Traveling Detroit to Cozumel for IM, airline rates are horrible, does anyone have experience with LUGGAGE FORWARD, UPS, other ???
Traveling Detroit to Cozumel for IM, airline rates are horrible, does anyone have experience with LUGGAGE FORWARD, UPS, other ???
Don’t even try it. If you send your bike by UPS, FEDEX or by a similar carrier to Mexico your bike will be either be heavily taxed, returned to its origin or in the worst scenario confiscated. Check a past post on ST regarding airline fees and chose the best one.
If this was possible, many persons would do it that way to import expensive bikes into the country without paying taxes.
I have never been bothered when **personally **carrying a bike (or bikes) across the Mexican border by car or plane (and I have done this more times than I can remember) but I almost lost an expensive track bike that was sent to me from NY to México by UPS. I was just a bit short of calling one of my lawyers to fix the problem. I had to do a lot of paper work and spend at least an hour at the telephone. Lesson learned, I won’t do it again.
Sergio
Not to totally discount Sergio’s experience but I recently shipped 2 bikes to Europe for the tour (I can get a hell of a discount on FedEx so it cost me $100 per bike to ship to Europe). I called FedEx before hand as spoke with a “international customer advocate” that is suppose to know the international customs laws. She told me what to fill out and how to fill it out noting it’s a “personal item” and not for commerce. It made it through customs tax free. I did ship it 2 weeks in advance in case there was an issue.
That being said, I shipped to Spain and we are talking about Mexico here. As most of us know, sometimes suspect things can happen down there. Personally I am still deciding which one to do. I am flying delta and it could cost $600 if Delta were to charge according to their policy.
When I call FedEx and ask about Mexico I will post what they say.
pat
Mexico has a completely different import scheme/rules on USED bikes than any country in europe.
As Sergio, I race more in the US than in Mexico, and returning a USED bike from the US to Mexico by any other means than with you on the plane, its exposing yourself to insane import duties (in some cases up to 150% of the retail value depending on the country of origin) if you have the complete and correct documentation, and if you dont…well…say goodbye to your bike.
Based on my experience i would never ship a bike to mexico by UPS; FEDEX, etc etc…its costs more to travel with your bike, but its worth it in this case.
Enrique, thanks for the advice. I stand corrected. Guess I will have to re-do my search for ways to sneak the bike by the delta agents…