Has Anyone (in the UK) used helmexpress.com?

[NULevo]

I've been looking for a new helmet and found theses guys, their prices are good, even better with discount codes at the moment.

A decent helmet with the discount code works out at almost 40% cheaper than the UK prices.

Has anyone used these guys?

The Bicycle Shop of Helmexpress | Bicycle helmets and more

www.helmexpress.com

 

[Tim1023]

Austrian company. Seems to be OK if you're in Europe. UK customers seem to have problems because of Brexit stuff (the gift that keeps giving!) and the shop unwilling / unable to cope with issues. No personal experience, but very quick research gave me:

German speakers like it: helmexpress.com Bewertungen & Erfahrungen | Trusted Shops
English speakers, a mixed bag: Helmexpress is rated "Poor" with 2.6 / 5 on Trustpilot
Scamadvisor says legit: https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/helmexpress.com

Caveat emptor: I have no idea to what extent the review sites I linked above are scammy / corrupt

I picked one helmet at random and looked up prices on a German price comparison site and the price was very similar to other sites.

 

[NULevo]

Austrian company. Seems to be OK if you're in Europe. UK customers seem to have problems because of Brexit stuff (the gift that keeps giving!) and the shop unwilling / unable to cope with issues. No personal experience, but very quick research gave me:

German speakers like it: helmexpress.com Bewertungen & Erfahrungen | Trusted Shops
English speakers, a mixed bag: Helmexpress is rated "Poor" with 2.6 / 5 on Trustpilot
Scamadvisor says legit: https://www.scamadviser.com/check-website/helmexpress.com

Caveat emptor: I have no idea to what extend the review sites I linked above are scammy / corrupt

I picked one helmet at random and looked up prices on a German price comparison site and the price was very similar to other sites.

Thanks @Tim1023, the site looks genuine enough.

You are right, their prices a re on par if not slightly cheaper than other sites, but with sale and the discount code a helmet goes from £230, to £180 in the sale to about £135 with the code, almost £100 cheaper than UK sites.

I can't decide whether to place an order, I just don't want to get stung with additional charges which make it the same price as the UK.

Your comment is appreciated and thanks for checking their details.

I might give them a call in the morning and take it from there.

 

[Mikerb]

I am pretty sure these prices do not include VAT (because they are not registered with HMRC) and customs duty will also be payable since the brands they are selling do not originate in the EU, so chances are you will pay the same as Uk prices. Keep in mind you are viewing their "UK" site pages and the website is only a shop window for products made all over the world
. For EU customers they have to include VAT at point of sale and import duty to the EU will already have been paid so there would be no customs duty. If the products they sell mainly comprise goods manufactured in the EU they would be covered by the EU/UK trade agreement and no import duty would apply. They may still not charge VAT at point of sale however, and that then has to be paid by you.

Some EU vendors who do good business with UK customers, like Bikester, have it sorted. Their prices include VAT and I have always paid only their advertised price plus shipping for everything I have bought from them. Similarly if you buy from Ebay ( even the same sellers Ebay listings) VAT would be included and no duties payable.....and the price would reflect that).
My advice...look elsewhere!

 

[NULevo]

I am pretty sure these prices do not include VAT (because they are not registered with HMRC) and customs duty will also be payable since the brands they are selling do not originate in the EU, so chances are you will pay the same as Uk prices. Keep in mind you are viewing their "UK" site pages and the website is only a shop window for products made all over the world
. For EU customers they have to include VAT at point of sale and import duty to the EU will already have been paid so there would be no customs duty. If the products they sell mainly comprise goods manufactured in the EU they would be covered by the EU/UK trade agreement and no import duty would apply. They may still not charge VAT at point of sale however, and that then has to be paid by you.

Some EU vendors who do good business with UK customers, like Bikester, have it sorted. Their prices include VAT and I have always paid only their advertised price plus shipping for everything I have bought from them. Similarly if you buy from Ebay ( even the same sellers Ebay listings) VAT would be included and no duties payable.....and the price would reflect that).
My advice...look elsewhere!

Thanks for the reality check @Mikerb, your making sense in all your points.

I got excited thinking there might actually be a bargain to be had (I am tighter than a DA), but I have realised that if it looks too good, it probably isn't.

 

[Doomanic]

There's some contradictory information on the website. On the product pages it says tax included but on the shipping page it says For deliveries to non-EU countries, additional duties, taxes and fees may apply.

