What is the deal with shipping to Canada?

[dylemma]

We find the selection is often better on ebay.com or amazon.com than ebay.ca or amazon.ca but they charge so much to ship to Canada and many places won't ship to a post office box in the USA. We use a place called CBI in Niagara Falls it's an actual warehouse that will hold your parcels for you. They charge approx $5.00 per parcel and the service is excellent. We order a bunch of stuff then take a trip to Niagara Falls and pick it up.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Joe MacDonald

Canada post charges $5
most of the time

Now starts at $9.95.

Originally Posted by glamourpets

Brokerage fees are usually added after the item has been shipped though. They are IN ADDITION to the cost to mail the item in the first place. Usually you pay these when the package arrives at your doorstep.

All of the shippers offer prebrokerage services in their fees that are much more economical. Even USPS shipped items from ebay now factor in taxes automatically, thanks to Pitney Bowes.

Originally Posted by Carol H

They also dont seem to know that an item made in the US is duty free.

Duties and sales taxes are 2 different beasts. NAFTA vs HST

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Maybe I'm just dense, but I still don't get it.
Seems like using the postal system it shouldn't cost and arm and a leg to ship into Canada.

Tom, things have changed in the last year. USPS is trying to make $ at both the post office and online by offering you the moneymakers up front and concealing the lower cost options in the background. Best bet is to try the online calculator and you will see what I mean:
International Price Calculator

I've got a pair of safety glasses in transit from the US via Fedex right now. Shipping was $27.95 and that is supposed to include brokerage fees billed to the shippers account. I understand I'll be responsible for local taxes and possibly a "collection" fee on delivery. I'll keep this thread posted.

My thinking is that the various governments saw the potential loss of revenues on taxes and got together with the shippers to make things work better so the governments did not lose out.

[Roy in TO]

My Glasses arrived today. No tax or extra charges on delivery via fedex.

I expected to pay taxes on part of the order because the glasses included a polarized lens. Might be that they were labelled safety glasses or had prescription inserts, the entire order was not taxed.

I destroy glasses at work, so finding a set of durable safety glasses with a low cost replaceable outer that is comfortable was a challenge. Then I stumbled across Revision Military. They have a pair of safety glasses with a prescription insert that allows you to change the lenses. The lenses come in a variety of colours as well as a compatable goggle system. Well worth a look for a multifunction product. They even sell a CSA version for us Canadians. Revision Military | Sawfly Military Eyewear System

They regularily offer 30% discounts, so google for them.

Moral of the story is - if you pay a little extra for an upgraded service it can save you a bundle in the end.

[Glenn Baglo]

I received a package from UPS and two weeks later got a bill via Canada Post. $50 for customs brokerage. Hopefully, you are not in for a surprise a week or two down the road.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

My Glasses arrived today. No tax or extra charges on delivery via fedex.

I have my fingers crossed for you, Roy....

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I received a package from UPS and two weeks later got a bill via Canada Post. $50 for customs brokerage. Hopefully, you are not in for a surprise a week or two down the road.

... but my experience matched Glenn's.

[Glenn Baglo]

Interesting that they use Canada Post to deliver the bill rather than have their UPS driver hand it to you along with the parcel. Guess that's so you can't refuse delivery.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I received a package from UPS and two weeks later got a bill via Canada Post. $50 for customs brokerage. Hopefully, you are not in for a surprise a week or two down the road.

UPS billed you via Canada Post? That really tells you what they think of their fees.

No surprises expected. Invoice reads "Duty/Tax billed to Shipper".
The service selected includes customs brokerage. I ordered Friday and Received on Monday. International air shipping including tracking and brokerage was $27.90. <FedEx International Economy>
Fedex label reads bill shipper.

USPS prices would have been:
Global Express Guaranteed (1-3 days) $67.25
<USPS uses FedEx Express for this service>

Express Mail International flat rate box (3-5 days) $64.95
Express mail using your box $41.40
Priority Mail International Med flat rate box (6-10 bus days) $40.95
First Class International (@ 2 lbs.) $24.05

Any wonder why USPS is losing business?

All the above may have invoked brokerage/collection fees. So it pays to shop around and see what you are getting.

