This about That.
Friday, 23 February 2007 03:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daOK, so PST and GST on stuff bought in the US and sent into Canada... is fine and good. We're a different country, there's a border; I'm even OK with a $5 processing fee for the shipping company.
Remember the speakerphone I bought in January, which showed up with the wrong power supply? And the seller sent a replacement power supply to me, at their cost? Well, I just got a letter from Fedex Ground saying I owed $40. $6.30 GST/HST, and the rest in Brokerage Fees, Disbursement Fees, and GST/PST on each of the Brokerage and Disbursement Fees.
For the Power Supply.
I think I may have gotten this ironed out so these fees will go away on this package, because it was technically a warranty repair. Here's what I now (think I) know about shipping packages from the US to Canada.
Bad idea: ground Courier services. If it is sent from a business, crosses the border in a Fedex Ground or UPS truck, and it has a reported value of over $20 CAD, there is a fairly good chance you'll get dinged.
Good idea: air-shipping. I'm not clear on why, but they have different customs-clearing procedures which don't involve usary. Similarly, the Canadian Post will charge GST/PST and a $5 handling fee. (Here's another good reason for Canada Post to not go private; they'd start charging us usurious fees too.)
Good idea: if it's a gift, say so; if it's worth over $60 you'll only pay GST/PST on the difference. If it's a warranty repair, say so; those aren't liable for any taxes; in which case make sure the shipper puts down a nominal amount that's under $20CAD on the customs value.
A hopefully good idea: failing all three of these, call Fedex Ground and nicely ask whether it can be fixed, since this was actually a warranty repair, and the shipper messed up. The guy I talked with this morning said if the shipper can fax them a revised Fedex Ground invoice, reporting the true value, and if it checks out, they will reverse the GST/PST, which means they will reverse the handling charges as well.
And this seller has offered to send that fax.
I'm hopeful, though resigned that FedEx may have other tricks. 'Cause, y'know, they have a business to run.
But by now, it's not as much about the $40 but the principle, since I've already spent more than $40 of my time on this crap.
Remember the speakerphone I bought in January, which showed up with the wrong power supply? And the seller sent a replacement power supply to me, at their cost? Well, I just got a letter from Fedex Ground saying I owed $40. $6.30 GST/HST, and the rest in Brokerage Fees, Disbursement Fees, and GST/PST on each of the Brokerage and Disbursement Fees.
For the Power Supply.
I think I may have gotten this ironed out so these fees will go away on this package, because it was technically a warranty repair. Here's what I now (think I) know about shipping packages from the US to Canada.
Bad idea: ground Courier services. If it is sent from a business, crosses the border in a Fedex Ground or UPS truck, and it has a reported value of over $20 CAD, there is a fairly good chance you'll get dinged.
Good idea: air-shipping. I'm not clear on why, but they have different customs-clearing procedures which don't involve usary. Similarly, the Canadian Post will charge GST/PST and a $5 handling fee. (Here's another good reason for Canada Post to not go private; they'd start charging us usurious fees too.)
Good idea: if it's a gift, say so; if it's worth over $60 you'll only pay GST/PST on the difference. If it's a warranty repair, say so; those aren't liable for any taxes; in which case make sure the shipper puts down a nominal amount that's under $20CAD on the customs value.
A hopefully good idea: failing all three of these, call Fedex Ground and nicely ask whether it can be fixed, since this was actually a warranty repair, and the shipper messed up. The guy I talked with this morning said if the shipper can fax them a revised Fedex Ground invoice, reporting the true value, and if it checks out, they will reverse the GST/PST, which means they will reverse the handling charges as well.
And this seller has offered to send that fax.
I'm hopeful, though resigned that FedEx may have other tricks. 'Cause, y'know, they have a business to run.
But by now, it's not as much about the $40 but the principle, since I've already spent more than $40 of my time on this crap.
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no subject
Date: Friday, 23 February 2007 09:24 pm (UTC)We call them customs extortion fees in our household. I try not to order or have anything shipped from the states because we've been charged up to 100% of the cost of the actual item that we had shipped to us.
If I do have anything shipped, I request shipping via USPS because if there are any fees (and there usually aren't), they're much, much lower.
no subject
Date: Friday, 23 February 2007 09:48 pm (UTC)I'm hopeful that I have my facts straight for air vs. ground... I know I've not gotten extorted having things shipped purolator, though I don't honestly remember if they might have been shipped ground.
Yeah. Extortion's about the word for it.
Apparently you can act as your own broker, but that involves travelling to the shipper's airport location, bringing the waybill to the local customs yard, paying the taxes, then bringing that receipt back to the shipper.
Sheesh.
no subject
Date: Friday, 23 February 2007 10:47 pm (UTC)Shipping from Galax, VA 24333 to Waterloo, ON N2L 5M3 (my current zip code to my old postal code)
Ground: $12.04 (with daily pickup service, own packaging)
Next lowest is UPS Worldwide Expedited. $56.74
I've had a shipper cover the brokerage fees (which, incidentally, are generally levied against *any* item, regardless of whether it's marked as a warranty repair or not, since it's a processing charge, not a customs charge), rather than send the package by air.
USPS is likely the best way to do it.
However, should you ever need to ship something via Expresspost to the US, save your time and money. There is no reciprocal contract between Canda Post and USPS; once your fancy envelope crosses the border, it is dropped into the USPS system and is treated as regular mail (small package). No tracking updates, no expedited delivery, no nothing.