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Bikester (and other EU suppliers) delays and import duty
Ordered some parts for the bike back in mid December from Bikester.co.uk.
Hadn't realised they were a german company (not a big deal) or that they don't publish any tel number (should have noticed that). I also didn't Brexit and figured that I'd get the delivery before xmas.
Now well over a month later there's no sign of my delivery. Bikester didn't even get around to posting until 5 Jan. The UPS tracking has said Frankfurt ever since and Bikester seem unable to persue the matter with UPS or refund.
I have to say because of the poor support from Bikester, regardless of whether this is a brexit fuck up, i wont be buying from them again.
I've now heard stories of deliveries arriving with a demand for import duty plus extra shipping handing fees to be paid. Read an article at teh BBC that said that EU suppliers can't even advise buyers what the fees are because they don't know - how does that work?
Anyway, if anyone is thinking of buying anything from Bikester or anyone else in the EU, and I guess that might also include Wiggle/Chainreactioncycles as they are in Ireland, you might want to buy elsewhere.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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According to the new rules, it looks like you don't have to pay UK VAT on delivery for any EU order less than £135 and it won't affecr Wiggle or Chain Reaction as they are based in Portsmouth and Belfast respectively. Also the order from Bikester shouldn't attract UK VAT as it was placed mid December so whilst the UK was still in the EU transition period and therefore still subject to free movement regulations.
The joys of Brexit. At least everyone knew what they were voting for and nobody, and I mean nobody, of any influence lied.
It's nice being an all powerful global trader who leads the way.
But see! The sunlit uplands!
Buy British for dazzling sunlit uplands!
From my memories of those, they were mainly used to generate rust and were instructive in teaching about electrical circuits as you had to much around with the springs to get the damn things to work.
I think they were quite useful for helping to understand the life and death of batteries, and the damage that could do to the appliance upon their death, too.
I just discovered one of those in the shed. In good condition too. Thinking of converting the bulb to an LED and running it for the retro vibes
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garsent-Replacement-Flashlights-P13-5S-Emergenc...
If it's stuff that arrives in Europe via container shipment then the delays are pretty universal and nothing much to do with eu/brexit. Something to do with all the containers being in the wrong place due to covid.
I think it's currently a bit of a sh1tshow as everyone works through the new arrangements. I must say I have some sympathy with EU suppliers, who now have significant additional complexities they didn't before, and actually physically getting through the ports is a much longer job (Covid checks, paperwork, backlogs, etc). It's noticeable that Mantel aren't currently shipping here, for example.
I totally agree that the situation you're in is rubbish, but I had a completely painless transaction with R2bike (German). The delivery company turned up with my parcel 2 weeks after I ordered it, and stated I had to pay VAT (expected, as I bought the item ex-VAT) and a handling fee of £11.50 (unexpected, but I wasn't about to argue). I was also charged VAT on the postage, which is incorrect, but it was a couple of quid, so I thought sod it. I paid on the spot with a debit card, and that was that.
Some companies seem much more on it than others, basically!
Well that depends. If it was a default postage fee that you had no option over, it counts as part of the supply of goods and attracts VAT at the same rate as the items you bought. If it's an optional charge (e.g. for expedited shipping) then it's counted as a separate service and not VATable.