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Shipping Bows USA to Canada

Discussion in 'Bows and Rosin [DB]' started by kaybass1952, Dec 6, 2005.

  1. Dec 6, 2005 #1
    kaybass1952

    kaybass1952

    Mar 12, 2004
    I was planning on buying a bow from someone in the US and was wondering what the best delivery option to Canada might be (cost and reliability)? Fedex ,UPS, USPS (Global Express Mail)? Also if your trying out more than one bow how does the tax thing work?Do you pay upon delivery or can they be considered samples until purchased? Any input would be appreciated .
     
  2. Dec 6, 2005 #2
    Damon Rondeau

    Damon Rondeau Journeyman Clam Artist Supporting Member

    Nov 19, 2002
    Winnipeg, baby
    After nothing but bad experiences with them, my advice is to steer clear of UPS at almost any cost. They charge all kinds of crazy numbers as a "customs brokerage" fee -- $50 CDN is typical but it varies -- when all they are doing is reporting to Revenue Canada the retail value of the item being shipped into Canada. A professional customs broker would charge about $5 for the same service. UPS may treat its vendor customers well (shippers), but it rips off the paying customers (the receivers) every single time.

    Fed Ex is a bit better on brokerage; not sure about DHL.

    I always get US vendors to ship to me via the post office. Deliveries have always been within the time spec and nothing has ever been lost or stolen. There's insurance to cover that risk.

    There shouldn't be any trouble shipping a bow provided it's packaged sensibly.
     
  3. Dec 6, 2005 #3
    eh_train

    eh_train Supporting Member Commercial User

    Jan 12, 2004
    Toronto
    Owner, Stand Up Guy Basses (Repair/Sell/Buy upright basses)
    +1 on the UPS-will-rip-you-off-every-time theory...

    I once bought a $32 book from the U.S. and was charged $28 more for "brokerage". When I complained, the retailer was good enough to pay the extra fee (not UPS).

    I now try to insist on the U.S. post, with generally good results...

    eh_train
     
  4. Dec 8, 2005 #4
    kaybass1952

    kaybass1952

    Mar 12, 2004
    Thanks for the input . Sounds like USPS (Global Express Mail3-5 Day delivery)might be the way to go.
    I still not sure how one deals with (OR more correctly is dealt with) when it comes to paying sales tax(GST&PST).Usually I pay upon recieving (at the post office). But what happens if your trying out two or more bows ,as is sometimes the case with bows ?Can you recieve these as samples and pay for duty later when you decide on keeping one?
     
  5. Dec 8, 2005 #5
    Justin K-ski

    Justin K-ski Supporting Member

    May 13, 2005
    If I may add an extra peice of advice, pay the extra for 2 day/express shipping. Espically if its an expensive bow. The longer you allow shipping, the more time it spends sitting in a warehouse the more time there is for it to get damaged.
     
  6. Dec 8, 2005 #6
    Damon Rondeau

    Damon Rondeau Journeyman Clam Artist Supporting Member

    Nov 19, 2002
    Winnipeg, baby
    The Post Office will collect GST based on the retail value declared by the shipper. No way around it. The Queen gets her cut, always.

    Look at it this way: you're already paying crazy money for a stick with some hair on it. What's a little more tax?
     
  7. Dec 9, 2005 #7
    kaybass1952

    kaybass1952

    Mar 12, 2004
    Thanks again for your input.In my last question ,I to meant a situation where you recieve say 3 bows in the same shipment to try out .Would you have to pay tax on all three , even if your auditioning them?Could you recieve them as samples and pay for the one you buy or would you be required to pay tax on all 3 up front(ouch)and get a rebate on what you return.
     
  8. Dec 9, 2005 #8
    Damon Rondeau

    Damon Rondeau Journeyman Clam Artist Supporting Member

    Nov 19, 2002
    Winnipeg, baby
    A customs broker or some other person very familiar with the rules could speak authoritatively on that question -- that's not me by any stretch. But, working it through on my own based on experience and logic, I'd have to say I think you're gonna pay GST on all three bows. The whole process is initiated by the shipper filling out a form declaring the retail value of the goods; Canada assesses tax & duty (no duty likely in your case) based on the information in that form. Do they have a means for assessing items as anything other than goods bought at a certain price? IOW, do they have a special stream of processing for the guy that says "I didn't really buy these items, I'm just borrowing them to check them out for a little while, then I'll send them back, I promise"? I doubt it, but that's what your pro would know.

    As I say, it all starts with the shipper declaring the value of the goods. I wouldn't want to advise somebody to declare anything other than the truth on that form, but that part of the process might be your handhold for avoiding paying tax on all three items. The pros earn their money knowing the answer to stuff like this but it makes more sense to use them when you're buying boxcar-loads of bows, not onesies and twosies...

    Depending on the value of the bows that tax you're trying to avoid can be a lot of bread. Hundreds of dollars. That much money might fund a bow-hunting trip, where you could try many more than three bows....