Everyone, I need to know if places like probikekit are a hoax and are too good to be true. What I am most concerned about is their postage and handling.I already know that i should'nt have to pay import duties here in Australia as they send by royal mail I would like proof positive from people who have used them and come out of it with very positive experiences. All responses welcome but those from OZ will be of most help to me. I want to take the risk but am feeling as though it could be very costly if i make a mistake as the RRP of goods here and on places like this are unbelievable, even with the currency conversion .
I live in sydney and have just gone through a similar experience. I wanted to import build it kits from the states or the U.K., but eventually just bought a bike in Oz.
It depends on what you want. When you import something of more than AUD$1000, you start to pay some significant customs duty.
In the end I bought my bike from Australia to save myself the hassle and transport costs, plus the difficulty in after sales service if something goes wrong.
There are some similar websites over here. Check out bikepro.com.au, most of their stuff is well priced.
I've placed about 4 orders with ProBikeKit, only for clothing and a few parts and accessories, but I've been happy with them. I had a minor problem with one order that was initially sent to my billing address rather than to the delivery address I specified, but that was sorted out quickly once I stopped being patient waiting and reverted to my normal pushy self. One of the bottle cages in that order ended up being slightly out of shape in spite of thick cardboard packaging, probably due to the parcel touring the world a couple of times before I actually got it. A refund/replacement was offered but I didn't want any more delays so I just pushed it back into shape. Probably something to keep in mind if you're thinking of ordering items that are easily damaged, but I don't have any concerns about ordering other items from them. (In fact, I'm about to place another clothing order... much easier than doing laundry more frequently! 😄)
On the other hand, I'd generally make significant purchases locally because I appreciate the advice and other resources the good local bike shops make available, and I'd like to support them. It's worth paying a bit extra, in my opinion. I'd actually buy the clothing etc. locally too if I could find a shop that stocked what I want.
I have done at least half a dozen orders with Probikekit and couldn't be happier. I keep my orders under AU$250 though, just to make 100% sure I don't get stung by duties.
For some reason I thought they used an international courier service, because they are so damn quick! It generally takes a week to a week and a half for an order to get here.
Ollie, Rek and Mouse potato, thanks very much guys, i appreciate your input. Rek, if you go to the Australian customs website you will see that $250AUD is the goods limit if they are sent by air/sea cargo. Standard mail items have a goos value limit of $1000AUD before both categories attract import tax.
I contacted probikekit with these details and aked them which one they used. The response from Laura, sales supervisor was this. "It should be regular mail, recorded delivery".
I buy tyres exclusively from probikekit, 2x Conti GP3000 delivered in five days cost me $80 a couple of weeks ago. I've never had a problem with them, highly recommended. I'm in Brisbane by the way.
