How long to get the bike out of customs? I flew my bike back from Bogota, Colombia with Martinair into Stanstead.

The bike never arrived on the Friday it was scheduled to and instead arrived on Saturday morning. I was keen to get the bike to get to the HU meeting in Derbyshire - a good way to finish the trip. Except Saturday is not convenient for the shipping handlers. The person with the necessary rubber stamp does not work on Saturday. After arriving at 8am, I managed to get the bike reassembled and was on the road at 3pm. Being a UK registered bike helped but overall it was a dreadful experience.

The weekend is not the right day to go and fetch it, however beware expensive storage fees at these cargo warehouses.

Good plan to get the letter out. I am sure that will have a rapid effect.

All the best to you Doug.

Matt

Oh, that's quite a lot quicker than I was expecting. I'd been told that it would be about a week (from arrival) to get it back into the UK. Maybe they were suggesting Customs could take up to a week (similar to what I'd experienced going to the US). The original agreement was that the shippers would sort out all Customs and paperwork, etc.. This was one of the things I found attractive since it was, effectively, a package deal.

The original deal I had with the shippers was that I would collect it from their warehouse as soon as it was available but they have since offered to deliver it to me, an offer I think I'll take them up on.

When they deliver it, don't let them leave till you have inspected every centimetre of it. Just as you would have to go round a hire car with the hire company when you return it, make them go round the bike with you and sign for any damage/ dead battery/ etc
If you can, also have your Solicitor or some other reliable witness present with a camera.
Put it to the company ( via your Solicitor) that also it was a taxed, Mot'd, running bike when they got their hands on it..... and you want to make sure it is in the same condition now...... DO NOT let them just dump it and run. once it is out of their hands they can ( and probably will) say any damage/ faults was your fault. I am not trying to overstress you but tread carefully with these 'nice people'.



Martyn

Hi Doug,

My shipping was all arranged in Colombia with Martinair and a local shipping agent. There was no representative in the UK who could help. I suspect that you are in a different position having a contact here (however bad they have been to date).

As it went the shipping side in Colombia was not easy - I was given a price of around $600 for a crate containing the bike. They were told right at the start that it was a bike. After I had paid to have it crated up and on the verge of delivering it to the warehouse the airline representative informed me that there was a different tariff for vehicles!! More than three times the initial estimate. It was their error but they would not take it for $600 and in the end it cost me just over $1000.

Interesting fact - Colombia as the largest exported of cocaine in the World only had three sniffer dogs for Bogota airport and none available at the cargo section. When the crate was being checked for drugs everything had to come out again and they wanted to see it run - a bit tricky when the tank had been drained. Luckily there was just enough in the carbs to convince the inspectors. It was a really close call but ultimately worked out. Hope we can say the same about your situation Doug.

dougxr: I have a house in Galveston, Texas. I am on a Tugboat right now but get relieved on february 1st. I live in Austin, Texas but must check on the house in Gaveston as soon as I get home. I would be willing to look into the matter for you. I am a ships Captain and am familiar with the paperwork gauntlet. It could be the agent screwed up or the stevedoring company who loaded it. If it was on a container ship, the stowplan is usually made by a supercargo ashore. The plan is then carried out by the ships crew. If the shipping agent is worth a shit, the paperwork is routine. If the vehicle doesn't arrive on "said" date, it complicates matter. Customs are bureaucrats. Items like "HAZMAT" material, ie, Gasoline (excuse me "petrol") in tank can complicate matters but I'm sure you dealt with that on you end. I doubt if it was stolen. It may have been "missplaced" like luggage at an airport. I did not quite get if it was in customs in Galveston or did you say L.A.. If you do feel like you are getting "dicked" over, a surge of e-mail inquiries from this website would raise some eyebrows. If you are still at odds with them by the begining of February, e-mail me and I can see what I can do. I am familiar with some of the agencies and agents in the area. Good Luck and hope "not" to hear from you. Captain Smitty

Thanks for you offer but I also hope that I won't be needing your assistance! Even if it doesn't get to me then it might be a bit out of your way, I've been told the bike is in LA - apparently that's where they want to fly it from. I had no choice in that, when I originally got quotes for shipping to and from the US I got a quote for air freight into Houston, but unfortunately didn't take up that option.
Whether it's stolen or misplaced there's another "disastrous" outcome of it having been damaged or destroyed. I'll have to wait and see.

Speaking of waiting and seeing...

Delivery has been delayed yet again. Apparently my documents were delayed getting to the US because of the incident at Heathrow airport (on 17th Jan 2007 BA038 touched down short of runway). Is that just a convenient excuse? I'd've thought courier and freight companies would have back up plans for delays of that nature; not only are there other airports after all but Heathrow was re-opened fairly soon.


So instead of flying on the 22nd Jan the bike is supposed to be touching down 26th Jan. How do I know this? Because I rang them up to ask - they obviously didn't feel it worth telling me (steam). Anyway, that's 3 days delay (if it flies out 25th) surely my documents weren't delayed three days?

It is just one excuse after another.