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.

[aosimon]

Got dinged by UPS today, charged me $31.33 for brokerage fee.

I called to complain, first the guy just kept reciting their fee schedule, policy, and the fact that I paid already and signed something etc., but I just kept pointing out that 1) I was not given the choice of broker, 2) UPS didn't tell me about these extra fees when I placed the order, and 3) there's a class action lawsuit against UPS regarding this practice.

I was finally transferred to a supervisor, and he was very sympathetic. He even agreed with me that this is brokerage thing is some sort of a trap (not in a way that would get him in trouble though, pretty smart guy). Anyway, in the end he offered to refund the brokerage fee to me! I didn't think they would do that because, as the supervisor said, that legally when I signed to receive the package after I paid them, I was kinda retroactively appointing them to be my broker and agreeing to all the charges. I was calling just to vent my anger and didn't expect anything would come of it. He didn't have to refund my money strictly speaking, but I guess he was in a good mood today...

[adam12adam12]

An Easter bump

[adam12adam12]

Back to the top we go...

[canuckchat]

.. u tryin to cause truble there?

[lendus_security]

UPS SUX! They offer "door-to-door delivery" which is bald faced lie!!! My wife had to drive 45 mins.(one way) to retreive an item from their "door-to-door delivery." In reality they put it on a bus and sent it on a trip. Try to talk to them about it! FALSE ADVERTISING! I'll take my chances with Canada Post.

[mauws2005]

Well, they advertise door to door, they just didn't tell you it was their door to their door...not your door.

[canuckaloo]

ROFL!

[canuckchat]

... maybe your door wasn't open .....

[pm1941]

Two identical articles bought on eBay coming from US to Canada. Two sellers, one of which doesn't offer any alternative to UPS.

UPS Customs Brokerage/taxes = $57.66
USPS/Canada Post Brokerage/taxes = $16.00

The article only cost $102 including S/H.

UPS is obviously in a brokerage firm's pocket who is on some get rich quick scheme here. I am surprised that eBay itself recommends it.

Despite complaints that I have seen all over the place, still sellers insist on ignoring USPS's perfectly efficient. and cheaper service, and offer only 1 choice - UPS.

[mauws2005]

Don't buy from them then.

[amberm145]

I've just read this whole thread, and I have a couple of points to make.

I was ordering something from the US and they sent me a choice of shipping options. UPS 3 day delivery, $21. USPS 10 day delivery, $23. Looking at those numbers alone, why wouldn't you use UPS? Talking to another vendor on the phone, she asked why Canadians keep asking for USPS when UPS is so much cheaper and faster. Because with UPS, we get charged again when the item arrives at the door, for 50-70% of the original price. "You mean after I pay them, they ask for more money to deliver it to you?" UPS is very careful to hide these charges from the shipper, so people shipping from the US think they are a better option, and that's why it's a scam.

Yes, Ford is entitled to charge more than GM if they choose. But they aren't entitled to pretend to be $50 cheaper and then demand an extra 50% after you've already paid for the truck and arrive at the dealership to pick it up.

So how many people have successfully done the self clearance thing?

I asked CCR about self clearance for items I shipped home while travelling. They told me I had to let the courier broker it for me and submit the paperwork to CCR later to have the taxes and duty reimbursed. They had told me that I would have to pay the brokerage and it wasn't refundable. I did self clearance when my wedding dress was shipped from China via DHL. The seller put a value of $5 on it, which made Canada Customs hold it until I could provide proof. In truth, I paid about $75 for it, but I was actually in China at the time and declared it when I came home, so no duties or taxes were oweing.

So how easy is it to get a seller to put "self clearance" on the paperwork? And does UPS actually read that?

[mauws2005]

You should be able to self clear although it takes a bit of running around. You'll have to go to the UPS depot and pick up forms for your package, then take them to the nearest customs office and they will assess duty/taxes and stamp your forms. You can then take them back to UPS and get your item.
It's sort of a crap shoot as to whether you get a driver that pays attention to the fact that it's marked self clearance. Sometimes they still show up at your door hoping to collect on brokerage fees.

[amberm145]

I understand the process, as I've said, I've done it before.

My question is how to get UPS to hold the item and notify me that the shipment is awaiting clearing. If they show up at your door looking for money, shouldn't they have already done the work they are expecting to get paid for?

[mauws2005]

If you've informed them that you are self brokering and they still show up, tell the delivery guy that you are self brokering and that they were informed of that when it was shipped. Most likely, they will take the item back to the depot and then you proceed with brokering it yourself.
They show up at your door b/c sometimes people just end up taking the package anyway when they show up and then they send them the brokerage bill after.

[canuckchat]

UPS is obviously in a brokerage firm's pocket who is on some get rich quick scheme here.

This has been patiently explained mega times on here, but lets do it again folks!
UPS is a courier - FEDEX is a courier - DHL is a courier. As such, they have to BROKER the cross border international shipments INTO Canada. And they do NOT provide this as a FREE service. It costs MONEY to get a service.

Canada Post has a negotiated nominal $5 (or $8) fee for this brokerage service.

And that is why the difference in price. Has nothing to do with anybody being in anybody's pocket, for goodness sakes!!!

UPS is very careful to hide these charges from the shipper, so people shipping from the US think they are a better option, and that's why it's a scam.

Ditto here - its not HIDDEN - it is just simply that many Canadians are uneducated as to the cost of having an item shipped cross border internationally to them from another country.
Continually lambasting ANY courier company like this in forums makes just as much sense as making this (stupid) statement:

Why do I have to put a stamp on the letter? If I put it in the mailbox, the post office should just deliver it! After all, thats what they do - I'm not going to pay them - they should just gather it up and take it to where its going for me - for free!!!

[amberm145]

The fact is, UPS charges at least $20 more than Canada Post for the exact same service. There's no reason to use them.

They do hide these charges. They don't quote "$22 shipping plus brokerage", they say "$22" and let the shipper assume that's the total, or that the extra charges aren't going to be any different with any carrier. I mean, if it's just taxes and duty, it should be the same with any carrier right? But it's not and that's the scam. And it's not just "stupid Canadians". I have been well aware of this for many years, but I still get US vendors telling me I'm nuts for using USPS because they believe UPS is so much cheaper. So the vendor gets to pick who they decide to ship with based on incomplete information, and I get stuck with the extra charges?

[canuckaloo]

does the post office quote "$22 shipping plus brokerage"?

[canuckchat]

Canada Post "hides" that they charge $5 or $8 to broker it; UPS/Fedex/DHL/Purolator "hide" that they charge $20 and upwards to broker it.

So if Canada Post's "hidden" charge was $10 would it make you just as mad? $15? At what value does it become a fighting topic???

[canuckchat]

The crux of the matter between US and Canadians is this:

- Canadians can import up to $20CD value of item without having to pay tax on it

- Americans can import up to $200US value of item without having to pay tax on it

If Americans had a $20US value and then they were paying incoming taxes and duties, you'd better believe they'd be nagging you to NOT use a courier (not that many of us do anyways.)

[ferret-mom]

The UPS charges involve more than brokerage. There is also a fee (minimum of $4.95, if memory serves) to "advance" the taxes to the government on the receiver's behalf.

In other words, we are supposed to believe that they forward the taxes to the government immediately, then charge the addressee a minimum of $4.95 in interest for the privilege. I would be curious to know how often they actually remit the taxes to the feds.

I find it hard to believe that retailers would be making daily tax remittances; does anyone think that UPS is actually forwarding the taxes on each individual package before delivering it? Looks like just another excuse to gouge the unsuspecting public.