ClarkinHawaii

I just stumbled onto this online dealer and almost lost my teeth when I saw how cheap their prices are.

I was pricing quality Shimano parts and thought the best deals were from Jenson, but crc are about half of Jenson's prices.

Since it seems too good to be true, I'm looking for the catch. Googling for reviews finds the usual mix--most say ok dealer and a couple of "Be warned--don't buy from these jerks"--about the same as all the legitimate dealers.

I'm wondering if anybody has had a recent buying experience with them that they would care to share.

Also, very important, I'm wondering if we have to pay duty/import tax since this outfit is in the British Isles (Northern Ireland, I believe, although their website seems to be in the Irish Republic).

Since I don't have a car and live in the sticks, I don't want to find out that I have to go pick my stuff up at some customshouse down in Honolulu!

Please help if you can--Thanks!

Also--this is not a "shill" thread--I'm not on their payroll or something!!

10 Wheels

Call um:


Sometimes it’s good to talk! The CRC team are on hand from 9.00am to 5.30pm (GMT) Mon - Fri to help you with your purchases.

TEL +44 (0)28 9335 2976
FAX +44 (0)28 9332 4868

joejack951

I've purchased several items through CRC and never had a problem. If you click the "USA" pricing link, the prices shown are the prices you'll pay. VAT only applies to purchases shipped to EU countries (AFAIK).

canopus 

The catch is the shipping (they are a UK retailer), but not bad overall if purchasing a couple of items from 150 to 200 or so, one item isn't worth it. It is really nice if you can spend 240/250 and get the free shipping from them. I use them whenever I can muster a large purchase (usually my rims and tires, maybe some brooks stuff). Shipping is quite fast, I have received my stuff from them in a week or less. One problem i have right now is they are out of stock of alot of the stuff I wanted, so I did a price match with another online site and got close to the same deals. No duty charges. USPS to my door but am on the mainland, not sure about Hawaii. You can go through the order and setup the account and everything and see what the shipping would cost you if anything, before giving them a cc.

FBinNY 

I can't speak for the seller, but i can about customs duties. I import lots of stuff from all over (not necessarily bike parts). Technically you're responsible to pay duties on everything you import from overseas, with some exceptions like for travelers and gifts. Whether you actually pay is a different story.

If packages are shipped by mail, they USPS supposed to advance the duty, and deliver it your door postage due for that amount. It's kind of hit and miss, I've had many packages delivered without added charges, many delivered with about the right duty added, and some delivered with outlandishly too much duty, but nothing I could do about it as a practical matter. Overall, the odds are in your favor that you'll pay little or no duty.

For packages shipped via common carrier - UPS, Fedex and others - it's a bit more expensive. These folks assign a broker for a fee in the $25-35 range, and are pretty diligent about collecting duties (they risk big fines if too much slides by). Check with the seller to see who is responsible for the brokerage fees, and factor them into your cost estimate.

In any case, whether by USPS, or common carrier the package will be delivered to your door, and you shouldn't have to pick it up.

DaveSSS 

Depending on what you are buying, Ribble or Shiny Bikes may be even cheaper. They charge a lot more for Campy parts.

Duties are kind of a crap shoot. Quite often, the seller does not adequately describe the package contents. One customs guy may impose a 4-10% duty and the next one won't. Some items should never be charged a duty like tires, chains and shifters. Saddles have a duty charge and so do wheels and frames. Sometimes they get through and sometimes not. I've only been charged a duty once and it was not justified. UPS dropped off the package and later sent me a bill for $15 in duties. I wrote them a letter documenting the item's duty free status and refused to pay it.

The real pain is getting charged a large duty and then having to challenge it to get some or all of your money back. Avoid places that ship by UPS. Their point of entry seems to charge duties more often.

Some shippers transfer the package to the USPS. In that case, you'll pay any duty before they hand over the package.

dabac

I've bought from them a couple of times, never had any issues. I'll buy more from them w/o hesitation. Don't know about customs for US shipments though.

10 Wheels

I just looked at $10 tire.
They want $16 to ship it.

