Buying bikes in the USA

[Furbz]

if you bring a bike back and claim you flew out with it, customs will ask you to show the declaration that you would have had to fill out prior to leaving RSA.

they are also well within their rights to ask for an invoice proving it was bought in RSA.

[Shebeen]

here's the import duty thread - https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/75887-import-duties-on-cycling-goods/

 

 

Father in law just bought a Santa Cruz tallboy frameset from colorado cycles in December while he was there and and he saved roughly 40% over buying in SA, in fact managed to buy the frameset and a set of Sant Cruz carbon wheels for the same price as just the frameset in SA.

and that is called a tax revolt.

AFAIK (and there will be experts here) what he needed to do was:

claim US tax back at airport that side

declare this side and pay VAT

there's no import duty on frameset or wheels, right?

 

so the real issue lies with Rushsports, who need to find a way to get their pricing inline with what is legally available overseas. Either that or they are doing just fine and happy with the status quo.

[HeyYou]

I've done a few times over the last 30 years, from the US, UK and Europe.

 

If you intend buying a complete bike:

Take a bike bag with you, clearly labelled as from SA.

Ride the bike in the US, don't wash it afterwards.

Take old tyres and change them before you come back.

Take something else old, derailleur or something and put it on the bike.

 

I travel enough to know that trying to get a customs exit thingy to take a bike out of SA, which I've done 10s of times, is almost impossible!

 

I've walked through with bikes I've taken out (when coming back in) and never, never been asked anything.

 

I've walked through with bikes I've bought and ridden and never a once been stopped.

 

A bike bag is so obvious!!!