50% UPS Brokerage fee????

[kazoobers]

I bought an item that was $99.95 US. The Seller charged me $16.00 for UPS standard shipping to Canada.

The package arrived and here is a Brokerage C.O.D. due to UPS for $54.17. What a rip! The seller said nothing about additional fees due IN ADDITION to the $16.00 I paid him for the shipping. By looking under Help in eBay, I see there is nothing I can do about it.

[drdaveandpixiejenn]

Many people are discovering about Brokerage fees for the first time through EBay. In my case, I won an auction for .99 cents. (it was a costume jewellery necklace) First the seller disputed the free shipping. They claimed Ebay had inadvertently placed that on there. Then they said they recanted and said they would honour it. Then when I went to track the item, the tracking information online indicated UPS had not been provided a full address. And apparently, hold your hats...there is a $57 Brokerage fee. The good news. I will refuse the fee and the package. And I lose .99 cents. Ebay gave me the impression that I should feel bad for the seller because they will get saddled with the cost. I get the impression that they do little to advise the buyer and don't care much about the buyer either.

Oh and if you denigrate Ebay, does your post get removed?

[pocomocomputing]

If it is really 99 cents and Free shipping, then you should pay no taxes, brokerage fess as it is under the $20 personal import limit.

However, it depends on what the declared value of the item specified by the seller. What was the declared value? A $57 brokerage fee sounds like the declared value is around $50-$100.

[dipmicro]

You mentioned that item was shipped by UPS.  Brokerage fee is not a rip off - that's what they charge.

Entire industry is a scam. According to consumer protection laws, consumer needs to agree to a service and know the charge BEFORE the service is rendered. Industry maassively violates this principle.

Secondly, according to the customs regulation, an agent (broker), requires Power of Attorney to act on the behalf of the customer. Industry massively violates this principle as well.

Thirdly, filling up couple lines, spending 2 minutes, paying the clerk close to minimum wage and collecting $29 for $100 shipment is a ripoff. Added value of this service for a client is zero, the only value of this service is for the government. Imagine, if Walmart started charging 30% surcharge on purchases because they have accounting expense with collecting HST.

[femmefan1946]

 Imagine, if Walmart started charging 30% surcharge on purchases because they have accounting expense with collecting HST.

Fun fact- the government actually pays businesses to calculate and remit sales taxes.

It's done as a rebate on the amount owed, but it is there.

[2011limey1]

LOL - I probably worded my last post wrong and it was misunderstood.  I said it wasn't a rip off, that's what you have to pay.  Well, OF COURSE I know it's a complete rip off....but still, that's what you have to pay if you want UPS;-)

[grammatonkyu]

This website has all the information you need:

http://trueler.com/2010/11/24/self-clear-shipment-cbsa-avoid-ups-brokerage-fee/

[pjcdn2005]

This website has all the information you need:

http://trueler.com/2010/11/24/self-clear-shipment-cbsa-avoid-ups-brokerage-fee/

That is only useful if you have time and live close to a CBSA office. For myself, driving to and from the closest CBSA office would take about 4 hours and about $25 in gas. It might be worth it for a dozen items, but not for 1 item.

[2011limey1]

You say perfume shouldn't have made it through - why ?

That's because liquids aren't allowed across the border - like when you get on a flight.  But not only that, there's been reports of perfume evaporating or even exploding (that I have a hard time with) but still, your friend was lucky to get it.

[mesbah.javid]

UPS may steal your daughter's Christmas gift:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6aIPIsUE5I

[kazoobers]

Yuup... just watched that video. UPS are crooks no matter how you look at it.

[mesbah.javid]

Sellers using UPS are mostly crooked sellers that send garbage and using UPS they make sure their eBay buyers never tries to return then item and.....and that eBay support such sellers too because eBay or PayPal tells the buyer he should return the item in order to receive his refund but that return cost the buyer several times the price of the garbage he originally had received.:-(

[wenedfarm]

This is nothing short of extortion on the part of UPS. I usually avoid shipments by this carrier due to the ridiculous charges, but my spouse recently bought an item and had it shipped UPS. Because I live in a rural area, UPS dumps the package in the mail anyway, but not before getting an extra $40 for fees. UPS will charge a minimum of $35 on any shipment. This means that if buy a 1$ item and pay the seller $15 or so for shipping, expect to pay another $35 before it is delivered (or as in my case placed in the mail). Sellers need to post this info on their sites warning us canuks about this ripoff by UPS.

[mesbah.javid]

UPS Package Roundabout:...

[pierrelebel]

"UPS will charge a minimum of $35 on any shipment. This means that if buy a 1$ item and pay the seller $15 or so for shipping, expect to pay another $35 before it is delivered"

That is incorrect.  You may have been misinformed.

Please take a minute to check the facts.  The fee table for UPS brokerage fee is available at (as offered several times already on this thread):

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/cost/zones/customs_clearance.html 

Value $0.00  to  $20.00  FREE (Canada Post is also free)

Value $20.01 to $40.00 $7.00 (Canada Post charges $10.00)

[mesbah.javid]

Value $20.01 to $40.00 $7.00 (Canada Post charges $10.00)

Canada Post never charged me any brokerage fee for even item more expensive than $40.

[mesbah.javid]

It appears that I misplaced the quotation marks!?!?

[pierrelebel]

You did!

For more information on postal imports, please take a look at:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html#c1 

Technically, all imports into Canada valued at $20 or more should be assigned duty (if applicable) and taxes (except for gifts under specific conditions).

And - yes - we all know than many parcels do go through Customs without taxes being charged.

[closeupfanatic]

NEVER accept courier shipping from USA to Canada! All of them are a ripoff. Demand that your seller ship via USPS, or turn down the offer. Almost nothing under $100 in the post gets stopped for import, and even then the charge (Canada Post COD fee) is only $5.

[closeupfanatic]

"UPS will charge a minimum of $35 on any shipment. This means that if buy a 1$ item and pay the seller $15 or so for shipping, expect to pay another $35 before it is delivered"

So does FedEx, and so does every other courier I've experience with. I've never had a charge more than $5 for items sent by post. I insist on USPS now, and refuse to buy from those who won't use it for USA to Canada.

[pocomocomputing]

NEVER accept courier shipping from USA to Canada! All of them are a ripoff. Demand that your seller ship via USPS, or turn down the offer. Almost nothing under $100 in the post gets stopped for import, and even then the charge (Canada Post COD fee) is only $5.

Not a COD fee but a handling charge to collect the taxes and duty. It was $5 for a long time but it was raised to $8.50 sometime last year and then revised again to $9.95 (Aug 18, 2012) later in the year.

Many buyers do not get their packages accessed by customs when coming in by USPS or other postal services and delivered by Canada Post.