Ordering bike bling from the US

[dgarry[_7_]]

Hi
I was just wondering if anyone here has ordered bike bits + pieces from
the US previously and if so did you get whacked with import tax... I've
ordered from probikekit and totalcycling in the UK before and haven't
been hit with import duty yet though most of my purchases have been
under $500
Thanks
David


--
dgarry

[Stuart Lamble[_11_]]

On 2007-06-18, dgarry > wrote:
>
> Hi
> I was just wondering if anyone here has ordered bike bits + pieces from
> the US previously and if so did you get whacked with import tax... I've
> ordered from probikekit and totalcycling in the UK before and haven't
> been hit with import duty yet though most of my purchases have been
> under $500

That's the key. Keep it under $AUD1000 (inclusive of shipping), and
Customs won't bother chasing you for import duty (typically just the GST
- 10% of the value of the goods.)

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

[John Henderson]

Stuart Lamble wrote:

> That's the key. Keep it under $AUD1000 (inclusive of
> shipping), and Customs won't bother chasing you for import
> duty (typically just the GST - 10% of the value of the goods.)

On orders below A$1,000 there's no GST applicable either:

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549

John

[Brendo]

On Jun 18, 1:08 pm, John Henderson > wrote:
> Stuart Lamble wrote:
> > That's the key. Keep it under $AUD1000 (inclusive of
> > shipping), and Customs won't bother chasing you for import
> > duty (typically just the GST - 10% of the value of the goods.)
>
> On orders below A$1,000 there's no GST applicable either:
>
> http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549
>
> John

And even so, Import Duty is only 5% of the value of the goods. For a
$1000 shipment it's only $50.

Brendo

[Halcyon]

dgarry wrote:
> Hi
> I was just wondering if anyone here has ordered bike bits + pieces from
> the US previously and if so did you get whacked with import tax... I've
> ordered from probikekit and totalcycling in the UK before and haven't
> been hit with import duty yet though most of my purchases have been
> under $500
> Thanks
> David
>
>
I'd be cautious about the postage costs from the US Dave. In my limited
experience it will be greater than that of the UK and from the
comparisons I have done i.e. Shimano bits, the purchase price from UK
will be less. I've got a tent coming from the US at the moment, and at
less than 2 kilos, the postage and handling is US$51! (USPS)
Halcyon

[Donga]

On Jun 18, 4:25 pm, Brendo > wrote:
> On Jun 18, 1:08 pm, John Henderson > wrote:
>
> > Stuart Lamble wrote:
> > > That's the key. Keep it under $AUD1000 (inclusive of
> > > shipping), and Customs won't bother chasing you for import
> > > duty (typically just the GST - 10% of the value of the goods.)
>
> > On orders below A$1,000 there's no GST applicable either:
>
> >http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=5549
>
> > John
>
> And even so, Import Duty is only 5% of the value of the goods. For a
> $1000 shipment it's only $50.
>
> Brendo

To be more precise, bling under $1000 is liable for duty, but Customs
only collect if the value is $1000+ (not worth their trouble
otherwise). Similarly it is liable for GST. When over $1000, they
collect duty on the value, then GST (10%) on value+duty+postage. There
is no duty on whole bikes, but 5% on bike components.

Donga

[Donga]

On Jun 18, 5:56 pm, Halcyon > wrote:
> dgarry wrote:
> > Hi
> > I was just wondering if anyone here has ordered bike bits + pieces from
> > the US previously and if so did you get whacked with import tax... I've
> > ordered from probikekit and totalcycling in the UK before and haven't
> > been hit with import duty yet though most of my purchases have been
> > under $500
> > Thanks
> > David
>
> I'd be cautious about the postage costs from the US Dave. In my limited
> experience it will be greater than that of the UK and from the
> comparisons I have done i.e. Shimano bits, the purchase price from UK
> will be less. I've got a tent coming from the US at the moment, and at
> less than 2 kilos, the postage and handling is US$51! (USPS)
> Halcyon

Yeah, postage from US shops can be weird. Anything with Fedex or DHL
is scary. USPS is much cheaper and the Express Mail Service (EMS) is
reasonable. The other thing that seems to happen is some shops
increase freight by package value, which is not how Fedex works it out
(they go on weight). I suspect the shops are buying freight wholesale,
then retailing it to us, same as they do the parts.

Donga

[Darryl C]

In article . com>,
Donga > wrote:


> To be more precise, bling under $1000 is liable for duty, but Customs
> only collect if the value is $1000+ (not worth their trouble
> otherwise). Similarly it is liable for GST. When over $1000, they
> collect duty on the value, then GST (10%) on value+duty+postage. There
> is no duty on whole bikes, but 5% on bike components.
>
> Donga

Which is why it is advisable to have articles posted to your address
rather than sent as freight that goes through an import/export
contractor because the post office does not collect import duties but
freight forwarders do.

cheers,
Darryl

[Donga]

On Jun 18, 1:52 pm, dgarry <dgarry.2sc...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> Hi
> I was just wondering if anyone here has ordered bike bits + pieces from
> the US previously and if so did you get whacked with import tax... I've
> ordered from probikekit and totalcycling in the UK before and haven't
> been hit with import duty yet though most of my purchases have been
> under $500
> Thanks
> David
>
> --
> dgarry

I'm having a nasty experience at the moment - bought some wheels on
eBay in the US to find that in April, USPS changed their calculating
method and a wheel set now cannot be sent in Express Mail Services.
This means it is $hundreds to send, so I'm having to do some serious
analysis and creative thinking. So be REALLY careful buying big things
from the US. I'll post if I figure out a work-around.

Donga