Buying Tyres - local or import them?

[Pommygranite]

Need new tyres and prices are a little bit eye watering, so has anyone experience of ordering from the USA and is it worth it?

Need 245/35/19 and they're farking expensive here.

[Pommygranite]

Thanks for that chaps - great info.

Any ideas how long they take, what the customs tax issue is like (I heard that if US brand no tax, foreign brand there is) and how much do fitters here charge to fit them? Will research and post up but keen for info.

[Pommygranite]

Good info thanks. So is that $1000 for the item only or $1000 including shipping costs?

At the moment BJ TMart wants $900 A TYRE or I can get 4 for $920 + shipping. However these are jap tyres and I read somewhere the tyres need to be USA made to escape tariff.

[Pommygranite]

Just found it:
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5549.asp#Calcul...

Basically it's cost of goods plus shipping plus customs duty (5%?) and if this is over $1000 add 10% GST.

So for my tyre at $231 each

1shipment (4):$924+$400 shipping (rough guess $100 a tyre) + $46 CD: $1370 + $137 GST = Total $1507

2 shipments (2 tyres): $462 + $300 shipping (rough guess & costs more apparently per tyre for lower amount) + $38 CD: $800. - do this twice $1600 so more expensive if the postage works out on this assumption and you can ignore the tax issue.

Add $100 to fit new tyres dispose the old.

So call it $1600 for 4 or about $3500 if I just went to BJ TMart - that's a big saving.


EDIT: scratch it - just seen eBay...think I'll buy in oz!

Edited by Pommygranite on Monday 26th March 13:07