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Would factoring an extra 25% into the price cover the import duty, handling fees and VAT and anyone used Competitive Cyclist before?
But if you get 'stung', VAT is already 17.5% - factor in 33%, but you may get lucky.
Mmm, I thought import duty was only another 8% max. Maybe a rethink is in order.
Some places will sell you a bike, ship it here and put a slightly innaccurate value on the box so you don't get stung. Drop me an e-mail and I'll tell you what my mate did......
markdkb2000@yahoo.co.uk
yer o bought some shockers for my car - much cheaper from the states even with carriage etc
Remember that a full bike has a much higher import duty placed on it than individual bike parts.
I bought over a 29er full suss frame and reba 29er maxle light forks for £1286 all in (of which postage was £57 and duty £113) when the frame alone was £1400 in the UK. I reckon it saved me at least £600 so well worth it as that was pretty much enough to kit the rest of the bike out.
Getting the chap stateside to mark down a lower value is the key (as long as he doesn't mark it below his cost of replacing it if it goes walkabout). Also, exchange rate was slightly better when i did mine last year.
There are hundreds of topics on this on here.
Import Tax was 4.7% on components 14% on full or almost complete bike.
That is charged on purchase price + shipping.
Then VAT is charged on the purchase price, shipping and import tax.
Its just a frame.
Mr Tall, did you not use Competetive Cyclist before?
Customs seem to have tightened up a great deal in the last couple of years IMO
I concur - i havent had anything through customs in the last 2 years that hasnt been charged.
If your going over to the states then take a bike bag with an old frame in and simply put your new bike in place of it, adviable to ride it before you do to make it look somewhat used! Customs probably won't note what bike you took out.