eBay

canuckchat · ‎11-23-2006

If you reside in Canada - and purchase an item from the USA - you need to educate yourself as to the fact that you WILL be paying applicable taxes and possibly duties on the item when it crosses the border into Canada.

Yes, if the item is shipped by postal service, your "brokerage handling fee" will be a nominal $5 or $8 - plus the applicable taxes for your province (and possibly duties, but seldom are they charged.)

And yes, MANY times the items shipped by postal service are NOT charged taxes or duties incoming - so sometimes you will escape paying the taxes that are due to the Canadian and provincial governments.

However, you should ALWAYS - and I stress ALWAYS! - calculate the cost of the taxes and possibly duties into the decision to make a purchase internationally.

Additionally, if your item is sent by the USA seller (or other international seller) through a courier service (for example, UPS, FEDEX, DHL, etc.) then your applicable brokerage fee will be upwards of $25, on a sliding scale dependent upon the value of the incoming item.

Yes, these fees (brokerage, tax, duty) are ALL part of the cost of buying an item internationally and having it shipped to you in Canada.

It is NOT up to the seller to pay these for you - YOU are the importer of record - YOU are the one who will be billed for these charges - YOU are the one who will NOT get your parcel until you pay these charges.

So - before hitting the "BID NOW" button, do a bit of calculating and make an informed decision to see if it is really worth getting that imported widget!

Happy Bidding, Folks!
:-D

canuckchat · ‎10-12-2007

.... i meant the person that he was picking the parcel up from who was trying to explain what the charges were... that person would be defined as "postal clerk"

shelleywaring · ‎10-13-2007

Yes, I suppose technically they are. I feel bad for them because even though they wear the uniform of the company they work for (Dell, SDM, whatever), some people think they are Canada Post employees. I love it when someone says "why are you charging me so much?". Yes, the person behind the counter gets to charge you what they like, Canada Post doesn't have anything to do with the postage. LOL. Just think, Christmas is just around the corner and soon these clerks will be dealing with all the insanity that comes with the Christmas season. I really do feel for people who work in retail.

canuckchat · ‎10-15-2007

apparently people are NOT seeing these forums so here we go bumpity bump again

ferret-mom · ‎10-15-2007

I really do feel for people who work in retail.

So do I, as they seem to get flack from both ends -- from the public as well as management. My son works in retail and is constantly being pressured to flog extended warranties, at the risk of turning off his customers.

canuckchat · ‎10-15-2007

... some of us that regularly shop at places like that know the drill and know that the sales people have to say it so its no biggie deal ... i'm talking about future shop and best buy types of stores.. you just KNOW going in to buy something electronic that they want you to take 2-3-4 year extended warranty and you make up your mind before you go in to the store if you personally want it or not and its very easy to say "no thanks!" and be polite about it...

fashion135 · ‎10-15-2007

I always purchase from sellers who use USPS and I hardly ever get extra fees when I pick up my parcel. And, I buy big time, all of the time.

canuckchat · ‎10-21-2007

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

conductr7 · ‎10-23-2007

Hmmmm!! Free trade eh....????

canuckchat · ‎10-23-2007

Free Trade means you do not pay DUTY on incoming items made within North America ... it has nothing to do with brokerage charges to clear incoming shipments ... nor with GST and/or PST that needs to be paid on items purchased

freezingcanada · ‎10-23-2007

the whole importation fees for "people" is a big ripoff and should be banned. I'm a person buying from another person, there should be nothing more than the price we agreed on. I do think there should be an import fee for companies, otherwise every company would be based in countries under development and people here wouldn't have jobs. But the whole import tax and stuff for consumers is really useless and the government is just making free money from us. I don't really care for UPS / Fedex /etc fees, that's the price to pay to have our items faster and secure.

canuckchat · ‎10-23-2007

The government does not get the brokerage fees that are charged by the couriers to clear your items incoming to Canada

5000piecespuzzle · ‎10-28-2007

:|

Give a Little - Help a Lot

junglejammies · ‎10-29-2007

Back to UPS, when a seller ships via UPS, they are simply the selected courier. UPS does not have the right to appoint itself as broker unless they receive your confirmation. Sometimes they will phone you and leave a message. In the message they state that if you do not respond, you are giving them permission to act as broker. Away for a couple of days? OK, you have given them permission.

The problem with this is that UPS does not ALWAYS call first. More often than not they assume (incorrectly) that they will appoint themselves broker. This is one of the reasons why Canadians hate UPS.

A buyer has the option to appoint their own broker OR if you want the bother (and I don't know of anyone who does), you can clear your own purchase at the border thereby saving brokerage fees. UPS must still make the delivery as they have been paid to ship to your address. Sound nuts? Perhaps, but if you've paid out big bucks for an item and looking at heavy duty brokerage fees, it might be worth the trip.

The best way to avoid this is if the seller's listing states that delivery is by UPS, you could ask the seller if they would consider delivery by USPS. I have found that most sellers will comply with this request depending, of course, on the size and weight of the item.

canuckchat · ‎10-29-2007

.... have never had UPS call me to ask who I want my broker to be....

mauws2005 · ‎10-29-2007

if you want the bother (and I don't know of anyone who does), you can clear your own purchase at the border thereby saving brokerage fees

Lots of people clear their own packages, especially when they receive a lot of them or when they find out that it is possible to do it. You do not have to drive down to the border to clear it if you live in / near a city with and inland customs office.

junglejammies · ‎10-30-2007

Courier corporations like UPS and FedEx have their own brokerage subsidiaries (worldwide) and are members of the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers. Their affiliation with Canada Customs allows them to post a bond to cover duties and taxes relative to the destination in Canada. They charge a fee for posting the bond which, in turn, is added to the brokerage fee. These bond fees are clearly posted on the courier sites.

It would be a good idea for consumers to carefully check all the fees associated with their purchase before declaring that they have been “scammed”. My experience with both UPS and FedEx is that the charges imposed are always in accordance with tariff regulations. The breakdown of these charges is set out on the waybill. If you do not agree with the charges then you should contact the courier company. If you are still not satisfied with the explanation and feel that you were overcharged then you should file a report with the CSCB.