Canada customs and duty information - venting

[Jack Arnott]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

So i've spent the morning arguing with my customs broker, and enquiring at CBSA ( Canadian Border Security Agency). It would seem that someone in this country decided it would be perfectly ok to charge someone duty on items that were defective, and then charge them again for the warranty replacement items. Yes folks I paid duty ( not tax) on a broken item that wasn't.......

So to make a point, US re-sellers please ensure you ship working items otherwise Canadian buyers... be ready with the lube.

This makes me want to move south... seriously

Oh my gosh, the whining. No wonder Homer Simpson thinks of Canada as our gay cousin to the north.
So you got screwed buying cheap knock offs. And when you went back, the stand was closed and had moved to a new town to.......

The oh so tired internets line was invented for this.
First world problems.

 

[Shane Presley]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Oh my gosh, the whining. No wonder Homer Simpson thinks of Canada as our gay cousin to the north.
So you got screwed buying cheap knock offs. And when you went back, the stand was closed and had moved to a new town to.......

The oh so tired internets line was invented for this.
First world problems.

FYI bought these off a company in NEW JERSEY, promised excellent support- didn't know they were Chinese knock- offs until the paperwork came in when they cleared customs...

As for the rest of you on here, thanks for your support and information.

 

[Steve Milner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

A lesson that everyone on the East Coast will eventually learn.... when a guy from New Jersey promises you something, run the other direction with your money!
Welcome to the club!

 

[Dick Rees]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Oh my gosh, the whining. No wonder Homer Simpson thinks of Canada as our gay cousin to the north.
So you got screwed buying cheap knock offs. And when you went back, the stand was closed and had moved to a new town to.......

The oh so tired internets line was invented for this.
First world problems.

Ahem.....

 

[David Karol]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Jeff,

I think I sent you a microphone a while ago in a flat rate box, that wasn't a problem. Cheap, one form, easy!

But after this, I'm never shipping a high value item with USPS at all. They told me today in the post office that the maximum insurance coverage I could purchase was $650. It was all packed up, and the buyer only wanted to ship USPS, so I went with it. In the future I won't. Really, I should've told the buyer I can't ship this method, but I have yet to have something damaged in shipping, and just want to be done with it.

In retrospect, it wasn't worth the time on my end to deal with USPS on this item. The flat rate box is fine, but nothing else. I'd rather ship to Belgium, that's much easier!

 

[Tim McCulloch]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

David, while the rules don't change with US geography the quality of personnel certainly does. I've had great, wonderful, tremendous experiences with the USPS here in Wichita, whether at the Downtown Station where my P.O. box is, or out at the General Mail Facility at the airport. Granted, I haven't sent anything to Canada although I've received a few things via CanadaPost and USPS without incident.

I guess "YMMV" applies here.

 

[Arthur Skudra]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

But after this, I'm never shipping a high value item with USPS at all. They told me today in the post office that the maximum insurance coverage I could purchase was $650.

You must have gotten the wrong information, or they are horribly misinformed, because according to this webpage:

https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-and-extra-services.htm

Regular parcels can be insured up to $5,000, and if it's a Registered delivery package (really slow), up to $25,000.00!

 

[Steve Milner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

You must have gotten the wrong information, or they are horribly misinformed, because according to this webpage:

https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-and-extra-services.htm

Regular parcels can be insured up to $5,000, and if it's a Registered delivery package (really slow), up to $25,000.00!

Those numbers are *available* but are only for domestic packages, and not available to all destinations, with all sizes of packages, with all types of package contents. The available insurance for international shipping is much lower, up to $2500 for global express guaranteed (but that's an incredibly expensive class of shipping) ... for normal international packages, caps can be as low as $100.

To top this all off... if you pack and seal your package yourself, they get really cagey about insurance.... like not worth dealing with kind of cagey.

As a seller/shipper, I typically insist that the buyer pays up for a UPS / FEDEX / DHL type carrier, if it's an item of any real value. It's not worth the time dealing with USPS on the front end, not to mention that their tracking service is a complete joke, when your shipping something valuable or in anyway time sensitive. USPS is fine for personal shipping, but not for commercial purposes in my opinion.

Ship with a reputable carrier like UPS for a while, and you can ask for your own Representative whom you can call on a direct line to assist you when things go pear shaped... which they will, no carrier is immune from mistakes & lost/broken packages, shit happens... the quality lies in how well they fix the problems.

 

[Spenser Hamilton]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Those numbers are *available* but are only for domestic packages, and not available to all destinations, with all sizes of packages, with all types of package contents. The available insurance for international shipping is much lower, up to $2500 for global express guaranteed (but that's an incredibly expensive class of shipping) ... for normal international packages, caps can be as low as $100.

