A friend lives in the US.
He's going to sell some expensive bike parts to someone in the UK. He's considering flying over on a commercial airliner and bringing them in his luggage.
Is there a chance this can get him into trouble?
I assume he should pay some sort of duty on them. Can he do this at the airport if necessary? If there a significant chance that the airport / customs staff are bothered about bike parts, if they find them?
Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
-
MyLittleStudPony
- Posts: 1742
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 835 times
- Been thanked: 587 times
-
MyLittleStudPony
- Posts: 1742
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 835 times
- Been thanked: 587 times
-
KungFooBob
- Posts: 17512
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
- Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
- Has thanked: 627 times
- Been thanked: 9505 times
-
Skub
- Posts: 14892
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
- Location: Norn Iron
- Has thanked: 13109 times
- Been thanked: 14171 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
If he declares the true value of the parts,he'll be liable for duty and vat.
If he says the value is under £390,who's to argue?
KFB's suggestion is likely viable enough.
If he says the value is under £390,who's to argue?
KFB's suggestion is likely viable enough.
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
-
dern
- Posts: 2540
- Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2021 8:51 am
- Has thanked: 1187 times
- Been thanked: 2281 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -to-the-uk
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bringing-co ... ur-baggage
He'll have to do his own risk assessment.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bringing-co ... ur-baggage
He'll have to do his own risk assessment.
-
Le_Fromage_Grande
- Posts: 12162
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: On the road to nowhere
- Has thanked: 602 times
- Been thanked: 4529 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
If he's selling them in the UK they're still his until he sells them to the buyer, so he's just moving some of his property when he flies into the UK with them, once money has changed hands he's sold them, but he isn't liable for the import duty, the buyer is.
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
I suspect that fine distinction might be lost on HMRC Customs and Excise...Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Wed Oct 15, 2025 9:10 pm If he's selling them in the UK they're still his until he sells them to the buyer, so he's just moving some of his property when he flies into the UK with them, once money has changed hands he's sold them, but he isn't liable for the import duty, the buyer is.
Some years ago I bought a load of Lancia Beta spares back with me from the USA in hand luggage; hi comp pistons and rings, ignition system, coil, uprated starter motor and other stuff and got through without paying any duty or VAT. USA customs went through all the bits, doubtless because they were worried about all the cables looking like a bomb, but packed it all up again and sent it on its way.
Basically it's a complete lottery. Your friend could get home free, or he could be faced with a big bill and/or confiscation. Roll the dice...
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
Bought a new exhaust from euro land, was surprised not to get clobbered for vat & duty before delivery, then when it turned up I noticed the manufacturer had stated value as being just 50 euro...
Presumably £10k worth of bike stuff in luggage, they'd need a decent back up story/valuation to hand if stopped. And is £10k current value or new price? What happens if you import a 1930's Indian which cost £75 new and is now worth £75k for instance?
Presumably £10k worth of bike stuff in luggage, they'd need a decent back up story/valuation to hand if stopped. And is £10k current value or new price? What happens if you import a 1930's Indian which cost £75 new and is now worth £75k for instance?
-
MyLittleStudPony
- Posts: 1742
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 835 times
- Been thanked: 587 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
By chance some new (non biking) things I ordered from a shop in Spain a few weeks ago are now with Royal Mail.
I paid the shop about 330 Euros.
Royal Mail want £102 of duty, vat and handling charge before they'll deliver the parcel to me.
As much as I'd like to blame Brexit for all of that, I suspect I'd have had to pay the Spanish equivalent of VAT to the shop, so Brexit is only responsible for part of the bill. Still.... nice and Brexity.
I paid the shop about 330 Euros.
Royal Mail want £102 of duty, vat and handling charge before they'll deliver the parcel to me.
As much as I'd like to blame Brexit for all of that, I suspect I'd have had to pay the Spanish equivalent of VAT to the shop, so Brexit is only responsible for part of the bill. Still.... nice and Brexity.
-
Scotsrich
- Posts: 1001
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2020 10:46 am
- Location: East Lothian
- Has thanked: 92 times
- Been thanked: 822 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
Is it obviously worth £10k and would your average customs officer know that?
Anyway, what the hell is it? I’m sure we’re all dying to know.
Anyway, what the hell is it? I’m sure we’re all dying to know.
-
MyLittleStudPony
- Posts: 1742
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 835 times
- Been thanked: 587 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
It's race bike parts. He works for big race teams. I don't know the exact parts.Scotsrich wrote: Thu Oct 16, 2025 10:36 am Is it obviously worth £10k and would your average customs officer know that?
Anyway, what the hell is it? I’m sure we’re all dying to know.
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
Unless your mate gets really unlucky and has to deal with a customs officer who knows the value of the parts, he'd probably get away with drastically underestimating the true value and HMRC would be none the wiser, even more so if they've been used.MyLittleStudPony wrote: Thu Oct 16, 2025 12:19 pmIt's race bike parts. He works for big race teams. I don't know the exact parts.Scotsrich wrote: Thu Oct 16, 2025 10:36 am Is it obviously worth £10k and would your average customs officer know that?
Anyway, what the hell is it? I’m sure we’re all dying to know.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
ZRX61
- Posts: 9062
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:05 pm
- Location: Solar Blight Valley
- Has thanked: 2296 times
- Been thanked: 2684 times
Re: Bringing expensive bike parts to the UK by plane?
Surely the parts are *samples*?
Before brexit the usual method was to fly from the UK to France, then France to the US, US back to France & then France to UK....
No import duty back then from France & the French didn't charge anything as the parts were just passing through.
Mate of mine imported all sorts of KZ1000-S1 & ELR stuff. I always knew when he was planning to visit as parts he ordered would start showing up at my house.
Before brexit the usual method was to fly from the UK to France, then France to the US, US back to France & then France to UK....
No import duty back then from France & the French didn't charge anything as the parts were just passing through.
Mate of mine imported all sorts of KZ1000-S1 & ELR stuff. I always knew when he was planning to visit as parts he ordered would start showing up at my house.