buying online from the US?

niceonetom

howdy folks. well today the € topped $1.50 for the first time and well, i gots to thinking...

has anyone bought a bike online from a US store? the saving possibilities must maseeeve considering that rrp over there is usually lower, shops are more competitive and the dollar is fast becoming cheaper than the ugandan shilling (or whatever). 2 minutes search and i found this, which is worth €1,056 of anyone's money, though they don't have it in my size... shucks.

so has anyone bought this way? can they recommend any stores i should check out? are there any tax snaggles i should be aware of?

Chips Lovell

The thought did strike me a while back when the dollar started tanking, but anything I've looked for has been invariably more expensive than here. In most cases they've got to import stuff into the US in the first place, so you lose the advantage of the weak dollar I think. The only killing I made was on Zero Gravity brakes, which are made in the US, so the prices haven't gone up.

Raam

www.racycles.com has been mentioned to me a few times by other roadies/people on here

kona

jensen usa is the place, marzocchi bombers(all mountain 2 ) €170, thats HALF the chain reaction price, also XT hubs on mavic rims were $150.
other stuff i looked at aint too much different, xtr is waaaaaaaaaaaay more expensive $450 for a set of dual control levers.:eek::eek:

im well getting the forks nd other stuff, even the shipping and IF you get stung by customs it will still ork out alot cheaper!!!

niceonetom

kona wrote:

jensen usa is the place,

they are cheap ain't they?

i'm seriously tempted by this. have any of ye got opinions on it? 105 groupset and carbon stays for €660? there has to be a catch but i can't find it.

what are the chances of customs sticking their hands down my undies and squeezing? cause that would be a catch...



the colour really does it for me too

Raam

I think my bro bought one of those the other week but he got it in Germany

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

I think my bro bought one of those the other week but he got it in Germany

without knowing anything about your bro i don't know whether that's intended as an endorsement or a warning. :P

Chips Lovell

Janey, Jenson are cheap.

niceonetom wrote: »

there has to be a catch but i can't find it

1. You could get done by customs.
2. They don't specify delivery charges for bikes.
3. Committing sacrilege by riding a Bianchi with Shimano;)

Acutally, after saying I wasn't finding many deals, did spot this earlier. $650 (€425 ish) for Eurus is a good deal.

Bicyclegadabout

I'd imagine the chance of customs catching it are pretty high, considering it probably won't be delivered in a small generic cardboard box that might just pass under the radar. But I don't know really.
Actually, what are the shipping costs for something like a bike?

However I'd still say it's worth the risk. Just factor in the customs cost, if it's still a bargain then effing go for it.

niceonetom

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

I'd imagine the chance of customs catching it are pretty high,

eep

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

But I don't know really.

well that's a relief.

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

Actually, what are the shipping costs for something like a bike?

€69 for shipping the bike plus some other bits n bobs. pretty good i reckon considering one online retailer tried to charge me €105 to ship a pair or shoes from the states. i decided to take my business elsewhere that time.

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

However I'd still say it's worth the risk. Just factor in the customs cost, if it's still a bargain then effing go for it.

i think i will do.:eek::) how much are customs&excise going to want out of me if they cop it? vat yes? plus some other stuff i'd guess? anyone gotten stung before? but let's hope it won't come to that.
*crosses fingers, toes, legs, eyes, purposes, etc.*

paddyb

the duty is 25% (22% plus 3%) of the total cost including shipping.
if they send it by ups, fedex etc you will definitely be charged.
If its sent by usps (us post office) there is a a good chance you will get away with it.
other ways to get around are to get them to send it marked as gift or when they are sending it get them to mark the value down.

Raam

niceonetom wrote: »

without knowing anything about your bro i don't know whether that's intended as an endorsement or a warning. :P

I reckon the jury is still out, he's only used it on the turbo trainer so far.

