03-10-2018, 05:04 PM
I think all of Shimano's parts are sold wholesale through Shimano North America so if someone is selling them cheaper the markups must be more, or it is old stock from other distributors. Recycle Cycles used to sell basic shimano stuff but a few years ago Shimano stopped selling to other wholesalers... Shimano has basically decided to screw over North American shops since their prices are so much cheaper in Europe... I guess the volume the big shops in Europe sell must have something to do with it, or often times the parts are grey-market and/or factory leftovers since I've ordered lots of stuff that just came in a plastic bag and not retail packaging. It all worked fine though.
I've been hit with some outrageous brokerage bills before, especially ordering from Niagara cycle and having anything shipped with a private courrier company. It is possible to self-claim shipments at the airport customs office and just pay the GST on whatever you order... it saved me 45$ when I got nailed with a 90$ charge from UPS. Ordering from the US I will only do so if it shipped via the US post office.
I've been hit with some outrageous brokerage bills before, especially ordering from Niagara cycle and having anything shipped with a private courrier company. It is possible to self-claim shipments at the airport customs office and just pay the GST on whatever you order... it saved me 45$ when I got nailed with a 90$ charge from UPS. Ordering from the US I will only do so if it shipped via the US post office.