[Vivian L]

I lost the butter knife from my flatware (or somebody tossed it??) which is an outdated pattern. Found a replacement on-line with a US firm at $5.95 and thought wow! However, by the time shipping, customs, etc. was added the thing was going to cost me $69.95!!!! That's when I spent a day digging about in the local "used" stores and luckily found exactly what I needed. Cost? 0.25 cents plus my day and my gas.
In the past I have bought solar panels from US sources, but I now know to always check if they ship to Canada, and exactly how much the extra's are. Thanks for the informative discussion. Buyer beware.

[Raz]

Back in the late 80's and early 90's as we transformed into a "service economy" just about every college put in a business program. High enrollment and low overhead, these programs were both popular and money makers for the colleges. As a result I imagine rooms filled with MBA's figuring out creative ways to increase company profits with fees, surcharges, etc. These folks have to work somewhere. Raz

[Donna D.]

Just out of curiosity, because I don't know. What happens if I send a birthday present from the US to Canada... and the package is wrapped in BD paper? Do these high costs only come about when it's something purchased from a commercial business? Is person-to-person handled differently?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Michael Pupeza]

Donna;
If you send a BD parcel to Canada using the US Postal Service, you will be asked to affix a free CN-22 Customs Declaration form which asks you the Value and the nature of the contents, and a few other parameters, including whether it's a gift. Usually, for gifts under, or around $50 CDN, no Customs Duties are applied and the package goes right through to the recipient. If it's a casual transaction, such as buying or selling through non-commercial persons, the CN-22 will also be satisfactory. But, if you are a Commercial Vendor, a full disclosure set of Customs Declaration forms are used. The Canadian Customs will then, often, intercept the package and assess Duties and/or HST (Harmonized Sales Tax - ie. Fed and Prov taxes= 13%) + a $5 'Handling Fee'. The package is forwarded to the Post Office near the recipient and a card is sent to advise that there is a package to be picked up for the payment of the charges. Sometimes, the local Mail Carrier will deliver to the door and collect the payment.
That being said, I have had many small packets stopped that I had to pay, and many of large and expensive items that slipped right through uncharged.
It's a strange and often humourous situation and not predictable.
Mike

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Michael Pupeza

It's a strange and often humourous situation and not predictable.
Mike

Thanks for the info Mike. This makes my head hurt. I don't know how you can figure it out in advance!

[FRED SMAILES]

Living close to the border has really helped me.
A store on the US side allows me to use their address to ship stuff to for a nominal fee. Depending on size not cost up to about 5.00$. I then drive across the border pick it up and declare coming back. Generally they wave any charges, I'd say I have paid about 10% of the taxes that were actually due over the years. This was for personal use and have often been asked when crossing it the products were personal or business(by that I assume they mean for resale).
Fred

[steve dunham]

I ordered a part for my brush cutter from Canada The part weighed 1 ounce and cost $6 Loonies . Canadian postage was over $9.00 to mail it to my home in Wisconsin (500 mile trip ) . I shipped a bottle of wine from Wisconsin to California by the USPS for less cost $8.62 .

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

........I shipped a bottle of wine from Wisconsin to California by the USPS for less cost $8.62 .

https://www.usps.com/send/can-you-mail-it.htm

There are rules and restrictions for what can and can’t be mailed.
This list is not exhaustive, but in most cases, you can't send…

• Alcohol — Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, or liquor) are restricted and can’t go in the mail. If you’re reusing a box displaying alcohol brands, all logos and labels need to be completely removed.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

https://www.usps.com/send/can-you-mail-it.htm

I know shipping wine by the USPS is not Kosher but it was the least expensive way to get it from Wisconsin to California.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I know shipping wine by the USPS is not Kosher but it was the least expensive way to get it from Wisconsin to California.

I mailed a package in an old wine box only to have the post office dump it back on my door step a few hours later. Can't even have a picture of a grape on the outside.

[Glenn Baglo]

I'm still trying to comprehend mailing wine from Wisconsin TO California.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I'm still trying to comprehend mailing wine from Wisconsin TO California.

LOL I was scratching my head on that as well.... must have been some pretty darn good home brew!

[Bob Miller]

Those costs seem to work both ways. It just cost us $35 to have a 1 lb box sent UPS from Bigfoot in BC to Los Angeles, took 8 days as well.....