Amazing service Chain Reaction Cycles & DHL

[Eddy Gordo]

I paid that with a massive smile in stead of having to deal with customs & SARS. Basically, the way I understand it, is that DHL do all the customs and SARS stuff for that fee. All I have to do is an online VAT payment, easy as pie.

If you order enough stuff and get free postage or if you use std intl postage you wont always pay that much for duties. DHL will charge the max it can. The guys from sars and post office dont always know what to charge and so far out of the 10 orders from CRC 2 was with DHL I payed over R300, the others with normal post. I have scored major on the posted items. The most was about R200.

I have even received items where I should have payed 60% duties and payed around 20% instead.

 

Just a little FYi if you have the patience.

[Sepia]

Would it be financially viable for me to purchase two tires and a stem from CRC? 

I cannot for the life of me work out the workings of the SA Revenue service -old school.

 

Total cost about R800.00

Thanks

[Pikey]

That's the kicker.....

 

No courier company wants to touch you unless you have an account. Fastmail used to sell bags but you had to buy like 20 bags at a time.

 

If anybody is looking for a once off courier go have a look at Xpress Online Couriers (XOC) They were a quarter of the price of Aramex....

xoc are brilliant have used them locally about 8x ..mostly my fork????????????... But no account just use your credit card. Quick efficient and so so easy. I don't even use postnet anymore.

[Malpiet]

If anyone is placing a order from CRC I need a set of sram apex levers please.

 

Been waiting since jan on cape cycle systems but still no response.

[kk6gan]

Noob here, I have never bought from overseas before. Is the "import VAT" a standard percentage of the price paid for said goods or how does that work ?

 

I don't want to oder and then be slapped with loads of unexpected charges upon delivery like what happened to nonky.

[Sepia]

If anyone is placing a order from CRC I need a set of sram apex levers please.

 

Been waiting since jan on cape cycle systems but still no response.

I could be interested in adding R900.00 worth to save on postage?

[Skylark]

Sorry OT:

 

Fedex about R 70 - R 80 overnight door to door. (If you have account) , not sure how sapo still stays in business.

What kind of volumes do you need each month to get those rates?

[IH8MUD]

They all do it, its a standard and not unusual, they may just label it differently on your invoice, in general the processing fee is related to the cost to the company for someones time to cut the documents required, usually for customs and / airlines / delivery etc, the disbursement fee is the cost they charge you for any upfront fees they pay on your behalf, and the release is just that, the cost they incur to print customs docs for release.

 

These are local costs incurred locally, the cost of the international bit is covered in the transport charge. All countries will have different local costs so these are never included in the main fee.

Making a bit of a very general statement there ???

 

I have only ever paid the following, and I used CRC and DHL-express a lot. .

1. The price of the item/s at CRC. 
2. The Cost of DHL Express as indicated by CRC.
3. The import VAT.  

The 1st two is both paid at the same time/transaction with credit card.

Then the parcel arrive with a yellow DHL van and his driver at my business about  four days after purchase.

 

I just make my thumb-print, grab my parts and head for my bicycle. 

DHL makes not payment on my behalf or ask for any reimbursements 

 

No Processing Fee,

No Disbursement Fee and 

No Release verification Fee 

Nothing. No upfront payment.  Never. 

 

Customs charge the import-VAT directly to my Import VAT account registered with them. (Ministry of Finances's Customs and Excise department)

  

The amount  of  import VAT and the documents of processing is then  e-mailed to me about a month later by my accountants. So that I can verify the purchase, the cost and the items. I then pay the import-VAT in the next VAT-payment period of my company. (every 2 months) 

 

I verified the VAT amount the first few times, just to check then up,  with the VAT percentage charged for parts and it was always the correct percentage of the cost of only the parts/items purchased.  

Even the DHL (included on the CRC papers) cost was/is, correctly, not included in this VAT payment calculation.

 

I pay nothing else except this that I mentioned.

I see no other costs  labeled on any of my invoices.

No other local costs and fees.  

[L'Bie]

DHL is the best value for money, especially with the post office talking about going on strike again. Worst mistake ever is to get something sent to you via snail mail, once it hits South Africa it becomes "dead snail mail"!

Ordered a deraileur hanger Feb last year. Got the parcel March this year.

[DJR]

Well, I just gave them another opportunity go get it brilliantly right again or screw it up horribly.......I'll give you the update next week! .

Now basically it is just that bloody awkward and rare 28 mm seat post (that only Campy ever made or used) that is still missing. "Anybody out there" with a carbon 28 mm diameter seatpost in the parts bin, you are welcome to be even greater than CRC!

[Skylark]

Has that wiggle crc takeover happened / still happening?

[RossW]

My order landed this morning. DHL contacted me now.

VAT of R160.44 and disbursement fee of R150.00.

[DJR]

They did it again  

Ordered Friday evening

Delayed by me not checking my e-mails (it was weekend after all)

Paid VAT etc. Monday afternoon

Delivered Tuesday morning

Everything perfect

[Karman de Lange]

Received my goods yesterday via Priority Express (EMS).. ~3 weeks with pub holidays and strikes.. not to bad .. Was BIG box (4 tyres) so DHL was quoted as >$200 so not worth it.

[Eugene Brown]

Making a bit of a very general statement there ???

 

I have only ever paid the following, and I used CRC and DHL-express a lot. .

1. The price of the item/s at CRC. 
2. The Cost of DHL Express as indicated by CRC.
3. The import VAT.  

The 1st two is both paid at the same time/transaction with credit card.

Then the parcel arrive with a yellow DHL van and his driver at my business about  four days after purchase.

 

I just make my thumb-print, grab my parts and head for my bicycle. 

DHL makes not payment on my behalf or ask for any reimbursements 

 

No Processing Fee,

No Disbursement Fee and 

No Release verification Fee 

Nothing. No upfront payment.  Never. 

 

Customs charge the import-VAT directly to my Import VAT account registered with them. (Ministry of Finances's Customs and Excise department)

  

The amount  of  import VAT and the documents of processing is then  e-mailed to me about a month later by my accountants. So that I can verify the purchase, the cost and the items. I then pay the import-VAT in the next VAT-payment period of my company. (every 2 months) 

 

I verified the VAT amount the first few times, just to check then up,  with the VAT percentage charged for parts and it was always the correct percentage of the cost of only the parts/items purchased.  

Even the DHL (included on the CRC papers) cost was/is, correctly, not included in this VAT payment calculation.

 

I pay nothing else except this that I mentioned.

I see no other costs  labeled on any of my invoices.

No other local costs and fees.  

My last order from CRC, I decided to put my foot down with DHL and their rip-off tactics regarding the charging of a disbursement fee in addition to what CRC charges for the freight. I told the lady in no uncertain terms that there was absolutely no cash layout on DHL's part for duties and no other reason that I could think of to justify this charge. She spoke with her supervisor, and the fee was waived. I only paid the VAT, which in my opinion, the only charge due by me.

Give them the finger: The charge of the disbursement fee is discretionary, I'm sure, and can be overridden by someone in charge.

[Eugene Brown]

Received my goods yesterday via Priority Express (EMS).. ~3 weeks with pub holidays and strikes.. not to bad .. Was BIG box (4 tyres) so DHL was quoted as >$200 so not worth it.

Priority Express, or Priority Tracked as per the CRC website? Just curious...