Buying a bike overseas

Timmy

I was wondering is it cheaper to buy a good road bike for Example a
Cannondale in the US, or a Bianchi in Italy.

I Travel often, but have never looked at prices, I was just thinking maybe
they will be much much cheaper to buy them in the country that they are
made.

Am I wrong, has anyone done this, and is there any issue's ?

Cheers

flyingdutch

much cheaper if you are there to buy it rather than buying from here and importing it as you'll get slugged by our nice duties and taxes people

if you can go over there (even better if you can take a hack bike ob=ver with you, boxed up, etc) and then return with your nre bike and make it look ridden. ie fit computer, old pedals etc) you pay no duty at all

My cousin just got delivery of her beee-you-tifoool TREK WSD-something in custom hawaian-shirt pattern. looks sensational.
Got a mate to bring it over in an old bike box and said they had been touring.
no money/duties necessary!

__________________
'ungrounded' Dutch...

Shane Stanley

In article <flyingdutch.19mooa@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com>,
flyingdutch <flyingdutch.19mooa@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:

> if you can go over there (even better if you can take a hack bike
> ob=ver with you, boxed up, etc) and then return with your nre bike and
> make it look ridden. ie fit computer, old pedals etc) you pay no duty
> at all

Provided, of course, you're also happy to make a false Customs
declaration, and face the (admittedly probably small) risk of
prosecution or confiscation.

--
Shane Stanley

Jack Russell

Shane Stanley wrote:

>In article <flyingdutch.19mooa@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com>,
> flyingdutch <flyingdutch.19mooa@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>>if you can go over there (even better if you can take a hack bike
>>ob=ver with you, boxed up, etc) and then return with your nre bike and
>>make it look ridden. ie fit computer, old pedals etc) you pay no duty
>>at all
>>
>>
>
>Provided, of course, you're also happy to make a false Customs
>declaration, and face the (admittedly probably small) risk of
>prosecution or confiscation.
>
>
>
I bought a fairly expensive new bike in the UK in 2002 and declared it
on my return. Customs were totally unconcerned about it, quarantine took
a bit of a look.


--
Remove norubbish to reply direct

Jack Russell

Stomper

"Jack Russell" <jackr@norubbishtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:40fb9b25$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Shane Stanley wrote:
>
> >In article <flyingdutch.19mooa@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com>,
> > flyingdutch <flyingdutch.19mooa@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >>if you can go over there (even better if you can take a hack bike
> >>ob=ver with you, boxed up, etc) and then return with your nre bike and
> >>make it look ridden. ie fit computer, old pedals etc) you pay no duty
> >>at all
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Provided, of course, you're also happy to make a false Customs
> >declaration, and face the (admittedly probably small) risk of
> >prosecution or confiscation.
> >
> >
> >
> I bought a fairly expensive new bike in the UK in 2002 and declared it
> on my return. Customs were totally unconcerned about it, quarantine took
> a bit of a look.
>

Is there customs duty on bikes and bike parts? I thought they were now zero
rated?

You would have to pay GST of 10% but that's possibly less than the loc al
taxes you may have paid - and may be able to have refunded as you export the
bike?

Anyone know the specifics?

Karl aka Stomper

Tom Nicholson

"Timmy" <timmy68@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<40fb52ae@dnews.tpgi.com.au>...
> I was wondering is it cheaper to buy a good road bike for Example a
> Cannondale in the US, or a Bianchi in Italy.

Well I bought a Cannondale here in Singapore and have used it on and
off for 6 months. I will take it back to Aus in a month or so. Nice
qantas box avaiable at the airport, and never had a customs worry
other than making sure its clean.
I'm sure most of us will have no qualms about bending the morals a bit
for the customs duty declaration..

As to cheapness my bike was 2/3 the price of the same bike in Sydney,
so the difference basically paid for the airfare!!

Do a bit of online research into prices.
It's well worth considering.

