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Never ever EVER ship to Canada using UPS

Powdered Toast

Powdered Toast

Mar 4, 2006
236
25
Winnipeg, Canada
www.georgeandtheclassof84.com
#1
OMG... I just got the delivery attempt notice on my pickups that I bought from a TB member. The pickups were $80 - get this - UPS is charging me a brokerage fee of $82.78!!!!!!!! This is over and above the shipping I already paid the seller!

FYI, shipping through USPS (Canada Post takes it North of the border) charges only $5 customs fee. I called UPS to find out what the charge was and $50 was their customs fee.

DO NOT USE UPS TO SHIP INTERNATIONAL.
 
#3
Problem is that me and the seller never discussed shipping options. I was contemplating refusing the delivery and having the seller re-send it using a different carrier, however a second conversation with UPS revealed that they will charge the brokerage ($50) on return as well. Only option to reduce the charge is to have the seller fax in new customs documents to adjust the value of the package and then I will get some of the tax back.
 
#6
Andy_colassal said:
Just wondering, but what is the difference between UPS and USPS
Click to expand...

From Wikipedia:

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an "independent establishment of the executive branch" of the United States Government (see 39 U.S.C. § 201) responsible for providing postal service in the United States. Within the United States, it is colloquially referred to simply as "the post office."

United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS), commonly referred to as UPS, is the world's largest package delivery company, delivering more than 14 million packages a day to more than 200 countries around the world.

So basically UPS is a public company and the USPS is part of the US government. The UK's Royal Mail is something between these two - it's a public limited company that is wholly owned by the government.
 
#7
I had the same problem. Bought a drum practice pads kit, maybe two ponds and a half, for a friend for about 65$. Shipped by UPS, it cost 40$ more just to have someone in a warehouse take the package from "US - Out" to "Canada - In" and check a name on a list.
 
#11
Powdered Toast said:
OMG... I just got the delivery attempt notice on my pickups that I bought from a TB member. The pickups were $80 - get this - UPS is charging me a brokerage fee of $82.78!!!!!!!! This is over and above the shipping I already paid the seller!

FYI, shipping through USPS (Canada Post takes it North of the border) charges only $5 customs fee. I called UPS to find out what the charge was and $50 was their customs fee.

DO NOT USE UPS TO SHIP INTERNATIONAL.
Click to expand...

I just shipped a P pickup to Canada from California via airmail and it cost me only $2.50! A lot cheaper than I had guessed.
 
#12
Fedex and ups both charge brokerage fees... about $48cdn I think. They claim the charge is for collecting the taxes on your behalf and giving them to the govt. I always ask the seller to ship via USPS. USPS doesnt charge brokerage fees, b/c they hand the package off directly to Canada Post which is affiliated with the Canadian Govt.
 
#14
The rub with UsPS for shipping basses, at least from what I could find, was finding a service to canada that would take a package that big. The ones I could find were topped at 46 inches I think, and it is hard or impossible to securely pack a bass in that.
 
#15
mactac said:
if they send it through USPS there is a $5 flat charge for brokerage. I've had so many people send me stuff via UPS even though I've specifically told them not to....

never, ever use UPS into Canada. even my UPS driver tells me the same thing.
Click to expand...

Myself and duff84 learned this the hardway whne i shipped him my olp and he had to pay another $65.00 dollars.

He was ticked off at me first but i had no knowledge of the fee, any way he was really happy with bass so it ended ok.
But i'll never use UPS to canada EVER AGAIN.
 
#17
I always ask for USPS now if I have the choice too. Brokerage fees are a big scam. They base the charges on the value of the item which can be anywhere from 33% to 100%. Even the UPS delivery guy once told me that most of the time, stuff coming through with the United States Postal Service will get through without customs charges. FedEx and UPS always get it.

For smaller stuff, I'd go with USPS/Canada Post. Maybe a bass I'd go with UPS or FedEx, but only if I know the charges up front.
 
#18
Thornton Davis said:
I will NEVER use UPS ever again!!!! Not only because of their excessive charges but because the last bass I shipped via them, they proceed to lose. Actually, I think one of their employees stole it.

TD

PS - Don't get me started!!
Click to expand...
If a shipping company "loses" your bass or any package arent they responsible for paying for it? If its insured surely they cant get away with that?
 
#20
USPS is terrible for "misplacing" packages, though.

I used to work for a company where I had to oversee the shipping of a number of PDAs, laptops and other such hardware.
When shipped via USPS, they disappeared at an ALARMING speed. I'm just glad it was never my responsibility to try to wring the pennies back out of them again when the stuff vanished.

That being said, UPS has actually been under investigation due to the brokering fees. It's been all over the Canadian news.

FedEx. Only way to go, (unfortunately.)
 

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