DaveSSS 

It's not practical to buy one inexpensive item from a UK seller and not from most US online stores either. The last time I bought tires, I bought 16 tires that would cost $50 each from the US and paid only $23 each. Shipping was probably $20.

Ribble has recently changed their shipping rate. They used to charge 20 GBP (about $30) as a flate rate, so fairly large orders were a must.

ClarkinHawaii

I just got a reply from them regarding import duties to USA. It was standard "FU, we don't know jack, you're on your own" stuff, made to sound helpful without being helpful.

Thanks for all the fast responses here, folks--you're GREAT!!!!!!

Mike T.

I've dealt with them lots over the past 2 years or so and they're great. On much of their stuff I can't find better prices anywhere. For me, everything that their site says is in stock has been in stock and all orders have been correct.

I'm in Canada and the orders arrive within a week of shipping. Sometimes the mail guy nips me for taxes and the $5 post office brokerage fee. There is no Duty payable for bike parts coming into Canada. That may or may not be the case for your country though. Your local Customs office will give you the info. We have to pay sales taxes on shipments though (GST & PST = $13). But, sometimes the package sneaks through with no charges. All packages come to my door, but if I'm not home I have to pick 'em up later at the PO. That happened today and I have to make a trip to the PO.

In all, CRC is my fave mailorder place and better than anywhere in the USA, which is where all my other bike parts came from for 30+ years - until I found CRC.

operator

For shimano parts you may also want to look into probikekit - free shipping on all orders. I can and have ordered single tyres through them. Or a chain worth $8, on a single order.

JohnDThompson 

I've never bought from them, but I suspectat least part of the low price is the current weakness of the pound sterling relative to the dollar.

tdot

I just bought an XT crank , cassette, chain and some other stuff from them to bring the total to over $250 CDN to get free shipping. Their price for the crank was the lowest I could find including Nashbar and Pricepoint. I got lucky this time and didn't have to pay duty or the Canadian GST 13% tax. It took less than a week to get here from Northern Ireland.

electrik

Use the royal post option(no choice if you picked the free shipment), saves on brokerage.

GBP is way down to CAD, so... that plus they're pretty cheap for shimano stuff. I missed the sale on those shimano winter goretex shoes... 50% off what they go for here.

I found them by accident when looking for magura hydro rim brake parts.

ClarkinHawaii

Thanks, guys--I'm convinced

Mike T.

I just got another Chain Reaction order a few minutes ago - 9 days from when I ordered. Ireland to Canada. Handlebar, cassette, Ritchey Torque key - $160 canadian. The PO person didn't ask for taxes or the $5 PO fee. Perfect service - as usual.

Chris_W

I live in Switzerland, and use CRC all the time. Switzerland is not part of the EU, so CRC removes the British sales tax and I pay import fees and local sales taxes to the Swiss delivery agents. They ship it for free above 100 UKP and the import fees work out to be fine as long as I'm buying at least that much. There are no discount online Swiss dealers, so this is the main store for me and all my friends. Whenever possible, we all put in an order together so that we can split the flat fees. I've therefore made several very large orders (at least 20 individual parts and at least 500 UK pounds). They have always been very fast and very accurate with the order. They are great. You're correct, they are based in Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK), but their web hosting may be in the Republic of Ireland.

Fidelista

Wiggle.co.uk has a lower threshold for free shipping and prices are close to ChainReaction's. Service and delivery time much the same.

zoro

"I just looked at $10 tire.
They want $16 to ship it."


Yes... admirable thinking here...

ClarkinHawaii

Does anybody know what they call a kickstand in Britain? Or that round disk plastic thing that sissies use on their rear wheels--"spoke protector".
With all the stuff crc carries, I can't believe they don't have these items--but search comes up blank. Of course search for "crankset" also came up blank--chainset is their term. So Kickstand and spoke protector? Thanks

Chris_W

If you type "kickstand" into the CRC's search function then you get six hits, or you can click on the "Frame Spares" category on the left-hand side of the site. Dork disc is one common name for what you call a spoke protector, but I didn't find any using a few search terms or by looking in the "Wheel Spares" category. You may have to go to your LBS for that.

ClarkinHawaii

You are absolutely correct--it must have been "out of order" last night . . . thanks!