VENDORS - How NOT to ship to Canada

[Master]

Just a quick heads up.
I know it never matters to you guys shipping within the US, but FYI: A part that I ordered from a vendor arrived today and the "Brokerage Fee", ie, the UPS-Signed-a-paper-fee was $42.00. This is on an item I was going to resell for about $40 profit in the first place. So, now I'm selling an item to a customer, complete with dyno run for absolutely nothing.
Please, if at all possible, never, ever, ever ship anything to Canada via the UPS or Fed-EX crooks. They are just plain and simple extorsionists. This is why so many of us up here are adament about shipping via USPS. There is NO brokerage fee, and their service is just as fast and often less expensive. Also, contrary to the urban myth (probably perpetuated by UPS and FED-EX), you do get a tracking number with USPS when shipping with their courier service.
Please, do not break our balls when we ask if you could send USPS. Its not that hard. Really! We use Canada Post here to ship to you guys for the same reasons and its hardly any bother at all. Plus the staff are ten times nicer to deal with.

[duhtroll]

I prefer USPS because they are most often cheaper and will help you with packing supplies and help you pack those odd shaped items. They were also the least hassle when I had to send things to a relative in Iraq - fewer "inspectors" along the way who will simply open packages and take what they want.

[Master]

Wow. More good reasons!

[Aren Jay]

Reminds me of the time I bought big metal montior arms for my computers.

$300 up here. $25 down south. Only problem was the $92 postage and $125 brokerage fee. Still for two I saved money but not nearly as much as I thought I would.

[BigCars4Ever]

Even better is if you use flat rate priority boxes you can print your shipping label at home including the customs papers. You have to buy the customs pockets from the post office but the boxes are free. It really speeds up the process at the post office because all you need to do is hand the package to the postman and declare the package.

[rayjay]

WTF happened to NAFTA? Free trade my petute... Wait until a certain Communist of Color takes office :shake: :eek: :shake: You think your back side hurts now? :lol:

[sconut1]

Uhh..... I use FedEx all the time to the US and I like my stuff shipped to me FedEx. There is no brokerage fee on express items, but there is for FexEx ground. I can see why you're a bit tourqued at UPS, I find them unreasonable myself (both in Canada and to the US). FedEx ground brokerage fees are about $20.00, but there's no waiting with customs to clear and because they are a broker, if you run into trouble with incorrect documentation (or totally missing documentation such as NAFTA paperwork, Pro-Forma invoices or Commercial Invoices for customs clearance) as is frequently the case, you can get help. $20.00 customs brokerage is a small price to pay when you've got a $7000.00 item sitting in a customs warehouse on the Montana/Alberta border and the vendor didn't get the export paperwork right.

[Aren Jay]

That reminds me of the time a friend tried to get his HMMWV across the boarder. Everything was fine but the US side called it back because the paper wasn't right. Took him 8 month to get it across the border and even then the grenade launcher mount wasn't allowed.

He does have one of the only HMMWV's in Canada outside the army though.

[sconut1]

Wow...that must get some attention.