I'm doubting we'll have a clear picture of our emerging trade situation by Q3.

I doubt you'll have a clear picture for 4 years.

Well damn it. I guess the plan to arrange a work trip to Europe is back on.

Probably better for me that they hold off one more year...because I really want one...but shouldn't be buying a bike in the immediate future. LOL.

Buy one--fly to a Euro race like Challenge Roth. Bring an empty bike case. Make it a vacation, get a fit with your measurements sent over first. Do some riding for a week or two while sight seeing--race & then haul it back to the US. Kill multiple birds with one stone while killing your bank account. At least tyou will have your Canyon.

true that


but would you be able to get the VAT refunded?

I am seriously considering buying a canyon overseas and bringing back. Has anyone done this before? Would the VAT be refunded?

is this a delay? because i've asked them all along and they never promised anything sooner than this to me.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

It was originally announced for Spring 2017. Multiple reports / articles noted the date.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

holograham wrote:

I am seriously considering buying a canyon overseas and bringing back. Has anyone done this before? Would the VAT be refunded?

https://www.ricksteves.com/...ps/money/vat-refunds

I visit Europe frequently and I've never thought it worth the hassle. You have to hope there is a customs official at the airport willing to process it.

A friend of mine just did that last month . Ordered an Aeroad and the bike case online and had it delivered to an address in the UK. Picked it up while on a work trip. Slapped on some race stickers on the bike and case and flew back here in the US. I just don't know if the VAT was refunded.

Given that he was trying to avoid customs, I'm pretty sure he didn't ask for a VAT refund!

Help me understand what is so great about this bicycle that you would go to such lengths for it -- huge amount of hassle and money for an asset that you'll get little support for stateside and that will have a poor resale value domestically.

Is it because it's really hawt and you have money to burn? That I understand.

Or is it because Frodoucho rides it?

Since Canyon delivery for high demand models can a) take months and b) take months longer than they state, if you want to do this I would advise to have it ordered and delivered before traveling.

FWIW I love my Aeroad CF SLX, and with five wins on scratch I had a great season racing on it last year; however their aftermarket service/parts distribution sucks.

Timelines are approximate at best. Would personally not risk it. Been close to waiting for new models a couple of times and each time they appear to be delayed significantly. Great bikes though. No regrets when owning them.

It's usually a sub-1 minute process for our friends and family, especially from major retailers that pre-process everything in the system (at least in France). Basically you then bring the prepared VAT refund envelope to the airport and they give you money back. Usually not more than a person or two in line (at least at CDG).

VAT is required to be printed on all receipts, so it's usually quite easy to identify.

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My tiny little slice of the internets: dcrainmaker.com

I think because it'd hawt and people have money to burn.

I have a Canyon Aeroad. I had it shipped to a family member in the middle east who then shipped it to me. I was not charged VAT when purchased and got it delivered to the Middle East. The US Customs were going to charge me sales tax but for some reason the lady at customs was super nice and she was like "it's just a bicycle and you already paid so much!". Lucked out there!

I tend to agree with you....but i think it because they are fairly unique in North America that makes them more desirable.

I lived in the Netherlands for a number of years and purchased an Aeroad there. The bike was great but the service was shite! Frame was delayed time and time again, terrible communication. Having moved back to Australia, Canyon recently started shipping there and i really wanted a new SpeedMax but past experiences turned me off. I see the same thing happening with US deliveries.

Awesome! I don't usually do much shopping when I'm in Europe, but will keep it in mind for next trip

Just googled a good site:
http://www.eurovat.com/vat-questions.htm


My last trip to Europe I flew in/out of Geneva, but spent the entire time in France. Can't claim Euro VAT at a Swiss airport! Doh.


Next trip is to Germany in 2018. If I read correctly I should be able to get VAT refund on car rental and hotels! Will definitely try it.

Would canyon receipt show VAT? Also would there be issues because receipt will show delivery to a european address since they are a direct to consumer company. E.g. not walking into a store and purchasing one. That's where I am mainly confused on VAT. For instance the VAT on a Speedmax CF SLX 9.0 LTD would be $1783.51 dollars. So not a trivial sum. A VAT refund makes the shipping costs worth it.

Not sure on whether a Canyon receipt would show it, but it's pretty unusual for any EU receipt to not show it (aside from things like grocery stores and such). My guess is some European person here has ordered a Canyon and could dig up their receipt to see if it shows it.

I'd be less concerned about a delivery address, since VAT claims are generally more tied to residency than anything else. In turn, if you're showing up with a US passport at the VAT office, they've pretty much never care (again, my experiences primarily in France). Ultimately, as long as your plane ticket shows you leaving Europe, and you've got something that looks vaguely non-European as ID, they're happy. For the most part, the folks working the counter see hundreds/thousands of people per day, and their level of care tends to be exceedingly low.

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My tiny little slice of the internets: dcrainmaker.com

So, just OOC, does anyone know roughly what the difference is between VAT and duty coming into the US?

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

For expensive bikes -- then any European resident could get their VAT refunded by having a US friend bring it back through customs. A pain for sure but for expensive items (e.g high end bikes) it would be well worth it. 1700 bucks easily pays for international flight bike costs + hassle.