The only hassle is excess baggage costs - here they stick rigidly to
the 20kg rule, so 13kg of boxed bike doesnt leave much room for
clothing ect. Last time I came here I brought a bike with me and it
cost me $400 in excess baggage costs to get it home. If I'd know I
would have posted some of my clothes and papers back to save cash. -
Now if the company is flying you business class then the excess weight
is no concern, and probably neither is the excess baggage costs. Then
again if thats the case you probably dont care about a few hundred
dollars on a purchase price back home.

It certainly is a joy to explor a new city on a bike. Great way to
get to know the place.

Tom

byron27

Ive heard that singapore is quite cheap for bike stuff. Do you know of any shops there that will do mail order to australia?

__________________
A turn of the crank,
is all that it takes to start,
a revolution

DRS

"Stomper" <KarlNixon@REMOVESPAM.bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:soZKc.8181$K53.2928@news-server.bigpond.net.au

[...]

> You would have to pay GST of 10% but that's possibly less than the
> loc al taxes you may have paid - and may be able to have refunded as
> you export the bike?
>
> Anyone know the specifics?

It's all on the Customs web site.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Noel E Cranswick

I recently imported a bike from the UK (while visiting there)
I received 17 1/2 % VAT refund and paid about 10% of the cost on
getting back to Australia.This was not just GST. Ride the bike once
O/S so as to get depreciation.
I had previously emailed customs for more details prior to leaving
Australia (& only an approximate price for the bike) and they were
extremely helpful. They had the import costs correct to the dollar.
The whole process was not nearly as painful as I thought - claiming
back the VAT was only 15 minutes in line at Heathrow (it is next to
the fast-track lane in terminal 4) and most of that time was waiting
in line.
Having done it once - I would have no hesitation in doing it again -
the price of bike both i the UK and US is much cheaper than here.


On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:06:16 +1000, "DRS"
<drs@remove.this.ihug.com.au> wrote:

>"Stomper" <KarlNixon@REMOVESPAM.bigpond.com> wrote in message
>news:soZKc.8181$K53.2928@news-server.bigpond.net.au
>
>[...]
>
>> You would have to pay GST of 10% but that's possibly less than the
>> loc al taxes you may have paid - and may be able to have refunded as
>> you export the bike?
>>
>> Anyone know the specifics?
>
>It's all on the Customs web site.
>
>--
>
>A: Top-posters.
>Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?
>
>

Tom Nicholson

byron27 <byron27.19o9mb@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote in message
> Ive heard that singapore is quite cheap for bike stuff. Do you know of
> any shops there that will do mail order to australia?

I don't know any as I've never asked.

Have a google...

I buy from a shop called Treknology 3 bikes

there is also:
rendevousbikes.com
two wheel action

and some others.

Google is your friend, and a quick call is worth it. We are on same
time as Perth - 2 hrs ahead Melb and Sydney.

Tom

byron27

i did try google but didnt come up with much.
I am in perth so we both have the same time.
Ta for the leads!

__________________
A turn of the crank,
is all that it takes to start,
a revolution

flyingdutch

My cuzz got delivery of her custombuilt TREK WSD, ordered thru treknology last week.
Couriered over for $60AUS

Sweet as!!! (bike and price)

about 2/3rds the price of here, and a wicked Hawaiian paint job with her name on it

she was gonna come out on 'bunch ride 5' with us but it was vaguely wet so she saved the bike for a drier day!

__________________
'ungrounded' Dutch...

tonykara

how much did she pay for the custom colour scheme?

hippy

"flyingdutch" <flyingdutch.19q72c@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com
> My cuzz got delivery of her custombuilt TREK WSD, ordered thru
> treknology last week. Couriered over for $60AUS
>
> she was gonna come out on 'bunch ride 5' with us but it was vaguely
wet
> so she saved the bike for a drier day!

Boo! Hiss! Boooo!!

Get it dirty! Get it wet!
It'll wash off, never fret!

hippy ;-)