in
the US, to put some road grime on the bike and gunge on the
drivetrain.

Also obviously don't have the receipt for the bike with you while
passing through customs, post that stuff home separately.

Of course there are no guarantees of escaping their attention, but the
odds are good. Way more people get though customs with naughties than
get caught.
--

"Bob"

'The revolution is just a T shirt away'

Email address is spam trapped.
To reply directly remove the beverage.

Call me Bob said:

Note I did say "with a few basic precautions". Bringing it back
gleaming in a bike box would seem rather reckless 🙂

I'd suggest flying out with a used saddle, some worn tyres and brake
blocks and tatty handlebar tape/grips. Swap them onto the new bike
before travelling homeward. Get some quick milage in too whilst out

in

Quoted message said:

the US, to put some road grime on the bike and gunge on the
drivetrain.

Also obviously don't have the receipt for the bike with you while
passing through customs, post that stuff home separately.

Of course there are no guarantees of escaping their attention, but

the

Quoted message said:

odds are good. Way more people get though customs with naughties than
get caught.

Having bought quite a few bikes through the red channel I've chatted
quite a lot to the C&E people who told me tales. The key point is that
you are an amateur smuggler and they are professionals who do this
stuff day in day out. They've seen all your tricks and more. Not
having a receipt won't trouble them. Its your obligation to prove you
purchased it in the UK, not theirs and they can either hold on to your
bike or get you to pay a large sum to take it with you until you do.
They can contact the manufacturers with the frame number to see where
it was shipped to, your credit card company to see what charges are on
there and they have the thickest and most comprehensive book I have
ever seen of bike makes and prices. I took a Cannondale frame through
Red Channel once and they told me the receipt price was clearly made
up. Fortunately I had a print out of the Cannondale website with their
half price frame offer in the US to convince them that half price was
right.

The more you resist admitting the truth the meaner they get when you
eventually give in - I had the pleasure of waiting several hours while
a friend was given the third degree in an interview room and eventually
let go with a penal duty rate. The experience scared him sh**less.

So its up to you but I've seen enough to always choose the Red Channel
with something as bulky as a bike.

Tony

Quoted message said:

Best thing to do is find someone who is a member of the US forces,
stationed over here. Get them to buy it, and have it shipped over. They
can then sell it to you. No import duty, no freight costs.

Sergeant Bilko? 🙂

On 29 Oct 2004 01:16:53 -0700, "Tony Raven" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

[of Customs & Excise]

Quoted message said:

The more you resist admitting the truth the meaner they get when you
eventually give in - I had the pleasure of waiting several hours while
a friend was given the third degree in an interview room and eventually
let go with a penal duty rate. The experience scared him sh**less.

Indeed. And they are the VAT men as well. The received wisdom as far
as I understand it is that the Inland Revenue are almost human and can
be put off or at least negotiated with, but with Customs and Excise it
is always best to pay first and ask questions later.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

you know? said:

Quoted message said:

The more you resist admitting the truth the meaner they get when you
eventually give in - I had the pleasure of waiting several hours while
a friend was given the third degree in an interview room and eventually
let go with a penal duty rate. The experience scared him sh**less.

Indeed. And they are the VAT men as well. The received wisdom as far
as I understand it is that the Inland Revenue are almost human and can
be put off or at least negotiated with, but with Customs and Excise it
is always best to pay first and ask questions later.

There is no need to [censored] yourself for trying to sneak through customs
and avoid a bit of import duty. VAT and customs they may be, but
columbian drug lords we are not.

They aren't gonna rape you and sell your kids into slavery, the
options if they catch you are pretty likely to be make you pay the
duty or forfeit the bike. Not very dramatic. Or terrifying.
--

"Bob"

'The revolution is just a T shirt away'

Email address is spam trapped.
To reply directly remove the beverage.