Steven M. Scharf
July 12th 03, 06:34 AM
Don Wiss > wrote in message
>...
>Also I have applied for a VAT refund. At Schiphol, next to where I bought
>the bike box for 20 Euros, is the place to get your paperwork stamped. Then
>you have to mail the original back for a refund. In my case this is 122
>Euros. The bike was 764 Euros (899 Euros less 15%). Purchased in Rotterdam
>not too far from the train station.
So how did you get the bike to Schipol? Are you allowed to take it
on the train, or did you ride it from the shop to the airport? I haven't
decided on the U.K. or the Netherlands yet, depends on the availability
of tickets with my miles, and what bicycle I want. The Batavus bikes are
cooler, but the Giant bikes may be more practical and are less expensive.
It all seems a little insane to me to even be thinking of flying to Europe
to buy a bicycle (though I've brought 3 folders home from Taiwan).
You'd think that at least one major bike manufacturer could sell
reasonably priced commuter bikes in the US., it's not like they'd have to
design anything new, i.e. Giant has sveral models that they sell in Europe
for $250-400 or so, that they could sell here as well; someone decided
that no one would buy them, so commuter bikes become a boutique
item, sold at high prices.
>...
>Also I have applied for a VAT refund. At Schiphol, next to where I bought
>the bike box for 20 Euros, is the place to get your paperwork stamped. Then
>you have to mail the original back for a refund. In my case this is 122
>Euros. The bike was 764 Euros (899 Euros less 15%). Purchased in Rotterdam
>not too far from the train station.
So how did you get the bike to Schipol? Are you allowed to take it
on the train, or did you ride it from the shop to the airport? I haven't
decided on the U.K. or the Netherlands yet, depends on the availability
of tickets with my miles, and what bicycle I want. The Batavus bikes are
cooler, but the Giant bikes may be more practical and are less expensive.
It all seems a little insane to me to even be thinking of flying to Europe
to buy a bicycle (though I've brought 3 folders home from Taiwan).
You'd think that at least one major bike manufacturer could sell
reasonably priced commuter bikes in the US., it's not like they'd have to
design anything new, i.e. Giant has sveral models that they sell in Europe
for $250-400 or so, that they could sell here as well; someone decided
that no one would buy them, so commuter bikes become a boutique
item, sold at high prices.