Help: Shipping to Canada(BC) UPS or USPS?

[winston]

I am sure it will be out for delivery soon Mitch. I wonder how much they will charge the buyer for their lame brokerage fee though.

[octagon]

I am sure it will be out for delivery soon Mitch. I wonder how much they will charge the buyer for their lame brokerage fee though.

Thanks! Now it says:

3/1/2011 2:48:00 PM LOCATION SCAN RICHMOND, BC CA
3/1/2011 2:24:00 PM IMPORT SCAN RICHMOND, BC CA
3/1/2011 11:46:00 AM REGISTERED WITH CLEARING AGENCY. SHIPMENT RELEASE PENDING CLEARING AGENCY REVIEW / RELEASED BY CLEARING AGENCY. NOW IN-TRANSIT FOR DELIVERY RICHMOND, BC CA

[cjj]

I am sure it will be out for delivery soon Mitch. I wonder how much they will charge the buyer for their lame brokerage fee though.

So much for NAFTA...

[winston]

I am sure it will be out for delivery soon Mitch. I wonder how much they will charge the buyer for their lame brokerage fee though.

So much for NAFTA...

Not exactly CJ............a customs broker processes customs documents to ensure that the tariffs or exemptions cited on the customs forms are correct and they also collect any applicable Federal or Provincial sales taxes. The fee is for performing this work this is called a brokerage fee.

Not all shipments from the USA to Canada require documentation to be processed and not all shipments are automatically charged FST and PST or HST as the case may be. Not all couriers or mail carriers own their own brokerage firm. With UPS (they are also a customs broker with offices at the major points of entry to Canada)...............this is simply just a way to get money money for their company. In other words it's a money grab. I will not use UPS for this reason.

I would rather not buy an item if the seller insists on using this carrier.

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

It is a money grab - nothing else. And I too refuse to use UPS for this reason.

They pay the customs charges - 15% of the value of the item (the old GST and PST) and then charge you excessively for having borrowed the money... (If you don't pay they keep the goods being shipped).

It is simply an extortion racket - and 99% of customers pay without complaint.

I have had items I have paid $40 for where I have had $70 in brokerage fees assessed.

[cjj]

What I was getting at was the whole point of NAFTA itself, to allow duty and tariff free trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. But, I don't even pretend to understand the whole thing and certainly not it's implementation intricacies, schedules, etc. Obviously, there are still all sorts of customs duties charged when items cross the borders, which seems counter to the idea of North American Free Trade...

But, this is drifting dangerously close to becoming a political discussion, so, I'll leave it at that. Hopefully, those of us on this forum can help each other to figure out the best ways to buy/sell Ricks across the border with a minimum of extra expenses...

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

Even though their rates have gone up quite a bit - USPS all the way when you ship to Canada!!

[winston]

Even though their rates have gone up quite a bit - USPS all the way when you ship to Canada!!

I totally agree.

[bitzerguy]

(If you don't pay they keep the goods being shipped).

This is not strictly true. I deal with UPS importing from the US quite regularly and have a procedure that works for me. When the driver shows up I refuse to pay the broker fee and inform the driver I will pick up the documents at UPS and clear the item myself. The UPS depot and Canada Customs are both at Trudeau airport (2 minutes from my house). I pick up the documents that evening, got to the Canada Customs office at the airport and work with the agent on duty there. You still have to pay the (in my case in Quebec) Gst/Pst (Hst elsewhere in Canada) but there are no broker fees. Canada Customs clears the shipment adn provide a clearance certificate (receipt) that I give a copy to when I go to UPS to pick it up. Costs me a bit of time in the evening and 3 km of travel, and I don't pay

[octagon]

The buyer I sent my guitar to told me:

" I prefer not to use fed ex as it's harder to get through customs but ups or usps is good "

I thought it was ok to send it UPS because that is the only thing he said about shipping.

[octagon]

I don't get it? The estimated delivery date changed,it used be 03/04/2011 but now tracking now says:

Scheduled Delivery Updated To:
Monday, 03/07/2011, By End of Day

Burnaby, BC, Canada 03/02/2011 3:09 P.M. Contact UPS for additional information. / Package will be delivered next business day.

Isn't the next business day 03/03/2011?

Oh,It changed again. It went from Richmond to Burnaby and then back to Richmond again.Now it has left Richmond again en route to...? Final Destination is Gibsons,don't know when It will get there.

[octagon]

Buyer sent me a message saying he got the guitar and he is thrilled with it. He even sent me an extra $100 to cover the shipping. That is pretty cool.

[jps]

You must feel like a pig in........................
















RED boots!

[winston]

Buyer sent me a message saying he got the guitar and he is thrilled with it. He even sent me an extra $100 to cover the shipping. That is pretty cool.

Sounds like a great guy Mitch. Did he tell you how much the brokerage fee was?

[octagon]

You must feel like a pig in........................

RED boots!

Haha thanks!