Why are some shipping prices so high all of a sudden?

[marewest]

Shipping a laser disc player was $500 normally about $75. A radar was over $1000 to ship! I would have expected about $150. These shipments are from US to Canada. I have purchased over 600 items on eBay over a 10+ year period and I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Something is different or an automatic calculating process has been programmed incorrectly.

[reallynicestamps]

Three possiblities.

The seller is overestimating his costs instead of researching them.

The seller is using the Global Shipping Program which adds duty, SALES TAX, and a service fee or around $5 to the seller's shipping cost.

The seller is using an express courier service.

In the first instance, you may have to pay duty and sales tax as well as a $10 service fee on delivery.

In the third, as with GSP, the duty, sales tax and a fat ($25plus) service fee is included in the shipping cost.

[reallynicestamps]

For the record, duty is based on place of manufacture, not place of purchase.

So your US made Coach purse would be duty free, but your Chinese made iPad would attract duty.