How much duty will I pay on imported parts from Germany?

Ah, that’s good to hear then. For a moment I was thinking that sounds like a nice little scam for drivers to pull. Glad they had the correct papers etc (although sorry to hear you didn’t avoid the charges on this occasion!). :–)

Blimey who still uses cheques? Also, what would have happend if you didn’t have enough cash, I never have any around as I spend it on shiv I don’t need..

Also, what would have happend if you didn’t have enough cash,

They take the item away until you ring up and pay over the phone with a card. There’s a number on the invoice.

I’ve never been invoiced post delivery.

This seems like a good time to just say a hearty great big “thank you” to Brexit voters.

Well done.

Also, what would have happend if you didn’t have enough cash,

Pay by card over phone and they redeliver…. Apparently

I’ve never been invoiced post delivery.

Buisness address and invoiced to a buisness….

If anyone buys from a German site and they offer ups, you can pay the duty via the tracking whilst it’s in transit from Germany…. But you’ll definitely have to pay duty if it’s over the £135 limit (Inc postage) as ups deal with the customs.

If you use DHL / parcel force you’ll have more chance of the item getting through customs without checks…. But you may have to wait for 2 weeks (or more) once it’s cleared for your bill.

I ordered some bits from R2 on Friday, arrived today (via ups), paid the duty on Saturday before it had even left Germany via the tracking on line.

Waiting on some brakes (€250) from Bike-discount. The wheel of luck hasn’t stopped spinning yet.

Got this yesterday (9 days after ordering). No VAT bill yet. DHL / ParcelForce.

If parcelforce have delivered, you won’t get a secondary bill for duty/vat.

Slightly OT, but I’ve just had a text from DHL saying they won’t be delivering my package (from America) until the VAT, duty and their fee is paid…

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

…and breathe.

What’s the issue Tom? Were you hoping to avoid the taxes/fees?

Finally got a letter from parcelforce informing me of taxes fees to be paid over a month after I paid it. 🙄
Letter was dated 16/02/21 and states they would hold onto parcel for 20 days if not paid during the 20 days it would be returned to sender.

If you are expecting something watch the tracking info if its held in customs awaiting fee payment,call to pay fees dont wait for the letter or it maybe returned to sender

^^ this, no idea why but parcelforce letters seem to be having long delays. Last letter I had was 2days before the 20day limit. One of the reasons I’ve swapped to UPS where I can, I’d rather not do the fees roulette and actually have the items arrive than have the hassle of it being sent back to sender due to parcel force delays.

What’s the issue Tom? Were you hoping to avoid the taxes/fees?

No issue really, it’s just frustrating hearing about all the folk not having to pay, and I’ve always had to, regardless of who sends, from wherever, via whoever.

Spose I can sleep a little better…

So my forks arrived from Starbike today – DHL & Parcel Force.
No bill yet – should I be expecting one to drop through the door?

if you’ve got them in your grubby tax free hands I’d say no bill.

Sweet 👍👍
Not sure if I feel bad about not paying it though……..

No, no I don’t 🤣

More letter communication from BF. They confirm I’m due a refund however the letter gives 2 different amounts one of £14.77 and another of £64.87. Obviously the latter is where my workings are.

What a painfully slow antiquated system that is in desperate need of modernisation.

Why is is 4.7% not 4% ?

Why is is 4.7% not 4% ?

@kelvin

https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/commodities/8714913039

Ah… I thought it would come under the general catch all 4% for parts.

@dirkpitt74 any update on fees from your starbike purchase. Just ordered some manitou forks from them. How long did it take to come?

@poah – no bill through post so assuming I got away with it.
They took a couple of weeks as they needed to order them in.
Ordered on 12th March arrived on the 26th.

@dirkpitt74 They apparently have the J-unit forks in stock so will see how long it takes. Not bothered about the duty as they about £100 with the extra tax than in the UK.

