Parts directly from Taiwan?

[unnamed]

I'm looking to get some TRP disc brakes from FLeebay Taiwan, they're about half the UK price.
Am i gonna have to pay customs fees? Are they fakes?
Anyone been down this route before?
CHeers!

[mattsccm]

I have never been stung for fees. I suspect, may be wrong, that its not worth anyone's time and effort.
Copies. Now how can you tell? Possibly made in the same factory as the "originals" .
Wouldn't worry anyway. Its a lump of steel and even "good" ones can be warped a touch from new.

[PH]

You're liable for import duty at I think 4.7% on everything inc postage, then 20% VAT on top of that, then the company delivering can charge for collecting and administration, which is usually around £8. How often this is collected I have no idea, my experience is that it does happen but not very often.
As for counterfeit goods, there's a risk when you buy from just about anywhere, though some outlets are more likely than others.

[PH]

Copies. Now how can you tell? Possibly made in the same factory as the "originals" .
Wouldn't worry anyway. Its a lump of steel and even "good" ones can be warped a touch from new.

I assumed they meant the calipers rather than the rotor, there's a fair bit I would want to be well made.

[philvantwo]

What happens if you need to send them back?

[unnamed]

What happens if you need to send them back?

I'm prepared to take that risk.

[rmurphy195]

An interesting question in the context of this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=118491

[AndyK]

If they cost less than £135 (including P&P and any delivery insurance) then there's no duty payable, so it's just the VAT and any admin fee levied by the delivery firm. (No VAT either if they're worth less than £15, but I'm guessing they're not that cheap.)
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad

[PH]

If they cost less than £135 (including P&P and any delivery insurance) then there's no duty payable,

That's useful to know

[Ivor Tingting]

If they cost less than £135 (including P&P and any delivery insurance) then there's no duty payable,

That's useful to know

You are Philip Hammond

[Tiberius]

I bought a pair of Avid BB7s off ebay from a Chinese seller.

I paid exactly what I was charged by ebay, not a penny more.

I'm not sure if they were fakes but I didn't like them one bit....a pair of Shimano XT full hydros from Chain Reaction soon fixed that...

The Chinese Avids are now hanging off a hook in the garage.....they might come in.......just in case......etc etc.......

[rmurphy195]

Just seen the Panorama program re VAT fraud by foreign sellers on Amazon and Ebay. Thought-provoking, I have a relative who tried to run an internet sales business and was being undercut.