Shipping Costs to Canada?....

[IggyT]

Any fellow Canadians who order from US suppliers (Warmoth or USACGs) who have been gouged by UPS AND Canada Customs?
The exchange rate already hurts but this doesnt help as I am sourcing parts for my Esquire .
USACGs says something about "stealth" shipping...what can this do.
I may have better luck with US postal service.
thanks
iggy

 

[tdu]

There are a ton of articles on the forum about this if you do a search. You also may want to visit a forum like GuitarsCanada to get some more tips.

Basically, you pay duty + tax no matter who you ship with.

If you use UPS or Fedex you also pay a brokerage fee. Which can be VERY high. And it varies by item. EG you can buy a $20 part, and end up paying a $20 brokerage fee on it. This is NOT Canada Custom fault. It's the couriers gouging us.

If you use USPS/Canada Post instead, you pay a set $5 brokerage fee on any item + tax and duty. In the end you pay WAY less.

The key is to try to find suppliers that will ship USPS instead of with the couriers. Which can be tough. That's were asking other Canadians on forums where they get specific parts can come in handy.

There are tricks like getting the seller to declare that the item is worth less than it is. That cuts down on all fees. But it's really not a good idea for either party. The seller can get in trouble, and if there is an insurance claim you won't get what the item is worth since you declared a lower value.

 

[Sterling Indigo]

I'm sure it's Customs and not UPS but I could be wrong. UPS could be handling the transfer in some cases. So much for Free Trade eh?

 

[graphs]

USPS is the best way. The major couriers have a cross-border racket that is nothing short of criminal. I'm sure what they do is technically "legal", but I don't see how they can require such a large fee to do something the postal service does for free, or for considerably less. It is a cash grab disguised as customs officiality and hidden in legalese.

 

[mkhhunt]

I've been shipping stuff up from the US for a long time. I won't buy from a company that won't use USPS. Even then the rates have gone up. A flat rate box is typically a good way to go for a bunch of parts if the shipper will cooperate. Too small for a guitar though.

Typically I don't have to pay anything for customs or tax for small items via USPS and Canada Post.

If you have to use UPS (The brown devils) you can get around brokerage fees by clearing packages yourself. Just call UPS ahead and let them know you'll take care of it yourself as soon as you get the tracking number. You go to their depot, pick up some papers.. drive a couple blocks to customs, fill out the forms using the custom's computer and books, get it cleared, pay your taxes and your forms are stamped cleared. Then you go get your package from UPS.

This also works for all the other courier companies (like Fedex, etc.) that have jumped on the brokerage fees for personal items bandwagon.

 

[GhostRider]

Another vote here for USPS.

Customs can only charge you tax, and duty (if applicable - no duty on anything made in USA or Mexico). They will also charge a $5 surcharge for brokerage no matter the cost of your item. The Shipping companies are the ones that are the crooks here.

If there's something I really need, and can't get it through USPS, I have a parcel service that I use across the border. I'll make the trip down and bring it back (broker it) myself. Most times it does work out cheaper, even when I've worked in the cost of gas etc. I see you're in Toronto, maybe you can see if there's any parcel services across the border in Niagara Falls?

 

[Guitar_Ninja]

CanadaPost often doesn't even charge the $5 brokerage fee or duties on smaller packages. I bought several hundred dollars worth of guitar and pedal parts throughout last year, all shipped via USPS, and didn't pay a dime on any of it. The woman at the post office said that when things get busy Customs often just waives the fees to speed up delivery so that the system doesn't get bogged down.

Edit: I believe stealth shipping in this context would be where a merchant charges you less for the item itself but more for the shipping so as to circumvent import fees. ex. a guitar retails for $500 and costs $50 to ship. In order to help you out with import fees, the merchant sells you the guitar for $100 but inserts a $400 handling fee onto the shipping charge. You end up paying the same amount, the merchant gets the same amount of money, but when your item gets to customs it's valued at a much lower pricepoint. All of the documentation supports this; it's right on the invoice.

It's similar to how many eBay sellers work. They sell items for cheap in order to reduce their listing fees, which are dependant on the final selling price, and then make back the loss with shipping fees.

 

[cminor7b5]

I agree that using USPS is the best way to ship to Canada.

This year I constructed a Partscaster. Everything was bought online via Ebay or Guitar Parts resource or Stew-Mac and shipped to Toronto. The only items I paid anything on, including a Princeton Reverb from Buffalo, come to think of it, was a tiny package of screws from Stew Mac shipped UPS not USPS. Paid unreasonable brokerage and taxes. Nothing for my body/neck (large box) or anything from GPR.