Anyone know how DPD handling fees compare to Hermes? I want to order an ebike battery from France as no UK stock, Alltricks let you choose at the same delivery price so apart from Hermes being more likely to lose it any financial benefit to using them?

Also if anyone knows if you can use tracking number to pay in advance as per UPS above that would be handy too

I’m in the process of buying parts for my new build – frame wont arrive until Aug, so doing this slowly. Its proving difficult to source parts from UK and mainland Europe.
I did a “test” purchase of a DT Swiss rear 240exp hub from Bike-discount.de As although they stocked more items, I didnt want an obviously expensive and large parcel – if that might have made a difference. The hub was £215 far cheaper than UK and not a lot available here anyway. It got stuck at customs and my bill was:
Customs Duty = £9.52
VAT = £42.42
Clearance fee = £12.00

Ended up paying about £280 and I have since found it at Bikester for £260. oh well.

That was with DHL and onto ParcelForce once in UK

I have since found it at Bikester for £260. oh well.

Bikester aren’t UK based either, so you’d have paid the charges, on top of £260, too.
https://m.bikester.co.uk/about.html?_cid=32_1__0_15_3_

any financial benefit to using them?

There shouldn’t be any financial benefit from using one carrier or another…..

No idea how / if Hermes track items – wouldn’t trust them to find the keys to their own vans….

I ordered a pair of Helm’s from Starbike about 10 days ago, delivered by PF and managed to avoid any fees on this end. 👍

Bikester aren’t UK based either, so you’d have paid the charges, on top of £260, too.
https://m.bikester.co.uk/about.html?_cid=32_1__0_15_3_

Christ, do we have to investigate each place we purchase from online to see if we are going to be charged duty or not? They have .co.uk and prices in sterling. No mention of being German upto and including payment. Surely something not right here? If so, we would have to check every purchase online to see if originates in Uk.

It’s just one of the many many benefits you receive in the post-Brexit world.  🤔

If so, we would have to check every purchase online to see if originates in Uk.

We do. My other half keeps ordering stuff from UK sites only for them to arrive from Italy or wherever with customs details on them. No charges yet. Haven’t looked into why… made in EU, VAT collected at source and paid to HRMC…? Or just snuck through? No idea… but were paid for assuming UK stock and they then turn out not to be.

Tbf a few of the large European sites have UK depo’s – Bikeinn, part of the tradeinn group, for example seem to import direct to UK warehouse/distributor and then post with royal mail from there – so no additional charges…

Postage can take a while though as it has to be shipped from where ever it is in Europe to the UK and then on to the customer- last item took 3 weeks.

I ordered a Reverb AXS from Bikester last week. It arrived (from Germany) within 5 days and the VAT was paid up front and was shown on the invoice.

Confirmation I’m due the £64 refund rather than the £14, the £14 was a typo according to the letter🙄

I just got some rockshox upgrades from bikediscount. Documents had been opened, country of origin listed as Taiwan. No fees, delivered in the UK by Parcel force

Got a dropper coming from bikester and forks coming from starbike.
The dropper has had VAT paid already and coming by UPS
The fork is coming via DHL with nothing paid yet.

Ordered some handlebars from Bikester last week and they arrived yesterday from Germany via UPS with an invoice that said duty paid.

No idea what that means, but just to add to the anecdotal advice pool.

Those people who are pre-paying with UPS, is there a handling fee to pay still?

Interesting how inconsistent this is!

I’ve finally had confirmation that my forks & Brakes have been shipped from R2-Bike via DHL. Let’s see how the tax lottery goes…

Completely unpredictable ime. Ordered forks and brakes from R2 myself over the last couple of months in 2 separate orders. Forks sailed through with no charges, brakes got stopped and I got an invoice through from Parcelforce for the VAT and duty.

Also ordered some new rims from Bike Discount with no charges so it does seem to be a complete lottery.

Just waiting to see what happens with my frame from Pole now……….

how much were the brakes?