Tools

anotherkiwi · Feb 18, 2016

I bought this set from bike discount:
http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/velomann-tool-case-tool-max-26195/wg_id-354

50 € and the quality has been just fine working on older cheap bikes (read "often locked solid").

Oh one of the latches on the plastic box broke off...

RobF · Feb 18, 2016

You won't go wrong with Park and there's some merit in the saying money spent on good tools is never wasted.

My local bike shop likes Bondhus allen keys, they've performed well in their workshop.

The manager there suspects Bondhus might be making tools for Park, because they look very similar.

This is the set he got for me:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bondhus-14187-Offset-Screwdriver-Fold-Up/dp/B000E80FK8/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1455439528&sr=8-12&keywords=bondhus+allen

robdon · Feb 18, 2016

Home bargains sells a multi tool, with all the hex keys you require.
costs £2 or £3 pounds very strong, lidl also has them in regularly

Kudoscycles · Feb 18, 2016

There is a cheap set on e-bay,seller hippoproduct,I think less than £20.00 delivered. That set is sold widely out of China,it isnt the quality of Park Tools but its ok for home use.
What I dont like about these guys is that they sell out of Leicester,without invoice or vat invoice,hence so cheap...your money is safe through Paypal but HMRC seem powerless to overcome the vat fraud,I think e bay frightens our customs...what happened to the old days of the revenue men with cutlasses????
KudosDave

Alan Quay · Feb 18, 2016

My 'on bike' kit comprises:

3 Ali tyre levers
1 6" adjustable (£5, screwfix)
Puncture repair kit
Electrical tape
Topeak mini 6 Allen keys and cross head driver

The mini 6 is excellent. In addition to my leatherman, I carry it at all times now.

URL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=381049675365&alt=web

I then keep a separate kit for bigger jobs/refurbs that includes crank pullers, chain wrench, cassette/freewheel/crank tools and spoke wrenches.

I don't think you need to spend big bucks on park tools stuff. Screwfix gear is good enough for the home mechanic, and if you are carefull eBay will get you all the bike specific stuff.

neptune · Feb 18, 2016

When in stock, Aldi do a good comprehensive bike tool kit at around £20.

Alan Quay · Feb 18, 2016

Nixtoo said:
Thanks, it's knowing which bits on eBay are ok. I've had cheap tool sets before that were poorly sized. Just want a basic set of tools that can be relied on. Don't mind shelling out if I only have to do it once.

Ice toolz stuff is usually quite good. I have on of these crank pullers, it's pretty good:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=381431566743&alt=web

Steve UKLSRA · Feb 18, 2016

Kudoscycles said:
There is a cheap set on e-bay,seller hippoproduct,I think less than £20.00 delivered. That set is sold widely out of China,it isnt the quality of Park Tools but its ok for home use.
What I dont like about these guys is that they sell out of Leicester,without invoice or vat invoice,hence so cheap...your money is safe through Paypal but HMRC seem powerless to overcome the vat fraud,I think e bay frightens our customs...what happened to the old days of the revenue men with cutlasses????
KudosDave

I've been told they are investigating ebay "businesses" this year and letters will be dropping though letterboxes soon...they'll leave you alone if you're a millionaire, but try and make a buck on the side....

Kudoscycles · Feb 19, 2016

Steve UKLSRA said:
I've been told they are investigating ebay "businesses" this year and letters will be dropping though letterboxes soon...they'll leave you alone if you're a millionaire, but try and make a buck on the side....

Steve...you are so right,they chase after the plumber who has done a £50 cash job but the losses from these e-bay and Amazon sellers are £ billions.
Obviously we all like to receive cheap product delivered to our door,I suspect most don't care about invoices. These companies,mostly out of Hong Kong are defrauding HMRC of import duty and import vat,they sell at prices where the vat is the profit so honest UK companies cannot compete.
But of more concern are the indirect costs,loss of income tax due to not employing locally,loss of corporation tax due to lower UK profits.
The solution is to raid the fulfillment warehouses based in the UK and ask for sale and vat invoices,impound the stock until invoices are produced,make an example of a couple and the rest will stop.
Many of them also defraud Royal Mail by under declaring parcel numbers but they have an imminent new system to stop that.
KudosDave

flecc · Feb 19, 2016

Kudoscycles said:
There is a cheap set on e-bay,seller hippoproduct,I think less than £20.00 delivered. That set is sold widely out of China,it isnt the quality of Park Tools but its ok for home use.
What I dont like about these guys is that they sell out of Leicester,without invoice or vat invoice,hence so cheap...your money is safe through Paypal but HMRC seem powerless to overcome the vat fraud,I think e bay frightens our customs...what happened to the old days of the revenue men with cutlasses????
KudosDave

Strange, they are VAT registered as below:

VAT NO.: 151103880

Here's the link to that toolkit.
.

shemozzle999 · Feb 19, 2016

flecc said:
Strange, they are VAT registered as below:

VAT NO.: 151103880

Here's the link to that toolkit.
.

