Shipping a Trike from the US to Australia

[Bargo]

Dear All, I am considering getting a used trike that is for sale in the USA on bentrideronline. Has anyone here in Australia shipped a trike from the US and who did you use. The trike will be boxed in it's original shipping box. The seller in the US got a quote od US$1400 from FedEx. At that price I will not bother. There must be a cheaper option out there. I would love to hear of anyones experience in doing this. does anyone know if GST is payable?

Thanks

[chuckchunder]

Hi Bargo

I tried a couple of years ago and couldn't find a cheaper option from the US, it is just expensive! If it is more than AU$1000 Duty and GST are payable, though some brokers will treat it as a bicycle and therefore exempt from Duty. Duty is only 5% anyway. See here - http://www.bicycles.net.au/2010/08/ulti ... as-orders/ - but remember a tricycle is not a bicycle and is not exempt from Duty.

cheers

glen

[chuckchunder]

And for fun times I visited the Borderfarce website, the link you need is - http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Impo/Clea

And I also went Tariff hunting for more excitement and confirmed that Tricycles are grouped with Bicycles in the Tariff at 8712.00.00, but there is no Tariff concession related to tricycles which are therefore subject to 5%. However, we have a Free Trade Agreement with the US, so a trike may be exempt if it was made in the US and trikes are covered by the agreement. I can't remember where to find that out, sorry......

[Trevtassie]

Try talking to a freight forwarder in the US, and see if they can send it air cargo. You'd pick one near where the bike is, especially if the seller can drop it off to their depot. This is a lot cheaper for the freight component than the express services like Fedex, etc You'd need a customs agent at this end however, which will cost a bit.

[PA]

At that price I would have a holiday in America and bring it back as luggage.

[Bargo]

Guys

thanks for your thoughts. Not sure how this will play out. I did think of flying over and bringing it back as luggage.

I might just suck it up and wait for a suspension model to come up for sale in Australia.

Regards

[RonK]

Crack open the piggy bank and get one of these...

Azub Ti-Fly 26

[zebee]

Is it "wait for a suspension trike" or "wait for a 2nd hand one I can afford"?

http://recumbent.net.au/hp-velotechnik/
http://recumbent.net.au/catrike/

[}SkOrPn--7]

Bargo why do you want a suspension trike what have you seen that has tilted the table in that direction? The reason I ask is most trikes cruciform and frame has flex so adding the right choice of tyres and pressure will give you a softish ride. You might be able to get what you want local and brand new if you can do without suspension.

Ricky

[tmac100]

In 2009, I brought my Greenspeed GTO from Canada to the UAE in 2 suitcases and paid XS baggage (or was it the extra cost of a bicycle). Cannot remember. BUT the cost of the 2 suitcases was minimal because I have BA frequent flier Silver status that allows for extra baggage at no charge.

This spring my friend brought the GTO in 2 bicycle boxes glued/sandwiched together with plastic "cling wrap" as a part of her baggage allowance (OW Sapphire status) from the UAE to Australia.

Now that GTO is being set up in Victoria with new tubes and gear-shift housings and inner cables.

Bottom line is bring it as XS baggage if you are flying from the USA to OZ. It worked for me....

[Petershure]

I pay up to 40 for shipping USPS from the US to the UK, but the goods have always got here without problem so it still seems reasonable to me, especially when you consider the savings on a pen.