shipping bikes overseas

kevin881 · June 14th, 2006, 10:41 AM

I have a bike on ebay now, and it appears a guy from germany wants it. He has been emailing me asking about shipping rates.

When I do a rate calculation on FedEx and UPS.com, I get anywhere from 500-650 dollars.

For those of you who have experience shipping bikes:

1. who did you use for the freight?
2. how did you package the bike up, was there anything special you did outside of plenty of bubblewrap and protection?
3. what was the transit time?

Thanks

Yo Eddy! · June 14th, 2006, 12:09 PM

Kevin,

I am sure it can be done way cheaper.

Some foreign people will ask you to split packages to reduce costs. Often they ask you to fill out incorrect details on the forms, so they have to pay less duties and VAT.

Only ship insured!

Bottom line: More hassle, a tad more risky, but someone on the other side of the pond will be gratefull.

mainlyfats · June 14th, 2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin881

I have a bike on ebay now, and it appears a guy from germany wants it. He has been emailing me asking about shipping rates.

When I do a rate calculation on FedEx and UPS.com, I get anywhere from 500-650 dollars.

For those of you who have experience shipping bikes:

1. who did you use for the freight?
2. how did you package the bike up, was there anything special you did outside of plenty of bubblewrap and protection?
3. what was the transit time?

Thanks

Couriers don't calculate using the actual weight of the package, they use some formula for larger, not so heavy pieces, that means a bike, to them, weighs the equivalent of 150lbs.

I never found anyone else to ship went I sent a bike to Japan, so the guy had to eat the $680 FedEx charge. 3 days.

Pipe insulation works really well. Strap everything down with zip ties and make sure no raw cables are caught between your packaging and the paint. Double reinforce where the front axle meets the box and the rear derailleur point, which should be shifted into the largest cog prior to taking everything to pieces.

Good luck!

kevin881 · June 14th, 2006, 1:26 PM

thanks for the good tips mainlyfats!

Yo Eddy! · June 14th, 2006, 1:32 PM

I do not know whether or what I do wrong, but entering Netherlands and 25 pounds I end up with:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/intl_speed.as...ds=25&Ounces=0

kevin881 · June 14th, 2006, 1:37 PM

problem is that if it is shipped via our USPS then they are only responsible for the package until it reaches the country it is destined for. After that, its up to that country's postal system. Things I have shipped via USPS internationally usually take forever to arrive, and sometimes are damaged.

Doug Carter · June 14th, 2006, 1:52 PM

Kevin, I shipped a FS Turner to England last spring and it was less than $200 via FedEx, but the receiver of the bike paid more in taxes on entry. He was fine with that, but it got to him in less than a week, safe and sound. He now rides it in a forest next to Stonehenge. Go figure...

Oh, BTW, I got your PM and I'm still laughing about the 6

kevin881 · June 14th, 2006, 1:57 PM

Hey Doug... yea I totally laughed when I went to apexspeed and realized that you had to know my brother. It really is a small world.

Thanks for the advice on shipping. If I dont sell this thing on ebay tonight, I am going to take it apart and sell it piece by piece. More trips to the P.O... but smaller packages.

Doug Carter · June 14th, 2006, 4:23 PM

Yeah, funny thing is, I know Rob from LONG before ApexSpeed and racing F2000s (old school Chicago VW/Audi stuff).

kevin881 · June 14th, 2006, 4:33 PM

nice.

when he had motopersona he tuned my TT 225 pretty nicely.

Digger90 · June 15th, 2006, 2:04 PM

I've shipped bikes both ways now as I used to live in California and am now in London. I think I used USPS when I lived in Cal but am not sure - it was 8 years ago... When shipping from UK to USA I've just found a company who were less than half everyone else's prices: www.parcels2go.com It's still expensive though: with insurance the shipping cost for Yo Eddy frame alone (not the whole bike) was $160.

The reason UK/European buyers will want you to state a lower value for the goods on the shipping documentation when sending from the US is that we get charged spectacular rates of VAT and import duties b y the money-grabbing b*stards in Customs & Excise. To avoid this, it's best to write "Trade Sample - No Commercial Value" on the customs forms. I have done this with no problem yet. Once however, I had to pay $40 duties on a Cane CReek air shock that the factory replaced under warranty free of charge because they'd written a value of 100- on the customs documentation. When I called them to complain they said they just thought the shock was worth $100... but UK Customs read it as

stevek · June 16th, 2006, 3:11 AM

Bought a Wicked f + f from the States last year, cost around $75 USPS IIRC.

Of course there was more to pay at this end.....

Yo Eddy! · June 16th, 2006, 4:10 AM

For me the same as Steve ...except for that there were no additional charges

Two frames. Only one tiny detail: One didn't arrive

Good thing is I paid with AmEx, so no damage has been done to my wallet. Such payments are insured.

