Hi all,
I'm desperately looking for the Liv Envie Advance Pro 1 in XXS (it's a gift) however it looks like Giant is unable to supply/bring these into the country, even after offering to pay in full up front, pay extra for postage costs, as well as being OK with long wait times.
Does anyone have any advice on where I may be able to get one at all? Or any online retailers / overseas who may be able to ship one to us? Happy to deviate from the Advance Pro 1 to another model in the Envie range.
Thank you all in advance!
Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
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Drizt
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Re: Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
Facebook pages if you are happy to buy second hand
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Drizt
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Re: Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
Buy/sell road bikes
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Bicycle market
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princessbumblebee
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Re: Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
I don't know anywhere specifically but I would start with Asian retailers as it seems to be available in a number of countries over there. Looks like UK can order in too so maybe try contacting them. I read a review of the XXS a while ago, but I can't find it now! I can't remember if it was from Australia or UK, but could be worth contacting the author for clues. Will let you know if I find.
Might even be worth a flight overseas if nobody ships and you really need it.
Might even be worth a flight overseas if nobody ships and you really need it.
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Duck!
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Re: Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
You might struggle to get one sent over. Giant are pretty strict on their dealers not shipping, and only selling fully assembled bikes. About the only way you could swing it is if you have a contact overseas who could collect it for you then pack & send it, or go on a little trip yourself...
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.
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androo
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Re: Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
Thank you so much for chiming in. To update everyone - I did end up successfully finding a supplier and the bike has just been shipped. It ended up costing a fair bit more than if I purchased the equivalent bike locally, however we all knew that would be the case going in! It was something I was willing to accept, knowing it would be the right size. Not as expensive as I first thought though as I managed to negotiate a better price. A summary of the experience and some advice for those thinking of doing similar:
1. Be aware that it's not going to be a cheap or easy affair!
2. There are a surprisingly large number of legitimate looking bicycle websites that are actually scam sites. Be weary of any sites that don't offer paypal and I'd recommend doing a reverse google image search of any photos of their shopfront (usually found on the 'about us' page - they often steal photos of legitimate bicycle stores). These sites also often quote prices only a few hundred less than RRP. Enough to entice, but not enough to raise alarm bells. Out of curiosity, I actually contacted one of these stores even though after some research, I knew I wouldn't make the purchase through them. They email you an invoice and even go to the extent of calling you to see what you thought of the quote, offering discounts if you pay now etc.
3. It is true that Giant is extremely strict on dealers not shipping. This means the majority of dealers will simply say no. Be prepared for an onslaught of rejection.
4. The XXS size is primarily made for the Asian market. This makes it often extremely difficult to communicate with them unless you can read and speak the language yourself (unfortunately I cannot).
5. Singapore and Malaysia were by far the easiest to communicate with as most spoke English. Their bikes are unfortunately priced higher than Australia, and their range is limited to the bottom of the Envie range, and the top. There is nothing in between.
6. Thailand offer a lot of these bikes. However it can be difficult to communicate with store owners.
7. Surprisingly, while the USA don't have XXS sizing, Canada does. If you consider this option, be aware that shipping charges can be quite substantial.
8. Be certain of the bicycle you want and communicate this clearly. The request is already something out of the ordinary for these stores (normally selling locally only) and you are unlikely to get much of a response if you don't sound genuine and serious about the purchase.
9. Try to contact general bike stores that sell a number of brands, rather than a Giant only dealer. Smaller stores are more flexible and it is a case of contacting a number of stores until you find the handful of stores willing to accommodate the request.
10. It is not really possible to avoid any local taxes (which is often possible when exporting goods) as the dealers are not meant to ship them. So the purchase would be a local one - then shipped.
11. If you can speak the local dialect, or have a very close friend/family that can, this would help significantly.
In my particular scenario, I was looking at the upper end of the Envie range. Unfortunately this meant that most stores would not stock it and would need to order it in (requiring payment first - the stores are unwilling to accept just a deposit as higher end female bikes can be hard to shift once they are in store). This made the experience more daunting as it is always difficult to determine whether the person on the other end was legitimate. If you were after the lower end of the range or any bikes that the store would keep in stock, it would be a lot easier. Also consider picking it up yourself rather than shipping as there are often very cheap tickets available.
Hope that helps anyone that has thought about or is considering doing this. Don't forget to factor in customs charges etc into the overall purchase price.
1. Be aware that it's not going to be a cheap or easy affair!
2. There are a surprisingly large number of legitimate looking bicycle websites that are actually scam sites. Be weary of any sites that don't offer paypal and I'd recommend doing a reverse google image search of any photos of their shopfront (usually found on the 'about us' page - they often steal photos of legitimate bicycle stores). These sites also often quote prices only a few hundred less than RRP. Enough to entice, but not enough to raise alarm bells. Out of curiosity, I actually contacted one of these stores even though after some research, I knew I wouldn't make the purchase through them. They email you an invoice and even go to the extent of calling you to see what you thought of the quote, offering discounts if you pay now etc.
3. It is true that Giant is extremely strict on dealers not shipping. This means the majority of dealers will simply say no. Be prepared for an onslaught of rejection.
4. The XXS size is primarily made for the Asian market. This makes it often extremely difficult to communicate with them unless you can read and speak the language yourself (unfortunately I cannot).
5. Singapore and Malaysia were by far the easiest to communicate with as most spoke English. Their bikes are unfortunately priced higher than Australia, and their range is limited to the bottom of the Envie range, and the top. There is nothing in between.
6. Thailand offer a lot of these bikes. However it can be difficult to communicate with store owners.
7. Surprisingly, while the USA don't have XXS sizing, Canada does. If you consider this option, be aware that shipping charges can be quite substantial.
8. Be certain of the bicycle you want and communicate this clearly. The request is already something out of the ordinary for these stores (normally selling locally only) and you are unlikely to get much of a response if you don't sound genuine and serious about the purchase.
9. Try to contact general bike stores that sell a number of brands, rather than a Giant only dealer. Smaller stores are more flexible and it is a case of contacting a number of stores until you find the handful of stores willing to accommodate the request.
10. It is not really possible to avoid any local taxes (which is often possible when exporting goods) as the dealers are not meant to ship them. So the purchase would be a local one - then shipped.
11. If you can speak the local dialect, or have a very close friend/family that can, this would help significantly.
In my particular scenario, I was looking at the upper end of the Envie range. Unfortunately this meant that most stores would not stock it and would need to order it in (requiring payment first - the stores are unwilling to accept just a deposit as higher end female bikes can be hard to shift once they are in store). This made the experience more daunting as it is always difficult to determine whether the person on the other end was legitimate. If you were after the lower end of the range or any bikes that the store would keep in stock, it would be a lot easier. Also consider picking it up yourself rather than shipping as there are often very cheap tickets available.
Hope that helps anyone that has thought about or is considering doing this. Don't forget to factor in customs charges etc into the overall purchase price.
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androo
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:14 am
Re: Liv Envie Advanced range in XXS
An interesting note - I didn't speak to a single local Giant dealer who knew of the existence of XXS versions. Some went on to argue with me about their existence.
Also, adding to point 2 - they are surprisingly resilient to trolling
Also, adding to point 2 - they are surprisingly resilient to trolling
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