[supros88]

I want to buy a dh bike from the USA, i have found the bike that i want & i will do the deal through e-bay,
the problem is that i have to ship it to Australia, i have done some research but there is only so much you can find out off there websites.

So i was wondering if:

Anyone has ever shipped a bike internatinaly?

How much did it cost?

What company did you use?

Did you send it in it in many small boxes or one big one?

What size box could you fit it into?


Thanks heaps for the help, as i am realy confused.

cheers......Ari.

 

[valve bouncer]

I had my frame only sent from Canada by UPS. Cost me about US$250. Just in the normal bike box that frames come in. No problems, took about a week to get here from memory.

 

[SPUTNECK]

RDU from here just shipped a bike from Raleigh, NC to Scottland or England...PM him, he used FedEX I think.....it was about $600us.....the wheels were more expensive than the frame...a little thing called "dimensional weight"...UPS will hose you every time on that!

 

[adrenalinerush]

Hey

I shipped a frame to Germany from Chicago. Cost me 100 bucks using www.USPS.com and got there in 3 days. You just have to fill out a bunch of paper work.

Latz

 

[speedster]

Use FedEx for shipping international or USPS if the size of the box is small enough. If it has wheels, you will have to go with FedEx because USPS won't take a box that big that holds both a frame and wheels. There is a whole bunch of paper work to fill out and if anything is wrong customs will hold it and they charge for that. It's easier to ship to certain countries rather than others, to Austrailia may be easier from what I remember. It will cost a lot, be prepared for that.

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by speedster
Use FedEx for shipping international or USPS if the size of the box is small enough. If it has wheels, you will have to go with FedEx because USPS won't take a box that big that holds both a frame and wheels.

Um, I politely yet sternly disagree.

Check prices. USPS is Way cheaper. I've mailed a bike to sweden before using them. A standard bike box is nowhere near "too big". Cost me only $80 insured.

 

[supros88]

It's a complete dh bike so i think it will be a pretty big box.

One problem i found with USPS is that their cost calulater is way of in terms of price as i found out shipping a evil imperial frame, it orriganly quoted $130 but it ended up costing me $250 because of the dimensional weight.



So is it better to ship in small boxes of one big one?

What is cheaper USPS or Fedex?

 

[JoeRay]

Shipped a bike from Japan to US few years back. Cost close to 800 Aussie banana chips with JAL airfreight. Think I got shafted, but wasn't in either country and the bike had just been recovered from some fhirker who stole it.

Slapped in a standard bike box minus like they ship them new.

Also taken DH bike to and from US on plane as luggage. In a Trico Iron case. Just need to remember that a DH bike in a Trico makes for about 35-40kg which is over the limit for baggage. Be nice to check in person and they'll let it slide.

Just remember if you're shipping into Oz that customs will probably wanna take a cut and then add some GST. Start thinking of a good sob story to tell the assessors and you might get out of it. More reason to fly with it as baggage cause they don't care as long as its clean.

 

[supros88]

I'm not going to the America i will be getting it shipped to Australia where i live.

 

[JoeRay]

Ok so you aren't going to the US.

It has been from my limited experience that shipping by freight, post, UPS whatever isn't all that is cracked up to be.

I've had problems doing the same thing mail ordering from the US. As long as you are prepared for a hassle or two and accept that you might end up paying over the odds for freight. Then its all good.

The up side is that you usually end up with your desired items cheaper than sourcing locally(if you could at all). Just be ready to invest some time, effort and phone calls to customs.

I do still advocate the trip to the US thing cause you not only can freight the stuff cheaper you may be able to ride it before you leave if you plan the trip right.

 

[berkshire_rider]

I bought a Craftworks frame FROM Australia. I had them ship it Aussie Post (via ship) to save $$$. Took about 7-10 days. It takes a little longer than the "big" carriers, but you will save money by sending things via ship.

Your import tarriff will be decided on the declared value of the package. So, it's a gamble. If you have the sender declare a value of <$500 to save on the tarriff and it's worth $2500, and it gets lost/stolen, guess how much you can claim? Another option to keep the tarriff down is to have the seller send it as "assorted parts" instead of a complete bike.


Why Not Get One Of These

 

[Rabie]

These prices seem absurd. I shipped a frame (in a frame box) from socal to Germany for $40 through USPS airmail. It was there in a week.

 

[Transcend]

Originally posted by JoeRay
Also taken DH bike to and from US on plane as luggage. In a Trico Iron case. Just need to remember that a DH bike in a Trico makes for about 35-40kg which is over the limit for baggage. Be nice to check in person and they'll let it slide.

That's what porters are for. I generally slip them a 20 and all my excess/overweight baggage and bikes get on for free, with no extra charges.

Porters rock.

 

[Transcend]

Originally posted by Rabie
These prices seem absurd. I shipped a frame (in a frame box) from socal to Germany for $40 through USPS airmail. It was there in a week.

I concur. A frame from Orange in england is usually about $150, 3 day UPS.

Figure MUCH cheaper with USPS. I shipped frames back and forth when i was living in the us on an almost weekly basis. never cost more then $100, in a trico, via ups.