Buying gear from Europe | GTAMotorcycle.com

Buying gear from Europe

Baggsy

Baggsy

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Was looking at around $1,000 worth of gear.

It's two or three hundred dollars less expensive, buying from Europe, than from Canada.

Is it worth it, or will the price difference evaporate from import taxes, fees and duties?
 
Baggsy said:
Was looking at around $1,000 worth of gear.

It's two or three hundred dollars less expensive, buying from Europe, than from Canada.

Is it worth it, or will the price difference evaporate from import taxes, fees and duties?
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i think duty is always risk. A buddy ordered an exhaust system worth 3k and didn’t pay a cent during import. I seem to get jacked for my sub $500 purchases every time.
I’ve heard good things about chromeburner. Aggressive pricing, very fast shipping and people seem to be avoiding duty.
 
I ordered some stuff from England and got clobbered on the freight, brokerage and duties.
DHL seems the cheapest of the lot for shipping and its a crap shoot whether Rev Can will tag you.
Try to find out what it will be 'all in' before placing the final order.
 
I've made several purchases from Europe over the years. In each case the transaction has worked well. Shipping in every case was through DHL who seem to be the company of choice from there. Items arrived in about the same time as what it would have been coming from the US. I don't remember paying duty on anything. Savings come from the suppliers not having to charge VAT to North American buyers. The major purchases I've made this way are Sidi boots, Schuberth C3 Pro helmet and recently HEED crash bars front and rear from Poland. As always, just do your research to make sure it's worthwhile for you but don't fear just because it's overseas.
 
This might sound like a crazy idea, but this pandemic has really been hurting some of our bike shops for over a year now.
How about we support some local places like GP Bikes, Riders Choice, Daytona.....
Yes we may have to pay a little bit more, but won't it be nice if we still have bike shops to go and visit in a year or two or three.
We are trying to keep our favorite restaurants from closing, right.
 
Klaatu said:
This might sound like a crazy idea, but this pandemic has really been hurting some of our bike shops for over a year now.
How about we support some local places like GP Bikes, Riders Choice, Daytona.....
Yes we may have to pay a little bit more, but won't it be nice if we still have bike shops to go and visit in a year or two or three.
We are trying to keep our favorite restaurants from closing, right.
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I've bought more off of GP online this past year than ever before.
Try to give Riders Choice my business too - but they are rarely have what I am looking for - but they usually are my first call as their pricing is very competitive.
 
I've bought few items from FC Moto. They ship it via DHL, but in this case, it's not DHL Express, but Expedited Deutsche Post, so it comes via Canada Post. So chances of actually not being charged anything extra are pretty high.

The biggest downside is that if it doesn't fit you - the cost of shipping it back is pretty prohibitive.
 
Bought from Chromeburner and FC-Moto... both have good shipping speed etc.
Been tagged for import duty about 50% of the time.
 
DHL Express (Expedited Deutsche Post) is a gong show right now. I've had something sitting in Britain (Britain? why?) for 2 1/2 weeks now. Only change on the tracking has been the arrival window keeps getting pushed forward.
 
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FullMotoJacket said:
DHL Express (Expedited Deutsche Post) is a gong show right now. I've had something sitting Britain (Britain? why?) for 2 1/2 weeks now. Only change on the tracking has been the arrival window keeps getting pushed forward.
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DHL Express does not equal Deutsche Post Expedited. Is your tracking number 10 or 13 digits?
 
Was looking at Chromeburner, and it's recommending FedEx over the postal system. Was going to check with my little brother (he's worked at both).

No local businesses carry the items I'm looking for. Rider's Choice has one, but it's between 20-25% or $80 more.

I'd really want to support Canadian businesses for these overseas items, and might anyway, but $160 is $160.

If I buy the other item from Vancouver, I won't get the free shipping from The Netherlands. That's why I've been dithering.
 
I just bought a couple of helmets from Chromburner. Neither of them got flagged for duty.

Bought another helmet from Italy through eBay, the modular mechanism was broken and what ever money I saved was eaten up by having to ship it back to Europe at my cost, waiting an additional 8 weeks for them to fix it and send it back *AND* fighting with CRA because they charged me duty a second time when the repaired helmet was sent back to me.

It's luck of the draw. Sometimes you come out ahead, sometimes you don't. Overall, I've saved a ton of money buying from overseas, especially if the brand is European. Obviously, you wouldn't buy a Joe Rocket jacket from Europe...
 
I bought my Arai from Motostorm in Italy. Mainly because I wanted the 3/4 but no one sells the XC in Canada only the Ram-X.

Worked out okay.
 
All of my high price gear was purchased overseas. Mostly at Chromeburner and a helmet a championhelmet.
Even if you get nabbed with custom and duties it's still cheaper.
Pro. cheaper (No tax because of VAT Euro tax system!
Cons. return shipping is expensive. make sure exactly want you want and of course the size must be perfect.
watch out for.
Chromeburner shipping for example. you opt for FedEx vs"regular shipping" both free over $449CAD . FedEx collects duties and customs on behalf of Custom Canada. FedEx will not make a second attempt to deliver and pick location was very far from where I live. The other shipping method is with Canada Post so you take your chances with Canada Custom and pick up location is very close by.
 
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Lightcycle said:
I just bought a couple of helmets from Chromburner. Neither of them got flagged for duty.

Bought another helmet from Italy through eBay, the modular mechanism was broken and what ever money I saved was eaten up by having to ship it back to Europe at my cost, waiting an additional 8 weeks for them to fix it and send it back *AND* fighting with CRA because they charged me duty a second time when the repaired helmet was sent back to me.

It's luck of the draw. Sometimes you come out ahead, sometimes you don't. Overall, I've saved a ton of money buying from overseas, especially if the brand is European. Obviously, you wouldn't buy a Joe Rocket jacket from Europe...
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Did you pick FedEx for the shipping method?
 
justride said:
Did you pick FedEx for the shipping method?
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Sometimes you don't have a choice, it's whatever the shipper offers. For the eBay purchase, it was FedEx that led to that CRA fook-up.

They're the absolute worse for duty and extra brokerage fees.

For the Chromeburner purchase(s), I opted for the snail-mail public postal service. Saved the $50 Fed Ex fee + $50 Fed-Ex Brokerage charge + duty that they 100% would have charged on behalf of CRA.

Sure, it took a couple of weeks to get here, but for two helmets, I probably saved over $250 by not using FedEx.

Well worth it.
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