Purchasing items from Probikekit hit with customs?

[yoshirider]

Has anyone in the US purchased more expensive items specifically wheel sets from Probikekit and got hit with customs fees? Does everything get shipped via postal service?

[Fishbike]

I have ordered from Probikekit one I think and Chain Reaction and Ribble a bunch of times. I only got a customs fee once -- on wheels. My guess it was the big box. From what I have read, it is luck of the draw.

[yoshirider]

Fishbike, can you recall if it was shipped via Royal Mail/USPS and how much were the customs fees?

[regularguy412]

I've purchased from PBK, Wiggle and Ribble many times. Have never purchased anything as large as wheels, but I did get 10-speed STI levers, front der, rear der, shift and brake cables, cassette and chain all in the same package and paid no customs. Now this was back in 2008, but I've also ordered some other large-dollar orders since then from the same sources and paid no customs. Prolly is just luck of the draw,,, and,, if they've insured the package for a large amount. The overall size of packages that contained my purchases have been, yes, smaller than a bread box and they've come to my mailbox. Well, the proofs of delivery came and then I went to the Post Office to actually sign-off and pick up the packages. They all came via Royal Mail.

Mike in AR:beer:

[Fishbike]

Hey Yoshi -- I think the fees were about $40 to $50. The wheels were not that expensive -- under $400. I have ordered much more expensive groupsets et. al with no fees. I now get my wheels from the Forum or handbuilts

[gngroup]

I've never been hit with customs fees but every order from PBK has been held up in customs for close to a month! Still, their prices have made it worth the wait!

[kgreene10]

Just ordered some high-value items but they came in a small box without import duties. I have never been asked to pay them (knock on wood), but I have never ordered an item as large as a wheelset. I heard another story about duties on a wheelset but I can't remember if I read it hear or heard it from a teammate.

Since I've never been asked to pay the import tax, I've always wondered if you have the opportunity to decline the shipment and have it sent back to the sender/seller. If not, it would be weird to be stuck with the fees or losing the item without knowing what the possible fees would be ahead of time.

[HenryA]

You do realize that if you owe any duty you are liable for it -essentially- forever? Meaning that if you get a bill next year or five years or ten years from now you still have to pay any duty owed on today's purchase.

[kgreene10]

Um, I meant high sentimental value.

[TopQuark]

I purchased wheels from Shinybikes and Wiggles before. No custom taxes.

[54ny77]

hey, it's like marriage!

You do realize that if you owe any duty you are liable for it -essentially- forever? Meaning that if you get a bill next year or five years or ten years from now you still have to pay any duty owed on today's purchase.

[zmudshark]

There should be no duty on wheels. It depends on how they list them on the paper work. The only bike related items that have duty are complete bicycles and clothing.

Of course, arguing with customs is likely to cost more in time than the customs duty they mistakenly charge.

[bruin11]

I've ordered wheels from Ribble and there were no custom's fees.

[fuzzalow]

I have been buying goods from PBK and Ribble since over at least 5 years time and have not yet been charged with customs for any shipment. Both these firms ship to the USA by Royal Mail.

As long as the shipper is not one of the major global carriers (UPS; FedEx) you should be OK. The global carriers all collect customs as it is a profit center as adjunct to their logistics operations.

[yoshirider]

Thanks for all the responses. They have 15% off $300+ so it'll be worth it for me anyway.

[Joachim]

Ups and FedEx, Dhl etc charge broker fees. It's like zmudshark says, there should be no customs duties. The broker fees are charged to determine if you need to pay customs duties. If you do, those fees will be added on top of the broker fees.