Buying bike online from uk - silly?

brocbrocach

I'd like to buy a bike from Planet X but the whole rigmarole involving customs duties and VAT now is putting me off and I'm not sure what extra I'd be stung with. Am I better off going with some German or Dutch site? Sorry other people possibly already had this conversation back in January!

Chips Lovell

If the saving compared to buying elsewhere is greater than the VAT and duty you'll pay, then there's no reason not to. However, I'd be careful with Planet X because there are reports that they were charging double VAT. Not sure if that's still happening.
https://road.cc/content/news/planet-x-customers-continent-paying-uk-vat-280099

ARX

I think you'll be paying Irish VAT instead of UK VAT - no big difference. But you'll also be paying duty of (I think) 14%, which has put me off the idea of buying a Ribble. Framesets are subject to duty at 4% AFAIK.

TheHouseIRL

It would probably need to be a decent saving once Irish VAT is taken into account, due to the import duty that will be charged on top. I bought a Ribble just after the new year, and was fortunate that they decided to refund the import duty amount due to unclear advisories on their site. Without that refund, there wouldn't have been any appreciable saving over a bike with similar spec levels from the likes of Canyon, Giant, etc.

Eamonnator

Be particularly careful with Planet X, as per Chips Lovell.
I've heard of a person paying U.K. V.A.T. and taxes and then having to make a further payment to Courier Company.

silverharp

buy one in Newry and cycle back :pac:

brocbrocach

Chips Lovell wrote: »

If the saving compared to buying elsewhere is greater than the VAT and duty you'll pay, then there's no reason not to. However, I'd be careful with Planet X because there are reports that they were charging double VAT. Not sure if that's still happening.
https://road.cc/content/news/planet-x-customers-continent-paying-uk-vat-280099

Thanks for the warning, looks like it's still going on. A customer service agent was very vague about the whole thing on their online chat service. I'll stay clear out of principle.
A pity as they have a nice hybrid on reasonable offer.

Feets

Whats happening with double vat is that the uk website will charge vat. Customs will then charge vat. Then u have to request a uk vat refund. Dont understand why online sites arent updating their costings.

MojoMaker

They nearly all are, PlanetX is a law unto themselves.

I don't even think about buying from the UK anymore. When brexit kicked in, that was it for me.

lennymc

Beirut wrote: »

I don't even think about buying from the UK anymore. When brexit kicked in, that was it for me.

ditto, which is unfortunate because planetx have some nice titanium bikes.

brocbrocach

Got the following from customer service:

Prices on the website do not include VAT, Any appropriate tax will be charged for by the courier upon entry into the country of delivery.

Whilst it may show VAT on the invoice included with your order, this has not been charged. We are currently amending our systems to ensure that this will not be displayed in future.

MojoMaker

PX shouldn't be rewarded for this laziness by orders from ROI.

brocbrocach

MojoMaker wrote: »

PX shouldn't be rewarded for this laziness by orders from ROI.

Worse than laziness, it's going very close to an untruth. Prices don't include vat? Really? I'd be very surprised if UK customers were charged vat on top of the online price. I think what they're not quite saying is that prices don't include vat for international customers because the price including UK vat is the flat price for international buyers.
A form of weasel words that has lost them my custom.