Importing a Bike Frame from USA! Advice needed

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popeye6476

Well-Known Member
Location
London
Hi Guys.

Looking for a bit of advise.
I am looking for a Pinarello Bolide TR frameset, 55cm on Orange! This specific frameset is hard to find and everywhere I looked so far involved a factory order and 6 months wait. I fond one in a bike shop in USA and was wondering if anyone has experience in importing Bike parts from USA.
it is my understanding you need to pay import duty and VAT. in these cases. But how would I go around it and how to make sure this is as low as possible?
Of if anyone knows where in the UK I can locate this exact spec.

Any help is much appreciated. :-)

thanks
 

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Drago

Legendary Member
The price you pay depends on the sellers export declaration value, and the customs folk agreeing that with it. I can't see any way around that, or any means of "minimising" it.
 

proletaratOne

Active Member
Hi Guys.

Looking for a bit of advise.
I am looking for a Pinarello Bolide TR frameset, 55cm on Orange! This specific frameset is hard to find and everywhere I looked so far involved a factory order and 6 months wait. I fond one in a bike shop in USA and was wondering if anyone has experience in importing Bike parts from USA.
it is my understanding you need to pay import duty and VAT. in these cases. But how would I go around it and how to make sure this is as low as possible?
Of if anyone knows where in the UK I can locate this exact spec.

Any help is much appreciated. :-)

thanks

No help here , but that’s a really nice looking bike
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
You could go on a cheap 'holiday' to the US. Visit the shop, buy it, ride it there, and bring it back.

If the bike is expensive enough, the savings should offset the flights.
 
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vickster

Legendary Member
This details the fee structure, as a minimum youll pay 20% VAT. Then there’s other fees and duty
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty looks like it’s about 7.5k, so a minimum of £1500 VAT plus custom duty which will be at least 2.5% on top (plus significant courier fees, US sales tax not usually included in the headline price either?)

It’s not easy to travel to the US or anywhere right now, certainly not before the 17 May at the earliest

@Moodyman and how do you ride a frameset to make it seem used and avoid duty which is presumably what you’re suggesting

Presumably given you’re in London, you’ve tried the Pinarello store on Regent St?
if you do buy from abroad, check the warranty provision very carefully (take advice directly from Pinarello)
 
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Moodyman

Legendary Member
This details the fee structure, as a minimum youll pay 20% VAT. Then there’s other fees and duty
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty looks like it’s about 7.5k, so a minimum of £1500 VAT plus custom duty which will be at least 2.5% on top (plus significant courier fees, US sales tax not usually included in the headline price either?)

It’s not easy to travel to the US or anywhere right now, certainly not before the 17 May at the earliest

@Moodyman and how do you ride a frameset to make it seem used and avoid duty which is presumably what you’re suggesting

Build it up via the bike shop and ride off road to pick up dirt.

Some folk, will even go as far as asking the bike shop to put some old worn tyres on it.

It's just another possibility. Might not be the best solution if the bike shop is in an obscure town long way from UK connected airports.

But, it's not unheard of amongst cyclo tourists to buy a bike in the country they will be touring and bring it home.
 
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vickster

Legendary Member
Maybe, but he’s not going touring, just trying to avoid duty :scratch:
 
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Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
The good news is that if you're importing the frame only, the duty rate is only 4.7% compared to the 14% for complete bicycles (plus another 50% anti-dumping duty for Chinese origin bikes). The duty is then added to the invoice value and shipping costs and VAT is levied on that total. plus any admin fee charged by the courier for making the Customs declaration on your behalf.
 

mattobrien

Guru
Location
Sunny Suffolk
I hadn't see the price of that frame before. I'm partial to some expensive bike parts but even I would struggle with the Pinarello tax on that frame and I could see you'd very much likely make yourself faster with a £5k frame and £5k to spend in the wind tunnel. But if that's what makes you happy then there can be no price put on happiness.

I have always bought bikes from local, physical shops. The service alone has made any price difference worth it. My latest bike has been 13 months in the making and due to be build next week, worth the wait and if I were looking at dropping £10k plus on a frame I'd want that peace of mind / the 6 month wait wouldn't worry me.

How quickly could you get it from the States and would you be able to get much use of it this TT season?
 
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