prairiepedaler

There is a bike out in Washington State of interest. I'd like some tips on how to save some coin on having it posted up here. Any input is welcomed. I heard that if an item is sent from the USA to Canada via FedEX and sent to an address which has a FedEX account, the rates are much cheaper.

WGB 

@prairiepedaler

1) Are you able to pick up in say, Pembina ND? LOTS cheaper shipping to a US address. A lot if us collect our gear in the US and drive it back as huge savings on driving through versus shipping direct. Maybe a BF member lives near there and could facilitate by allowing the bike to get dropped there for you.

2) If you prepay the seller and they prepay Fedex the duty, when you ship you save the "courtesy fee" (about $40 depending on the courier) that the couriers charge to collect the duty for you. Not a lot, but it helps. If shipper won't do that for you, take bill of sale to Canada Customs at the airport and pay duty there and then present receipt to the courier. USPS doesn't pre-collect duty so if Canada Customs determines there will be duty you'll get an invoice in the mail.

3) Check with bikeflights or shipbike and see if they are cheaper than Fedex. I'd check the USPS online calculator as well though a full bike is big.

4) I doubt that a bus company would work, but you can ship a canoe on some CN trains for $100 so check with the train company. Perhaps you could get the bike shipped to a facilitator in Vancouver and that person could drop it at the train station. There is a direct train from Seattle to Vancouver and Amtrak's website says:

Bicycles

Regular bicycles and unicycles may be shipped on Amtrak Express. Bikes must be securely packed in a box; you may bring your own box or purchase one at the station (call ahead for details and to make sure that boxes are available). Bicycles are generally exempt from Amtrak Express size requirements.

Amtrak boxes were $10 before Covid hit and they are (or were) huge. Loosen stem. Turn bars. Bike in box. Seal box. Ship

NoWhammies

WGB has some good suggestions. My suggestion is to ship to a US PO box near the Winnipeg border. Pick up the bike at the PO box and bring the bike across the border with you and pay whatever taxes/import duties that get assessed.

DangerousDanR

If you can't find one closer, PM me for an address in Fargo ND. I find it to be about a 3 hour drive, but if you come down here to shop anyway...

Dave Mayer

Whatever you do, do not let couriers (any) touch the bike; you'll be hit with a bunch of extortionist indefensible charges that will be multiples of actual cross-border duties, taxes and shipping costs. Before they'll deliver, you'll have to enter a bunch of personal information into a sketchy website. BTW: there is no provincial sales tax on bicycles or bike parts in BC. But the couriers will charge this coded as "Sales Tax". Try and dispute this.

prairiepedaler

Hello and thank you for all responders for your input.

The bike is in Bellingham, which is just across the border from British Columbia. It is almost a similar distance between Winnipeg and Pembina, more or less.

I would consider driving down to Pembina after setting up some sort of receiving account with a few of the maildrop and forwarding businesses which cater to Canadians. However, I'm not allowed to enter the USA. I considered using a liason agency border business like RunninRed. You can look at their pricing schedule here. By the time it is posted from Bellingham, exchange, duty, "handling" and associated surcharges, it begins to not be worth it (as Dave said). I have to work on it a bit more before writing the possibility off. I was going to make the seller an offer on the bike based upon how much raping my wallet has to undergo in the process of getting it here.

Leisesturm

Doesn't this all begin to beg the question as to 'why?' I think I want to know more about this bike and what makes it worth all the strategic hand wringing.

livedarklions

No.

Iride01 

From the title I thought this was something about preparing turkeys or chickens before roasting in the oven. If a steel bike, seems all the salt water would be detrimental to the frame.

But I guess I was wrong.

gulencocuk

I agree with the suggestions on having the bike shipped to a US PO that is closer to the border and taking it from there. WGB has made great suggestions

prairiepedaler

Hi Dave, do you know if there is B.C. sales tax on bicycles brought into B.C. from abroad or just purchased within the Province itself?