Shipping to canada,lesson learned !!!!

That doesn't work up here anymore...at least according to the woman at our UPS store. The only time I think you can get away with that is around the holidays. There are so many items going across the border that they don't really enforce it that much.
The last item I had shipped from the US was using UPS(not my choice). It was valued at $56.00USD and when I picked it up I had to pay $42.00CAD in taxes and brokerage fees. Talk about a rip off!
I try to use USPS when I can.

 

There is a Purolator pickup point here and so far they have been fair with big stuff. Canada Post is the best way to go for me so far.

 

The reason for the thread was to let people know to check frst on cost of shipping to Canada. Not to bring out all the non-employee Postal experts with opinions. If what happened to me helps in anyway fine and if not fine.Here lately every thread has at least 2-3 experts that don"t know what they are talking about but run their mouths.Kinda like the guy the other day that chimed in on a camshaft thread saying that his buddy turned a SB cam around backwards and ran it. Just crazy.

 

I buy and sell on eBay and I only ship through the post office (by far the cheapest and most of the stuff goes to the States).


It would help if you would also include the dimensions of the packaged item but it would appear to me that you did not ship using the cheapest method, the counter people are not trained to offer you the cheapest shipping option. I shipped a large(ish) item a while ago and was quoted $85 to ship ... I then explained that I did not want to ship it Priority (or whatever it was) I wanted to ship "Expedited Parcel" ... she then replied "oh OK, that will be $23 (with delivery confirmation included). The interesting thing is this, she was actually training a new guy that day and stated to him, in front of me that they are NOT to offer "Expedited Parcel" to anyone ... the customer must ask for the (cheaper) service.

It is good that you brought it to others attention regarding shipping to another country BUT it certainly looks like two things happened here ... you did not use the cheapest service the Post office offers and your friend behind the counter did not offer to help you find a cheaper service.

Just for laughs ... if you include the dimensions I will find out how much it would cost me (couple hours away from London Ont) to ship it back to you.

(reason for needing the dimensions is that the pic you supplied does not have anything else in it that I can use to judge the size of the plug ... for all I know that plug is 3ft tall ... now THAT would explain the high shipping cost) ...

WAIT....WHAT????? The entire package box included was less than 1/2lb ????? you got SCREWED ... better hope they wore a condom.

 

Hey, if you get that FREE USPS Tube (actually a tri-angle box) from the Post Ofc, and when the poster is in it & it weighs a pound or less, you almost always can send a Poster out for about $5 USPS cost. Cheapest way I have found. And as far as the Canadian shipping, using the USPS Priority Mail system is ALLWAYS the cheapest way to send parts/stuff to our northern neigbors.

 

Yeah,Born to lose the plug is a telephone that is about 10 inches tall x 4 1/2 inches wide ,I will get the dimentions to you all it says on the reciept is medium flatrate box.Thanks

 

I don't get it ... how could a telephone that size and in a box weigh 1/2lb?

Are you joking about it being a telephone?


Sorry Brad, I am confused now ...

Doesn't really matter I guess. Let me finish up by saying "If you (anyone) is going to ship something to another country ... do your research and find the cheapest method to ship. The Post Office IS the cheapest option BUT the counter help at the Post Office will not be offering you the cheapest option, it is up to you to find out what your options are".

Sorry you got screwed Brad, but clearly your friend should have (quietly) suggested another shipping option when she realized the method you had chosen ... UNLESS, she chose that for you ... well then... if that is the case you might not wanna send her a Christmas card this year.

 

I am in the shipping business.
Two things what you shipped last year with the POSTOFFICE will not ship at the same rate this year. All rates have changed in the last 2 years.
Second Priority mail to Canada.
In the small PRIORITY MAIL BOX about 8x5x1.5 cost is $11.95
Medium PRIORITY MAIL BOX 13X11X3 $27.95
Large PRIORITY MAIL BOX 12X12X5 $35.50
At 8oz you might be able to ship that item to Canada for $5 or less but you have to provide your own box and there are size restrictions.

Nick

 

i just shipped to Canada and the trick is don't send it priority mail. it was about 10$ cheaper to send it with regular postage and my box and you don't have to fill out the custom long form just the little green one.

 

Wow lots of bad info in here.

Using USPS Priority helps us on this end. When you ship priority, ALL the fees are included, like our wonderful 13% sales tax.

If you ship USPS standard, the buyer will get dinged at the border.

For instance, I bought a wiring harness off the HAMB, cost $25 to ship USPS on the US side. Cost me an additional $42 at the post office.

That same shipment going UPS would have cost $25 on the US side,
on top of that I would have got $35.95 "Brokerage" $27 for tax, and another $15 for "paperwork"

 

Additional info. I got to my point of sale computer a 8oz package 13x11x3 going FIRST CLASS INTERNATIONAL mail to Canada should cost $3.54 add a box and your cost would be under $7.
Go stand in the PO for a while and listen to the clerks talk to customers. They start with express mail and work their way down to the lowest cost option.
You can ship up to 4# FIRST CLASS INTERNATIONAL.

Nick

 

Regardless of what happened, dont let that deter you from selling or buying to us Canadians in the future. I know shipping across borders can be a pain in the ass and just about everyone learns the hard lesson the first time, but you yanks usually have all the good parts and we need them too. I used UPS once and got bent over, now I just use USPS/Canada post and havent had a problem since.

