Buying a new bike over the net (overseas)?

I have noticed that some bikes available on the net are really cheap.
For example a bike I am interested in is almost half the price of the
same product in Japan. The bike is supposed to be US but I heard made
in China - isnt everything.
What are the charges involved in shipping it back over here? I dont
mean the delivery cost, but the how much will the Australian Customs
tax me when it arrives? 25% of the total cost of the bike? Where can i
get this info?
marc

This was discussed briefly a while ago here http://www.cyclingforums.com/t53464.html

The customs website might be worh reading
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/text_...d=5&nav_id=201 on how
they tax your goods.


Just out of interest could you give a link to the online shop and the
model bike your after?



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marc_9 wrote:


....snip.....

What are the charges involved in shipping it back over here? I dont
mean the delivery cost, but the how much will the Australian Customs
tax me when it arrives? 25% of the total cost of the bike? Where can i
get this info?

My guess is 10% +.

10% on cost of purchase and cost of shipping for GST.

Plus, you might get hit with the bicycle import levy, which has been
re-introduced because John Abeni claims its removal adversely affected
his bicycle building business. I don't know how much that is.

Try the customs website.


--
Terry Collins {:-)}}} email: terryc at woa.com.au www:
http://www.woa.com.au
Wombat Outdoor Adventures Bicycles, Computers, GIS, Printing,
Publishing

"People without trees are like fish without clean water"

marc_9 wrote:

I have noticed that some bikes available on the net are really cheap.
For example a bike I am interested in is almost half the price of the
same product in Japan. The bike is supposed to be US but I heard made
in China - isnt everything.
What are the charges involved in shipping it back over here? I dont
mean the delivery cost, but the how much will the Australian Customs
tax me when it arrives? 25% of the total cost of the bike? Where can i
get this info?

Ring the Customs help line and ask. They can tell you exactly what
percentage you will be paying. It has reduced somewhat since the advent of
GST.

Last frame I had shipped from the US cost me $US200 in shipping charges
(that's what the sender billed me for anyway, I don't know how much he
actually paid UPS). I guess a complete bike would be somewhat more. The
shippers calculate their costs cased on both dimensions and weight.

Nick