Why I hate UPS

[steamer99]

Just wanted to vent and warn anybody that does not know about how they do things, when you have to cross the USA/Canada border.

Purchased a part from another member for an agreed price of $85.00 shipped, Seller was shocked to find out UPS would charge $62.00 to ship it to me, but he kept his part of the deal and sent it. The item arrived 1 day earlier than the tracking said it would but UPS added a $37.33 "Import brokerage fee" that was COD.

In summary:
Cost to Me: $122.33 , Received by seller: $23.00 , Made by UPS: $99.33

[Sean486]

Originally Posted by steamer99

Just wanted to vent and warn anybody that does not know about how they do things, when you have to cross the USA/Canada border.

Purchased a part from another member for an agreed price of $85.00 shipped, Seller was shocked to find out UPS would charge $62.00 to ship it to me, but he kept his part of the deal and sent it. The item arrived 1 day earlier than the tracking said it would but UPS added a $37.33 "Import brokerage fee" that was COD.

In summary:
Cost to Me: $122.33 , Received by seller: $23.00 , Made by UPS: $99.33

I believe a big part of the charge goes to the Canadian government. For guys like me who end up selling parts at little to no profit, shipping outside the US is hardly worth the trouble.

[Old Davy]

Sorry you got caught in the crossborder Courier scam, steamer99.
As a fellow Canadian that regularly mail orders from the USA I got caught once when ordering glasses frames via UPS. Fedex and the others do the same graft these days.
Since then - 1999 - I will only buy from vendors that agree to ship via USPS Parcel Post. It takes a little longer - like a week - but it arrives on my doorstep (or at the local office if it's a large parcel)...with NO surcharges/duties or the dreaded usurious Brokerage fee.
That's how I got an AC compressor pump sent from Erie PA and turn signals from Japan.

Btw, used car parts should come in Duty-free. Always have the vendor indicate 'used' on the shipping label declaration.

It pays to ask the vendor and if they refuse, then walk away.

[Blacky]

This is why I have everything shipped to The UPS Store in Ogdensburg, NY. It's a short drive down and we do our groceries and other stuff while we're down there. Milk is $2.20 a gallon and here it's almost $7.00.
The brokerage fee is a huge rip-off.
BTW There is tax even on used items entering from the USA. If you bought it here it would be taxed anyways, right.

[SVX92-97]

I paid $62.33 on my end to ship Steamer 99 that wheel. USPS would not ship it parcel post to Canada. They wanted $83 and change. I originally only charged Steamer $35 for shipping not knowing all the BS with the brokerage fees and stuff.

[wdb]

Life's not much better in the other direction, nor with the feds.

I bought some brake rotors (for another car) from a fellow in Canada. He shipped via Canada Post, at the equivalent of USPS Priority Mail. The package got sent to a USPS import facility in California, where it promptly vanished. When I contacted USPS about the tracking number, they said they do not honor nor track Canada Post's tracking numbers once they get into the US.

I never got the package.

[steamer99]

Blacky I live about a 7hr drive from the closest border crossing so what works for you is not an option for me

For the record I am more than pleased with the way SVX92-97 conducted the business and that is why I did not name him in the original post as I did not want it to appear that I was unhappy with his behaviour.

Wow wdb Canada Post assures us on this end that tracking works in the USPS system

I normally specify USPS as that has worked for me in the past but since it had been about 15 years since I had something sent from the US by UPS and with the competition I thought that maybe they had improved.

[Blacky]

I have probably sent well over 150 items I sold on Ebay by Canada Post to the USA. Never has anything gone missing. By the slowest, cheapest method it can take up to 15 days but usually less. It depends if the item is pulled for a random check by US Customs.