Bikeinn

[cadenceblur]

42 minutes ago, therealdavidn@gmail.com said:

I had found an item on BikeInn which was very well priced, but I was disturbed by the many 1* posts on Hellopeter, however there was a common thread which seemed to be delivery, by our beloved postal system.

Now i had, many years ago, used TradeInn for some running gear and the only option for shipment was via post and the items took over 2 months to arrive - TradeInn were able to tell me that the parcel had been shipped and had arrive in SA, but then everyone was at a loss...

Anyway back to this experience... Given the compelling offer, I decided to take the plunge - BikeInn now offers both UPS and DHL, for not much more than the vapid SA postal service. I chose DHL, and this is what happened:

- item bought on sunday evening, with eta Friday

- dispatch confirmed by 8:00 on monday morning

- Granular visibility from DHL ensued, i was able to see every minute move from barcelona, to brussels, to london, to johannesburg

- customs clearance was done online and sorted by Tuesday midday

- parcel landed in SA on Wednesday morning, and was delivered by 15:00

this was an absolutely STELLAR service performance in every way. This also in no small way thanks to DHL who have not so much upped their game, as launched it into orbit, and not even earth orbit, more like solar orbit. So in short: anyone wanting to use BikeInn - select the DHL shipping option, and enjoy absolutely STELLAR service! Obviously you will want to bundle products, and this lends itself to items of high value density (my order was R12k, and it cost R650 in shipping and R250 in admin) As my products were manufactured in Europe and were not clothing there were no duties, only 15% VAT.

Did you not have a massive disbursement charge? 
I will look at DHL in future , been using UPS with Trade Inn and the service leaves a bit to be desired along with all the added costs. Gets here in a decent time frame though.  

[therealdavidn@gmail.com]

9 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Did you not have a massive disbursement charge? 
I will look at DHL in future , been using UPS with Trade Inn and the service leaves a bit to be desired along with all the added costs. Gets here in a decent time frame though.  

Per my comment: I paid VAT of 15%, and a R250 customs fee. The items were duty free. Do your research on what you buy and what the tariff headings are and the applicable duties. From there you can calculate your customs payable.

DHL Were flawless. 

[cadenceblur]

1 minute ago, therealdavidn@gmail.com said:

Per my comment: I paid VAT of 15%, and a R250 customs fee. The items were duty free. Do your research on what you buy and what the tariff headings are and the applicable duties. From there you can calculate your customs payable.

DHL Were flawless. 

Thanks

Not new to importing , the additional costs associated with the UPS was what irked me. 

[michaelbiker]

Slightly off topic  

DHL is way better than UPS but with both, at least you get your stuff. Be wary of DHL Express vs DHL Deutsche Post though. Sites like R2 Bike and Bike 24 send it via the latter and it ends up coming SAPO. 

With R2 bike you can however request Express by putting the word EXPRESS in the checkout comments. They will then send you a quote.

TradeInn is great provided they have stock. Otherwise you need to be patient. 

[NeilJHB]

I used Bikeinn a few times and used UPS. No issues. In a weeks time my items arrived. 

[Mnce Thabiso Nakin]

How is the quality of the parts? are they genuine or generic (i see they use OEM names like shimano and Giant)

i had  a bad experience  recently, i ordered a rear derailleur from a local supplier (Cpt) and the Shimano derailleur didnt last a month. it left me wondering if it was a genuine part.

The parts im looking into are leaving me wondering if i shouldnt just buy a new bike, but Bikeinn/Tradeinn prices make a bit of sense.

[Baracuda]

On 6/27/2025 at 8:47 PM, cadenceblur said:

Thanks

Not new to importing , the additional costs associated with the UPS was what irked me. 

Indeed, please be aware that UPS charges an additional R500 brokerage fee (over and above the import fee / VAT and their courier fee). It is really nuts. 

And I am not new to importing either. I have never had this sort of charge with DHL and Merlin Cycles. 

Edited July 31, 2025 by Baracuda