Cycling UK Forum

I think I've missed my chance.

Just been onto the site and several key run of the mill components (chains, cassettes) etc I would have bought from my wish list are now showing availability in 4 or even 16 weeks - ie they don't even have them in stock.

some things have also shot up in price as well (notably a nice 9 speed cassette I got from them in January for £11.50) though that could be due to the global covid hell.

Fingers crossed something gets sorted in the new year (possibly a vain hope) as apart from the prices Rose was always good for stuff many UK retailers didn't sell.

UK rules are changing from January

HMRC wrote:The new arrangements will also involve the abolition of Low Value Consignment Relief, which relieves import VAT on consignments of goods valued at £15 or less.

....

For goods sent from overseas and sold directly to UK consumers without OMP involvement, the overseas seller will be required to register and account for the VAT to HMRC. (HMRC link)

The below £15 limit is being abolished.

Some overseas sellers have decided it is no longer worth their while & will no longer sell to the UK. Those that sell directly will have to be UK VAT registered & collect the VAT. Online marketplaces (eBay, Amazon, etc) will be responsible for collecting & paying the VAT to HMRC.

My understanding is that Rose stopped selling to the UK altogether earlier this year, including compnents. I may be wrong but recall having an email from to that effect when I ordered a load of spokes.
Maybe someone has more up to date info.

I thought they had stopped shipping bikes - as I received an e-mail from them: components are still fine.

Rose are still selling bike parts, subject to availability, but have stopped selling bikes to the UK.

Everyone is experiencing shortages of bikes and bike parts.
Basically, everything is ordered a year or 18 months in advance from the far east, and arrives in shipping containers on the slow boat. If demand is significantly higher than forecast, as has been the case, stocks run out, and getting more takes a fair time, and even longer if everyone else is trying to put in extra orders too.

Rose say that bikes is due to the UK right-front brake requirement. There would be a fair amount of extra work involved in swapping the brakes over, especially for hydraulic, and they've obviously decided it's not worth while. Maybe right-front hydraulic brakes are one of the things out of stock, and bike supply will return post-Covid, maybe not.

How about some time next year you travel to Germany, buy a nice utility/touring/expedition bike less tax, as you are from over seas, ride your new bike around Europe on a tour returning to the UK just before your 3 months visa free stay is up?

Isn't all of this an argument for (preferably) supporting your LBS or at least a UK online retailer?

Billy007 wrote:How about some time next year you travel to Germany, buy a nice utility/touring/expedition bike less tax, as you are from over seas, ride your new bike around Europe on a tour returning to the UK just before your 3 months visa free stay is up?

You'd still legally owe VAT and Import Duty on it.

The front brake would sill be on the L/H lever, although you might have got used to that after a few months use.

st599_uk wrote:

Billy007 wrote:How about some time next year you travel to Germany, buy a nice utility/touring/expedition bike less tax, as you are from over seas, ride your new bike around Europe on a tour returning to the UK just before your 3 months visa free stay is up?

You'd still legally owe VAT and Import Duty on it.

If doing this becomes popular or it is a big tax saving, then cyclists can expect checks on their bikes when they return to the UK. This is already fairly common when flying in from long haul destinations.

I now carry a copy of my purchase receipt with me when travelling overseas.

NickWi wrote:Isn't all of this an argument for (preferably) supporting your LBS or at least a UK online retailer?

Most online UK sellers and bike shops don't stock the stuff I need.

It is with some sadness that I got this notification earlier today from Rose Bikes:

Dear Customer,

due to the Brexit and the withdrawal from the EU domestic market without an Free Trade Agreement from the 01.01.2021, we can no longer fullfill any orders from the UK. Already ordered goods, that can be shiped until 20.12.2020 will be send out. Orders that can not be shipped until this date will be cancelled.
If your goods can not be shipped, our customer support will contact you via E-Mail. Unfortunately we feel compelled to not fulfill UK orders currently, we hopte to be able to ship to our UK customers soon again. Thank you very much for understanding and for your loyalty and support.

But fortunately my recent order has just been dispatched so hopefully I get my stuff before all trade temporarily ceases with the EU.

That is a blow. I'm in the same position as Billy; my recent order was en route with the carriers on 18 Dec.

******** Brexit.

"Taking back control of our orders"?

Jonathan

Bike Radar was offering a different explanation back in September?

German retailer Rose Bikes will no longer sell bikes to the UK market due to changes in internal assembly processes that mean it is not feasible to set bikes up with the front brake on the right, as required by law in the UK.

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/rose-bik ... ilable-uk/