June 14th, 2006, 10:41 AM	#1
kevin881 Senior Member Join Date: May 31st, 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 159	shipping bikes overseas I have a bike on ebay now, and it appears a guy from germany wants it. He has been emailing me asking about shipping rates. When I do a rate calculation on FedEx and UPS.com, I get anywhere from 500-650 dollars. For those of you who have experience shipping bikes: 1. who did you use for the freight? 2. how did you package the bike up, was there anything special you did outside of plenty of bubblewrap and protection? 3. what was the transit time? Thanks

June 14th, 2006, 12:09 PM	#2
Yo Eddy! Senior Member Join Date: July 16th, 2004 Location: Netherlands Posts: 638	Kevin, I am sure it can be done way cheaper. Some foreign people will ask you to split packages to reduce costs. Often they ask you to fill out incorrect details on the forms, so they have to pay less duties and VAT. Only ship insured! Bottom line: More hassle, a tad more risky, but someone on the other side of the pond will be gratefull. __________________ Melvin Yo rider, Wicked attitude

June 14th, 2006, 1:32 PM	#5
Yo Eddy! Senior Member Join Date: July 16th, 2004 Location: Netherlands Posts: 638	I do not know whether or what I do wrong, but entering Netherlands and 25 pounds I end up with: http://ircalc.usps.gov/intl_speed.as...ds=25&Ounces=0 __________________ Melvin Yo rider, Wicked attitude

June 14th, 2006, 1:52 PM	#7
Doug Carter Global Moderator Join Date: July 7th, 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 683	Kevin, I shipped a FS Turner to England last spring and it was less than $200 via FedEx, but the receiver of the bike paid more in taxes on entry. He was fine with that, but it got to him in less than a week, safe and sound. He now rides it in a forest next to Stonehenge. Go figure... Oh, BTW, I got your PM and I'm still laughing about the 6 __________________ . 2003 Serotta* Fierte Cyclocross* 2000 Gunnar* Rockhound* 2006 Turner* Flux*

June 14th, 2006, 4:23 PM	#9
Doug Carter Global Moderator Join Date: July 7th, 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 683	Yeah, funny thing is, I know Rob from LONG before ApexSpeed and racing F2000s (old school Chicago VW/Audi stuff). __________________ . 2003 Serotta* Fierte Cyclocross* 2000 Gunnar* Rockhound* 2006 Turner* Flux*

June 14th, 2006, 1:26 PM	#4
kevin881 Senior Member Join Date: May 31st, 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 159	thanks for the good tips mainlyfats!

June 14th, 2006, 1:37 PM	#6
kevin881 Senior Member Join Date: May 31st, 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 159	problem is that if it is shipped via our USPS then they are only responsible for the package until it reaches the country it is destined for. After that, its up to that country's postal system. Things I have shipped via USPS internationally usually take forever to arrive, and sometimes are damaged.

June 14th, 2006, 1:57 PM	#8
kevin881 Senior Member Join Date: May 31st, 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 159	Hey Doug... yea I totally laughed when I went to apexspeed and realized that you had to know my brother. It really is a small world. Thanks for the advice on shipping. If I dont sell this thing on ebay tonight, I am going to take it apart and sell it piece by piece. More trips to the P.O... but smaller packages.

June 14th, 2006, 4:33 PM	#10
kevin881 Senior Member Join Date: May 31st, 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 159	nice. when he had motopersona he tuned my TT 225 pretty nicely.

June 15th, 2006, 2:04 PM	#11
Digger90 Member Join Date: September 7th, 2004 Location: People's Republic of West Sussex, UK Posts: 16	I've shipped bikes both ways now as I used to live in California and am now in London. I think I used USPS when I lived in Cal but am not sure - it was 8 years ago... When shipping from UK to USA I've just found a company who were less than half everyone else's prices: www.parcels2go.com It's still expensive though: with insurance the shipping cost for Yo Eddy frame alone (not the whole bike) was $160. The reason UK/European buyers will want you to state a lower value for the goods on the shipping documentation when sending from the US is that we get charged spectacular rates of VAT and import duties b y the money-grabbing b*stards in Customs & Excise. To avoid this, it's best to write "Trade Sample - No Commercial Value" on the customs forms. I have done this with no problem yet. Once however, I had to pay $40 duties on a Cane CReek air shock that the factory replaced under warranty free of charge because they'd written a value of 100- on the customs documentation. When I called them to complain they said they just thought the shock was worth $100... but UK Customs read it as __________________ 1998 Yo Eddy Team - Harlequin Fade The People's Republic of West Sussex

June 16th, 2006, 3:11 AM	#12
stevek Member Join Date: November 16th, 2005 Location: Lincoln UK Posts: 87	Bought a Wicked f + f from the States last year, cost around $75 USPS IIRC. Of course there was more to pay at this end..... __________________ Wanna sell your medium Monster?

June 16th, 2006, 4:10 AM	#13
Yo Eddy! Senior Member Join Date: July 16th, 2004 Location: Netherlands Posts: 638	For me the same as Steve ...except for that there were no additional charges Two frames. Only one tiny detail: One didn't arrive Good thing is I paid with AmEx, so no damage has been done to my wallet. Such payments are insured. __________________ Melvin Yo rider, Wicked attitude

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