Canadian Classifieds needed!!

[BillMason]

Continuation of the conversation started here:

Canadian Club - Sign up now for membership!

We need a Canadian classifieds section here on TB!

Originally Posted by kerryg

As far as a "Canadian Bass Gear Classifieds forum" - yeah, it's an "idea whose time has come". We need to have a dedicated forum now to swap gear that's already up here on this side of the Enormous Trading Impediment.

We don't fit into either the "overseas" or "US" trading categories. I don't know about you, but it would have to be a pretty special bass that tempted me to ship or purchase trans-Atlantic - and many US gear sales rule Canadian trades out entirely with statements like "NO INTL SALES" or "LOWER 48 ONLY" anyway.

For those TB'ers that are willing to go to the increased effort and risk of trading across the Canada/US border, there are outrageous fees from the shipping companies, extraordinarily long waits, scandalous brokerage fees, and an unstable exchange rate that's swung from $1.50 CDN to par and back to $1.20 within a shockingly brief span. There's even the slim but undeniable risk that someone at the border will rip our gear apart to inspect the interior - or even, say, misidentify a fingerboard as an endangered species and confiscate or damage the bass.

All this adds up to one conclusion - it's time for Canadians to have a dedicated venue so we can specifically hunt for bass gear on *our* side of the Enormous Trading Impediment.

My initial thought while I was new here was to go ahead and build a Canadian Bass Classifieds forum myself (it's trivial with modern forum software). I can easily do it, but as I've grown more familiar with TalkBass I started thinking it would be far better thing to approach the mods here first about simply bringing TalkBass up to date.

It's time for this. We'll keep you posted.

[BillMason]

More conversation fodder:

Originally Posted by speckledmind

+1 for the Canadian Classifieds, I’m all for that one

The following should be a sticky in the classifieds, for Canadian buyers.

Sorry in advance for the following long blubs guys, but you need to now this.

There is absolutely no problem buying form the US and having items shipped to Canada ( it’s part of the Free Trade Agreement ), read what follows.

The bad stuff you absolutely need to know.
- Never, never have anything shipped by UPS, they will charge you Brokerage fees on top of the shipping you already paid ( FedEx also charges Brokerage fees ), you will also have to pay the GST of the declared value of the item after the brokerage fees have ben added.
- Brokerage fees are a Bogus charge, it’s nothing more than a cash grab that can not be explained by any carrier, it’s basically a charge for there internal paperwork for having imported the goods.
I have seen brokerage fees in excess of $150 on a $600 Bass, add the 5% GST to that and your crying ( Yep we are talking $193 of over charges on top of what you paid for shipping ), it’s a rip off.

The good stuff you need to know.
- There is no duty on items shipped from the US, it’s all part of the Free Trade Agreement.
- Have the items you purchased shipped by Postal Service only ( United States Postal Service ).
- If your buying a Bass, ask the seller to look into shipping the Bass by Postal service " Global express, 3-5 days, insured Trackable ", it will cost you about $70.oo from one end of the country to the next.

Once the item comes to your door.
- The Postal service will charge you a flat fee of $5.oo for the paperwork for having imported the item.
- You will have to pay the GST of the declared value of the item.
Example, Bass sold for $600 USD = $712 CDN today x 5% GST = $35.60, add the $5 flat fee from the Post office and it’s yours.

You do the Math.
If you deal with UPS, you will get gouged ( as per my example, $193 of needless over charges ).
Or,
Deal with the Post Office / USPS and it’s as easy as 1,2,3 and it will make you happy ( as per my example, $40.60 and it’s yours ).

My 2 cents.

Originally Posted by BillMason

Isn't duty just the GST anyway? The shipping and brokerage fees that really suck, but there's no GST on items sold as used by non-dealers in Canada. You only have to collect GST if you are doing it as a business, i.e. making over $30,000 a year selling goods. However, importing things, the government doesn't know and doesn't care if the dude you're buying it from is a business or not, they want their pound of flesh.

