Import Helmet via USPS ...charges

[mania]

Just wondering but

Has anyone had a family member send a helmet from the USA?

Were you hit with customs charges & if so how much? % wise

Recently in the US saw a helmet I liked but they did not have the color I wanted

& I was leaving the next day.

So I was thinking of ordering one online & sending it to my daughter there & have her ship it to me.

IF she writes gift as value will it likely go thru or still be subject to import charges?

I have had mixed luck on smaller things all via USPS priority air which is what this will also go via

But Helmets are not small boxes so I wanted to know at worst what to expect import tax wise if hit?

Thanks for any info given

[RubberSideDown]

On a helmet you'll most likely get hit for 35-40% regardless of whether it's marked as a gift- what you can do is put a lower declared value on the customs label and make sure your daughter doesn't include the original invoice inside the package- the only potential drawback is that this limits your insurance coverage if it gets lost as the declared value is the max you can claim (though this has never stopped me from doing it).

[dave_boo]

I just imported two helmets, jacket/pants/gloves, some electronics and some Givi accessories from Revzilla and they stung me 30% all in using USPS.

I've brought stuff in from a personal purchase and have had it go both ways. I think if it's insured, even though it's marked as a 'gift' it still gets dinged. At least that's what I've noticed.

[moe666]

I think they have really started looking closer at every thing that comes in as tax collections down with all of the tax cuts the former government created. Probably at one time marked as a gift right thru now no way

[brfsa2]

Just ask her to put a much lower but still reasonable price.

for example, if the helmet actual value is $400, you can put something like $149. you will pay about $45 which will make them happy enough.

Customs might open it and check it, but usually they will not give you a problem, they have no idea about helmet prices..

of course, there are limits such as to buy an iPhone 5S and have it valued $59.

[mania]

Thanks folks

Kind of what i was thinking too

Really was bummed I could not find one & carry it back with me to avoid all of this

But that is how it goes sometimes.

Thanks for the tips though & if I go ahead will

have my daughter put a low value on it & also try "NCV" ( no commercial value gift )

on the form but still insure for $150 or so

[ATF]

On a helmet you'll most likely get hit for 35-40% regardless of whether it's marked as a gift- what you can do is put a lower declared value on the customs label and make sure your daughter doesn't include the original invoice inside the package- the only potential drawback is that this limits your insurance coverage if it gets lost as the declared value is the max you can claim (though this has never stopped me from doing it).

RSD is correct GIFT value $25.00 you'll pay less than 1000 Baht. Some Ebayers will do this for you but Sport Bike Track Gear will ship to your daughter for free and they have a great helmet selection. Send USPS Priority or Express both have online tracking, can't get lost.

[brfsa2]

Mind asking what kind of helmet you want to buy that you cannot get in Thailand (or Bangkok) ?

I was planing to purchase an Icon helmet from Revzilla, but after I found out there is shop selling it here, and they can ship nation-wide by ems, I totally gave up.

It would cost much more to pay the taxes and shipping. most serious Ebay stores will label it with the actual value.

in your case, your relative can ship to you, but you will still have to pay at least $100 in Shipping + lower Tax.

I just bought a Shark Speed-R which is made in Thailand but excellent quality. I got mine discounted at 9,000 THB. The same helmet sold at Revzilla costs $399 (almost 13,000 THB)

[mania]

Mind asking what kind of helmet you want to buy that you cannot get in Thailand (or Bangkok) ?

Scorpion EXO R2000

Not available in Thailand

I had been very curious about this helmet seeing 17 MotoGP riders wearing it now

When I was in the US I finally got to try one & was really very impressed with features,

quality,fit & air venting etc.

I want the Dispatch color scheme

Saw the matte black which was also quite nice but not for me.

http://www.scorpionusa.com/

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/scorpion-exo-r2000-dispatch-helmet

PS: Yes on Shark they do make a nice helmet too.

Tried their top of the line carbon helmet today here in Chiang Mai

Nice helmet

Edited April 26, 2014 by mania

[cornishcarlos]

I also just realised that sometimes things are just as cheap, if not cheaper here. (when you can find them)

Was thinking about a Carberg Duke.. 144 UK pounds but in BKK still only 8000 baht Might as well buy here and can try before I buy..

[ATF]

Mind asking what kind of helmet you want to buy that you cannot get in Thailand (or Bangkok) ?

Scorpion EXO R2000

Not available in Thailand

I had been very curious about this helmet seeing 17 MotoGP riders wearing it now

When I was in the US I finally got to try one & was really very impressed with features,

quality,fit & air venting etc.

