My experience - importing a used bike from the USA

**Beeza** · 23rd April 2009, 21:20

I'm still waiting. And the bills are still cranking up. At least they've on the correct side of the MAF holding pen now and the demurrage has ended, but Customs want "independent valuations" and photos and their other little mad peccadilloes...

Hopefully I'll take delivery within the next 48 hours, as long as I can raise the giant bux to pay for all the drama the Auckland Official Mind has scriptwritten just for me.

**mujambee** · 23rd April 2009, 22:02

Thanks for all this info.

Originally Posted by klingon

Interesting. My brother in law has just brought his Harley back from the USA. I have yet to see it and/or ask him how it all went, but I will be interested to hear the similarities and differences between your story and his.

Any news on this?

**Beeza** · 24th April 2009, 11:58

I've just learnt that I have to pay 12,5% NZ GST on the cost of the seafreight and insurance on my two Laverdas (i.e GST on the $4000 shipping costs) even though no Kiwi moved a single muscle in "services" until the day these bikes arrived in Auckland Harbour. It's "Section 12" of the GST law, apparently.

It's a ripoff.

And, at MAF, they're charging me an eye-watering $600 for the pleasure of "destroying" my two crates, which had some fungus or mould inside them after a six week sea voyage.

**Beeza** · 24th April 2009, 14:10

Well, as outlined above, MAF found some fungus/mould in the wooden crates my Laverdas were crated in, and they condemned them to instant destruction.

Guess what their fee was for burning up two wooden crates which had grown a wee bit of damp mould in a six week sea voyage?

$658. 00

That's what.

And that's not counting the extra $150 for having to get the two bikes steam-cleaned at MAF insistence.

So, $4000 in shipping fees plus another $3000 in assorted NZ duties, GST, customs fees, crate-burnings etc....

$7000 in overall charges for a shipment valued at barely half of that.

I won't repeat my folly any time soon.

**jafar** · 25th April 2009, 19:27

Originally Posted by Beeza

Well, as outlined above, MAF found some fungus/mould in the wooden crates my Laverdas were crated in, and they condemned them to instant destruction.

Guess what their fee was for burning up two wooden crates which had grown a wee bit of damp mould in a six week sea voyage?

$658. 00

That's what.

And that's not counting the extra $150 for having to get the two bikes steam-cleaned at MAF insistence.

So, $4000 in shipping fees plus another $3000 in assorted NZ duties, GST, customs fees, crate-burnings etc....

$7000 in overall charges for a shipment valued at barely half of that.

I won't repeat my folly any time soon.

Sounds excessive, but the mold is one you should have been told about, I used a metal crate to get my bike over & didn't have the problem.
$7k is a lot for a couple of laverda's

**Beeza** · 26th April 2009, 09:24

What miffs me even more than $650 for burning my two crates is the idea that I had to pay NZ GST on the foreign shipping paid for with foreign currency.

Goods and services should be what it says : when a New Zealander on NZ soil renders a service, I should pay NZ GST on that. When South African dockworkers load my consignment on to a Greek-registered ship and it is delivered to Auckland, no NZ service has been performed at all in the entire shipping process until that ship docks.

Yes, Kiwi workers in Auckland then offload my crates, and charge me an additional "port service" $900 fee (to which NZ GST is justifiably added) but no Kiwi worker lifted a single finger while my crates made their way from Durban to Mauritius, to Sydney and finally to Auckland. And I am rushed NZ GST on the WHOLE shipping cost!

Imagine if you were charged 12.5% GST on the postage charged for every overseas Christmas card you received. Would that seem right? When the sender paid postage in Euro, Pounds or US Dollars (whatever) it pays for delivery right to the recipient's door without the NZ tax-man climbing in for a 12.5% slice of the entire delivery charge. Doesn't happen to your Christmas cards, but it sure does happen to your imported bikes!

I've taken up this rort with my local MP (Chester Borrows, Nat.) and he agrees with me that this "Section 12" ruling is exactly that -- a rort. It needs to be changed asap. Let this be a heads-up to ALL prospective "home" importers!

**Phurrball** · 26th April 2009, 14:03

Beeza -

Sounds like you're getting the right run around!

Customs/MAF etc are government agencies. They are answerable to the official information and/or privacy acts - you are entitled to a breakdown of all the costs and the reasons for them. Make them justify every little bit. Get them to point to empowering policy/legislation.

It's not much, but it's one thing you can do. I probably wont change anything - I'm not sure if there is some sort of review procedure (someone here may know) - but you may feel a little better making them cough up some answers.

Have a look here for the legislation:

Official Information Act 1982

Privacy Act 1993

Quick tip - may be easier to download the PDF copies of the act (look at top of page)

Privacy act is only for information about an identifiable person (ie you).
OIA is any info about state agencies.

Be very specific about your requests. There are time lines for responding in the acts.

Hope that helps...