To top this all off... if you pack and seal your package yourself, they get really cagey about insurance.... like not worth dealing with kind of cagey.

As a seller/shipper, I typically insist that the buyer pays up for a UPS / FEDEX / DHL type carrier, if it's an item of any real value. It's not worth the time dealing with USPS on the front end, not to mention that their tracking service is a complete joke, when your shipping something valuable or in anyway time sensitive. USPS is fine for personal shipping, but not for commercial purposes in my opinion.

Ship with a reputable carrier like UPS for a while, and you can ask for your own Representative whom you can call on a direct line to assist you when things go pear shaped... which they will, no carrier is immune from mistakes & lost/broken packages, shit happens... the quality lies in how well they fix the problems.

USPS and Canada Poste have never broken a shipment to or from me, Fedex and UPS both have, and charged me several times more for the honor.

 

[Tim McCulloch]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Ship with a reputable carrier like UPS for a while, and you can ask for your own Representative whom you can call on a direct line to assist you when things go pear shaped... which they will, no carrier is immune from mistakes & lost/broken packages, shit happens... the quality lies in how well they fix the problems.

I have my own personal ombudsman (woman) at FedEx. I have a direct-to-her-desk phone number. I wish we were not so familiar...

Generally I have no choice of carrier but when I do, I now ask for anyone except FedEx. 5 years ago it was "anyone but UPS." A decade before was "please NOT the USPS."

 

[Steve Milner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

USPS and Canada Poste have never broken a shipment to or from me, Fedex and UPS both have, and charged me several times more for the honor.

I absolutely understand that everyone's experiences with each carrier will widely differ... Having shipped literally thousands of items over the years, using every available carrier I know of, I've experienced issues, delays, lost & broken items with each carrier I've used. The USPS, and postal services around the globe are generally no better or worse then the private carriers in my experience, but they can be much more difficult to deal with (when) something does go wrong... again in my experience.

When you're pushing a lot of volume in/out as a shipper, you're eventually going to run into a snag regardless of who you use and how much you pay for the service. Much like choosing an airline based on your past experience with them not having lost your bags in the previously... you may or may not continue that streak of good fortune.

I prefer to choose a company these days that has a real (constantly updated) tracking system, and a personal rep that I can call when things go sideways. The USPS tracking system almost NEVER updates after you've sent a package... often international packages arrive at their destination 7-10 days of transit time, without the tracking system EVER updating. This is simply unacceptable to me... I want tracking that actually TRACKS the package, even if it is stuck sitting at a sorting hub somewhere broken, I need to know that so I can deal with it in a timely manner.

 

[Steve Milner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Hit post quick reply once, and it double posted... please feel free to delete this one if it's possible.
Never had that happen before!

 

[Spenser Hamilton]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

I absolutely understand that everyone's experiences with each carrier will widely differ... Having shipped literally thousands of items over the years, using every available carrier I know of, I've experienced issues, delays, lost & broken items with each carrier I've used. The USPS, and postal services around the globe are generally no better or worse then the private carriers in my experience, but they can be much more difficult to deal with (when) something does go wrong... again in my experience.

When you're pushing a lot of volume in/out as a shipper, you're eventually going to run into a snag regardless of who you use and how much you pay for the service. Much like choosing an airline based on your past experience with them not having lost your bags in the previously... you may or may not continue that streak of good fortune.

I prefer to choose a company these days that has a real (constantly updated) tracking system, and a personal rep that I can call when things go sideways. The USPS tracking system almost NEVER updates after you've sent a package... often international packages arrive at their destination 7-10 days of transit time, without the tracking system EVER updating. This is simply unacceptable to me... I want tracking that actually TRACKS the package, even if it is stuck sitting at a sorting hub somewhere broken, I need to know that so I can deal with it in a timely manner.

Has USPS ever left you with a bill for 50-70% of the items value for duty and brokerage fees?

 

[Steve Milner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Has USPS ever left you with a bill for 50-70% of the items value for duty and brokerage fees?

Yup... USPS to Italy on vintage American made guitars (1950-60's era) would routinely result in disputes over thousands of dollars (10-100+% of the actual instrument's value) worth of various duty and brokerage fees. Had two guitars go missing completely (stolen) in Italy while waiting to "clear customs" after originating from USPS here. DHL proved to be the reliable solution when shipping to Italy for us at the time... even though we didn't have luck with DHL in other markets globally. Finding a carrier that does well in one market, does not guarantee that they will be as good in another market, as it often is dictated by what resources they have on the ground in each location. The British Post for example is extremely reliable and effective, even more-so in certain parts of the country then any other expensive private carrier. These lessons are only learned the hard way often times, and results depend heavily on exactly what you are shipping and how it is packed. A microphone in a small box is going to be handled completely differently then an item like a guitar in a box by ever single carrier... just how the business seems to work.

