Selling Motorbike in Australia, entrance with Carnet
 

Hello everybody, I entered my motorbike in Australia (Brisbane Port) with a Carnet de Passage, but now I am thinking of selling the bike here because it is expensive to ship it back to Europe. Does anybody know if it is possible to sell it in any case, obtaining all the documents at the Customs? Where could I ask/go? If somebody has any idea about this, please answer! Tnx

The carnet is basically a financial gurantee that you will take the bike out of any country when you leave. If the bike does n't leave then Australian Customs can/will demand that duty, GST on the bike value and GST on the transport costs (maybe penalty taxes as well) are recovered from your carnet issuer - who will probably look to you to cover their losses as well.

Selling the bike is possible but any potential buyer in Aus wont be able to register the bike as it wont have a compliance plate fitted - and will not be eligible for a compliance plate - even if duty and GST are paid on it. Do a weblookup using "VSB10" to see the vehicle registration requirements - which is separate to duty and taxes.

I have a vague recollection that the vehicle has to be destroyed under customs supervision.

BUT check with the Aus customs service.

I know it used to be cheaper for overseas car companies to air freight their pre production test vehicles than leave them here for supervised destruction.

Like the man said its not allowed, it can never be registered on the road here so its worth nothing, the only way to bring a bike in the country is if your an Australia citizen or a new migrant who has owned the bike for more than one year & has lived out of the country also for over one year, then & only then can you bring a bike in to the country under the private import scheme.

Im not even sure you are allowed to sell it for scrap? you would have to check on that.

Mezo.

Some helpful links
 

You should contact the FIA branch in Australia and ask them to advise you. You should also contact the issuer of your Carnet and ask about this and what you stand to lose.

There is always a way to import and who said that if you do import it that the buyer will actually register it. The bike could be used on private land ie for farming or racing in which case it doesn't need to be registered and therefore a compliance plate is not required.

Regarding the VSB10 this is correct and here is the link you should use: The Department of Infrastructure and Transport Homepage

Other helpful information can be found here: http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/re...ov09_Final.pdf

no way...
 

Thank You everybody...
so, as far as You said, I had no other possibility than import the bike with the Carnet, and I must take it out, or I will have to pay here and in my Country as well...

Some people have shipped to NZ where it's easy to register here. There are some cost (15% GST, plus your direct transport and clearence costs) but the information is here in the HUBB somewhere.

Cheers

Nigel in NZ

Just to clarify that the VSB10 outlines this situation - if the vehicle entered on a carnet it leaves on a carnet or pay the dollars.

The designed use of the vehicle is taken into account - if it was designed to be road legal then the vehicle needs an import approval - which its not eligible for anyway unless re-exported and the Australian buyer does all the form filling and can can comply.

Depending of course on the type and value of the bike I would be surprised if shipping to Europe would be dearer than the fees and taxes.

Shipping by sea would only be a little over $2000 AUD in a shared container.

Actually shipping a DL650 by sea from Sydney to Helsinki was only around 500 euros in April 2008. Took around 2 months, though (3 weeks more than the original ETA). And then they legally robbed me at the Helsinki port (almost 200 euros for nothing much at all, while the ocean freight from another side of the planet was 500 - go figure!) but all added up, it was still quite tolerable.. though I won´t ship to Helsinki next time!!

The handler at the Australian end was Tradelanes in Melbourne, who had an agent they used in Sydney. All in all I can recommend them.

Probably won´t work for you to sell a bike in Oz, that you´ve imported on a Carnet.

What if you would sell the bike to another overlander who than takes it out of Australia? Guess it probably wouldn't work because your name is on the Carnet!?