 

Thank-you nickleone,finally someone in the know with an answer.I shipped it in the priority box and it cost $27.95 just as you stated. I could have crammed it in a smaller box but wanted to bubble wrap it and get it to the buyer in the condition I advertized it to be in. I will by no means stop selling to the Canada Hamber because of this. all I was trying to do was help others out. Thank you nickleone for the info.

 

This is some good info right here. On the Can. side of the border we often have to pay tax or other fees when picking it up.

 

One more thing we can thank 9-11 for .

 

Haha! Shipping to Canada sucks ass. SUCKS. ASS. They collect taxes on everything including old greasy car parts. I took a call one day from Canadian Customs grilling me about a couple boxes of stuff I shipped up north. Ask me about that sometime when there is time. This woman agent must have thought she was on CSI. She seemed to think that some 50 year old Carter carbs. were brand new and worth more than the $20 declared value.

It would have been an enjoyable bit of absurdity but she was serious. Eh?

 

The same answer was gave to you on the first page.

 

Wvenfield,I guess you are an expert so thanks for the info. Just made the thread to get info and let Hambers be aware of the high cost. Hell I didn"t know those fees went up like everything else,now I do as does everybody else. I will make myself a note that if I need to ship anything to W.V. to get in touch with you for advice. Give it a rest.

 

Turn the radio on in that car. It is NOT because of 9-11.
It is because of the internet and the lack of first class mail.
The US Post Office lost 8.5 billion dollars this last year.
Some losses are due to the fact that the individual POs cost more to staff than they rake in. I say close them. A real business would do it.

Nick

 

Again, it isn't high cost if you don't ship Priority. That's a bit like stating that one shouldn't bother looking for an old car because you just watched B.J. and the prices are very high.

If you just wanted to rant that International Priority is getting very high, I would agree with you. It's not that much more to ship to Canada though than it is to ship across a few states.

When you don't use Priority. On top of that, many times Priority isn't any faster. Or at best a day or two tops depending where it's going.

On top of that, your P.O. did get you. There is around $100 worth of insurance already included in International Priority mail. You pay nothing for it. Of course the P.O. will still offer you to pay for insurance.

 

Postal costs scare me away from buying things from America.

I wouldnt mind one of those 13 drawer harbour freight toolboxes when theyre on special offer for $271.99 cant seem to get them cheaper than $1319.48 here.
Wonder how much to get one of those shipped.

 

You were bent over ! Does it hurt ? I regularly buy from US sources and have no problems having items shipped to me in Canada.

As mentioned previously the only trouble I have encountered was from individuals trying to make money (gouge and screw) on the shipping cost.

USPS Priority International is the most affordable and is usually reasonable.

UPS is a big no no they screw us Canadians big time with brokerage fees.

I sell a product for motorcycles and regularly ship to the US and find it very reasonable. Sending the same package within Canada however costs a lot more

I don't get how I can send a package from Canada to anywhere in the US for about $8.50.
The same identical package within Canada is around $15.00.

The main thing to remember is that you have to ask for the most affordable option. Otherwise they just charge you whatever.

Also, small light packages are usually cheaper to send, another issue is the need for insurance depending on value it can cost more.

 

Hope this helps MEDIUM priority box sent to Canada is $27.95 which includes insurance of up to Quote off reciept $67.65.If you want to purchase more insurance you can. If the boxes contents weigh more than 20lbs it extra.This is a flat rate price now so I don"t feel like the post office screwed me at all.Next time I send something to Canada it with be regular parcel post. I sent a set of Cal-custom valvecovers to Austin speed Shop parcel post and they got it in 3 days and it was only $10. The $27.95 is a set price now so there is no need to keep going on about how cheap it is in your area. U.S postal rates are the same at all P.O.s on the priority boxes.

 

I always offer to pay shipping even if the ad states free shipping, its just the right thing to do if you dont live in the States!Hell I have been waiting for 4 months for a grille that I paid for ,including shipping from the US. I never thought another Hamber would fuck me over like that but it wont stop me from doing it again, there are too many good people on here

 

Always check the shipping cost when something's going to cross a border.

You also have customs issues that can come into play, though that's mainly going to hit the buyer.

I tried to ship a batch of parts to an acquaintance in Turkey recently, but the size/weight hit one of those thresholds where even USPS Priority Mail was a problem, plus it appears that the Turkish customs folks have a jones for slapping big $ on incoming car parts.

He's got a friend who uses MyUS.com, so I shipped it there; first time I'd heard of them.

 

Yup, times 3. I get stuff sent here all the time, just had a corvair steering box sent up, damn sight bigger/heavier than one spark plug. Shipping via USPS was around $12, I can post a pic of the postage label if necessary. You got screwed on the shipping.

 

No tarrif or duty on parts for any auto more than 25 yrs old. Trust me, I do this shit all the time. One time, they DID try to ding me, I mailed a photo-copy of the reg. for my '67 falcon to Canada Customs, was re-imbursed the duty.

 

This is good to know. Thanks!! Same for motorcycle parts?

 

Dont know for sure, check with Canada customs. I would think most likely, but I wouldn't assume so.

 

never use ups for across border shipping, they Kill you with the brokerage fees!!!!!