I want the Dispatch color scheme

Saw the matte black which was also quite nice but not for me.

http://www.scorpionusa.com/

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/scorpion-exo-r2000-dispatch-helmet

PS: Yes on Shark they do make a nice helmet too.

Tried their top of the line carbon helmet today here in Chiang Mai

Nice helmet

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/StoreFront.bok They've got all the Scorpions too.

[mania]

They've got all the Scorpions too.

Thanks ATF

Yes that is a good store too.

Will probably be using Revzilla only because they have a free shipping special to

my home state which is rare in the US

Edited April 26, 2014 by mania

[mania]

BTW: This was a long review but very good & what originally piqued my interest

(Yes that air pump deal is just a sticker they did not take off )

Edited April 26, 2014 by mania

[ATF]

They've got all the Scorpions too.

Thanks ATF

Yes that is a good store too.

Will probably be using Revzilla only because they have a free shipping special to

my home state which is rare in the US

Shipping is free over $40.00 If you are looking for boots Alpinestars are made in Thailand now. Paddock in Bangkok sells them cheaper than the US.

[ll2]

Nowadays customs are careful. They charge tax for everything.

Also what I heard, customs guys sometime check the price of an item through internet if they are suspicious about the stated value.

So better state a reasonable value.

[YipYipYa123]

Just wondering but

Has anyone had a family member send a helmet from the USA?

Were you hit with customs charges & if so how much? % wise

Recently in the US saw a helmet I liked but they did not have the color I wanted

& I was leaving the next day.

So I was thinking of ordering one online & sending it to my daughter there & have her ship it to me.

IF she writes gift as value will it likely go thru or still be subject to import charges?

I have had mixed luck on smaller things all via USPS priority air which is what this will also go via

But Helmets are not small boxes so I wanted to know at worst what to expect import tax wise if hit?

Thanks for any info given

Ime Singapore or Japan gets past customs

A lot easier than USA or European countries

Of course, don't have a farang name on the box if possible

If the retailer agrees email him game and address in Thai and stick that to the box + low value declared = win

(but tit so something that might work fine on Monday may be completely unacceptable on Tuesday lol)

The luck of the draw I guess...

[mania]

Ime Singapore or Japan gets past customs

A lot easier than USA or European countries

Of course, don't have a farang name on the box if possible

If the retailer agrees email him game and address in Thai and stick that to the box + low value declared = win

(but tit so something that might work fine on Monday may be completely unacceptable on Tuesday lol)

The luck of the draw I guess...

Thanks that is a very good tip about Thai Script Name

If I go ahead I will email shipping label to my daughter

[RubberSideDown]

Retailers generally won't agree to put a lower declared value on an item as if it gets lost it's their responsibility to file a claim, and the declared value is their limit regardless of the actual value.

Occasionally one will do it, but usually they refuse- I have one retailer in the US who will do it for me, but we've been doing business for over a decade and know each other personally.

Motorcycle helmets are an item that the Thai post office sees very often, and it's unlikely one will slip through untaxed regardless of its country-of-origin.

[YipYipYa123]

A farang name on the box in English =100% customs attention

Print your name and address in Thai and most items will skip through if the retailer agrees (it's a smsll risk for him too since if you took the item (stole it) he would have a much harder time in proving it was delivered etc if the address was in Thai but most shops will work with you to get the sale... Let us know what happened if you have time

... Best of luck

[mania]

In my case it will be a re-ship done by my Daughter if I go ahead.

So I can have it labeled anyway with any value I choose.

In the past I have used NCV or no commercial value & never had problems but

none of those things were a large box like a helmet

One time with fork springs sent USPS direct from Manufacturer with actual declared

value stated...I was charged right around 40%

tax

Another time my EFI controller also sent by manufacturer & declared costs was 3x higher than fork springs

sailed thru no tax at all. So it could be down to box size/ luck of the draw.

Edited April 27, 2014 by mania

[RubberSideDown]

I looked at some discontinued RF-1100 (the new RF-1200 has been out for a while) helmets at the Paddock display at Terminal 21 on Friday- they were going for ~USD$500, when in the US they're in the $300 range- helmet prices are just stupid here here if you want a Shoei or Arai- I would imagine it would be the same with Scorpion.

[ll2]

I looked at some discontinued RF-1100 (the new RF-1200 has been out for a while) helmets at the Paddock display at Terminal 21 on Friday- they were going for ~USD$500, when in the US they're in the $300 range- helmet prices are just stupid here here if you want a Shoei or Arai- I would imagine it would be the same with Scorpion.