I've paid less brokerage/duties/taxes on guitars and amps shipped USPS than I have on DVDs and books shipped UPS!!!

I always check now to make sure the retailer will ship USPS or NO SALE!

cheers

 

[cminor7b5]

I forgot to mention the "surprise" brokerage/duties/taxes that UPS and Fedex mail to you weeks after you receive the package.

Great!

 

[Stevie 202]

I forgot to mention the "surprise" brokerage/duties/taxes that UPS and Fedex mail to you weeks after you receive the package.

Great!

That's the FedEx racket. Ya think ya got off pretty easy and then a coupla weeks later a bill arrives.

UPS charges upfront and won't release the package until it's paid.

B@stard$ all.

US Postal Service or it's NO DEAL. Period.

Sux to live so close to all them goodies......and yet so far.

 

[Shepherd]

There's actually class action lawsuits against UPS And Fedex because of that.
(link removed)
I get a kick out of "stealth" shipping.

 

[hugo]

I'm sorry but if you say "mkhhunt" out loud, that's funny! No offense intended, honestly. I'm just amused, all by myself, drinking a red stripe. Too funny.

 

[borismoore]

I'm sorry but if you say "mkhhunt" out loud, that's funny! No offense intended, honestly. I'm just amused, all by myself, drinking a red stripe. Too funny.

Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer...

 

[DavidP]

Insist on USPS...

As others have said, avoid the couriers like UPS and FedEx. Shipping via USPS will invoke a very nominal $5 customs fee and GST/PST.

 

[tdu]

I'm sure it's Customs and not UPS but I could be wrong. UPS could be handling the transfer in some cases. So much for Free Trade eh?

No, UPS and Fedex are to blame. The 'brokerage charges' are their own creation. Customs has nothing to do with that.

You can expect to pay taxes and duty on an imported item. You SHOULD not have to pay duty importing an item that is US made though. Importing say, an Asian made guitar from the US, you will pay duty and taxes on it though.

The thing is, duty and taxes can be calculated. You can factor those an the exchange rate to see what kind of deal you are getting. Brokerage fees are a mystery. They claim to have some system for charging them, but I have never been able to figure it out. Unless the brokerage is pre-paid (like with shipping from Rondo) you can be in for some real nasty surprises when the item arrives. it's not uncommon at all for people to pay more in shipping fees then they did for the actual item. Even if it were easy to figure out the brokerage fees, they are still a complete scam. There is no justification for them.

 

[tdu]

CanadaPost often doesn't even charge the $5 brokerage fee or duties on smaller packages. I bought several hundred dollars worth of guitar and pedal parts throughout last year, all shipped via USPS, and didn't pay a dime on any of it. The woman at the post office said that when things get busy Customs often just waives the fees to speed up delivery so that the system doesn't get bogged down.

That is another thing about USPS/Canada Post. You can't count on it, but a lot of times you will pay nothing. I have bought guitars from the States and had them shipped USPS. 3 out of the 5 of them, I didn't even get charged taxes on.

Again, you can't rely on that happening, but when it does man do you ever get a deal.

 

[GhostRider]

CanadaPost often doesn't even charge the $5 brokerage fee or duties on smaller packages. I bought several hundred dollars worth of guitar and pedal parts throughout last year, all shipped via USPS, and didn't pay a dime on any of it. The woman at the post office said that when things get busy Customs often just waives the fees to speed up delivery so that the system doesn't get bogged down.

That is another thing about USPS/Canada Post. You can't count on it, but a lot of times you will pay nothing. I have bought guitars from the States and had them shipped USPS. 3 out of the 5 of them, I didn't even get charged taxes on.

Again, you can't rely on that happening, but when it does man do you ever get a deal.

I've found this as well. It happens moreso on small packages, almost every large one I've had (that had to be hand delivered) had the slip and the charge.

 

[tdu]

Ya I have been extremely lucky lol.

 

[shoretyus]

Ya I have been extremely lucky lol.

If there are commercial markings on it, it will get hit. I think they look at hand lettered as personal type stuff and leave it alone.

 

[dandhr61]

I have orderd from stew-mac meny times and I see a pattern. I have not had to pay duty or tax of any kind on any order under $100 USD. I use USPS normal. have any of you seen this?