International shipping, logistics & freight forwarding is an incredibly complex industry... I was lucky to grow-up in a household where my parents co-owned/operated an International freight consolidation & forwarding business, so I got an early start at trying to figure out the industry as a kid working summers in their warehouse & offices. If you don't enjoy a challenge, it's not a fun business to be a part of.

 

[Randy Gartner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

One of my customers is from Canada.He builds motors for drag racers and high priced street rods.Most of his customers live in the US although he does send them all over the world.His customers would complain not only about the customs fees but that the shipments were always held up at the border for some reason or another.They suggested he move to the states which he did.Canada's loss,our gain.

 

[Spenser Hamilton]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Yup... USPS to Italy on vintage American made guitars (1950-60's era) would routinely result in disputes over thousands of dollars (10-100+% of the actual instrument's value) worth of various duty and brokerage fees. Had two guitars go missing completely (stolen) in Italy while waiting to "clear customs" after originating from USPS here. DHL proved to be the reliable solution when shipping to Italy for us at the time... even though we didn't have luck with DHL in other markets globally. Finding a carrier that does well in one market, does not guarantee that they will be as good in another market, as it often is dictated by what resources they have on the ground in each location. The British Post for example is extremely reliable and effective, even more-so in certain parts of the country then any other expensive private carrier. These lessons are only learned the hard way often times, and results depend heavily on exactly what you are shipping and how it is packed. A microphone in a small box is going to be handled completely differently then an item like a guitar in a box by ever single carrier... just how the business seems to work.

International shipping, logistics & freight forwarding is an incredibly complex industry... I was lucky to grow-up in a household where my parents co-owned/operated an International freight consolidation & forwarding business, so I got an early start at trying to figure out the industry as a kid working summers in their warehouse & offices. If you don't enjoy a challenge, it's not a fun business to be a part of.

I was talking more specifically about Canada-US shipping, USPS usually charges a few percent maybe up to 15% to get the item over the border, I've paid as high as 70% is customs fees to UPS when picking up packages before. That combined with the frequency at which UPS and Fedex have broken items, makes them a no go for me.

 

[Jason Lavoie]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

When it comes to damage you have to keep in mind that the sorting center and all that is the same handling no matter what. the last link in the chain (your neighborhood driver) is what counts. no carrier is any better or worse than another on the average, and you won't know which is best for you until you've tried each one. and then sometimes they change the driver on you and you have to learn all over again if he's careful or not with your stuff.

Jason

 

[Steve Milner]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

I was talking more specifically about Canada-US shipping, USPS usually charges a few percent maybe up to 15% to get the item over the border, I've paid as high as 70% is customs fees to UPS when picking up packages before. That combined with the frequency at which UPS and Fedex have broken items, makes them a no go for me.

Fair enough... going with what works for your needs is the key.

Broken shipments always suck... you should see some of the carnage that happens in international freight / container shipping from time to time. I've had UPS break (relatively) irreplaceable, vintage guitars before... that's a heart-breaking situation. With the guitar business, we had our own insurance company (Heritage) who insured all of our shipments, so we did not have to deal with insuring with the individual carriers directly. This makes a LOT of headaches go away, when you are dealing with someone who knows your business and the potential items that you are routinely shipping. Anything high-dollar, you just call ahead of time and add extra coverage to the policy for that specific shipment. Absolutely worth the money if you are shipping often for business purposes.

 

[Spenser Hamilton]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

Fair enough... going with what works for your needs is the key.

Broken shipments always suck... you should see some of the carnage that happens in international freight / container shipping from time to time. I've had UPS break (relatively) irreplaceable, vintage guitars before... that's a heart-breaking situation. With the guitar business, we had our own insurance company (Heritage) who insured all of our shipments, so we did not have to deal with insuring with the individual carriers directly. This makes a LOT of headaches go away, when you are dealing with someone who knows your business and the potential items that you are routinely shipping. Anything high-dollar, you just call ahead of time and add extra coverage to the policy for that specific shipment. Absolutely worth the money if you are shipping often for business purposes.

I'm sure no amount of insurance can replace a guitar that is rare/expensive/sentimental.

 

[BJ James]

Re: Canada customs and duty information - venting

What are the implications delivering a system from Canada to the US? I may be delivering a system for sale and cannot find info on the CBA site.