Agreed that UPS sucks, but many sellers do not want to ship via USPS.

Buying from the US sucks now with the CDN dollar where it is; it was worthwhile when the dollar was on par, because US stuff was still cheaper even when you paid all that other stuff, but now it's impossible. We need a Canadian classifieds, and craigslist and Kijiji aren't cutting it!

[cripula]

Big +1. I think that would be great.

[the_hook]

This is a much needed area and great idea. Lot's of great US deals, but with the shipping, border headaches and other costs we get nailed with once the package arrives here, and now the lower Cdn $$, it's a more prudent choice to look at home for gear. The only time I'd look to the US sales is for gear you can't get up here (like the amp I just bought).

[kerryg]

I can't see any good reason the mods wouldn't do it; I run two forums myself on near-identical software (phpBB and FUDForum) and it's a matter of a few minutes' work to set up a new subforum.

So let's us Canadian bassists all stick up our hands so the mods know we need this!

[Loel]

+1000

With the economy as it is, CC's are justifiable..i'm in

[::::BASSIST::::]

I, for one, think a Canadian Classifieds is a great idea.

And just a note, I believe NAFTA only applies to registered businesses.

I avoid Fedex and UPS at all costs for the reasons above.

[funkalicious101]

I wouldnt mind this at all.

[Yvon]

That would be great!

+1

[LM Bass]

My hand is up for this one.

Just got gouged $90 for $190 worth of guitar making supplies.
The company had just started using FedEx without asking. So now I have a big note on my file ONLY USE USPS!

Thanks Kerry, for pointing this idea out to me. I'm in!
L

[speckledmind]

Originally Posted by megadan

Just a slight correction, there's no duty on items MADE in the USA. So you're good to go for that MIA Fender or GK amp.
If it's not made in the USA, it's not covered under NAFTA.

I stand corrected on the NAFTA agrrement, it's for US made goods.

I don’t want to steer anyone in the wrong direction.
But,
I pay enough taxes as it is

Ever hear of stickers
One never knows where a musician will apply them for kicks or good looks.

[speckledmind]

Originally Posted by LM Bass

Just got gouged $90 for $190 worth of guitar making supplies.
The company had just started using FedEx without asking. So now I have a big note on my file ONLY USE USPS!

That's Bad

Contact the Company and have them refund you based on the following ( I have done this in the past ).
- They should have done there home work before using FedEx for shipping cross border.
- They should also be aware of all the additional charges the carrier will ding you for when shipping cross border ( apart from duty ), I’m talking about brokerage charges that are Bogus.
- Send them a Fax showing the extra charges ( make them refund these extra charges ), and let them fight it out with the Carrier, and trust me, they will.

[LM Bass]

Yeah, the company was actually very apologetic, and will discount my next order, so that helped. Grr, on Fedex though!

[kerryg]

that are very explicit - "we will only ship via UPS, no exceptions". I have tried on several occasions to tell them that UPS Canada is *not the same company* as UPS in America - that up here in Canada it's a bulk industrial carrier more suited to the carrying of boxes of washers and sacks of cement than valuable instruments. It falls on deaf ears - after all, all US companies have direct experience of is how it *sends and receives locally*, not how it's *received on the international end*.

UPS once dropped a $3700 bass guitar at my front door - right out in the open on a busy street - neither putting it in my hand or even *getting a signature*. I came to the door to watch the truck literally driving away. UPS called a year later to ask about the hundreds of dollars of unpaid charges on the shipment. I said "would you mind pulling out the document with my signature as having received the bass?". The woman said "Sure", and put me on hold for quite a while. When she came back, she said "I'll call you back shortly". That was years ago.

Companies that tell me "sorry, it's UPS or nothing" are telling me about the value they place on doing business with me.

[megadan]

Definite +1 for the Cdn classifieds. It would be a big help!

[danny_wylde]

Originally Posted by kerryg

I can't see any good reason the mods wouldn't do it; I run two forums myself on near-identical software (phpBB and FUDForum) and it's a matter of a few minutes' work to set up a new subforum.

