Shipping to Canada

**awilkie84** · #1 03-16-2013, 01:50 PM

Why are TB sellers so against shipping to Canada?
Every one that I PM about things they're selling always respond with "I'd rather ship to USA, but if I don't get any bites I'll think about it."

Shipping to Canada doesn't cost any more than shipping to someone in the US!

Why shaft us?

guy n. cognito · #2 03-16-2013, 01:54 PM

Wonder if a mod could merge this "why won't Americans ship to me" with the other one current going............

**awilkie84** · #3 03-16-2013, 01:55 PM

heh...did a search & that didn't even come up. Guess putting Canada in was too specific.

Got a link?

Jammin Johneboy · #4 03-16-2013, 02:13 PM

Hello

Not sure if you have ever had a guitar shipped from the States , but it can get expensive . Hopefully the shipping distance is not too far .

I had a BTB 785PB shipped from Virginia to the Windsor Ontario area ( its near Detroit Michigan) . I bought it for $390 U.S. from the seller , by the time it got to me with UPS the total cost for everything came out to $ 690 ! ......Ouch . I paid all the shipping and duties and taxes and broker fee to UPS. Don't forget the exchange rate on U.S. money too, luckily lately our money is close to par with the states .

It was still worth it because it did not get damaged and the Canadian used price for it is typically around $700 .

Make sure you know the total cost before you buy it .

Jammin Johneboy · #5 03-16-2013, 02:16 PM

Oh and say Hello to my brother in Summerland British Columbia .

guy n. cognito · #6 03-16-2013, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awilkie84

heh...did a search & that didn't even come up. Guess putting Canada in was too specific.

Got a link?

Why do TB sellers usually state "CONUS only"?

If you miss that one, another will be along in about a month!!

Caca de Kick · #7 03-16-2013, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awilkie84

Shipping to Canada doesn't cost any more than shipping to someone in the US!

That's a false statement. It costs more to ship anything across the border wether it's on UPS, FedEx, or Postal.
My company ships truck parts everyday up to Canada and its always more than the same part within the US. Now, the brokerage and duty will be different depending on which it ships with.

jeffbonny · #8 03-16-2013, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awilkie84

Shipping to Canada doesn't cost any more than shipping to someone in the US!

It does cost more to ship to Canada...in some cases over double depending on the item and the carrier. That shouldn't be an issue for the seller though as the buyer is liable for the extra costs. What it comes down to for American sellers that don't want to ship to Canada is the extra two minutes it takes to fill out a customs declaration. I've shipped and received hundreds of items to and from the US and anyone who tells you there's more to it than this is fulluvit. The buyer bears ALL the shipping costs and for the seller anything that could go wrong could just as easily go wrong shipping within the US. In some seller's minds though shipping to Canada is like shipping to Nigeria and you aren't going to change that bogus perception.

If it's something you're really hot for get it sent to Point Roberts and held for pickup there. For you the cost of the ferry ride might be too much but it's an option I use all the time.

alfred88 · #9 03-16-2013, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jammin Johneboy

Hello

Not sure if you have ever had a guitar shipped from the States , but it can get expensive . Hopefully the shipping distance is not too far .

I had a BTB 785PB shipped from Virginia to the Windsor Ontario area ( its near Detroit Michigan) . I bought it for $390 U.S. from the seller , by the time it got to me with UPS the total cost for everything came out to $ 690 ! ......Ouch . I paid all the shipping and duties and taxes and broker fee to UPS. Don't forget the exchange rate on U.S. money too, luckily lately our money is close to par with the states .

It was still worth it because it did not get damaged and the Canadian used price for it is typically around $700 .

Make sure you know the total cost before you buy it .

Don't use UPS. with the sales tax they charge that "brokers fee" that is a percentage on the purchase cost of the bass , almost 20%. It is the same work for them either the bass cost $100 or $2000. Use USPS because Canada post will only charge sales tax on items costing more than $100, no brokerage fee.

Sometimes it takes a little longer but you save a lot. I have bought over 40 basses from the USA and no more UPS, Fedex, Purolator or DHL for me.

jeffbonny · #10 03-16-2013, 04:34 PM

+1 on USPS for sending stuff across the border. Doing the held for pickup just across the border in the US routine though UPS works well.

guy n. cognito · #11 03-16-2013, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffbonny

+1 on USPS.

