Chainreaction cycles shipping

[kallie469]

Has anyone recently bought from chainreaction cycles? The most expensive option for shipping doesn't say what courier will be used. Will it be door to door delivery? 

[Unknown MTBR]

Ask them directly, quickest and safest option

[ZXR]

Door to door, definitely worth the extra money, you pay the tax directly to the courier 

[burger 555]

I have never bought anything from overseas before. Always been to scared the package gets lost in sunny SA. 

[throttles]

I’ve ordered quite a few times.

just don’t buy clothing. Customs is a biii@@tch. ????

[Thomo]

I imagine reading that they now use DHL.?

It was Skynet previously which was a bit of a lottery and not always worth the Express charge.

[TomR]

I have used Chain Reaction quite a bit in the past. Their delivery service has ranged from being awesome to totally *** over the years. I have just recently completed an order/delivery process. The order was for a few small parts, and I selected the 'free delivery' option. It was shipped using Skynet, and took about 14 days to get to me. It was by far my best experience with Skynet. The communication from Chain Reaction and Skynet was good, and the package was fully traceable. I believe the more expensive shipping options are being delivered using DHL. 

[warick_wrx]

Was the free Skynet option delivered to your door. In the past their free service used SAPO. I would like to order in the future but want to stay clear of anything getting in SAPO hands. 

[TomR]

It was delivered to my door. No SAPO. Just to clarify, I used the Standard Shipping option, and it cost 5 pounds. 

[Chadvdw67]

I have bought from CRC twice, both times used the cheapest shipping, first time my parts came with SkyNet, it was really quick, SkyNet contacted once it landed in SA for the customs clearance, it got to my door in less than a week from date of purchase 

Recently ordered tyres from CRC. also the chespest shipping option, it arrived in SA really quickly, but then the courier took their sweet time with the customs clearance, it was with ARAMEX, took about 2 weeks to get to my door, wasnt a problem though as I didnt need the tyres urgently

[justinafrika]

1 hour ago, burger 555 said:

I have never bought anything from overseas before. Always been to scared the package gets lost in sunny SA. 

Took an item from mid-west USA 3 days from payment to arrive at my local post office two blocks away from me. It took the local post office 5 days to inform me it had arrived.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

To be fair, all the items I've ever bought from Europe and USA and Asia have arrived.  Current items are taking a while though:

 

[burger 555]

How does one calculate the import tax? Is there a set percentage or varying factors? 

[warick_wrx]

59 minutes ago, burger 555 said:

How does one calculate the import tax? Is there a set percentage or varying factors? 

It depends on the item. General bicycle parts normally vat only. Clothes and shoes heavy import duties and vat

[NickGM]

1 hour ago, burger 555 said:

How does one calculate the import tax? Is there a set percentage or varying factors? 

 

[AllTerrain]

Chain Reaction service is generally amazing. In the past few years the wheels fell off a bit when they changed delivery partners to skynet, who remained great in most other countries, but in SA, skynet might actually have been worse than the post office. I really don’t know how the local subsidiary of skynet survives. They are atrocious. 
 

CRC has moved back to DHL for some markets, including ours, and the service is once again stellar. you can order without any issues. Make sure you understand what duties you will be liable for though. Textile items (not just “clothing” are a real bitch, at 45% import duty plus vat. This includes gloves, socks, shoes I think, many bags and accessories etc). Parts/components etc are duty free, so you just pay vat on landing. 
 

So clothes are pretty much never worth it. But, shoes, even with the duties are very often worth it, compared with what is locally available.

 

I like proper merino wool cycling gear (I order Rapha stuff often, but not from CRC, direct from Rapha), I then have it shipped to my cousin in the UK, paying UK vat, amd he then unboxes and ships it to me direct via DHL as a personal package/gift, and that way avoid paying local import duty. So far never been intercepted bY customs, but one day I’m sure I will get unlucky and will then pay the 45%……I got smoked by customs on fishing tackle sent to me as a legitimate gift a few years ago, and the local duties, based on the valuation SARS chose, my taxes were pretty much the same as the person sending the gift had paid. That one burned. Guess you win some you lose some.

[MORNE]

There's a few hundred page SARS document freely available online that lists duties for everything imaginable. As mentioned already...bike parts are duty free so you'll only pay 15% VAT and then the small fee your courier charges to stand in line at customs for you...usually something close to 10%. I usually just make the paid price excl shipping cost +25%. That gets you VERY close to what you'll pay once landed. It is never more than that...so that's worst case and makes the sum easy.