So let's us Canadian bassists all stick up our hands so the mods know we need this!

I agree, I run 5 vbulletin boards myself and making a new area for Canuck Classified's is really easy to add for the forum superadmin.

(clone forum settings)

My business ships and receives a LOT of goods both ways across the US/CAN border and we have had the same problems with UPS and Fedex in the past ..

Lost or stolen goods by UPS to the tune of $ 20K in the 3 yrs I dealt with them .. they have a big theft problem at the hub in Concord, Ontario.. ( they pay minimum wages there, and staff feel the need to give themselves a bonus once in a while, I guess)

I am in a rural area and the UPS driver who did pickup/drops and I became pretty good friends over the time I used UPS, and he told me flat out they know about the theiving issues at that hub and UPS is a nightmare to get refunded on goods that went missing or got destroyed in transit.. so I dropped UPS ..

We spent about 30K a year in shipping costs with them. ..

bye bye UPS ..

Also, their scalping scheme of "Brokerage Fee's" from imports from the USA to Canada was and is still a joke ..

Fedex was a little better, but again still charged way too much for import brokage fee's..

Finally went with the mail (Canada Post / USPS ) and to this day after 4 yrs of shipping through them ( about 10,000 packages so far) have yet to report any lost, damaged or stolen packages.

As mentioned, anything coming to Canadian's from the USA using the mail, is cheap and the best way for us Canuck's

Only a $ 5 flat handling fee per package from CBSA, plus GST ..

The paperwork is much easier, and the time frame for stuff from the states is pretty good .. USPS International Priority for goods coming in from the US to Canada is the best way I found to get stuff into Canada from the USA on a cost and time basis..

but

+ 100000000

for a all "Canuck Classified" area

Our dollar sucks again and it's getting tough to find "across the border deals" now with the additional costs in exchange rates between currencies.

[dbassman59]

I agree 100% ... I already have 2 items I would like to post!! A 350w Peavy BAM 210 Combo and a Fender "Sting" bass ... I'm basically selling off some assets hoping to buy a Mesa Boogie Walkabout combo soon

So the question of the day is How do we go about setting this up?...

[kerryg]

Originally Posted by dbassman59

I agree 100% ... I already have 2 items I would like to post!! A 350w Peavy BAM 210 Combo and a Fender "Sting" bass ... I'm basically selling off some assets hoping to buy a Mesa Boogie Walkabout combo soon

So the question of the day is How do we go about setting this up?...

I think the mods just need to know we need it; they seem quite open to requests for improvements.

Now I want to hear more about your Sting

[SMASH]

I've bought & sold a *LOT* from the US for years and never had a problem really. Lucky, me.

If asked directly the mods would set such a sub-forum up, I'd expect. I probably wouldn't use it myself. I'm pretty much over buying gear, and selling on Craigslist (if you're in a large city) blows TB and eBay way out of the water plus it's free & one needn't hassle with packing/shipping.

One alternative is to just put "CANADA" in the title of a f/s thread so it's a searchable term. I used to do so in order to appeal to Canadians. Another is just to make a "For Sale In Canada" thread in the "For Sale" section. People can post there, then delete their post once the deal is done. It's a messy way to do it, but it might be amusing and spawn some conversations about the different gear.

dbassman59 - is it a 12" Walkabout Scout you're interested in? If so, when the time comes email me. I might sell mine in favour of getting the 15" version. So too might I sell a/some Schroeder cabs in favour of getting a Scout extension cab.

[kerryg]

Originally Posted by SMASH

I probably wouldn't use it myself. I'm pretty much over buying gear...

LOL.

OK, you raise a good point - to clarify, let's stipulate in advance that this request for a dedicated Canadian Classifieds is chiefly intended to benefit Canadians that *are* interested in buying and selling gear.

I'm going to take a wild guess and put you down as a "no" for the dedicated "Build Your Own Waffle Iron From Plywood And Bedsprings" forum too.