About Freight Forwards for Buyers (Other than GSP)

[hold-my-chawowah]

I'm in a postiton where I'd like to use a freight forwarder for a package I'd like to buy from the US and have it shipped to me in Canada.

Does anyone have any experiece with these companies and able to recommend one?   It's a one time deal but if it works I'd continue using them for a package now and then but I'm not interested in paying for a service which bills by the month.

I've found dozens but don't really understand how they work and why I should trust that my package will actually arrive here in Canada when there is nothing to ensure that it will other than perhaps a good recommendation from another buyer.

Can anyone here recommend a trustworthy company?

[hold-my-chawowah]

I meant to hit reply but hit accept as solution.......... but I think it actually might be what I'm looking for anyway.

Is it https://www.crossborderpickups.ca/rates/

I'm in Kitchener so I'd have to have items mailed to me but the calculator says cost would be about $12 so I'm good with that.

The thing I'm still unsure about is brokerage fees because they mention brokerage fees and those fees always make me nervuous after dealing with couriers.

[hold-my-chawowah]

Yes, almost looks too good to be true.  For my light packages the fee is $5/package and that's amazing.  Might even be in $C.

How can they do that?

[byto253]

Just tap the accepted button again and it remove it.

They do it by volume. Fill a truck and send it to only to the GTA . You may want to call them and ask about brokerage. CE no

[recped]

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@hold-my-chawowah wrote:

Yes, almost looks too good to be true.  For my light packages the fee is $5/package and that's amazing.  Might even be in $C.

How can they do that?

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Volume!

Seriously, the logistics business is a nickle and dime thing, it works (profitable) if your capacity utilization is up to snuff.

You can send a single truck to Niagara Falls for $500 - $1000 Dollars*, it could carry 10,000 pieces to drop off at USPS  and then pick up 5,000 pieces coming back to Canada (maybe mixed in with pallet loads). The customs stuff is all electronic nowadays so it's costing very little per package and there is a nice profit even if they they charge you only $5 (FYI - If they are charging $12 to ship it to Kitchener they are making $4 on that part alone).

* that's a guess based on really old experience

[hold-my-chawowah]

I'm just changing my address to the one for crossborderpickup and for the postal code I'm given 14305 but no matter what I do the computer forces the extra 4 digits at the end to 14305-1708.

Does anyone know enough about US Postal Codes to understand if that makes a difference?  Just concerned because the US address seems to be a conglomerate of offices and I don't know if the 1708 pinpoints a different business or not?

[byto253]

The 1708 is extra detail that fine tunes the delivery area even more than the 5 digits, it is to the same location and address.  No risk there are all.  

[hold-my-chawowah]

When I place the order it does charge sales tax to New York.  Is there any way around that?

Wow....... that was a process but if anyone is looking for a service other than the GSP it should be helpful.  🙂

[byto253]

No, NY gets its 7%

[recped]

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@hold-my-chawowah wrote:

When I place the order it does charge sales tax to New York.  Is there any way around that?

It's actually "possible" but probably not "feasible"!

For an eBay purchase you can file a blanket exemption notice. I do not know the details but it might require applying for a NY vendor permit similar to the way it worked in Ontario prior to GST/HST.

If it's not an eBay purchase then you would have to provide the exemption info directly to the merchant.

Just not practical for a single transaction.

As for the zip+5, that should ALWAYS be used when sending anything to a US address, while it will get delivered without one it can be faster if it is included. When you print a postage label with zip+5 the label itself will contain information right down to the specific carrier route without any need for hand sorting. Without it once the package reaches the regional facility it must be hand sorted at the carrier level.

[byto253]

I looked into that several years ago and like you say for an of individual there really is not a way.

[reallynicestamps]

As for the zip+5, that should ALWAYS be used when sending anything to a US address, while it will get delivered without one it can be faster if it is included.

I've asked on the US Boards but never had an answer.

Does the extended zipcode offer any further protection against false deliveries?

As in, the zipcode is 90210, the buyer is at 90210-1234 but the parcel is delivered to 90210-5678 either because the carrier made a mistake or because the seller purposely put the incorrect extension on the shipment.

[recped]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

Does the extended zipcode offer any further protection against false deliveries?

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No it doesn't, all it does is make timely delivery more likely.

One other benefit (for buyers), if they use their zip+5 they will be accurately charged Sales Tax. If they only use 5 digits they may be paying a higher rate of tax than neccessary.

[qtraxs]

I realize your post is 2 years old but Myus is an absolute nightmare.
My item has been there 6 weeks, its being returned back to the seller within the US for a cost of 38usd WITHOUT shipping , thats a $8 handling fee and a $29usd fee because they caim my hair creme is dangerous (its not) spoke with D.O.T and USPS about it in great detail. They didn't cancel my free subscription after repeated requests and have charged me a total of $50usd while we have argued back and forth. I put in Paypal desputes and if that fails I'll dispute with my CC company. I hope you didn't use one of these services. I still need to get my item to Canada.

[qtraxs]

To clarify, its $37 usd in fees PLUS I have to pay for the shipping cost back to seller for it to end up right where it started.