Proxy Shipping? (cross border shipping service?)

[Locut0s]

I've often wished for a proxy shipping service that would bridge the gap across the US Canada border. Many sites like Newegg offer prices that are so much better than those you can find here on average that it would be cheaper to pay the taxes and or any duty and have them ship the item. Problem is many companies in the states, including Newegg don't ship outside the States. So does there exist a service to ship products from an address in the US to an address in Canada? For example I want product X from Newegg but they don't ship to Canada so instead I have them ship to address B in the US and this service ships it from address B to Canada?

Newegg(in US)------>(B in US) ----*---->(C in Canada)

* = via the service I mention?

 

[potato28]

Send to the Canadian consolut. They should know what to do 😉

 

[syee]

Just google Mail forwarding canada. You should see a bunch of them. I think what they charge though is a fee every month or year, then a charge for each item received, and then another charge to mail it to you. Probably gets pretty costly.

I currently have a mailbox in Blaine with Security Mail Services. (I live in Vancouver now) where I get my mail forwarded to. (I just moved back to Vancouver from Denver). It's about $48 every 6 months and they receive my packages and hold them for me. USPS is free, any other courier service they charge me $1.50 to receive. I usually go down once a month (since I do get some bills in the mail that I need to pay within the month), pick it up then and bring it back with me. That's probably the best bet if you live near a border.

Using the proxy services, you're still stuck with paying taxes and any duties coming into Canada. You might also get stuck with the dreaded brokerage fees too if they ship via a courier service (i.e. Fedex or UPS) so keep that in mind before going through a mail forwarding service.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: syee
Just google Mail forwarding canada. You should see a bunch of them. I think what they charge though is a fee every month or year, then a charge for each item received, and then another charge to mail it to you. Probably gets pretty costly.

I currently have a mailbox in Blaine with Security Mail Services. (I live in Vancouver now) where I get my mail forwarded to. (I just moved back to Vancouver from Denver). It's about $48 every 6 months and they receive my packages and hold them for me. USPS is free, any other courier service they charge me $1.50 to receive. I usually go down once a month (since I do get some bills in the mail that I need to pay within the month), pick it up then and bring it back with me. That's probably the best bet if you live near a border.

Using the proxy services, you're still stuck with paying taxes and any duties coming into Canada. You might also get stuck with the dreaded brokerage fees too if they ship via a courier service (i.e. Fedex or UPS) so keep that in mind before going through a mail forwarding service.

Thanks for the info! Hay I live in Vancouver too!

 

[syee]

Hehe...then maybe Point Roberts might be a better bet. I wasn't sure where you were. Point Roberts is probably easier to cross over to, but you're pretty much going to have to declare anything you bring back, since there's not much reason for a Canadian to go there (other than to get mail, packages from the US)

I just chose Blaine because that way I could make a day trip out of it (i.e. go to Seattle, Bellingham, etc). The only downside is the long wait crossing the border (usually about an hour or so going down, and about 30 mins coming back into Canada). I'm hoping my Nexus pass will finally be approved so I can take the express lane.

Where abouts in Vancouver are you? 😀