EU vat number valid check tool.

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/

flecc · Feb 19, 2016

Thanks Shemozzle:

Returns Invalid VAT number

This is the webpage the VAT number is published on.

I wonder how ebay feel about companies publishing false VAT numbers?
.

Kudoscycles · Feb 19, 2016

E-bay dont care,as long as they are collecting their fees.
As a trial we bought something off Hippoproduct,we chased hard for any form of invoice,they wont respond.
I am not surprised that the vat Number is invalid,also their address is in Chinese and very vague. Some of these companies give a UK address but on checking its usually non existent or not relevant.
The amazing thing is that HMRC must know about these companies but do nothing about them.
I would like to sell that bicycle tool kit, but at £19.90 it is impossible to compete,note he has sold hundreds of them,a fair and honest price would be about £30.00.
Thanks for the interest from other forum members.
It only slightly affects my business but there are some traders in the UK who have been forced out of business by these guys,especially in the electronics industry.
KudosDave

shemozzle999 · Feb 19, 2016

flecc said:
Thanks Shemozzle:

Returns Invalid VAT number

This is the webpage the VAT number is published on.

I wonder how ebay feel about companies publishing false VAT numbers?
.

Forget using using the HMRC system we are controlled by the EU

Just entering the number only after selecting the member state returns the following details:

Additional tools

VIES VAT number validation
Yes, valid VAT number
Member State GB
VAT Number GB 151103860
Date when request received 2016/02/19 14:29:39
Name ZHONG XIANGPING
Address E-BEST OFFICE
132-134 GREAT ANCOATS STREET
MANCHESTER

M4 6DE
Consultation Number

flecc · Feb 19, 2016

shemozzle999 said:
Just entering the number only after selecting the member state returns the following details:

Additional tools

VIES VAT number validation
Yes, valid VAT number
Member State GB
VAT Number GB 151103860
Date when request received 2016/02/19 14:29:39
Name ZHONG XIANGPING
Address E-BEST OFFICE
132-134 GREAT ANCOATS STREET
MANCHESTER

M4 6DE
Consultation Number

It didn't for me and still isn't. I've just tried twice more and both times returned invalid number.

On all occasions I've just selected GB and only entered the number. I've tried that in either set of boxes or in both sets and always with the same result.

How did you get that result Shemozzle?

Here's what I get:

VIES VAT number validation
No, invalid VAT number (please refer to FAQ, questions 7, 11, 12, 13 and 20 for more information).
Member State GB
VAT Number GB 151103880
Date when request received 2016/02/19 14:44:51
Name ---
Address ---
Consultation Number
.

shemozzle999 · Feb 19, 2016

flecc said:
It didn't for me and still isn't. I've just tried twice more and both times returned invalid number.

On all occasions I've just selected GB and only entered the number. I've tried that in either set of boxes or in both sets and always with the same result.

How did you get that result Shemozzle?

Here's what I get:

VIES VAT number validation
No, invalid VAT number (please refer to FAQ, questions 7, 11, 12, 13 and 20 for more information).
Member State GB
VAT Number GB 151103880
Date when request received 2016/02/19 14:44:51
Name ---
Address ---
Consultation Number
.

From your link in post #13

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/44PC-Bike-Cycling-Bicycle-Maintenance-Repair-Hand-Wrench-Tool-Kit-Set-Box-Case-/261662063161?hash=item3cec463a39

Under contact details at the bottom of the posting it reveals their VAT No. as

GB 151103860 not GB 151103880 as shown on the shop page.

shemozzle999 · Feb 19, 2016

The address given appears to be under investigation:

http://www.vatfraud.org/vat-case-studies/persue1234/

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/chinese-ebay-sellers-with-uk-based-stock.329408/page-11

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