[karan561]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I don't think that Tirerack are responsible for Custom in any case as this is job of FedEx or TNT / DHL and all of them deliver at door.

Exactly what i said ! But FedEx & UPS being partnered with TireRack i stuck with FedEx.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Due to our business with DHL , we have preferential rates but Tirerack is not agreeing to ship on DHL using my DHL account number .

We deal with TNT on regular basis, so i had done similar exercise which was as follows;

TNT Quote - Rs 500/Kg (Nominated by me)
FedEx Quote - Rs 700/Kg (Nominated by TireRack)

But i chose to stick with FedEx simply because i did not want to risk it. May be next time i may consider nominating my own

[Arch-Angel]

Aw your ride looks cool and i am sure it will feel real grippy now. Has the stance changed much inside? I believe F30s have a non staggered stance with uniform tyres all around? If yes, i believe there is a possibility of placing extra stress on the front end of your suspension since it would be slightly lowered because of the bigger wheels behind? Please enlighten me on this.

[Bluebeem]

Hey Karan,


Nicely Done ! Commendable effort on the research of the tires mate.

Although for everyone's information I'd like to highlight here that all tires personally imported into india need to have a BIS (Bureau of Indian standards) stamp on them.

A close friend recently imported alloys along with tires for his Porsche Cayenne. The wheels were sitting in the dry port in Delhi for 3 months cuz the customs guys refused to release the shipment as the tires didn't have the BIS stamp. Finally my friend had to CUT OPEN(ouch!) the tires from the alloy wheels and could only take the naked rims home. He later sourced new tires locally.

So keep that in mind.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

Aw your ride looks cool and i am sure it will feel real grippy now. Has the stance changed much inside? I believe F30s have a non staggered stance with uniform tyres all around? If yes, i believe there is a possibility of placing extra stress on the front end of your suspension since it would be slightly lowered because of the bigger wheels behind? Please enlighten me on this.

Hey thanks!

In India all F30s come with a squared setup, however globally the M-Sport is offered with a staggered setup.

Rest there is no change felt in the stance from inside, rather the car is now marginally lowered at the rear.

Note : Wheels are STOCK i.e. OE

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

Hey Karan,


Nicely Done ! Commendable effort on the research of the tires mate.

Hey Bluebeem,

Thanks man !
Was just about to write on your thread regarding your query on RFTs & you responded here

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

A close friend recently imported alloys along with tires for his Porsche Cayenne. The wheels were sitting in the dry port in Delhi for 3 months cuz the customs guys refused to release the shipment as the tires didn't have the BIS stamp. Finally my friend had to CUT OPEN(ouch!) the tires from the alloy wheels and could only take the naked rims home. He later sourced new tires locally.
So keep that in mind.

Oh, That surely is an ouch moment, thanks for sharing this story

Any more details can be shared like from which website/source he had ordered the tires from ?

[Bluebeem]

He had ordered the tyres and wheels while he was visiting the US personally and had taken the longer route of importing them through his import license. This guy is very well connected but Inspite of letters of "recommendation" from the customs and excise commissioner, the inspector Incharge refused to clear his shipment all the while insisting that the BIS stamp was an absolute must on every tyre being imported into india.

By the looks of it, you seem to have been very lucky. The problem with customs is, if you're stuck, you're stuck!

PS Scary puncture you got there ! Btw have u been able to get your hands on a space saver donut kit yet? My dealership is still quoting 3 months waiting.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

By the looks of it, you seem to have been very lucky. The problem with customs is, if you're stuck, you're stuck!

Yes, you're right

It is best to avoid import unless there is absolute non availability (Considering the norms i.e. having an ISI mark/BIS Stamp etc)

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

PS Scary puncture you got there ! Btw have u been able to get your hands on a space saver donut kit yet? My dealership is still quoting 3 months waiting.

Nope, havent inquired about one yet.

Currently coping with an Air Compressor & a puncture repair kit.

[AdiSinghV12]

Congrats on the upgrade, Karan!! Makes me wanna consider the option of importing tires from tirerack but at the same time the story mentioned by Bluebeem has put me into a bit of confusion as I too would be importing it to Delhi (avoiding the octroi + hometown lol) The prices quoted by the local dealers here in Mumbai/Delhi are blah! By the way, the 28.85% of duty that you mentioned is chargeable on only the cost of the tires or tires + shipping combined ?

[deetjohn]

Your stunning F30 looks even more desirable with the new shoes.

Good to know legal direct imports are possible without any hassles and at a reduced cost.

The tyres at 75K looks excellent value for money.
The service charge by FedEx even more so at just 800 bucks and a 3 day delivery.

2 Questions
1) What is the expected mileage for these super performance tyres?
2) How will you rotate tyres with a staggered set? Won't the rear wear out fast without tyre rotation?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by AdiSinghV12

Congrats on the upgrade, Karan!! Makes me wanna consider the option of importing tires from tirerack but at the same time the story mentioned by Bluebeem has put me into a bit of confusion as I too would be importing it to Delhi (avoiding the octroi + hometown lol) The prices quoted by the local dealers here in Mumbai/Delhi are blah! By the way, the 28.85% of duty that you mentioned is chargeable on only the cost of the tires or tires + shipping combined ?

Thanks AdiSinghV12,

The duty applicable is on the landed cost i.e. with freight combined.

Sad but true ! :(

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Your stunning F30 looks even more desirable with the new shoes.

Good to know legal direct imports are possible without any hassles and at a reduced cost.

The tyres at 75K looks excellent value for money.
The service charge by FedEx even more so at just 800 bucks and a 3 day delivery.