**vfxdog** · 27th April 2009, 03:41

Global shipping is way down because of the financial meltdown. I wonder if these small men with big hats over there in AKL have some kind of target they are supposed to reach in order to keep their jobs secure, and you have come along at just the right time.

Seems to me that the airport chappies are much more efficient. It's a crazy thought but maybe it would have been cheaper to fly the Laverdas in.

Originally Posted by Beeza

Well, as outlined above, MAF found some fungus/mould in the wooden crates my Laverdas were crated in, and they condemned them to instant destruction.

Guess what their fee was for burning up two wooden crates which had grown a wee bit of damp mould in a six week sea voyage?

$658. 00

That's what.

And that's not counting the extra $150 for having to get the two bikes steam-cleaned at MAF insistence.

So, $4000 in shipping fees plus another $3000 in assorted NZ duties, GST, customs fees, crate-burnings etc....

$7000 in overall charges for a shipment valued at barely half of that.

I won't repeat my folly any time soon.

**jafar** · 27th April 2009, 16:27

Yes, Kiwi workers in Auckland then offload my crates, and charge me an additional "port service" $900 fee (to which NZ GST is justifiably added)

$900.00 ? Fuck off thats a ripoff, you wouldn't pay that to devan an entire container .
Go find a customs broker in your area & get him to go through the bill with you, it won't take him long & the few $$ will be well worth it.

**Beeza** · 27th April 2009, 21:35

That $900 fee is precisely what a customs broker, Ian, attached to Apex International charged me for "port charges" although it includes eventual delivery to the lower North Island. But, of the whole $7000 fee for crating, paperwork and shipping these two big bikes, $3000 of that cost attaches itself AFTER the ship docked alongside in Auckland Port.

Exorbitant. Be warned.

**jafar** · 28th April 2009, 19:44

Originally Posted by Beeza

That $900 fee is precisely what a customs broker, Ian, attached to Apex International charged me for "port charges" although it includes eventual delivery to the lower North Island. But, of the whole $7000 fee for crating, paperwork and shipping these two big bikes, $3000 of that cost attaches itself AFTER the ship docked alongside in Auckland Port.

Exorbitant. Be warned.

That is for more than 'port charges ', has he included the crates & internal shipping in south africa. Additional storage etc ??

**YellowDog** · 28th April 2009, 20:23

Originally Posted by triple-bee

Good info, we have 5 to sell if and when we get there it looks like we will just sell here and rebuy in NZ

Look, I really cannot understand this nonsense. Like I have already said, I have imported 2 bikes to NZ. One old one (1999) in 2006 and then one new one in 2008. It was an absolute breeze on both occasions and I saved a fortune.

You will sell your 5 bikes for nothing in the UK and pay 40% more to re-buy them back in NZ. Like I said, I got 40% more for my bike and it was 4 years older than when I bought it. I saved a total of $5000 on the road inclusive of all charges importing my bike from LA. The only actual issue that I had was that my US model Triumph Tiger ABS version had never been imported into NZ. Apparently I have the only one

So I had to get the VIN decoded. This took 4 phone calls and a fax to sort out. B I G D E A L

You just need to do your homework. Get a professional valuation done before you come out. Make sure you clean the underside of the bike yourself before getting it professionally cleaned. Make sure you have a Kiwi agent who knows the system and has all of the documenation in place before hand.

Maybe it has changed now however if you are emmigrating and have appllied for PR, you don't have to pay the GST. If your bike is less than 5 years old, they ask you to sign a DOU which means that if you sell the bike within 12 month of it arriving in NZ, you will be liable for the GST.

If you go and see the Coventry Group here, they do compliance checks on hundreds of imported vehicles a week.

Don't leave it to chance. Study and learn the rules and then insist that everyone else does too.

**Road Warrior** · 29th April 2009, 01:53

Don't leave it to chance. Study and learn the rules and then insist that everyone else does too.

Well thats the key right there. Problem is when someone with power changes the rules...or adds rules..then what?
This is exactly what I will be trying to avoid. I am hoping that with moving a business that I can get someone in local gov to help with some assurances ahead of time.
When you are standing on the dock with your suitcase in one hand...and everything you have is still on the ship....you have no power..and they know it.

My risk will be much higher so I will be doing an extensive investigation for sure.
Gary

**Beeza** · 29th April 2009, 02:28

Crating, and internal railage to Durban wasn't worked into the shipping fee. I paid all that to a SA haulage company it it was merely a pittance.

That shipping fee commenced when the vessel left Durban harbour and ended in Auckland when the container with my bikes in it was craned off on to the pier.

If you are immigrating, and your bike(s) come in as part of your shipped-across pre-owned household chattels, you get a perfectly smooth and easy route in and absolutely no GST is payable on anything, unless the bike you're bringing in is less than 12 months old or not officially registered overseas in your name.

It's when you are already a permanent resident/citizen here and only then decide to bring in a bike from overseas that you collect major strife.