[urq] USA guy going to ITaly , ins and out of buying $800 wheel bearing housing there

[Mike Sylvester]

Steve,

I have some experience with importing parts from Germany.
I don't know about NLA parts but the prices seem to be better in Germany
except that you will be paying an 18% VAT.
I bought the cast front control arms and paid 95 Euro each.
I think from the US dealer they are over $200 and the Euro RR versions
already have the sway bar bushing installed.

I have had no issue with customs.  You have a personal exemption of $400 per
person, $800 per family.
When I bought all my RS2 engine parts I had 6 other people with me so I
distributed the parts among my friends so that I was the only one over
limit.
I declared $800 and no one checked me so there was no issue.

My wife speaks fluent German, but car part terminology is really not in her
vocabulary, so I had all of the p/n ready.

Mike



steven j michellepfeiffersx at yahoo.com
Thu Sep 29 21:20:09 EDT 2005

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I have to blow vacation time and might go anywhere in
italy.  Can I go to an audi dealer there, expect to
have the part within a week and bring it back to USA
and save a bundle?

I'm looking for the left strut & wheel bearing
housing.  It probably weighs 50 pounds.

I'm clueless overall but a nice guy at UPG-CT was
saying Audi USA is ripping us off big time and
sometimes parts that are NLA are that way when the
parts are available in europe.

I'm clueless on problems i might have checking in a
front-end part as luggage - or customs or
import/export issues.

I figure I'd print the page from ETKA - and point, as
I don't know how to say 'strut and wheel bearing
housing' - in Italian.

If it's better to do in France & Germany - I'd have to
find an Audi dealer close to the italy border.

steve