2 Questions
1) What is the expected mileage for these super performance tyres?
2) How will you rotate tyres with a staggered set? Won't the rear wear out fast without tyre rotation?

Thanks deetjohn,

1) Expected milegae is 25k kms but can stretch it to 30k max (For Indian conditions i.e. otherwise the super sports are supposed to be having better tread wear than previous gen pilot series)

2) Yes, this is an disadvantage in the staggered arrangement that you cannot shuffle rotation.

[Sahil]

Smart move Karan ! Glad it all worked out fine. I have always been skeptical of ordering goods from the US and shipping them to India but this experience sure is an eye-opener. Although our duties are too damn high !!
I am pretty sure I will and have to use tirerack to get tyres in the future for my RS-5 as the options I will have available here will be scare for that size.

Wish I had the courage to do this last year when I waited 6 months to get the right 245/45R17 tyres for my 5er. These odd sizes were not in stock with any tyre shop, I went to the extent of contacting manufacturers but they all complained of some ISI mark issue that had stopped imports.

How does warranty work on these imported tyres for you? Did you explore the tyre insurance from tire track? It pretty much covers any damage you might have. Would be a great option to have, provided it is valid in India also.

[arjithin]

wow... 3 days shipping to India, that was fantastic.
I was regular customer for tirerack while in US, what many people dont know is that we can collect the tyres from their warehouse (details are on their website) after ordering online and save on shipping. I assume if some one in US can collect the tires and ship it via USPS, the 500$+ shipping charges will come down a lot.

[zipperone]

Thanks Karan, the information is very useful. Makes me think that the tyre shops you mentioned must me making a killing by importing similar to the way you did and were trying hard to lure you away from importing yourself.

[Tassem]

Brilliant move Karan! Sadly, the customs trick is something that's used by most local resellers. After all they don't want to lose out on their sometimes exorbitant margins.

I've been getting items shipped (photography related gear) in for several years now and havent had any hassles. Wherever duty was charged, the landed cost was still much much less that the locally quoted price.

And I must say that Fedex Priority Overnight is simply brilliant. Its worth every penny. Though for small shipments, DHL is sometimes cheaper. But Fedex is almost always quicker. For really small items that you dont mind waiting for, even USPS is great! Takes a couple of weeks to reach though.

We need more people exploring the online route. I know the touch and feel experience is not there, but the amount saved simply cannot be ignored! As for warranty, even if offered by local dealers, its still a nightmare! Sometimes I've noticed that online stores have better policies than our local guys! Sad, but true!

So, what have you planned for the saved 75k? Perhaps some performance parts from our friends over at horsepowerfreaks.com?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Smart move Karan ! Glad it all worked out fine. I have always been skeptical of ordering goods from the US and shipping them to India but this experience sure is an eye-opener. Although our duties are too damn high !!

How does warranty work on these imported tyres for you? Did you explore the tyre insurance from tire track? It pretty much covers any damage you might have. Would be a great option to have, provided it is valid in India also.

Thanks Sahil,

Regarding the warranty, they provide an warranty card in pdf format which has to be filled & can be sent to Michelin address.

Other option is that to register the tires at www.michelinman.com with the help of Tire Identification Code

Also in my case i was provided this note in my invoice;

Note: As a complimentary service to you, the Tire Identification Codes for the tires you purchased have
been automatically registered with the Department of Transportation (DOT).

^ But DOT is only relevant for the US.

Regarding the insurance / road hazard program this service isnt available in India.

But frankly hadnt done much research on warranty or insurance during ordering as you know how difficult it is to get a replacement tire approved under manufacturing defect.

Originally Posted by arjithin

wow... 3 days shipping to India, that was fantastic.
I was regular customer for tirerack while in US, what many people dont know is that we can collect the tyres from their warehouse (details are on their website) after ordering online and save on shipping. I assume if some one in US can collect the tires and ship it via USPS, the 500$+ shipping charges will come down a lot.

Thanks !

Yes , that is a good option too that some one ships it to you (i.e. if you have friends in the US)

Also the other option may be if someone is coming down from the US they can physically carry the tires & pay for the extra weight i.e Air Cargo charges & officially declare them @ the customs in India.

Originally Posted by zipperone

Thanks Karan, the information is very useful. Makes me think that the tyre shops you mentioned must me making a killing by importing similar to the way you did and were trying hard to lure you away from importing yourself.

Exactly my point, if there is a ban on import of tires how can they be confident in getting it themselves coz the Michelin Supersports i ordered are not available in India.

Originally Posted by Tassem

Brilliant move Karan! Sadly, the customs trick is something that's used by most local resellers. After all they don't want to lose out on their sometimes exorbitant margins.

I've been getting items shipped (photography related gear) in for several years now and havent had any hassles. Wherever duty was charged, the landed cost was still much much less that the locally quoted price.

And I must say that Fedex Priority Overnight is simply brilliant. Its worth every penny. Though for small shipments, DHL is sometimes cheaper. But Fedex is almost always quicker. For really small items that you dont mind waiting for, even USPS is great! Takes a couple of weeks to reach though.

We need more people exploring the online route. I know the touch and feel experience is not there, but the amount saved simply cannot be ignored! As for warranty, even if offered by local dealers, its still a nightmare! Sometimes I've noticed that online stores have better policies than our local guys! Sad, but true!

So, what have you planned for the saved 75k? Perhaps some performance parts from our friends over at horsepowerfreaks.com?

Thanks Tassem,

Indeed FedEx did a great job, i may stick to FedEx if i have to import again.

Regarding the saving of 75k, may be an exhaust system either an M-Performance setup or Eisenmann

[chiragh_bir]

a small question , isn't the tyres without Isi mark are banned to import in India ?