And also they don't have all the models and sizes on stock most of the time. But some accessories are cheaper in Thailand than big online seller especially like jackets, boots, gloves, suits etc. But yeah helmet prices are expensive in Thailand especially Shoei as you said.

Was at terminal 21 yesterday and paddock has discount on some shoei x12 models - 500 usd. Not bad for here.

Wonder if there will be an x13 soon. I need a new helmet!

[RubberSideDown]

^

If they'd had an RS Taichi leather jacket in 54 (their biggest was 52) I probably would have bought it, though.

[Suradit69]

Just ask her to put a much lower but still reasonable price.

for example, if the helmet actual value is $400, you can put something like $149. you will pay about $45 which will make them happy enough.

Customs might open it and check it, but usually they will not give you a problem, they have no idea about helmet prices..

of course, there are limits such as to buy an iPhone 5S and have it valued $59.

"they have no idea about helmet prices.."

They have a very good idea of the value of things sent from other countries. It's not rocket science and these days finding average retail prices for something they may be uncertain about isn't that difficult. The Internet is not unknown to them.

Although some people may think themselves clever by labeling something as a "gift" or writing down a value at 1/3 of its cost, that's not exactly a secret tactic that will intellectually overwhelm them. It's pretty much standard operating procedure to be expected from anyone sending a parcel.

[mania]

Although some people may think themselves clever by labeling something as a "gift" or writing down a value at 1/3 of its cost, that's not exactly a secret tactic that will intellectually overwhelm them. It's pretty much standard operating procedure to be expected from anyone sending a parcel.

Heheh dont pop an artery over it

Was just a suggestion I was making for myself alone.

Did not think it extremely clever or anything else your over thinking into it.

Of course if coming from a business it is what it is & I have paid taxes

in the past as I said.

But since it is coming from my daughter I thought I would write gift on it & maybe get lucky.

Not as big or clever a scheme as you seem to think.

Of course I do wish I had just been able to hand carry it back with me last week. In which case there is no taxes???

But they were out of stock......Makes one wonder a bit but then again easier to say TIT

Edited April 27, 2014 by mania

[RubberSideDown]

^

I've twice had the experience of watching them open my boxes at the customs house (where taxes are assessed before going to the post office) and they were incredibly clueless.

In the first case they had no idea how to tax my one-piece suit and asked me what I thought- I said I guess it would be the same as a jacket- I had made sure there was no dealer invoice, and they asked me how much it was, and I said $250 (it was closer to $1000) and they taxed me about 2K.

In the second case there was a total cluster-<deleted> regarding a huge accessories shipment (which included a full exhaust system)- after my wife finished yelling at them, they charged me 3K on an order worth about $3000- that was a good day.

Bottom line is they're not nearly as ready to assess proper value as they easily could be.

[mania]

I looked at some discontinued RF-1100 (the new RF-1200 has been out for a while) helmets at the Paddock display at Terminal 21 on Friday- they were going for ~USD$500, when in the US they're in the $300 range- helmet prices are just stupid here here if you want a Shoei or Arai- I would imagine it would be the same with Scorpion.

I do not know this shop on FB but they do come up from time to time

via another feed I have

They seem to have sales on Shoei, Nolan, Arai etc.

https://www.facebook.com/tchelmet

[brfsa2]

Mania, Im also a big fan of Scorpion. I have the Scorpion Recruit full leather jacket, and also a Scorpion leather gloves.

They are not expensive and the quality is great.

I was also very interested on the Scorpion R2000, but after I tried myself a Shark helmet, I felt it fitted quite well, I gave up on getting a Scorpion helmet. Besides that I paid 4000 baht in Taxes on my Leather Jacket, so I was scared to pay taxes on the helmet.

(I paid no taxes on my gloves, they were labeled $70)

I also found that Nolan fits really well on my head.

Edited April 27, 2014 by brfsa2

[ATF]

I do not know this shop on FB but they do come up from time to time

via another feed I have

They seem to have sales on Shoei, Nolan, Arai etc.

https://www.facebook.com/tchelmet

Maybe he's importing from Japan and getting a good exchange rate or they are Chinese copies. Who knows? They are not the latest designs and are on closeout in the US. I would only buy from a real shop. Any professional rider would only use Arai, Agv, Bell or Shoei unless they were being sponsored. Tiger woods always used a Titleist golf ball with a Nike stamp on it.

I know a few people who bought all sorts of parts cheap only to find out they were fakes.

[Wong!]

I'd like to see a western postal sorting office deal with a package only labelled in Thai script

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