Carrying bike from abroad

[Siddarth]

Hello Cycling junta

I am contemplating getting a cycle from abroad.

I'm gonna be carrying it with me (in a box).

Has nybody tried to get it?

If yes, how does the customs at blr airport react?

Thanks in advance!

[Anil Kadsur]

yes they do react according to their own wishes (i know cases some of them not been charged and some are) feel need to take a chance and it is difficult to predict.

anil s kadsur

http://kadsur.blogspot.in/

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[Ramkumar K R]

If you are able to convince that the total value you are carrying is well within 35k you probably can get away.
carried a bike frame couple of weeks back, I was stopped and asked me to run the box in scanner and they let me go after hearing the price of the box. As Anil said you should try your luck.

Post back your experience!

-Ramkumar

[santosh kumar]

Problem is they compare the value of the shipment with of the product equivalent available locally MRP. MRP is supposed to already include all taxes. But if you try to explain, the only thing that happens is, they talk about seizing the stuff... happened with me when I shipped a TV.

Cheers
Santosh

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[Ramkumar K R]

TVs have larger duties now and get a lot of attention. Looking at my box they asked me if that is an LCD TV. After running through the scanner they let me go. The only thing they wanted to check is the overall cost and whether I was carrying any electronics such as tablets, laptops (one laptop was allowed).

Bikes should be ideally OK unless they are in a bad mood and it is your back luck :)

On Thursday, February 13, 2014 4:17:55 PM UTC+5:30, Siddarth wrote:

[Sabarish Balagopal]

I had a friend who told me he got a bike ( not a new one) with him from US and when the customs asked for duty he kept saying that this is a used bike and he is going to use it here for the short visit and return it with him, they let him pass without any duty. Could work if the package does not look brand new and company sealed :) Again as everyone else said, depending on the officers mood !!

Regards,
Sabarish 

[Ashok Kumar S]

Why do you guys want to evade what has to be legally paid? If duty has to be paid as per existing laws, why not pay it and bring it?

regards,
Ashok

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[Siddarth]

Ok. My experience.

The customs handler saw me carrying a large box and hence asked me to go to the red channel. The customs officer there was all smiles and looked at the large box.

He asked me - How many inches is the TV?

Me: Sir, this is not a tv. It is a cycle.

<The officer's jaw drops>

CO: Why do u get cycles from abroad? What is special about this?

Me : Sir, nothing special. I bought it in Oz and used it there for commuting. Now I am carrying it back so that I can use it here also.

CO: Oh ok. What is special? Gears?

Me: Sir, it has 21 gears.

CO: 21. Oh. it has more gears than motor bike!

Me : <No response>

CO: How many $$ is the bike?

Me: Sir 500 $$

CO : oh. so 32000.

Me: No sir, AUD and not USD.

CO: Oh, so it is 26 k.

Me: Ye sir. In fact when i travel back, i will carry it again and then when i come back, we'll meet again, with the same box.

CO: <Laughs> . Ok. OK. U can proceed.

Me: Thanks Sir.

All in all, a pretty smooth transaction. Also, the law states that I can carry one bicycle into the country as long as i used it. 

Now to try the second time :)

[crg]

On Friday, February 21, 2014 10:55:01 AM UTC+5:30, Siddarth wrote:

... the law states that I can carry one bicycle into the country as long as i used it. 

Where does it say that? Useful if you can provide a reference. 

[Siddarth]

http://mumbaicustoms3.gov.in/htmldocs/tourists.htm

Search for cycle. I confirmed the same with the customs officer on duty as well. He said as long as it is under 25k it should be fine.

[Ashok Kumar S]

I think that's a wrong place. It is for tourists coming to India and not going to stay here for more than 6 months. They will carry it back when they go back. We are not in that category. Quoting from that page:

A tourist is a passenger (either an Indian or a Foreign Passport holder)

a) who is not normally a resident in India; b) who enters India for a stay of not more than six months in the course of any twelve months period for legitimate non-immigrant purposes, such as : touring, recreation, sports, health, family reasons, study, religious pilgrimage, or business.

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[Joseph Goerge]

Hmm… but a returning resident is not a tourist. That is generally someone without an Indian passport. I agree on the Rs 25,000 limit - that is our usual duty free allowance. If you have receipts to prove your claim on the price of the bike, you should be fine. Then again, customs officers have a wide leeway in determining the price of what you bring in. They can consider the total landed cost - the cost of the item abroad, plus shipping and what else. In short, as long as you are within your duty free allowance, you can safely walk through the green channel. But anything else is not 100%  guaranteed customs harassment free. :-)

[siddarth dudheria]

Since I keep shuttling and always have a valid visa it works for me. Also, the co on duty said it was ok as long as it was under 25k

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[Ashok Kumar S]

If the bike cost less than 25k, then that must be the reason you could take it through. Even having multiple valid VISAs won't make you a tourist to India(though it makes you a frequent traveller or whatever) as long as you reside in India and hold an India passport, I guess. Okay let's leave it. Going by the rules, you are importing something, you need to pay the duty as per the rules if they come in the dutiable bracket.

regards,
Ashok

[siddarth dudheria]

25k is the over riding rule for anybody.

[Shankar Shastry]

And not surprisingly, a 25k bike is generally not worth all this trouble unless its something you cannot get in India at all or is a mind blowingly awesome deal compared to what you would spend in India. Most of us forget this simple fact for the sake of a bit of novelty :)

[crg]

I believe the duty-free exemption is 35k now.

[deepakvrao]

I personally feel we get looted for everything by the politicians here, and will evade as far as possible.

Have brought back at least 4 bikes, and never been questioned much.

Funnily, when we take bikes out of the country for a tour, and bring them back, legally with an export cert, we get questioned more.

On Friday, 21 February 2014 10:41:38 UTC+5:30, Ashok Kumar S wrote:

[Ashok Kumar S]

I always take export certificate for the stuff I carry while going and they happily collect the certificate back and allow me to go smoothly when I come back. Of course I write the serial numbers of the items I carry. Most of the times my travels will be with multiple laptops and other electronic items related to my work.  

Thanks and regards,

Ashok. 

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