Going to bring bike back from USA

[Gazzab]

I am off to Florida this Friday.
I was going to take an old bike out with me and dump it and then bring back a new one (and hopefully use it out there and not pay import duties).
I think I am just going to buy the bike and bag out there and take it back on plane. Going for a stumjumper.
Does anyone know if it is ok to do this and what BA will charge me?
Do I need to dismantle the bike (beyond taking off the wheels and saddle) to take it back? What tools will I need to do this if I also need to take off handlebars etc?
I intend to ride it a bit out there and then take it back without pedals (so it is not actually a whole bike anymore and it is used).
thanks
Gary

Edited by Gazzab on Monday 23 July 20:22

[istoo]

i imported my Yeti last year, i got it shipped out and paid duty to DHL to recieve the bike back... However if you pay top dollar (and you get LAODS for your money atm) one of my pals paid for the bike shop owners flight to and from glasgow as it was half the price of the duty and the guy got a free holiday. genius idea i reckon!

Make sure the bike isnt gleaming brand new, or insist it is a present other wise customs will insist you pay duty on it @ 17.5%. Stumpy would be a pretty fine choice bearing in mind most bikes are around half the UK sale value.

[catso]

Gazzab said:

I think I am just going to buy the bike and bag out there and take it back on plane.

Might be a good idea to take a bag with you, one that's seen some use so that it doesn't raise any suspicions, and make sure the bike you bring back is good and dirty........

[snotrag]

One thing - if you pack the bike in a standard bag only it WILL be knacked when you get it back. You need a box with padding, or a hard case. This is the voice of experience talking. You can imagine my face in Geneve airport as I watched the handlers throw my bike about 10 ft onto the tarmac.

Another thing to add - why not look at some bikes that are unavailable here? Theres plenty of good stuff in the US that we dont get, perfect chance to get yourself a nice rare bike.

Also remember, for warranty work you'll have to send it back to the USA.

[Gazzab]

thanks guys.
Looks like I will go for it! Just need to check baggage allowances etc.... Buy a padded bag.
I will ride the bike a bit out there. Muddy shoes and helmet and smelly cycling shorts to help with the facade. I will drag the bag behind the bike to make it looked more used and abused.
Think I will send the receipts home by post plus dump the pedals (I heard that a partial bike isnt the same tax as a whole bike?).
Just gotta decide which bike !

[BOR]

I looked into this myself, but I didn't see such a big difference in price ? Possibly that was after adding VAT and Import Duty.

I have one more thought on the subject, but I'll start another thread.

[snotrag]

Even above board, you will save a fair amount on a nice bike, but if you are prepared to do a bit of wangling, and can negate shipping (ie going on holiday) your gonna get a half price bike.

[Gazzab]

Am flying BA. They state the stuff below. So I think it means I can transport the bike back for free!

Sporting equipment
You may check in your free checked baggage plus one additional item of sporting equipment providing that it weighs no more than 32kg and does not exceed the dimensions: 2.5m x 1.00m x 0.8m (98cm in x 39 in x 31 in).

If the sports equipment weighs more than 32kg and cannot be broken down to smaller items, the item will be treated as two pieces of checked baggage.
Any sporting equipment items weighing more than 45kg will not be accepted as checked baggage and will need to be transported as unaccompanied baggage. You can pre-arrange this through BA World Cargo.
There are some examples of sports equipment where specific criteria apply. Please see the list below:

Sporting Equipment exceptions

Sports equipment Defined as

Bicycles Single seat, non-motorised bicycles. (See preparation for travel notes below.)

Preparing bicycles for travel
„h Bike pedals must be removed (or fixed inwards).
„h Handlebars must be fixed sideways.
„h The bike must be contained in a protective box or bag.
„h You may wish to deflate the tyres to reduce risk of damage.

[STL-Al]

Let us know how you get on with flying a bike back with BA as I am planning on flying mine home with them in Sept!

Have a good trip!

Thanks,
Alex

[Roman]

I would be very tempted by this if you could get it delivered to a friends US address or even witrh import duty and post it would still be a great buy I would think:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fly...

[mk1fan]

Buy a bike box rather than a bag. It will protect the bike rather than just cover it. And don't bother to try and make it look used, it's a ridiculous idea and will just ruin a perfectly good carrier. Just take a bike out with you and then dump it over there - or flog it for a few $'s.

The reason for removing the pedals, and moving the handlebars, is so they don't stick out and injury an employee.

[Gazzab]

Not sure why I would take a bike out with me ? Surely customs have no records re luggage!
I prefer the plan to use it and buy a hard case.

[mk1fan]

At this time of heightened ssecurity etc.. how are you going to explain checking in a large, empty box? If you can't offer a reasonable explaination - other than I'm buying a new bike out in the States where my £ goes further and trying to avoid paying import duty etc - you may get held up and possibly miss your flight.

Unless you mean buying a bike box out there as well?

Edited by mk1fan on Thursday 26th July 09:51

[Gazzab]

Yeah - am going to either buy a bike bag out there or use the cardboard box it comes with.

[mk1fan]

Speaking from experience. To transport a bike by plane then you need to use a proper, hard panelled bike box like this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cyc... Baggage handlers are not the gentlest of folks so if you use a soft bike bag, or a cardboard box, then the chances of it being damaged are very high.

At the end of the day it's your call and your new bike.

Edited by mk1fan on Thursday 26th July 11:02

[snotrag]

:YES:

Turning the bars and taking the pedals is not enough.

Take disc rotors off, put in jiffy bag. Unbolt mech, or it will get bent, wrap up.
Put spacer or old hub between dropouts at front and back or your frame/forks will be bent. Bars/stem off and attached to toptube. Seatpost out, in frame. If chainrings and no bashguard, they need seriously wrapping up. You need to do some serious protection. As I said, last time we went to france, we stood in the arrivals loungs waiting for our bikes, watching them being thrown about on the tarmac from plane to trolley to conveyor.

They have no mercy.

[R.P.M]

just looking on flea bay in the US and there appears to be some real bargains out there, what with current exchange rate. i.e brand new Santcruz heckler for £1200! Assuming you can find someone who would post it to the uk and would do a proper job of protecting it what other cost are you liable for i.e. import duty?
Or am I just trying to be a cheap skate as it seems to be too good to be true!

[snotrag]

R.P.M said:

just looking on flea bay in the US and there appears to be some real bargains out there, what with current exchange rate. i.e brand new Santcruz heckler for £1200! Assuming you can find someone who would post it to the uk and would do a proper job of protecting it what other cost are you liable for i.e. import duty?
Or am I just trying to be a cheap skate as it seems to be too good to be true!

Legally you would pay VAT @17.5%, then import tax it IIRC 22%. The tax bracket depends on the item - full bike command more than bike parts.

And this tax is based on the cost of shipping aswell.

There are a number of ways around this, such as reducing the 'stated' value on the package, but of course this also affects your insurance.

It all depends what your buying, and how much risk you'll take.

Course, its possible to fly out, go to a biek shop, find a bike, and fly back and still save money on the Uk RRP.

[Roman]

[quote=snotrag]


Legally you would pay VAT @17.5%, then import tax it IIRC 22%. The tax bracket depends on the item - full bike command more than bike parts.quote]

Do you still have to pay these on a second-hand item?

[snotrag]

Yup. Look it up on the HMRC site, its all there.