So Brexit is here now for real. It’s all come down to this. We are on the other side and following a hurried through set of Christmas free trade rules. What does Brexit mean for mountain bikers?
There are businesses announcing their changes on a daily basis from British bike companies halting sales to the EU to EU brands upping their prices or refusing to deliver to the UK.
These are the sunny uplands and we are determined to get to the bottom of the new normal. So, Charlie, Hannah and Mark sat down to record this episode to try and explain what has just happened and how it affects us, as mountain bike riders and buyers, on a day to day basis.
Can we still buy bikes for the EU? What about small parts? Can I take my bike on holiday and get it or me fixed if I break something? What is a tariff? Who pays VAT now? Can I still buy cheap wine in Calais?
These questions and more we try and unscramble.
But wait! Did we find some benefits of Brexit? You bet we did. Listen and find out what it was all really for…
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We don’t generally eat the fish we catch in our waters and we can’t sell them easily to the EU because of the barriers faced by exporters, but it’s fine – they are now happy fish and that’s what really matters.
Still waiting for the benefits. Drop us a comment or email if you have any positive Brexit stories to share.
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Right… Sure thing, it is inconvenient, it require step back, it require planning forward, but I can say been there, done that…
Pre 2004, when Poland wasn’t member of EU I was working for company that was buying loads of components from Europe, using them in our products assembly/production/enrichment and then selling it back to Europe and around the world.
And we were doing it happily for years and years.
It was small, really small company, producing some silver and amber jewelry. Employing handful of people. By handful I mean 15, including Big Boss and his wife…
So why not going back to oldschool and just dusting back old ways?
Cheers!
I.
… and few other things.
1. Samples. Again pre EU joining if you wanted to take some stuff to the exhibition, or have some samples sent to you you just filled ATA Karnet. 2 pages, easy. Sort of temporary “passport” for non-commercial goods that will be the same coming in and going out.
2. Travel. Require more planning and some sort of responsibility for your own actions. Responsibility and standing to consequences is such a unpopular stuff nowadays, I know. But maybe, maybe, it will prevent at least some idiots going abroad and giving UK bad name. Because it is easier to get drunk in Madrid/Kraków/Praha and leave all mess for locals. It is going to be a bit of a pain, but same as traveling to any other place that require insurance/green card/visa etc..
I.
And let’s not forget, for this minor inconvenience the NHS has had an extra £350 million every single week since the middle of 2016. That’s over £60 billion already and rising every single week. For ever. All those extra doctors, nurses and ICU beds must be coming in reality useful now.
BoZo, Farage and Gove told us so. And they’d never lie to us would they.
Thanks Ivan, i was struggling to see any genuine, tangible benefit to leaving the EU, an end to violent, piss artist football hooligans in England shirts wasn’t really something I’d considered.
Not entirely convinced it’ll actually work, (might actually make it worse as their sense of ‘Englishness’ is elevated) unless of course, they’re planning on staying for more than 90 days or studying on the Erasmus scheme!!!!
But I’ll wait and see, would love to be proved wrong!
Like I said in the podcast, we will adapt. We will find a way and things will settle down to a new normal. But that new normal looks like it’s going to be harder and more expensive than what we’ve just given up. This has been said in the media a few times, but that does make this a historic event in global affairs as at no point in history as a trade deal been done that leaves the instigator worse off. This is a first. If that’s what the leavers wanted… if that was the intention all a long then I can at least rationalise that. But it seems that it wasn’t the intention. At least it wasn’t what we were told it would be. We were specifically told being out would be better than what we had.
Difficult podcast, nicely done
If I live in Europe permanently, I guess I can buy that shiny new UK made steel hardtail though; save on the UK VAT pay and pay the import tax of the euro country in which I live?
(Which if less than 20% inc p&p, could mean that I end up saving some cash)?
This explains it better than most if not all news networks. Quality content. Keep up the good work!
@overend I’m afraid you may well avoid the UK VAT but you would still have to pay the VAT for the bike in the country you live. The bill you would get at the doorstep would be for the Tariff, Local VAT PLUS a handling charge. There is no loophole that allows anyone in either the EU or the UK to avoid the VAT. There is no scenario inside the law where that purchase is cheaper.
Actually thats not quite true @Mark Alker… Supposing you ignore shipping costs for a second, and you are a Luxemburger.
Switch9 FS thing from Stanton £1775 for a frame with some invisi.
Ex VAT thats 1,479.17
Luxemborg Import VAT + £16 handling charge from DHL = £1746.63, saving you £28.37
OK so its not much but the point is that overend was correct with his assertion, as long as you live in. the right country, and buy the right product.
Should say
Add on Luxemborg Import VAT + £16 handling charge from DHL = £1746.63, saving you £28.37
Ok Mark and Ben, that answers that. Thanks for the steer!
Well that was a very one sided argument!!!.. Time I won’t get back
@danfay.. one sided? We looked for positives, and talked about them. But when the negatives are more plentiful and more complicated, they will take more air time. Please feel free to comment with any positive outcomes we missed.
@Charliedontsurf, got my Singletrack Club Ride shirt this morning and was honestly expecting a customs ticket with it but thank fully nothing (over in Ireland)! Must be the nice little Singletrack.logo that ramped up the British %! Sized up and thankful of it! Lovely piece of kit -thanks. Wrt the podcast, not that the mega rich nor ‘Crown and Anchor’ crew (nor probably a lot of others) care but very annoying for us over here as well as a lot of EU companies lump us in as the ‘UK and Ireland’ for sales and deliveries so although 100% still an EU country we’re getting hit by Brexit by proxy not to mention all the import/export stuff getting us.
@danfay120 you may not get the time back, but it seems you didn’t spend it listening to the podcast. They asked via multiple channels for someone to tell them the positives – and no one did. Perhaps you could take this opportunity to make it less one-sided and give your view of the positive aspects of Brexit?
No need to be anything other than one sided – effing stupid idea – always was and always will be.
I’m Irish but live in the UK. My friends in the Republic of Ireland have regularly purchased a variety of items from the UK, great price, choice and quick delivery. They are now moving their custom to European retailers, the long and the short of it is British retailers will loose out. That means jobs, lively hoods etc. What a shame.
Charlie hobbs.
Your remoaning tone was very clear to me
Amazing that you heard his tone of voice with your head in the sand
@danfay120 I’d be interested in your take on what we got wrong in the podcast and as I said in the podcast I’d really, genuinely like your input on what we have to look forward to. Give us some Brexit good news!