Ciaran500

kona wrote: »

jensen usa is the place, marzocchi bombers(all mountain 2 ) €170, thats HALF the chain reaction price, also XT hubs on mavic rims were $150.
other stuff i looked at aint too much different, xtr is waaaaaaaaaaaay more expensive $450 for a set of dual control levers.:eek::eek:

im well getting the forks nd other stuff, even the shipping and IF you get stung by customs it will still ork out alot cheaper!!!

You know any other places that ship MTB stuff to Ireland? Specifically looking for places that do Trek's, Specialized, Giant or Marin.

rubadub

paddyb wrote: »

the duty is 25% (22% plus 3%) of the total cost including shipping.
if they send it by ups, fedex etc you will definitely be charged.
If its sent by usps (us post office) there is a a good chance you will get away with it.
other ways to get around are to get them to send it marked as gift or when they are sending it get them to mark the value down.

Did you get charged that for a bike (different stuff gets different rates, e.g. a TV might get charged a higher or lower %)

Shipping is included which is very important, cheaper shipping means cheaper VAT. There could be a sneaky way around it all. Get it sent to a mate in the US and have them send it on as though you left the bike there, or as though they were doing a repair. it could even be worth a holiday which could pay for itself. Have it delivered to your hotel while visiting, then send it back to yourself, or bring it back on the plane, open and used.

kona

Ciaran500 wrote: »

You know any other places that ship MTB stuff to Ireland? Specifically looking for places that do Trek's, Specialized, Giant or Marin.

try canada for them, they are usually cheaper there than USA.

either chainreaction or jensen USA, try and google but there aint many shops with sites, tbh when i was in the usa, bike prices were quite similar so if you get stung by tax it may not be worth your while.
parts on the other hand!!!!!!!!!!!............:D:D

Chips Lovell

Actually, for all those guys looking to buy a fixie, Jenson have a great price on the Bianchi Pista.

Ghost Rider

What is the name of the gland that excretes the bicycle-purchasing hormone?

This thread is making mine work overtime...

kona

that would be the biceclatus oblongatus, its a ductless gland and secretes the hormone, buyabike, extremly active in males aged 17- 35 with unusually, large legs and a extreme hatred for taxi drivers and busses.:D:D

ODD-JOB

THE TAX I GOT CHARGED WAS MORE LIKE 85 - 90 % .........

I think they make it up as they go along, what else can you expect from the revenue government ? rip-off country !

I also got a free t-shirt with my order and im almost sure they added on an extra tax for that too, as the t-shirt was of a certain value , even though it was free.

kona

ODD-JOB wrote: »

THE TAX I GOT CHARGED WAS MORE LIKE 85 - 90 % .........

I think they make it up as they go along, what else can you expect from the revenue government ? rip-off country !

I also got a free t-shirt with my order and im almost sure they added on an extra tax for that too, as the t-shirt was of a certain value , even though it was free.

do you have that in writing???
why did you pay it??id tell em to **** off and argue untill i got the 25%(which is still madness!!!)

paddyb

rubadub wrote: »

Did you get charged that for a bike (different stuff gets different rates, e.g. a TV might get charged a higher or lower %)

Shipping is included which is very important, cheaper shipping means cheaper VAT. There could be a sneaky way around it all. Get it sent to a mate in the US and have them send it on as though you left the bike there, or as though they were doing a repair. it could even be worth a holiday which could pay for itself. Have it delivered to your hotel while visiting, then send it back to yourself, or bring it back on the plane, open and used.

it wasn't a bike but it was sports equipment.
you get charged the appropriate rate of vat for the bike (21% i think) plus the import duty ( can be from 0 to 13%) its 3/4% on sports equipment as far as i can remember

RiddleCon

Someone Iknow flew to the USA taking an old bike with him bought a new one (dumped the old one) and flew home with the new one. If the bikes dear enough tou could save money and get a holidat to boot !!
Highly illegal though :eek:

blorg

Ciaran500 wrote: »

You know any other places that ship MTB stuff to Ireland? Specifically looking for places that do Trek's, Specialized, Giant or Marin.

Note nowhere will ship Trek- they have instituted a dealer-in-person-only policy. If the unlikely event that someone does ship, you will lose the warranty (I have been stung by this myself.)