asharin Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I've just been checking ebay.com rather than ebay.co.uk for motorbike gear, and realised I could make a substantial saving by getting it from the US rather than UK.Anyone done this? Any pitfalls I should be aware of?Last thing I got from abroad was a nintendo wii controller (from hong kong!) and that worked fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asharin Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 as I was not very exact in what I meant by 'gear' I mean clothing, like leathers, motorcycle jeans (kevlar lined denim) and boots etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest philgale Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 just factor in the import duty (or what ever its called) you will probably have to pay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c4rlosYZF Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 thats what i was goin to say bout the duty you have to pay.i bought a wii from japan but managed to get away from paying any duty from the courier.touched lucky for once ! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Have bought luggage and accessories (crash bars, exhaust ect) from the States all been without any traumas. The import duty can be a bit hit and miss as far as the amount goes, I think the couriers make it up as they go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I bought a lid via the internet from the U.S. a couple of years ago. Got it posted to my home address and in due course it arrived in perfect condition with no extra to pay on it, saved myself a fortune! Even if I had to pay the tax it would've still been substantially cheaper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synroto Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 My aunt sends me stuff all the time from USA and I normally don’t have to pay any duty, but if you are unlucky it can be a bit steep!We got our son some trainers they cost $100 thought we were getting a good deal until we had to pay import duty of £40.00. Would have cost nearly the same to get them in UK! If you do buy from abroad ask the seller if they would mark the item as a gift less likely to have to pay import duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
learner Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 someone said this on my cbt the instructor said that if you buy from the US may not carry the correct kite mark for the uk and some insurance companies will use it as an reason not to pay the full amount if hurt in a crash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumilio Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 The exchange rate isn't in your favour at the moment. Still, there are some bargains to be had in the states on brand new, name brand biking gear. If you are going to buy a fair bit of gear (e.g., a leather suit + associated kit) you could probably break even including your flight by going in person and bringing it back in your luggage...Hein Gericke is another option without the flight (reasonable price, good quality)!If you are only interested in used bargains via Ebay - the VAT will kill any potential deal unless you get it given to you as a "gift"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.