Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:48:28 -0700
Reply-To: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject: Re: Canada brokerage fees
In-Reply-To: <43BD8224-7E85-48F9-BD9E-93A8597E607C@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
This is the exact reason why I will refuse all shipments from UPS - I have
been doing so for many years now. UPS is a bunch of crooks -
like the article says, the post office does it for $5 and UPS is anywhere
from $35 and up for the same service. Fed-Ex isn't that far behind
them either. More than a few times I have purposely not bought from
American vendors that would refuse to use the Post Office for shipping to
Canada. The Post Office is less for the freight charges, same time
for delivery to Canada (seriously!) and 1/5 the cost for brokerage
fees. Canada Post is my friend! On my "account" at
UPS it says to automatically return all shipments that have brokerage
fees. I'll never give UPS another dime.
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
Quesnel, BC Canada
Internet http://www.fastforward.ca
Email
sales@fastforward.ca
On Wed, October 25, 2006 17:09, Jim Arnott
wrote:
> Spotted this in this morning's daily dose of 'news.'
Link: <http://
>
cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2006/10/24/2115440-cp.html>
>
>
> October 24, 2006
> B.C. man sets off suit
against UPS
> By TERRI THEODORE
>
> VANCOUVER
(CP) - Hidden fees seem to be an everyday irritant for
>
consumers, but a B.C. man is so angry about a fee charged by United
> Parcel Service he's willing to become the point man for a class-
> action lawsuit.
>
> It started after Robert
Macfarlane purchased an amplified telephone
> device from Arizona
over the Internet last year. He knew he would
> have to pay
shipping and handling fees and government levies, but he
> was
also ordered to pay a $38.40 brokerage fee charged by UPS.
>
> "It's outrageous," said Macfarlane's lawyer Jim
Poyner.
>
> "It's a surcharge that nobody agrees to,
nobody knows anything about
> it until the delivery person is at
the door."
>
> Poyner said Tuesday he expects
hundreds of thousands of people have
> been in the same situation
across the country, and there are plans to
> file a similar
lawsuit in Ontario.
>
> "It's certainly a problem
that affects the entire country."
>
> The lawsuit
has been filed under the Class Proceedings Act, but the
> B.C.
Supreme Court must first determine if the case fits the criteria
>
for a class-action lawsuit.
>
> The court action claims
the UPS brokerage fee is "so harsh and
> adverse as to
constitute an unconscionable practice."
>
> The same
Canada Post service for goods shipped from the United States
> to
Canada costs $5.00.
>
> A spokesman for UPS was
unavailable for an interview.
>
> Poyner said people are
usually never told there will be an added fee
> until there's a
knock on the door.
>
> "(The delivery person) has
your goods in one hand and the other hand
> is out wanting to be
paid more money," he said.
>
> The lawsuit accuses
UPS of misleading and deceptive practices by
> failing to get the
consumer's consent, not telling the consumer about
> the fee and
not allowing the consumer to arrange their own customs
>
clearance.
>
> Not only does Macfarlane want his own
money back, but the lawsuit
> wants everyone who paid the fee
reimbursed.
>
> Poyner said the other major goal of such
a lawsuit is what the court
> calls "behaviour
modification."
>
> In one of 10 remedies requested
in Macfarlane's statement of claim,
> it asks for a permanent
injunction stopping UPS from continuing to
> charge the fee.
>
> It also asks for punitive, aggravated and exemplary
damages.
>
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