 

[NULevo]

There's some contradictory information on the website. On the product pages it says tax included but on the shipping page it says For deliveries to non-EU countries, additional duties, taxes and fees may apply.

Thanks @Doomanic, I noticed this too, one reason I asked the question. The more I (and other UK forum members) look at the site, the less it looks like a viable option to buy from.

 

[Mikerb]

since july of last year EU businesses have been obligated to charge VAT at point of sale for all orders from EU customers. For years many EU businesses had got away with not charging VAT despite the fact that the rules in the EU are that VAT is payable of all goods other than those exempted. The EU has made it relatively simple for them however since those businesses only have to register on a single EU revenue site and it then transfers the VAT charge to the relevant EU member state. They are all supposed to charge VAT at poit of sale for all goods sold outside the EU if under 135 Euros. In order to do so they have to register with the Revenue and Customs department of whatever country they are exporting to. So to sell to a UK customer goods of value under 135 Euros they have to register with HMRC. They charge VAT at point of sale and then have tp pay that sum to HMRC.....VAT returns usually being done on an annual basis. If the goods they are selling to a UK customer mostly originate in the EU by value they fall within the UK/EU trade a greement and are customs free..........VAT is however still payable. If the goods do not originate (manufactured) from within the EU then the tariff free arrangements of the EU/UK trade agreement do not apply and customs duty is payable. The EU business then has a choice of either including the customs fee in their pricing or advising any customer that customs duties will apply and be payable by the customer. Not all goods not exempt under the EU/UK trade a greement attract customs duty and the actual rate for other goods varies by category often with % between 2% and 8%.
None of the above is peculiar to EU trade to UK or vice versa.
The reason for the 135Euro amount was to avoid the necessity for Customs to have to check and arrange payment for thousands of relatively small value items.......the cost of doing so outweighing any revenue gained.
The VAT rules above would apply whether the UK was still an EU member or not. The only difference was for a few months last year since the UK implemented those rules in April whilst the EU delayed implementation until it had the EU centralised VAT collection system in place in July.

If you are tempted by any low pricing of goods from an EU site a simple check it to enquire before making any purchase if the price they list is inclusive of VAT and customers (if applicable). If you dont get a reply dont buy. Personally I only use EU sites if the price they list is fully inclusive (plus delivery which should also be quoted).

 

[NULevo]

since july of last year EU businesses have been obligated to charge VAT at point of sale for all orders from EU customers. For years many EU businesses had got away with not charging VAT despite the fact that the rules in the EU are that VAT is payable of all goods other than those exempted. The EU has made it relatively simple for them however since those businesses only have to register on a single EU revenue site and it then transfers the VAT charge to the relevant EU member state. They are all supposed to charge VAT at poit of sale for all goods sold outside the EU if under 135 Euros. In order to do so they have to register with the Revenue and Customs department of whatever country they are exporting to. So to sell to a UK customer goods of value under 135 Euros they have to register with HMRC. They charge VAT at point of sale and then have tp pay that sum to HMRC.....VAT returns usually being done on an annual basis. If the goods they are selling to a UK customer mostly originate in the EU by value they fall within the UK/EU trade a greement and are customs free..........VAT is however still payable. If the goods do not originate (manufactured) from within the EU then the tariff free arrangements of the EU/UK trade agreement do not apply and customs duty is payable. The EU business then has a choice of either including the customs fee in their pricing or advising any customer that customs duties will apply and be payable by the customer. Not all goods not exempt under the EU/UK trade a greement attract customs duty and the actual rate for other goods varies by category often with % between 2% and 8%.
None of the above is peculiar to EU trade to UK or vice versa.
The reason for the 135Euro amount was to avoid the necessity for Customs to have to check and arrange payment for thousands of relatively small value items.......the cost of doing so outweighing any revenue gained.
The VAT rules above would apply whether the UK was still an EU member or not. The only difference was for a few months last year since the UK implemented those rules in April whilst the EU delayed implementation until it had the EU centralised VAT collection system in place in July.

If you are tempted by any low pricing of goods from an EU site a simple check it to enquire before making any purchase if the price they list is inclusive of VAT and customers (if applicable). If you dont get a reply dont buy. Personally I only use EU sites if the price they list is fully inclusive (plus delivery which should also be quoted).

Thanks @Mikerb, really useful information there.

I tried tried putting an item into the basket and going through the order to payment. They do not include taxes in the price, although shipping is free. Although my order would have been £134, I'd probably get stung for VAT and import duties when it arrived.

Not sure its worth the stress and inconvenience.