Ordering US products from Canada, help!!

[faye]

Hi, i want to know if i order a product(computer parts such as cpu, ram...)in US and let them ship to Canada.

Do i have to pay the brokerage fee to any of the shipping company? including UPS, FedEx, ...?

I heard that only UPS is the only one charging a brokerage fee.(not sure)
My case,
I've ordered a P3-700e CPU in US a month ago, it was $200 US, $10 S&H
the currency rate was 1.54
so $210*1.54 = $323CDN + 7%tax PST +7%GST +Brokerage Fee ($38.50CDN)+ Brokerage fee GST($2.70CDN)
TOTAL : $410CDN

Once again, do i have to pay that much of brokerage fee to any of the shipping company by any methods?

 

[JaiKnight]

You most likely will, I ordered a set of speakers that cost $700CDN, and they were shipped by FedEx, they charged me $143CDN for brokerage fees. Basically, anything you buy through commercial channels will probably taxed, value is always declared in full by the companies you buy from (because they don't want any trouble, and THEY won't be paying for the customs fee anyways)

 

[billandopus]

Well, give and take I guess. One of the negatives about living in Canada. Getting stuff across the border sucks.

 

[Huma]

UPS is the worst for brokerage fees. I always try to have my stuff sent via USPS so that the brokerage fee is just through Canada Post and is only $5.

Shipping is also generally pretty cheap via USPS but I don't think tracking and insurance work out as well, so I wouldn't do it on a big item.

The real lesson is that ordering from the states is far from a deal. After exchange and duty/taxes, you're paying the same locally. If you live close to the border, you can have them ship it to mail depots in the US, where you can go pick it up at a small fee, and forget to declare it. Can save you a lot of money, but can also get your ass in trouble with the law =) .

 

[Looney]

Use borderfree.com ... but i don't know how they deal with returns... i just got an item from the US about 15 mins ago through borderfree.com, and now i have to return it.

 

[Tripleshot]

What ever happened to NAFTA and the free trade agreement? What about open borders?


I'ld demand a re count!!!

For years,I brought vegies to Montreal and Toronto. The whole system sucks. going through customs is a joke and once in,On my return I had to pay $5.00 US to get back across the border into the US. Nothing but a gawdamn bribe! I will never go to canada again,until they revamp that beaucratic bungle hole you guys call "customs".