USPS has inferior tracking and insurance. It might be fine for low dollar items, but not for items like basses and cabs.

jeffbonny · #12 03-16-2013, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy n. cognito

USPS has inferior tracking and insurance. It might be fine for low dollar items, but not for items like basses and cabs.

Good point.

ugly_bassplayer · #13 03-16-2013, 04:43 PM

For shipping to Canada, avoid UPS at all costs.

**awilkie84** · #14 03-16-2013, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

That's a false statement. It costs more to ship anything across the border wether it's on UPS, FedEx, or Postal.
My company ships truck parts everyday up to Canada and its always more than the same part within the US. Now, the brokerage and duty will be different depending on which it ships with.

Funny, when I use CANADA POST, it costs no more to send to New Mexico than it does to send to Winnipeg.
The form is also only 3 fields long. Addressee, item, declared value.

Maybe it's different with private couriers, but I've never had a problem using a government run one.

I've also never had a problem with the tracking system for USPS. By the time it hits the border, Canada Post has generated a new tracking ID & I can contact them for it.

kcole4001 · #15 03-16-2013, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffbonny

+1 on USPS for sending stuff across the border. Doing the held for pickup just across the border in the US routine though UPS works well.

Another +1

Just bought my Taurus III pedals from Humbucker in Tennessee using USPS for shipping.
Almost as fast as UPS but cheaper, although tracking was still stating processed through customs (2 days earlier) when I had already picked up my parcel.

AMJBASS · #16 03-16-2013, 04:52 PM

Shipping either way over the boarder is very easy. It does cost more, but if the buyer is paying than I don't see the difficulty. As a seller the only thing you need to do is fill out the customs document which is an extra 15 seconds of time(what the item is and where was it made). Shipping can get expensive with duty charges though. If the buyer is willing to be responsible for them however there is really no issue.

guy n. cognito · #17 03-16-2013, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMJBASS

Shipping either way over the boarder is very easy. It does cost more, but if the buyer is paying than I don't see the difficulty. As a seller the only thing you need to do is fill out the customs document which is an extra 15 seconds of time(what the item is and where was it made). Shipping can get expensive with duty charges though. If the buyer is willing to be responsible for them however there is really no issue.

It's always simple, in theory. Then, the Canadian buyer receives his bass....and his customs bill.......and refuses delivery...........

Or........wants you to lie on the customs forms to avoid fees.............

I'll sell to Canadians under a pretty specific set of rules, and I have yet to find anyone that will follow them. Usually, telling the buyer that I won't lie to customs is the deal killer.

Jammin Johneboy · #18 03-16-2013, 05:36 PM

Thinking back about what transpired with the BTB I bought from Virginia :

UPS was more money than the post office and UPS wanted $50 to put the guitar in a box with some inflated bubble balloon packing things . The box they used was designed for golf clubs , said so on the box.

I asked the seller if he could package it for me and save me some money by going through the post office . He said Ok no problem . But he lived in a rural area and was having a hard time coming up with a box from both a big store ( Walmart I think ) and his one and only local music store was not coming up with anything for him. I felt sorry for the guy doing this running around (two evenings after work) and not finding anything . So I thought he was a good guy for trying for me and did not want to put him through anymore B.S.

I decided to give him a break and I paid the extra money to send it through UPS even though I knew it would cost me more . Luckily it showed up in it's semi hard case boxed up with no damage and the cost did not go over the Canadian used value .

Jammin Johneboy · #19 03-16-2013, 05:40 PM

Also I sent him the money for the bass and the money for UPS on his side . It was insured for $400 U.S. . Once UPS showed up at my house it was time to hand over more money for the duties , taxes and broker fee .

Caca de Kick · #20 03-16-2013, 07:08 PM

Oh yes, its very easy to ship. But some just feel its a hassel.
As far as the Postal route goes, yes it painless and usually the cheapest route for both parties, but the insurance caps at around $675 or $700. So definitely a risk if your dealing in expensive basses.
Brokerage fee is a real thing; both UPS and FedEx have it, but deal with it differently. My workplace ships everyday using all three of those companies.