A while ago there was mention on here of cheap sc tall boys from web shops in the states. Anyone have any ideas? My back is screwed and I think fs is going to be the only way…

Competitive Cyclist are probably the biggest company with the best prices on Tallboys.

Just had a look actually – $300 postage….

And they won’t let me buy from outside the states! Cheeky buggers….

Bundlebox if you’re not fussed about taxes and duty (they will charge, not you will avoid before I get pounced on). You get a US delivery address to get around the international delivery problem.

generally by the time you add in US Sales Tax (non refundable) postage, duty and VAT it comes in within £100 of the UK price so unless the US$ collapses and you can make the deal then and there it probably wont work.

As SC don’t do year based manufacturing there are no end of year bargains, SC themsleves have some frames on run out of discontinued stock but not many and US only.

Mike,

I thought the same but old model tall boys (135mm drop outs) are currently £620 at cc vs the £1800 that jungle want. That’s a big saving….all paid up on vat and duty and it still comes out at £900

Sandwich – genius, much appreciated

Then there might be a payment problem – they tend to want the payment to be US-based as well.

cant you pay thru pay-pal, shirley that’d get round it

I reckon the Best bet is to take a POS out to the states and leave it there. pick up a SC from Craig’s list (from nearby near Santa Cruz CA) and bring it home in the bike bag you took out.

That’s my plan 😉

I reckon the Best bet is to take a POS out to the states and leave it there. pick up a SC from Craig’s list (from nearby near Santa Cruz CA) and bring it home in the bike bag you took out.

Warning HMRC are wise to this and border staff receive specific training on it. You’ll need the receipts to prove it’s being returned home from a holiday not coming back for the first time.

But I bought it second hand in the uk 2 years ago!

Sandwich – Member
Warning HMRC are wise to this and border staff receive specific training on it. You’ll need the receipts to prove it’s being returned home from a holiday not coming back for the first time.

so you are saying you have to take a proof of purchase with u everytime you travel to and from the states with a bike?

Can’t the Man tell from frame numbers?
If it helps I checked all over Europe before buying my frame and the UK is cheapest.

I reckon the Best bet is to take a POS out to the states and leave it there. pick up a SC from Craig’s list (from nearby near Santa Cruz CA) and bring it home in the bike bag you took out.
Warning HMRC are wise to this and border staff receive specific training on it. You’ll need the receipts to prove it’s being returned home from a holiday not coming back for the first time.

Surely this is akin to saying that hmrc are wise to the idea that people smuggle drugs onto airplanes, and probably about as much use. 🙂

Ithe ‘take an old bike out’ thing also strikes me as being pretty pointless, I’ve never had to document a bike I’ve taken out of the country, despite travelling fairly often to the antipodes and US with them.

Warning HMRC are wise to this and border staff receive specific training on it. You’ll need the receipts to prove it’s being returned home from a holiday not coming back for the first time.

Evidence? I’ve flown with bikes for more than 15 years and never been challenged at customs. Ive had my bike bag inspected by Homeland Security in the US to make sure it didnt contain a bomb but walked past C+E and UKBA staff with bike bags and boxes and they couldnt be less interested. Theyre looking for illegal immigrants, drugs smugglers and terrorists, not outdoor sports enthusiasts who may have some new kit.

^^ this

Complete waste of time talking an old bike out with you.

There was a thread a couple of weeks ago about this, forget who the chap was buying through though.

Yep just be honest about your tax evasion and be proud of it 😉

Because taking an old bike out to dump is far more morally sound 🙄

Not endorsing it, just saying that taking a bike out with you is unnecessary effort.

Just come back from States with two bike bags, no probs with customs….They were the same bikes I took out there, but never bother with proof of purchase. This is my second trip with bikes to the US and I have been doing 2 trips to Europe with bikes for last 7 years and have never been inspected.
I have previously bought a US bike from Competetive Cyclist this way-great customer service and no problems.

I would pay both VAT and duty on my purchase, the only people who’d lose out would be Jungle and frankly with their pisstaking prices I’m pretty certain it wouldn’t keep me awake at night

There are companies that will buy and ship things to the UK that are for US only customers/address. Check here.

Evidence?

Mate who is in borders/customs has had the training and was stopped on return his from Lanzarote last year. Good enough?

Er, surely Lanzarote is deemed part of Spain (and hence the EU) and therefore any VAT/duty etc. would be paid at source, making this a non-issue?

Maybe he just looked shifty? 😛

the only people who’d lose out would be Jungle and frankly with their pisstaking prices

You’ve got a good understanding of import businesses and their costs then?

A fair one yes

What do you base your ‘piss taking prices’ on then?

“In borders/customs” yes you’ve totally convinced me with such specifics. So which agency does he work for? Assuming its not WHSmiths where does cracking international cycle smuggling rings sit in his home office priorities? what Intel do they have that has flagged Lanzarote as such a hot bed?

I ran through some calcs last time it went on in here, buying RRP in the states adding US Sales Tax, Shipping, Import Duty & VAT gets you within £100 of the UK RRP. People seem to forget that VAT is 20% to HMRC straight off and assume it’s the UK shop/importer that is screwing them over. Also comparing the UK RRP to the US discount price is a great comparison.

Unless somebody wants to pop up and do the full (legal tax paying price) of buying current SC frames from the US and shipping to the UK.